THE DILEMMA OF CONTENT PRODUCTION IN B2B COMPANIES. OR IS THERE NONE AT ALL IN THE END?
In the dynamic world of digital marketing, content marketing has become an essential tool for B2B companies. Companies face the challenge of producing high quality content with limited resources while remaining visible.
In this guest article, Mark Grandler highlights both the opportunities and the dilemmas that arise, and offers valuable insights and solutions for companies looking to optimise their content production.
A GUEST ARTICLE BY MARK GRANDLER
Mark Grandler is a business influencer at DESIGNROAD71. DESIGNROAD71 specialises in online lead generation, marketing automation and content marketing. The goal is to provide solutions for B2B companies with small marketing departments. In this way, the above topics can be successfully implemented with little manpower.
Connect with Mark Grandler on LinkedIn. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday you will find inspiring posts about marketing and sales in the B2B world. If you want to get in touch with the owner of DESIGNROAD71.com, connect with Markus Morgenweck.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ralf H. Komor for the opportunity to publish a guest article.
Ralf was kind enough to send me a “Content Marketing Trend Study 2023” from Statista. After looking at it, I thought it didn’t sound too bad at first.
Okay, we all know how it is with statistics. Are they often realistic? Or are they just people who are already busy producing content? I don’t want to put this trend study down; such studies are important.
WHY ARE STUDIES IMPORTANT?
Should you focus on how bad or how good you are? I think many decision-makers in B2B companies realise how important content marketing is in today’s marketing mix.
It is not seen as a panacea, but as a sensible strategy. For example, to build customer confidence in products, services and solutions.
With the right content, a company can show that it has understood the pain points of its target audience and is not just communicating to the outside world in a “my house, my horses, my money” style.
But what is the reality of the B2B world? I have had the good fortune to work with several companies in content production. Be it as an employee in the past or as a consultant today. In the words of Roy Batty, the replicant from the film Blade Runner: “I’ve seen things you humans will never see”. Joking aside.
“It is not seen as a panacea, but as a sensible strategy. For example, to build customer confidence in the products, services and solutions”.
Whether they were large or small marketing departments, they all had the same passion. The passion to make a difference for their company, to get the message out and to make the company shine in all areas.
But what was always the biggest obstacle, not barrier, from my point of view? Nobody had any inhibitions, but when I sat in meetings, the same phrase kept coming up: “When are we going to do all this?”
Yes, a feature article every couple of months is feasible, but producing content for all the different channels on a regular basis – phew, we don’t know if we can do that.
It was easy for me to get a bird’s eye view of things. I don’t sit in the company every day and can’t see the wood for the trees.
WHAT I’VE ALWAYS NOTICED
People in marketing who understand what it’s all about and how important external communication through content marketing is today, often can’t keep up because they’re just too busy.
People from project management, if there are any, who know what it’s all about and would like to help with content production but can’t keep up because of the pressures of day-to-day business.
People from the service department, who are often a source of inspiration for content, have been inadvertently left out of the content production process.
Salespeople, who should be the number one source of inspiration because they are ideally close to the customer, often talk past marketing.
In the end, all these people had one thing in common: a passion for their jobs and their companies. And yet they were so far apart. At times annoyed, at times stressed, briefly enthusiastic, only to fall back into the old rut.
As a consultant, I was able to pick people up and show them the importance of content. That’s the key: picking up the people in the company who aren’t involved in content production every day. Otherwise, it won’t work, I can assure you 100 per cent.
“With the right content, the company can show that it has understood the pain points of its target audience and is not just communicating to the outside world in a ‘my house, my horses, my money’ style.
Unfortunately, that’s not all. If there is no clear direction from the top, no matter how hard marketing tries, everyday life will catch up with everything and the initial euphoria will fade as quickly as after the first date when you realise: No, that’s nothing. Move on.
MY INSPIRATION:
We don’t need to discuss whether each department has enough passion. But what I would like to throw into the room is the idea of developing a certain professional passion for each other again. To have fun pulling together with the different departments and developing things. Because you know what comes out of that. You create new opportunities such as contacts, projects or simply moments for your target group that can have a positive impact on your company in the future. Ideally, they will generate more sales, more visibility and more trust in your brand.
Before we get to the best tricks for creating content, I want to briefly address an absolute killer argument that I often hear.
“Content? We don’t need content. It’s working. The sales figures are right, the salespeople should go out, etc.”.
I would like to counter this with a counterargument. Maybe you’re already at the point where you say to your Alexa on Saturday: “Hey, what are the football scores today?” And your wife asks Alexa: “How can I make it look like an accident?” Or maybe you’re searching the internet for the perfect pair of pink Calvin Klein briefs.
“The decision to use your solution, service or product is often made before your sales team has even spoken to a customer”.
Silly question, where did you get this information? No, nobody sits in Alexa and searches for you. The information comes from the internet, from sites that have been created specifically for this purpose. And guess what’s on those sites? Yes, content. The decision to buy your solution, service or product is often made before your sales team has even spoken to a customer. Look at your children: They are on the web and on social media. Decision makers are getting younger, and they are getting their information differently. Accept that.
Enough shouting.
Finally, a little suggestion for your own in-house training. If you like, do the following, but without pressure and without expecting great results. This is especially true if you have not yet started producing content professionally.
GET STARTED:
As the person responsible for marketing, take one person each from project management, service and sales with you, if circumstances allow. Don’t hesitate to bring in other people if I’ve forgotten anyone.
What is the goal? We want to generate content ideas. Just ideas, not finished content.
Mega tip: In the beginning, only invite people who really want to come. Please clarify this beforehand. The herd instinct will then kick in automatically when success materialises. I promise you that.
Insider: If the budget allows, throw in a few bottles of ’85 Barolo to loosen up the tongue and brain. Maybe not during the day, but at night. Joking aside.
Educate people: What is the goal? Answer: To produce content ideas for the company. It would be bad to say it’s for marketing, because it’s not. In the end it pays off for the company. But I hear it often enough: “For marketing…”, which is not true.
Start with the people in sales, for example. Ask the question: “What are the most common questions your customers ask you?” Make a note of the answers, which can be used to create headings. But you don’t have to. Just write down the answers. Do the same with other people from the departments who have customer contact.
Think together about which projects have been successful and which could be developed into a case study.
This is enough to get you started if you have never been involved in content production before. Otherwise, it will be too much at the beginning.
The marketing department saves the results in the software of their choice, most easily in Excel.
Professionals know that this is just the tip of the iceberg. But believe me, it’s a very good start.
If you want to know what happens next, Ralf H. KOMOR is a good person to talk to. Just talk to him. I know from my own experience that he is a philanthropist.
One last tip for all managers:
Support such actions. Create room for manoeuvre, because at the end of the day – excuse the harsh language – this is about the direction in which the company, and ultimately your job, is moving.
Yours, Mark Grandler
I SUPPORT YOU ON THE WAY TO YOUR SUCCESS
I am a strategist, an innovator, an unconventional thinker, a mover and shaker and therefore I do the right things sooner and better.
And with pleasure also for you.
Together we can discover new market opportunities, steer product branding into the right direction, understand your customers better – and stand out from the competition with tailor-made products for your target group. All this leads to more customer satisfaction, greater customer lifetime value and more sales potential.
Can you afford not to go for it?
