Six Things You Can You Learn from B-2-B Publishers

You’ve heard that everyone is a publisher now, so what can you learn from successful publishers.

B2B publishers have made a living off their ability to deliver audiences, initially through print and now online. Long before there was SEO, publications knew that great content would bring them loyal readership. Publishers continue to be go-to sources for information on industry trends, news, leaders, research and best practices. And with more competition for a reader’s time from all sorts of sources, today’s leading publishers are working harder than ever . The draw is still great content. However, many magazine websites have been transformed from online versions of the print product, into rich sites that fully embrace multimedia and social networks.

Now that you are trying to win over your own audience online with content, it makes sense to try and learn what you can from the pros.

1) Keep the needs of the customer/reader first and foremost.

It’s not about you and your company, it’s about your customer. What are their problems and how can you solve them.

2)Be fair and factual.

Your audience knows you are trying to sell something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a credible, reliable, source of information. Stick to the facts and avoid “ad-like” promises and sales jargon.

3)Hire professional writers.

Subject matter experts who can also write are few and far between. They are usually too busy with other jobs to write. Instead of trying to rely on them, hire a professional writer who knows how to pull the information from your sources and present it in a useful, usable and interesting format.

4)Keep a schedule.

As a reader, I know when my favorite industry publication will arrive each month, and I look forward to it. The same is true of my InBox. Whether you decide to publish content on a daily, weekly or monthly frequency, stick to a schedule. Be aware that there’s a direct correlation between frequency of content and website visits.

5) Look for the best way to tell a story.

Does the story lend itself to video, radio or text? PMQ’s Pizza TV is used to demonstrate a technique for rolling a pizza crust over the shoulder. It just wouldn’t be the same in print.

6)Add value with social sharing.

Today’s publishing websites include more ways for audiences to connect and share ideas with each other. PMQ Pizza Think Thank forum is a reminder that your customers and prospects can create your content. On techrepublic.com, social stats are front and center, helping the audience find useful content fast.

As a content marketer you need to know how to succeed in publishing. Examine your favorite industry magazine websites with a fresh eye. What do you like about them? How can you use that information to engage your audience? What do you see on consumer magazine websites that could translate to B2B?

With Listening, Comes Clarity

Before you write a word of content for your B2B website, listen to your customers.

Carve 30 minutes out of your schedule, leave your preconceived notions about your business at the door and call a customer. Instead of worrying about selling something, focus on listening. Listen to their questions and answer them. Hear their problems and ask yourself if you have a solution. Ask about the process they went through before they purchased. Ask how they felt afterward. Ask what motivates them to buy. Ask what you could do better. Ask them to describe your products and services. Ask what makes your business stand out from competitors.

Take notes.

When we do this for our clients, what we need to say and how we need to say it becomes much clearer. Unlike people close to the business, customers won’t tell you everything about your product, but they will tell you what’s important. And that’s what is most helpful to a writer.

You have seconds to communicate your message and you must be clear. You cannot try to communicate too much or people will shut down. Visitors won’t bother to call and ask a question. They will move on to another website.

Don’t let language be a barrier. Use their language not yours. Worry less about industry experts writing content, and worry more about providing clear and understandable content.

What would you like to see on Content for Biz? I am listening.

Why Less is More When Driving Reponse Online

One might think that the more items readers are able to “click on” in an email, the greater the response. However, that isn’t necessarily the case. Your audience can be easily overwhelmed. And sometimes fewer choices lead to greater response.

This was the case in an email newsletter I create for Clutter Coach Company, owned by certified professional organizer, Jane Carroo. The company’s website (www.cluttercoach.com) is loaded with great content. Subscribers to the Clutter Coach Company e-newsletter get special access to even more organizing content online. So the e-newsletter serves to drive traffic to the website and also keeps Clutter Coach Company top of mind among prospects and customers.

We decided to promote the online content in the e-newsletter by including a list of organizing articles. At first we provided a complete laundry list of nearly 30 articles in each e-newsletter.

However, taking a lesson from Jane, we decided to ”simplesize” the list, and instead offered six general categories of interest, which then led readers to a list of related articles in the category. The click-thru rate jumped 10 full percentage points with the first issue – from 24% to 34%.

B-2-B magazine editors have experienced the same phenomenon when it comes to new products issues. Reducing the number of products featured in an issue results in increased reader response. A Top 100 Products list, for example, generated more response than a prior issue that included less information on several hundred products. This list had value and represented only those products the editors and readers found worthy.

These experiences remind me that while it’s great to have a lot of content, it is equally important to organize it well. Organization equals value to busy people. Just ask Jane.

Organize the structure of your site so that visitors don’t have to navigate through information that isn’t relevant to them. Guide them through the process. Weed through non-essential information so your site visitors won’t have to. Organize your content so as not to overwhelm.

Have you had similar results when you chose to pare down your choices? Share your thoughts here.