Business to business marketing is important especially if you are in the niche of b2b based profits. Many times we’ll market to consumers however b2b is also massive is that what helps meet your bottom line. As a matter of fact, this is where the money is because many times you’ll secure an enormous contract with a business to buy your product for millions of dollars. Not to mention that the expanding internet has allowed people to start business quickly and they are all your potential clients. With that said, you have to keep in mind some very important things.
First, a majority of things when related to even business will be done through content marketing. It’s through content that your able to engage people and show them the true value of your product. It’s through content and the right keywords that your able to rank within the SERP’s attracting a huge following organically. It’s through content that you’ll retain your customers and slowly build a loyal audience which can convert over and over again. Over the years, I’ve been very lucky because I’ve been able to learn a lot about the way businesses interact with each other. I’ve had businesses as clients and been able to ask them very specific questions to learn more about the way they browse online. I’ve also been able to ask them about the products they buy and why they choose some over others. It’s amazing what I have learned and will like to share a few cool ideas with you.
If you can learn to avoid these things, then you’ll have an easier time converting them later on.
Forgetting Your Purposes
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses making online is that they forget what their purpose is and this forces them to lose a lot of business who are into their product. The businesses you were engaging with are using your product or service for a reason so it’s important that you don’t move away. You have to keep in mind your purpose and keep building your strategy around it. For example, if your main purpose is to help small business network with other relevant businesses, then everything that you do going forward should be based on this bottom-line. This should be seen within your content, products, marketing and going forward.
Whenever I’m writing content or building a product, I like to view a board I have in my office. On this board I have cut out various headlines and visions for myself. They are based on my business and its vision. I view it become I write content because it helps me stay on the right path.
Lesson 1 – Don’t make the mistake of losing your vision because this will alter your content and product. Keep your vision clear and make sure it’s evident in your workplace.
Not Writing Enough
Another major problem and this will cost you enormous credibility and can destroy your brand. Google introduced a content freshness update so if you’re not writing enough you could see an enormous drop in your rankings. One of the major reasons why people don’t write enough is because they simply can’t find a schedule that works for them. I’ll admit when your writing content 2-3 times a week it can get stressful. This is more the case now because you have to ensure it of value and above the average word count of 1,200 words. For example, whenever I write content I hope will make a dent online, I make sure it’s anywhere from 3,000-4,500 words. Tough right? But, I’ve found you can do a few things to help you stay on track and get the right amount of content to the businesses who depend on you. Let’s look at the top 2-3 ways to do this:
Break it Down – a strategy I use that has helped enormous is to write in phases every day. For example, if I have to write content which is 2,000 words then I’ll be better writing 500 words each day. In 5 days I’ll have content around 2,500 words. If you can write a bit more that even better because you can create 2 pieces of content for publishing. However, it’s important to find a schedule that works best for you.
Hire Writers – If you got the money then hire someone to get the job done for you. Good writers will cost more, but it’s hard to put a price on valuable content…right? Do some searches online and I’m sure you’ll be able to find some solid writers that will get the job done with the right type of quality.
Guest bloggers – an amazing option for you because there is no shortage of guest bloggers. I still guest blog till today because it’s a great way to build networks and your brand at the same time. Some of the bloggers I work with have 100,000 visitors per month and this is a great way to drive enormous traffic to your website. You just have to make sure you meet the fundamentals required. You should make sure your content is relevant, valuable and solves a common problem.
Not Listening to Customers
One of the worse ways to lose your customer base is by not listing to them. Over time you’ll start to build a customer case and they will have certain demands. They’ll provide you feedback on how to make your products better or even what you can write about. Almost every blogger no matter the niche is getting followers to fill out surveys because they understand the power of feedback. You have to do the same, but when you do you should implement their recommendation. You have to love customers because they know what they want and will be vocal about it. This means you not only get some awesome ideas but have a chance to build even more loyalty in the long run by improving both your content and products. But,
I’ve seen many accept feedback and NOT be able to handle the negative comments. They push these comments away failing to make the necessary changes. This leads to tension between you and your customers. In the end, you have lost customers because you fail to cater to their needs going forward.
No Clear Call-to-Action
When engaging your audience through content marketing, it’s important you have clear call-to-actions in place. Many customers will have no clue on what to do after they have read your content so give them a course of action. Provide them with a home work list or actionable steps to perform after reading your content. These steps should help them achieve exactly the same stuff you have discussed in your content. I’ll admit that some will follow while others won’t but don’t’ let this deter you in the long run. You’ll be surprised how many customers will continue to be loyal because of the value you have provided.
Avoid being lazy and make sure you provide your readers with some actionable steps throughout your content. In the end, this will increase overall engagement on your website.
You Start to Cater to Wrong Audience
Another big mistake I see people making is the fact they cater or start to cater to the wrong audience. If you are catering to the wrong audience, you’ll have a hard time engaging them which will be bad for business. This is why when I write my content I always list research as one of the most important elements of any blog or even of content writing. By doing your research, you’ll have an easier time understanding who your audience is and what you have to do to engage them. For example, research has allowed me to come up with the right:
- Topics
- Location
- Social media strategy
- Email funnel
- And more
So, the next question is what is the best way to find out about your audience? I like to research my competition especially those who have been in the business the longest. They have done their research and can help provide all the information you need. Through competitor research I can find out where they are located, what topics they enjoy, the questions they have, and engaging pattern.
I highly recommend you research your audience and continue to research so you keep engaging the right type of audience always.
Final Thoughts
Business to business cliental is huge and it’s important you keep engaging your customers. They can bring in enormous profits for you helping you become a big player within the industry. However, you have to make sure you have a clear vision and avoid making the common mistakes. Read through the content above and make the necessary changes to your strategy. This will help you stay on track and keep your focus at all times.
Create a list of the mistakes I’ve listed above and keep them handy the next time you sit down to write content.