The success of your B2B marketing strategy depends on reaching the right people. That’s why a fresh approach is always welcome. Developing the right B2B marketing approach means using the services of a B2B content marketing agency with a proven record of building brands and expanding opportunities to reach and convert more customers.
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What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is the best way to reach potential customers, drive leads and convert them into paying customers. Giving people something they can use and find useful is the key to creating effective content.
If your company updates a blog regularly, you already understand the basics of content marketing. However, as any B2B content marketing agency will tell you, content marketing is more than just blogs.
An effective content marketing strategy involves diversifying your marketing strategy to include newsletters, gated content, social media updates, and videos. The best B2B marketing agencies can help you update your content strategy to achieve your objectives.
Marketing networks such as etribal focus on what makes the greatest impact through detailed analytics and best in class knowledge from working with clients across the world.
What Are the Benefits of Content Marketing?
The expression “content is king” is as important as it ever has been. High-quality content will establish your business as an expert in your field and a thought leader. It helps to drive traffic to a page and then capture their email address if there is content of value there for them.
Effective content makes the transition between marketing and selling smoothly. It can connect to potential customers challenges and then introduce them to your products and services as the solution. The best B2B marketing agencies will help you attract and convert leads and generate new clients in the most efficient and cost effective way.
Agencies like etribal have experience across many industries and business types and use data analytics and AB testing to find the most optimal way to drive targeted traffic and convert them into customers.
What Are the Pitfalls of Content Marketing?
When a content strategy works well, it is one of the most economical and effective forms of marketing. However, there are many pitfalls involved in content marketing. These are chiefly caused by a lack of funding, expertise, and knowledge of channels and markets.
Companies often feel they can go it alone or use existing resources to handle the job. However, this can often cause a repetition of the same habits and methods that didn’t work well in the past. Or at best you will make progress but at high cost and inefficiently.
You can avoid these pitfalls by consulting with a reputable B2B content marketing agency like etribal that has a reputation for delivering results for clients.
Why Invest in Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a sound investment. Compared to many other forms of marketing, including buying ads, it’s more cost-effective and easily scalable. SEO-led content marketing is one of the best ways to generate organic growth, build brand awareness and establish a reputation as a thought leader in your field.
Once you’ve provided value to your audience through content, you are more likely to convince them to purchase what you are offering. Relaying information and engaging them can foster credibility.
The best B2B marketing agencies can help you create a consistent, compelling message through your content and attract more traffic and converts them into leads.
How to Approach Content Marketing
1. See SEO as an Investment
Don’t underestimate the importance of search engine ranking, SEO is a powerful and cost-effective investment. The best B2B marketing agencies rate SEO as their most effective marketing strategy. Search engines bring targeted people directly to your site which can lead to increased conversions and ROI.
2. Understand the Content You Need
It’s important to diversify your content to match various client personas and to reach them at various points in the decision process. Performing market research and getting a grasp of demographics and who your prospective client is will go a long way in developing your approach to content creation.
Don’t forget about gated content, where your audience leaves their email address in exchange for high value content being available to them. This is a great way to capture email addresses and then nurture them through the funnel.
3. Which KPI Metrics Matter
Analyzing data is an essential way of determining what kind of content works and which platforms are the most effective. Not all KPI metrics are equal.
Part of crafting an effective approach is to decide which KPI metrics are the most relevant. AB test everything and never guess what matters most, only the data will tell you.
4. Understand Where to Expand Results
Based on data and analytics, you’ll discover what kinds of content and platforms are the best investment. The more you test, and the more data you have, the more informed you will be.
What Are the Types of Marketing Funnel Content?
Content should be diversified to reach clients at different stages or “funnels.”
1. Top of the Funnel Content: Awareness
This type of content, such as blogs and newsletters, may not immediately generate sales but will make people aware of your brand and what you are offering. The aim is to tap into a challenge they face and then make them aware of your solution.
2. Middle of the Funnel Content: Interest
Content that will spark interest may include downloads that people will look at once, save and look at again. This includes several interactions with your brand, which can eventually lead to conversions. The aim here is for the audience who have become aware of your solution start to research around it about what how it can help them.
3. Middle of the Funnel: Consideration
Prospective clients are closer to deciding to make a purchase. Social proof, such as positive reviews and testimonials can encourage them to take the next step. At this point the audience are looking at the different solutions in your field and how they compare.
4. Bottom of the Funnel: Decision
At this crucial phase, provide content, such as case studies and digital sign-up sheets that will yield results and conversions. This is when the audience are focused primarily on your solution only and looking at how your product can help them and solve their challenges.
Why Hire a B2B Marketing Agency?
One of the biggest mistakes companies make with their content strategy is not hiring a B2B marketing agency. To get different and improved results, it’s important to take unique steps.
Business owners are often so busy with day-to-day operations that developing a content marketing strategy from scratch isn’t feasible. Even if they had the time, having the knowledge and experience to create a meaningful, cost effective, and performance driven strategy would prove challenging.
To solve this top performing companies are choosing to work with top-rated digital marketing agencies like etribal as an essential ingredient for success. etribal experts consult with you and tailor-make a strategy that is consistent with your goals, the kind of audience you want to reach, and your budget.
They have the best consultants across all fields of digital marketing, and are focused on data and efficiency, so you can make an immediate impact for a fraction of the cost of other agencies or doing it in house.
What Does a Content Marketing Agency Do?
A B2B content agency begins by getting to know you, your brand, and your marketing. After an initial discussion, a B2B content agency will get started gathering information about your brand.
They will dig deep researching the market, target audience and competition and develop a clear strategy of content that will most likely drive traffic and convert leads.
Content marketing experts like etribal will create a user persona and content roadmap with diversified topics focused on the challenges of the target audience. They will communicate the essence of your brand and the value proposition your company offers.
This road map can include blogs, gated content, case studies, webinars, social media, videos, newsletters, promotional emails, and other types of marketing content. They will measure metrics to determine which content is delivering results and adjust the strategy accordingly.
How to Vet a B2B Content Marketing Agency?
1. Check Their Reviews
Looking at feedback others have given will help you identify the best B2B marketing agencies. Consult GoogleMyBusiness, Facebook, and Yelp and see what clients have to say about the digital marketing agency. Ask for contact with their existing clients and find out what its like to work with them and how impressed they are with the results.
2. Ask About Their SEO Method
Any credible B2B content agency should be able to explain its approach clearly, transparently and succinctly. They should also explain why they are different from the rest, and why their approach to keyword research and link building is uniquely efficient. They should also be able to talk through their performance and results.
3. Discuss Expectations
It’s important to approach a B2B content agency with realistic expectations. They should also offer a credible timeframe for demonstrable results. Expecting a huge surge of traffic in just one month isn’t reasonable. A more accurate target is three to six months for improved results on existing content and longer on new content. If its a new website it could be even longer.
4. How They Report Results
Metrics are essential for gauging if a marketing strategy is working. The digital marketing agency should be upfront and clear about what KPIs and metrics are the most useful to them and why.
5. Your Involvement
Whether you want to be involved at every stage or simply want the digital marketing agency to operate independently is up to you. It’s important to communicate about the level of involvement from the first meeting. We recommend you at least have a weekly meeting to be part of the process and help move things along swiftly.
How to Choose the Best Criteria for Hiring a B2B Content Marketing Agency?
1. Cost
Cost may seem like the most obvious factor to keep in mind when choosing a B2B content marketing agency, but it’s important not to be penny-wise and pound foolish. SEO is already among the most economical marketing techniques.
There is no need to go for rock bottom prices, or quality may suffer. However, don’t overspend either. It’s important to find a middle road with pricing. The most important thing is the approach is clear, and the content reads well for your audience.
2. Experience
A digital marketing agency can crow about their vast experience, but it’s important to verify all claims. Look to review sites and pay attention to dates to ensure that they have been delivering results for a period of time. Talk to their clients and find out directly from them about their experience and success.
3. Work Examples
Ask to see a list of clients and examples of their campaigns so you can get a crystal clear picture of the end product. They should provide this on their website and definitely upon request.
4. Methodology
Ask detailed questions about how they work, consult with you, generate a plan, and measure results. Find out how they perform marketing research, envision your client personas, and develop a content strategy to reach them.
5. Accountability
It’s important to make a mutual agreement about communication and reporting and measuring results. Determine exactly what the B2B content agency is expected to deliver for you and by what time frame.
Decide on which KPI metrics should be reached in a specific amount of time. Reaching agreements on accountability before the work begins can ensure a smooth working relationship.
What Are the Best B2B Content Marketing Agencies?
1. etribal
etribal leverages the best talent from around the world to deliver innovative and creative marketing solutions for a wide range of companies. Its “electronic tribe” of content marketing the best marketing experts globally.
Focused on efficiency and data etribal delivers market leading results, with many seeing a year on year growth of 550% to 1,000% in organic traffic and leads. With its best-in-class SEO research, content strategy, and data analysis, etribal will help you rank first on content that matters for your target audience and then convert those leads efficiently.
2. Content Allies
People love listening to podcasts as their way to work, making dinner or while walking the dog. Content Allies understands the power of the podcast and for every episode, they will create written content and a social media post for a comprehensive content approach.
3. Codeless
Codeless doesn’t just toot its own horn–it shows the numbers. On its website, you can see the results it has generated for clients.
4. Animalz
Animalz has a highly-evolved approach to content. Its client base includes some of the most recognized names in the SaaS space.
Choose a B2B Content Agency That Will Revolutionize Your Marketing Strategy
For a team of experts that have a proven track record of success, a B2B content marketing agency like etribal is a great choice. They remove the guess work and provide highly efficient, cost effective and focused marketing content that drives traffic and converts them into leads. Make the most of your marketing budget with SEO-led content solutions that will help you grow your sales today.
