Business to business (B2B) lead generation is tricky, but it doesn’t have to be if you know how to focus your efforts on the right content and how to distribute it properly so that you can attract quality prospects who are interested in your services and products. With the tips outlined in this article, you’ll learn how content marketing can help you with all of these things—and more!

What Is Content Marketing?

The phrase content marketing is something that most companies have heard of, but not everyone knows exactly what it means. In its most basic sense, content marketing is any sort of branding or promotion you engage in that isn't focused on advertising your products or services directly to consumers. Instead, you use content creation as a way to promote those products and services indirectly through engagement with your audience and how they're interested in engaging with you. If you're a business-to-business (B2B) company—meaning you sell directly to other businesses—then it's very important that your sales efforts are effective at generating leads. A lead is essentially just another word for a potential customer—someone who has expressed some interest in doing business with you. Content marketing is an excellent way to reach out to people who might be interested in doing business with you by providing them with valuable information related to your industry while also getting them engaged enough that they'll want to learn more about what you do and will eventually reach out to get started creating a long-term relationship. That means all good B2B lead generation efforts should feature some type of quality content marketing strategy if their ultimate goal is to generate additional high-quality leads for their respective companies. 

Why Is Content Marketing Important For B2B Lead Generation?

There are numerous reasons why content marketing is important, but one of its biggest advantages is that it helps to build your company’s reputation. If you want to attract B2B leads through social media, then you need to create interesting and engaging content. But how exactly does content marketing help businesses like yours reach B2B leads? Here are five reasons why it matters 

Only Through Good Content Will You Attract More Targeted B2B Leads

Every business needs B2B leads. And if you want those leads to be highly targeted and interested in what you have to offer, then they’ll have to be pulled in by your content. Without excellent content, it will be impossible for your company’s Facebook page or LinkedIn profile page or whatever other platform(s) you use—to gain traction with ideal prospects. Your reputation as a business will be on trial as new contacts discover who you are and learn more about what services/products/etc., your business offers them. 

Don't Ignore Social Media

It's no secret that we live in a digital world. As such, we can quickly and easily communicate and connect with people all over the globe thanks to sites like Twitter and Facebook. By not taking advantage of these powerful tools, you're missing out on an enormous opportunity to connect with potential clients. 

Make It Personal

According to The Edelman Trust Barometer , 74% of consumers now say they do business only with brands that share their values. If your target market cares about environmental issues, championing those causes might just give you an edge over competitors who don't share those concerns. But more importantly, sharing relevant news stories, helpful industry reports, and other useful content will help build trust between your brand and potential clients. They'll feel like you're not trying to sell them something (and in fact, because social media is all about engagement, you'll be doing quite a bit of listening). 

Don't Forget About Search Engines

So much content is published online each day that it can be hard for businesses (of any size) to stand out. But if your company's pages are filled with SEO quality content related directly or indirectly to what you sell/offer/etc., then search engines may show these pages in search results when prospects are looking for information on topics related to your niche. Even better, potential clients might even bookmark those pages and come back later, which means they'll see your brand as they surf through different sites. 

Don't Go At It Alone 

Many B2B business owners try to create their own content. That approach does have some benefits—you're not at the mercy of a third party and that control offers greater flexibility and more room for creativity—but if writing isn't your strong suit, why put yourself at a disadvantage? Your time is valuable and even though hiring a writer may cost a little upfront, it will more than pay off over time because someone else will be doing all of that work instead of you.

How to Create Quality B2B Leads?

In a B2B environment, lead generation is a crucial part of any company’s success. Simply put, there is no way to achieve long-term business growth without an effective strategy that involves generating new leads. However, just because you have a goal of quality B2B leads doesn’t mean you can rely on random tactics to get there. The fact is that in most industries, including tech and digital marketing, B2B companies have come to expect clear and direct interactions with potential clients before they invest in one-on-one attention from a salesperson or partner. This means attracting high-quality B2B leads has become harder than ever, which makes it more important than ever to figure out how to create quality B2B leads. Fortunately, there are some great strategies available online for building your network via social media interaction or sharing relevant content on niche industry sites. Use the above tips if you are ready to promote more of your own content—including blogs, videos and infographics—to drive more exposure for your brand!

Conclusion

The rules of content marketing for B2B lead generation are really about creating helpful, timely, relevant and evergreen content.  Of course, doing so can be daunting but once you get a hold on each facet of good content you can easily create winning pieces that will bolster your lead generation efforts. By taking advantage of our tips you can quickly ramp up your ability to create great content that will help grow your business. Remember: having great writing is only half the battle; knowing how to connect with influencers is another key component to B2B lead generation success that needs to be addressed in order to succeed in today’s business world! If you need help getting your content marketing strategy up and running get in touch.