Content, content, content…. Yes, you basically have to be living under a rock if you have not heard this time and time again. At its core, every successful marketing and PR plan hinges on quality content creation and strategic implementation. It is essential that your company develop a custom content strategy that’s as unique as your organization to fuel your brand online – your website content, your client communications and your search and social presence.

Content marketing provides relevant, high-quality information to draw in customers and establish your unique brand differentiation. It is what separates your business from your competitors. You need to continuously provide valuable and keyword-rich content to build your brand. The goal is to have customers come to you because they think you can help them.

You may be thinking your sales team is responsible for articulating that message to potential new clients. You are certainly correct, as long as they actually have the opportunity to do so!

Thanks to search engines like Google, times have changed. Customers no longer rely on sales people to inform them of new technology and solutions available. Research from CEB’s Marketing Leadership Council back in 2012 showed that potential business-to-business (B2B) customers are increasingly using digital channels to form opinions about major purchases. The report showed that business buyers do not contact suppliers directly until 57 percent of the purchase process is complete. More than likely, the digital evolution has caused that percentage to increase over the past four years.

The challenge for any B2B company is to be present in these channels at all times with content that educates buyers and helps guide decisions when and where they are conducting their research. You need to answer your potential customer questions. When it comes to capturing these buyers’ attention, old-school features and benefits have very limited value. No one just buys a product or service, they purchase what they perceive that product or service can do for them.

Customer insight is imperative to develop relevant and engaging content your potential customers are looking for. You must identify what drives your ideal customer’s buying decision.

• What pain points, events and/or activities are happening within the customer’s business to prompt engagement with your company?
• What goals and objectives are customers looking to accomplish?
• What drives the decision to purchase from your company over your competitors?
• What goals needs to be met to ensure customer satisfaction?
• What are the common characteristics of your most successful and satisfied customers?
• What are the common characteristics of the customers that are not happy or successful, and what is the explanation for that?

While collecting this information from your employees can help, you need to be asking both new customers and current customers these questions.  Pay attention to the words and phrases they use when responding.

From there you can develop the relevant content you need. Use the keywords and keyword phrases your customers use in writing your content to increase your chances for your content to be found.

Finally, use multiple vehicles to distribute your fresh, keyword-rich content. This will be key to ensuring your potential customers will find your company while researching solutions. Delivery of content can be through your website, news releases, traditional media outreach, strategic content placements, blogging, case studies, white papers, social media channels and more.

For what it would cost to hire a mid-level marketing person with general knowledge, Rivergate Marketing provides clients with a cutting-edge team with decades of combined and specialized experience.