customer service | Content for Biz Inc.

2012 Content Strategy Trends for B2B

B2B companies will continue to rely on quality content in varied forms to differentiate themselves and their products during 2012. The website is still home base for most companies, but social media and branded content are augmenting their online presence. Marketing budgets are increasing in these areas. Companies are looking for business professionals who can develop content using a strategy that makes sense for their business.

To build relationships online B2B companies are adapting.

Websites

On websites prospects are looking for your location, contact information, what you do, a clear message, and easy interaction (click to chat?). Those not familiar with the company head for the About Us page first after reviewing the Home page. They also want to know who your customers are.

For 2012 you may want to consider using a lighter tone in your content to engage prospects. Be genuine and use simple language. Keep evolving with the design of your site to see what works best as your offers or strategies change. Ways to add interest might include a blog, twitter feed, customer reviews/ratings or videos featuring your customers.

Social Media

For some B2B companies, social media is becoming a customer service outlet. It is on the social channels that they receive feedback and respond to customer inquiries and comments. Using social media this way can strengthen SEO ranking.

According to a recent survey of B2B marketers conducted by the Content Marketing Institute Twitter outdoes all other channels for content distribution with 74% of B2B content marketers using Twitter followed by LinkedIn (71%), Facebook (70%) and YouTube (56%).

Other content statistics from the survey show the following increases in usage:

Blogs: 45% increase
Case studies: 32% increase
Videos: 36% increase
Webinars/webcasts: 25% increase

Branded Content

A study conducted in 2011 by the Custom Content Council and ContentWise shows that branded content (content produced by a brand that is driven by narrative, not commerce) represents more than 50% percent of the total marketing budget. Why use branded content? The most often cited reason was to educate customers. Branded content has lots of forms including guides with exclusive tips, books, videos, newsletters and blogs that address a particular topic of interest to an audience.

For 2012, more branded content will be used by marketers of all sizes. Nearly three quarters of respondents to the survey believe it is more effective than magazine advertising. Sixty-nine percent think it tops direct mail and public relations.

Content Strategy

Content strategists help companies create and position their content. Strategist Ahava Leibtag predicted that in 2012 more companies will rely on content curation (the vetting of information for customers), delivering and displaying content (think mobile devices) and integrating marketing and communications (social media people trained in customer service).

What becomes apparent is that in 2012 investing in quality content delivered by professional content providers is a good business strategy.

How Website Content Supports and Sells Customer Service

Outstanding customer service is something that many companies make claim to, but how do you convince prospects that your business will go above and beyond? How do you make your website an extension of the outstanding customer service you deliver in person? We looked to four customer service leaders for inspiration.

Tell the “Wow” Stories

Ritz-Carlton’s customer service has been widely recognized. In each hotel every day, every department meets to share stories about customers who have been wowed by their services. We find a selection of these stories on their website. Stories That Stay With You: Unique and Memorable Moments from the Ladies and Gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, makes customer service interesting and compelling to the website visitor.

Build a Customer Service Page

Wegman’s is a grocer that consistently ranks high in customer service. On a a recent Bloomberg Businessweek survey, 60% of respondents would recommend the brand. Visit Wegman’s website and the Customer Service page is a convenient one-stop shop for any and all info a consumer might need. From frequently asked questions, to actual phone numbers, and a store locator, Wegman’s anticipates customer needs well and neatly compacts the info in one convenient place. A website that does this well can effectively reduce customer wait times and free up staff for other assignments.

Add Convenience

Automaker Lexus (Ranked 7th on the same survey) uses its website to build in convenience for busy customers. Once enrolled in My Lexus, an owner can conveniently schedule service appointments online, access their complete service history, or download ownership manuals. Imagine, no more digging out a paper invoice out of a file cabinet to see when the last time you had new tires installe

Be Helpful

Home of “the Helpful Hardware Man,”Ace Hardware extends customer service online through the Projects and Solutions area of its site. Expertise is shared through interactive project videos, step-by-step how-to’s, and the Helpful Hardware Man’s Corner. Customers know where they can find assistance with their projects. Are you doing the same for your “DIY” B2B customers? “Projects sell products,” we used to say when I worked at a home center publication years ago. Similarly in foodservice, recipes and menu ideas sell ingredients.

What these service leaders demonstrate is that website content can not only sell customer service to a prospect, but also extend customer service by helping customers find the information they need online. While face-to-face customer service is highly valued, these companies recognize that buyers increasingly go online to interact with the brand. Smart marketers will maximize the customer experience in both places.

Are you ready to think differently about how you approach your website content? As professional content strategists and contest writers we can help you determine the content that will best support and sell all aspects of your brand, including service. We can help you find and tell your customer service stories; organize and write an effective customer service page; enhance customer convenience, and share your know-how.

Give us a call, or send us an email. We’ll respond right away, either way.

Four Reasons Why No One Wants to Use Your 800 Number

Marketers spend countless hours coming up with strategies to engage customers and prospects through content marketing. Yet, too often, when customers are trying to engage with a company, such as when they have a question or problem, we make it difficult. We relegate the answers to an 800 number, when we could be providing the information online. Here’s why 800 numbers are a turn-off:

1) The automated voice mail. If there’s a better way to make your customers feel like they are not important, let me know. When is the last time you heard a message that was engaging on an 800 line. “Listen carefully, we have changed our selections” is typically followed by an endless array of options, not one of which involves a human being. Companies may as well just scream, “We don’t want to talk to you!”

2) The wait is too long. I recently spent 10 or 15 minutes waiting to ask a question of GoDaddy.com. Another interaction with Lenovo took more than 30 minutes to resolve. And while you wait, you have to listen to annoying music, or sales messages.

3) People who can’t solve their problems. When you finally do reach a human, it never seems to be the person who can solve your problem. By the time you have been transferred to the right person, you have explained the problem at least three different times to three different people.

4) There’s usually no record of your conversation. Unless you count the confirmation number you scribbled on a scrap of paper. After a phone transaction, I am often left wondering if anything really will be accomplished.

Is it any wonder that your customers would look online for the answers to their problems? Studies show an increasing preference for online interaction.

Does your website content address your customer’s questions? Do you have an area for frequently asked questions? Can a customer chat with an operator online? Can they access a customer portal to see their account information?

Many b-to-b marketers fail to answer common questions online because they want people to call them. But will they?

What’s your strategy?