Is your company’s blog a random smattering of company news that hasn’t been updated since last year? Yikes! Your company’s blog can – and should be – an important weapon in your B2B lead generation and nurturing plan. A company blog is an opportunity to engage leads at all stages of the sales cycle: defining the buying vision, strengthening engagement, and eliminating decision-maker friction by driving consensus. By engaging leads from day one, you control the message, define the buying process in terms that are favorable to your business, and establish your company as an industry leader.
Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive ROI, according to HubSpot State of Inbound Marketing Report. Eighty-two percent of marketers who blog daily report acquiring a customer using their blog, according to HubSpot. In contrast, only 57 percent of marketers who blog monthly report requiring a new customer thanks to their blog. However, HubSpot found that even less-frequent monthly blog posts could make an impact on conversion rates. But you won’t get these results if you delegate blogging to your intern. Blogging needs to fit within your current marketing mix and follow a smart, strategic plan. Struggling with how to get started? Ask these questions:
1. What do my leads want to read about? Consider where your leads are at each stage of the buying cycle and the different content pieces that can best address their needs. For example, leads in the “awareness” phase of the sales funnel are experiencing a problem but are unaware of possible solutions. Content for these leads will move them to take action and define the buying vision in favor of your business, such as a blog post entitled, “Why Ignoring Your Company Blog Can Cost You 30% of All Leads”. When leads move to the “evaluation” stage of the sales funnel, they are gathering information about possible solutions. Content aimed at these leads should differentiate your business from the competition, such as a blog post entitled, “How Working with XYZ Content Marketing Agency Improves Content ROI by 49%.”
2. What is a reasonable posting frequency for my business? Now that you’ve started generating topic ideas, how consistently will you be able to write and post this content? Daily posting is a great goal, but since it requires a steady stream of high-quality content, it’s not always realistic for every business. You never want to sacrifice quality for quantity in order to get a post up. Consistency is key. Whether you post daily, weekly, or monthly, a consistent posting pattern will keep your leads returning time and time again to your company’s website, continually exposing them to your services and your way of thinking, all within your company’s ecosystem. Be realistic about how frequently you can post and build a content calendar around this frequency.
3. Do I need help writing my content? If your business has a small marketing team and blogging would detract significantly from day-to-day function (or you’re way better at juggling numbers than crafting compelling blog titles), consider working with one or more industry expert ghost bloggers. Many talented writers routinely produce content on behalf of other businesses. The key is to work with a writer who has deep familiarity with your industry, be that the luxury real estate market in New York City or the B2B healthcare tech industry.
Like any content marketing strategy, blogging won’t generate instant results. But by consistently posting high quality, valuable information, you’ll improve your business’s ability to connect with leads at every stage of the sales cycle, ultimately reaching new leads and closing more deals.
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Erin M ghostwrites extensively on behalf of B2B companies to support their content marketing and thought leadership campaigns, and her clients range from major Fortune 500 companies to small business startups. When not crafting custom content solutions for her clients, you can find her adding stamps to her passport, scuba diving, or perfecting her secret cheesecake recipe.
