Leigh M is a 5-Star writer at WriterAccess
Entrepreneurs are risk takers. They put their smarts, sweat and savings on the line to create a new business. Because the stakes are so high and the margin of error so thin, they’re not willing to invest in products that won’t deliver. They are skeptical and rightfully so. They have to make every dollar stretch to grow their companies. Gaining their trust is not easy. But once you have their trust, you can keep that customer for life.
But what builds this trust? How do you write content that the entrepreneur will care about? How do you turn them into customers? Whether you are a business or a content architect, you need to know these three answers.
1. Let customers do the talking
Despite being near the top of the list of marketing content consumed by business professionals, less than 3% of businesses actually gave case studies prominent placement in their B2B content strategies. In addition to touting your products, studies show that simply promoting the idea that a person shares their experience drives sales.
Show that you value your existing customers while demonstrating the real-world benefits of your product. Go beyond the traditional 140-character testimonial. Actively help your customers share with your prospective customers how your products and services have helped them. Strengthen your relationship with those most important to the success of your business – your existing customers. Demonstrate that you know that your role doesn’t end once the product is sold. After all, their success is your success.
Prominently link to professionally curated case studies from your landing page. Intersperse links among your other content. It may come as a surprise that overwhelmingly, decision makers prefer reading enhanced testimonials to watching videos, clicking through presentations or listening to audio. So let your customers do the talking.
2. Make it personal
Unlike traditional advertising, in which you are limited to 15-second segments and 3-word slogans, inbound marketing opens up a whole new world of possibilities for businesses. It allows you to show the more personal and relatable side of your business. Now, I am not suggesting that you turn your business into a “reality star.” But in the age of social media, you are no longer just a business. [Tweet it] Your organization is a group of people who have faced struggles and overcome them, who are passionate and driven, who care about customers.
Show that you understand and share entrepreneurs’ pain and triumphs through your content. Content marketing is your opportunity to connect on a meaningful level. Don’t miss out by not recognizing how much you have in common and working that angle.
3. Give them more
Entrepreneurs are busy, so short and sweet wins the day, right? Wrong. Entrepreneurs are often self-taught. They are life-long learners always looking for the next big thing that is going to help them get or keep that competitive advantage, make their lives easier or propel their next million dollar idea. If you’ve got content that adds value, this individual wants to know more. That more, most often, does not fit in a 500 word article.
Unsplash.com / Olu Eletu
Consider your audience. They want supporting data, not just promises, tips, tricks and clever summaries. Short (<1000 word) blogs improve SEO and help the entrepreneur find you in the pre-sale phase of the sales cycle. But more comprehensive content carries them through into the initial sales phase. If you want to call entrepreneurs to action, blogs and posts should not be the only tool in your content toolbox. Longer content does take a little more time, money and work, but it is essential to reaching this demographic.
In B2B content marketing, it’s worth giving readers a little more because your target will view it, study it, internalize it. The longer you have their attention, the more invested they are when you call them to action. More in-depth content tops the list of best practices for B2B content marketing and is a major driver at the time of buy decisions. More comprehensive content is particularly important in the initial sales phase when longer content like white papers, brochures and short eBooks allow you to share a vision.
But a word of caution, according to an Eccolo Media survey, business customers, including your entrepreneurs “…think that white papers have too much marketing hype, not enough unbiased information.” They’re on to you and they don’t like it. Entrepreneurs want your respect, not your sales pitches.
Offer long form content in exchange for contact information. Articulate the problem in a real world way and then provide them with truthful, unbiased information that leads them back to your product where they will see that your business is the answer they are looking for.
In any kind of marketing, you must first identify your target. Create content that entrepreneurs care about by speaking their language and you will gain their trust and their business.
5-Star writer Leigh M is a full-time writer who specializes in Business and Health related writing for businesses and professionals who are looking to promote their brands through engaging and informative books and copy.
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