There’s more to content marketing than meets the eye. Content marketing is a very popular inbound methodology that attracts and nurtures qualified leads through valuable content and there are several reasons why B2B companies in particular should invest in this dynamic method. Beyond lead generation and nurturing however, creating targeted blogs and other content assets also help companies shape their brand personality – the cumulative set of traits that define a brand for its audiences. This phenomenon is just one example of how content marketing is a useful tool in achieving a wide range of marketing and sales goals. Here’s how it works:
Creating and Targeting Buyer Personas
Though you may construct your buyer personas when first planning your content marketing strategy, it’s important that you update personas by habitually reviewing the characteristics, challenges and habits of your ideal customers. Buyer personas can and should be fluid representations because as the market evolves, there will always be new roadblocks that consumers encounter, and thus new needs that your company will have to fill for them. This will dictate a shift in the way your company presents solutions through content that also builds trust between the buyer and seller. When you update and refer to your buyer personas throughout the content creation process, you ensure that what you share with your audience aligns with the personality, values and delivery method that your consumers demand.
Maintaining a Clear Voice
Reviewing your buyer personas will help you refine the words and phrases that make up your brand’s voice. Through consistent writing style, diction and tone, you can create a clear voice that speaks to your audience, enticing them with catered content that educates and presents solutions to their challenges. Content marketing champion HubSpot demonstrates the importance of language in the surprising results from their recent study on the effectiveness of landing pages.
HubSpot found that because of emotion and connotation, among other factors, the best wording to reach consumers and increase conversions can vary by industry.1 Their data found that:
- Copy that incites fear can negatively impact conversions in law, but positively impact rates in business consulting
- More than 8% of language on business services landing pages should imply trust, but keep trust words to a maximum of 3% in credit and lending
- Common trust words include “leading,” “council,” “advice” and “maintenance”
- Copy with more than 5% of empty buzzwords can result in 25% lower conversion rates in business services
- These buzzwords build anticipation and include “excel,” “exceed” and “achievement”
With this data in mind, it’s a good idea to follow your own set of guidelines to solidify your brand’s voice even as your buyer personas change over time. Start a brief, to-the-point list of adjectives that your buyer personas would relate to most and refer to this list when developing content. Below are some ideas for B2B companies in various industries.
- Healthcare: Friendly, Wholesome, Helpful
- Technology: Innovative, Modern, Cutting-Edge
- Law: Trustworthy, Knowledgeable, Straightforward
Each piece of content you create is a new opportunity to reinforce your brand’s personality. Meet with the members of your team who help plan, write, design and distribute content marketing assets to discuss your target brand personality. Don’t forget to review guidelines with the extensions of your content marketing efforts, such as ads and social media posts. If you manage a larger content marketing team, consider building a style guide to better control the results. Do you need help refining your brand identity or launching a new look? Schedule a free consultation with the experts at Sagefrog to discuss your biggest marketing goals.
In this consultation, we’ll review your current marketing efforts, challenges and goals to provide our expert recommendations. Your takeaway will be a free Marketing Plan Summary delivered within one week of your session.
Are you interested in B2B marketing services? Contact Sagefrog Marketing Group today.
1. HubSpot, Copywriting for Conversions: 9 Ways Emotion and Word Count Affect Your Landing Pages
