Does Your B2B Content Writer Seek Out Brand Love?

June 21, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

I love Rainbow Cone. The ice cream cone establishment is an 86-year-old icon on the South Side of Chicago. As I savored their five layers of deliciousness yesterday, I thought B2B brands have more difficulty getting the same level of emotional connection with their customers. After all, business decisions are supposed to be made on facts, not emotion.

You won’t often find B2B buyers lighting up the social media boards with love for their vendors. Yet brand loyalty is very strong. What if there was a way to draw positive commentary out of customers in a natural way? As B2B content writers we know how to ask the kinds of questions that reveal emotional connections that drive brand loyalty.

In construction, when things are going good, perhaps one vendor is just as good as another. But best in class suppliers are defined by how they respond when something goes wrong (even when it isn’t their fault). To convey a contractor’s brand love, a content writer should ask if the brand or dealer ever came through for them when they needed it. For example, when a machine was down or a product needed to be expedited how did they respond. The answer should reflect appreciation for a supplier who shared the contractor’s urgent need for a solution.

In foodservice, recipes and their ingredients are often secret, if not sacred. A chef’s brand love might be revealed through a question about substituting ingredients. The answer conveys a message about quality, tradition and long term relationships, without sounding boastful.

For concert tour truck fleets, on-time arrivals are everything. A content writer might ask the tour manager how the fleet came through for them when something was inadvertently left behind, or damaged in transit. Dramatic situations turn ordinary B2B relationships into extraordinary ones.

Emotional connections between B2B buyers and sellers may not be as visible to marketers as they are in the B2C world, but they do exist. Content writers expose them with revealing questions designed to bring out all the love you need.

With Google On Our Side

June 19, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

When people talk about the rise of China’s global economic power, I counter with: “Yeah, but we have Google.” Some times when people ask me a question I don’t know the answer to, I reply: “Google it.”

As a content writer, Google and I share a goal – useful, quality content on the Internet. As stated in their Best practices #1: “Focus on the user and all else will follow.” It’s no longer a David vs. Goliath world. People and companies with good ideas and good products can prosper no matter what size.

A vice president at a telecommunications company said he was astonished by what Google knew about their customers. The information was deeper and broader than anything the company had. It kind of scared him. With such knowledge comes revenue and responsibility. Decisions need to be made along the way. From what I see, Google is heading in the right direction.

Emphasis on Quality Content

I tire of seeing those who manipulate online pages be in more demand than those who create good content. With its latest changes, Google seems to be tired of it too. Changes in its algorithm, Penguin, aim to rid us of schemers who use keyword stuffing and link tactics to improve rankings. Such practices are like playing multiple balls on each hole during a round of golf or adding clubs beyond the limit rule.

From Google Best practices #3: Does this help my users? What if all the time companies spend on questionable SEO tactics was used instead to develop original, quality content for their audience? Another Google change, Panda, focuses on promoting sites with such content. Well-researched articles, in-depth reports, and thoughtful analysis are being rewarded with high rank. If you think this kind of content comes only from big companies with swarms of subject matter experts, think again. You may be surprised by what a company owner and a good content writer can create.

With Google on our side, content writers can empower companies by focusing on and helping their audience.

Equipment Dealers Slow to Adopt Inbound Marketing Best Practices

June 16, 2012Joanne Costin2 Comments

The data is in and the results should be a wake-up call for construction equipment dealers. After analyzing more than 400 construction equipment dealer marketing practices using HubSpot’s Marketing Grader, 87% of AED member companies scored less than 50 on a scale from 1-100. Just 1% scored from 75 to 100.

Here are the biggest areas of concern:

1) Few dealers have blogs or blog regularly.

2) Website pages don’t have unique page titles and descriptions.

3) Few dealer websites are viewable on mobile devices.

4) Few firms have really embraced sharing their content online through social media.

5) Communication on social networks is largely one-way.

The bright spot is that there is tremendous opportunity for dealers who want to get in the inbound marketing game and embrace best practices. Here are some great content examples from dealers who have transformed their websites from static brochure sites to hubs of social and commercial activity.

Ring Power Corp Delves into a Product Analysis:

Stand-up Narrow Aisle Reach Trucks vs. Jungheinrich’s Side-Seated—December, 2011

Birkey Puts the Spotlight on a Customer:

Dean Drainage LLC

Empire Cat Focuses on Machine Maintenance:

Undercarriage Wear Varies Between Excavators and Dozers

A complete analysis will appear in the July 2012 issue of Construction Equipment Distribution. Subscribers to our blog can receive a complete list of scores for all dealers, upon request.

Digital Marketing: What’s Working?

June 11, 2012Mary KlestLeave a comment

Networking after the ON24 Show

At the ON24 Lead to Revenue Road Show in Chicago lots of facts and experiences were shared about what’s working and what is not in digital marketing. Presenting at the Show last week were reps from ON24, a cloud-based webcasting and virtual communications company, Forrester Research Analyst Lori Wizdo and Cam Brown, CEO of King Fish Media, an integrated marketing firm. The consensus was high performing companies use active content marketing strategies to expand and deepen their relationships with customers. What do active content strategies look like?

Top Performers vs. Low Performers

Ms. Wizdo framed Forrester survey results from marketing decision makers at high tech North American B2B companies this way: top performers vs. low performers and active vs. passive digital marketing strategies. Results on lead generation show that 93% of those surveyed identified websites as high lead generators, next was trade shows & events 81%, content marketing 78%, webinar/webcasts 74%, search engine optimization 70%, and email marketing 70%. The research shows that the top performing companies actively engage during the lead nurturing phase with email marketing campaigns, webinars and seminars.

First generation lead nurturing no longer works well in the contemporary digital marketing world. Its emphasis is on the company not the customer, drip marketing, and sales harassment. New lead nurturing emphasizes the “customer journey.” Response is customized to the particular content chosen by the prospect or customer. Relationships are established and maintained via content, whether downloaded, selected or shared.

Marketers are sending information that helps the prospect with decision-making. As social media strategist Jay Baer says, “Helping is the new selling.” Six or more touches are often required for lead generation. At top performing companies 38% of the sales pipeline was marketing-sourced vs. 25% for bottom performers. They are measuring time frame to purchasing and identifying prospects’ pain or need. Sales reps are engaging later in the buying cycle.

Fresh Content & Real Time

Social marketing is no longer just about broadcasting but offers a way to engage customers in real time. It must include a stream of fresh content that strikes a balance between helping and selling. Webcasting tools now allow for strong branding, enhanced interactivity and extensive sharing.

A poll of those attending the Show revealed that the top marketing challenges were Engaging an audience and Analyzing performance. The greatest content challenges were Lead nurturing and Reactivation of lapsed customers.

Cam Brown advised on crafting a content approach using common themes and storytelling. In the story, products and benefits can be the heroes. However, the content must be credible. Sources may include subject matter experts (inside or outside the company) and journalists.

“Custom content represents the future of marketing,” says Brown. He believes content drives long-term relationships. “Engage audiences by creating an immersive environment that generates enthusiasm, inspires, and creates trust.” It should all be opt-in, permission based. Content strategies must be tied to business objectives.

While digital marketing evolves measure what is working and what is not for your particular company and audience. Don’t abandon the old (if it works) just for something new. For instance, it is possible to use a “passive” method such as a newsletter and make it “active” by syndicating it to target audiences on social media sites, adding links or polls or new offers.

ON24 did a great job of exemplifying the kind of content culture people want to engage with. The presenters provided good information, readily answered questions and engaged us with demonstrations. Are you ready to actively engage your audience?

Content That Says “We Know You”

June 8, 2012Joanne CostinLeave a comment

The most meaningful content connects with customers. It’s customized to meet the needs of a specific user or business. When a customer enters his own data, preferences or requirements on a website and finds an outcome specific to his or her needs, brands build loyalty.

Supplier recipes might become part of a chef’s culinary inspiration. When quantities or nutritional requirements for his operation are stored the website, it saves time and effort.

Think of ways to say, “we know you.” Just like a good salesperson saves a buyer time, so too should a website.

Content writers add value by presenting products in the right environment, in the right applications. Content creators envision website tools and mobile apps that can help guide users in the specification process. Too many choices can be overwhelming. Your goal should be to make the process of purchasing easier.

The ability of “live chat” to increase conversion rates is evidence of the power of interactive content. Here are some more great examples from across the Web.

Benjamin Moore’s Personal Color Viewer allows visitors to upload their own photo to see how various paint colors will look in their room.

Luber-Finer’s phone app is designed specifically to help installers of Luber-finer filters get access to filter information right at their fingertips so they can speed up maintenance and make more money.

Manitowoc’ s Induction app showcases the benefits of induction cooking. It includes video, an energy calculator, and a complete photo library of the various forms of Induction cooking.

What website content do you have that makes buyers feel like you know them?

« Prev 13 14 151617 18 19 Next »