Tag: digital-marketing

How to Approach Creating b2b Content

(A guide for business owners)

In today’s digital-first landscape, b2b content is no longer a “nice to have” . It’s an essential component of an effective business strategy.

From building trust with potential clients to nurturing longterm partnerships, the right content can make or break your success. It’s literally an essential aspect of your business.

But how do you approach b2b content in a way that brings real, tangible and desired results? This guide goes in depth, discussing this pressing topic of business and marketing.

Understand Your Audience

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

In b2b marketing, a broad audience isn’t necessarily better. Instead, focus on specific industries, company sizes, or decision-makers who align with your product or service. Develop a detailed Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) that answers questions like:

  • Who are the key decision-makers?
  • What problems do they face daily?
  • What motivates their purchasing decisions?

NOTE: I’ve learned over the years that the tighter your focus, the stronger your results. Trying to appeal to everyone often leaves you appealing to no one. Everything you decide to put out into the public should be connected with your audience. This is the beginning of crafting god b2b content that will help your longterm business goals.

2. Map the Buyer Journey

The b2b buyer’s journey is often complex and involves multiple stakeholders. Understanding each stage—from awareness to consideration to decision—is crucial. For example:

  • Awareness Stage: The buyer is identifying their problem. Your content should educate and inform.
  • Consideration Stage: The buyer is comparing solutions. Your content should highlight your unique value proposition.
  • Decision Stage: The buyer is ready to commit. Case studies, testimonials, and demos can seal the deal.

NOTE: I’ve seen too many businesses skip over the consideration stage, assuming prospects are ready to buy. Big mistake—don’t rush the process. Clients want to take their time and think things through before making a decision; that’s why forcing them is pointless, and it can easily prove counter-effective for you.

Build a Content Strategy

3. Align Content with Business Goals

Your content efforts should support your broader business objectives. Whether you aim to generate leads, increase customer retention, or establish thought leadership, every piece of content must serve a purpose.

NOTE: I always start by asking, “What’s the one thing we’re trying to achieve with this?” It keeps everyone focused. It can literally save you from veering off-track amidst the chaos. Some content can appear to be beautiful and well developed, but it doesn’t mean it will necessarily resonate with you want for your business. And just having something on your website for the sake of it also isn’t good; and it can even prove bad, long-term. Every piece of content should align with your business goals and talk to your target audience.

4. Perform a Content Audit

Before creating new content, evaluate what you already have. Identify gaps in your content library and areas where you can repurpose or refresh existing assets. A comprehensive audit helps you:

  • Avoid redundancy
  • Focus on high-impact topics
  • Optimize underperforming content

NOTE: Content audits are goldmines. I’ve revived “useless” blog posts into top-performing assets just by updating stats, tweaking headlines, or expanding them with a couple of relevant subheadings. A case in point: a five-year-old whitepaper I once refreshed for a client became one of their main entry points for new customers. It’s always possible to make your content better and more engaging for your readers!

5. Develop a Content Calendar

Consistency is key in b2b content marketing. A content calendar helps you plan topics, assign responsibilities, and stay on track with deadlines. Include a mix of formats, such as:

  • Blog posts
  • Whitepapers
  • Webinars
  • Social media updates

NOTE: A calendar is your sanity-saver. It keeps the chaos at bay and ensures no one’s scrambling for last-minute ideas. Once, an unexpected campaign launch without a calendar left our team juggling tasks — it was a hard lesson learned back in my freelancing days. No matter how simple your business offer is, and how little content you maybe want to put out, having a content calendar is essential.

Create High-Quality Content

6. Speak Your Audience’s Language

Avoid jargon and overly technical language unless it’s appropriate for your audience. Aim to make your content accessible yet professional, focusing on clarity and value.

NOTE: The best compliment I’ve received? “Your content made it so easy to understand, it’s like talking to a friend!” And that’s how it should be. Simplicity wins every time, no matter how complex the topic is you’re covering. Once, I turned a complex SaaS feature list into an analogy involving food orders in a restaurant — and it it resonated immediately.

7. Invest in Long-Form Content

Long-form content like whitepapers, eBooks, and detailed guides tend to perform well in b2b because they:

  • Establish authority
  • Provide in-depth insights
  • Can be gated for lead generation

NOTE: Longform content takes time, but it’s worth it. Think of it as an investment that pays off in credibility and leads. I once collaborated on an eBook that brought in hundreds leads within a 3-month period, which is an effort well spent. never shy away from including longform content, because those really serious, big-time clients love reading about what they’re interested in. And the more they see you understand it, the better positioned you’ll be in their minds.

8. Leverage Storytelling

Even in b2b, people connect with stories. Highlight real-world applications of your product or service through:

  • Customer success stories
  • Employee spotlights
  • Narratives about your company’s mission and values

NOTE: Stories stick. I’ve had clients remember a case study months later and cite it as the reason for their customers to reach out. Humans love stories and they will always listen to them, tell them and remember them. Now, that being said, there are many ways of telling your business story, which is a question of b2b content strategy. But stories will always be relevant, even in business. That’s how we are.

Optimize for SEO and Discoverability

9. Conduct Keyword Research

Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to identify keywords that your audience searches for. Focus on long-tail keywords specific to your niche, as they often have less competition and higher intent.

NOTE: Keyword research is where strategy meets creativity. Finding the right keywords feels like solving a puzzle—and it’s so satisfying. During one project, a single keyword shift doubled organic traffic within weeks.

10. Optimize Metadata

Your headlines, meta descriptions, and alt text should be concise, compelling, and include target keywords. These elements not only improve search rankings but also drive click-through rates.

NOTE: Don’t sleep on metadata. A great meta description has rescued many of my posts from obscurity. I once rewrote a bland meta description and saw click-through jump significantly. Even if it seems to be unnecessary and passe in today’s world, it’s still not so. The more optimized your content is, the better it will rank and be perceived by search engines. We are still not a point in time where we can say: this is irrelevant.

11. Emphasize Link Building

Both internal and external links improve your content’s credibility and SEO. Partner with industry blogs, contribute guest posts, or collaborate with complementary businesses to earn backlinks.

NOTE: Think of link building as networking for your content. Relationships matter here too. A partnership with an industry influencer can easily bring in thousands of referral visits overnight, and also strengthened business credibility. This is especially important if you want to cover long-form topics with your blog.

Leverage Multiple Channels

12. Choose the Right Platforms

Focus on platforms where your audience spends their time. For most b2b companies, LinkedIn is a goldmine, but don’t ignore other channels like:

  • Email newsletters
  • Industry forums
  • YouTube for video tutorials

NOTE: Be where your audience is, not where it’s trendy. I’ve wasted enough time chasing the wrong platforms to learn this the hard way. A niche forum or a private groups can easily outperformed social ads for a client because it reaches decision-makers directly; it isn’t just major social media platforms that should be your focus. Be where your audience is, always; because, again, you cannot force them to do anything they don’t want. Be considerate and generous with the way you present your business offer and product/service.

13. Repurpose Content

One piece of content can often serve multiple purposes. For example:

  • Turn a webinar into a series of blog posts.
  • Create an infographic from a whitepaper.
  • Share snippets of a case study on social media.

NOTE: Repurposing is a game-changer. Work smarter, not harder—your audience won’t mind seeing the same message in different formats. A single webinar we repurposed recently drove engagement across five different channels. There are so many ways in which you can repurpose a single piece of content; I know at least 10 ways in which you can easily do this.

14. Don’t Neglect Paid Promotion

Organic reach has its limits. Invest in paid advertising on platforms like LinkedIn or Google to amplify your content’s reach, particularly for high-value assets like webinars or downloadable guides.

NOTE: Paid promotion isn’t cheating; it’s smart. Sometimes, a small budget can make a big impact. I’ve seen $100 on bring in tenfold or twentyfold ROI; but it needs to be taken very delicately and carefully, after analyzing all client data you can get. And of course, A/B splitting all your creative before going all in on one.

Measure and Iterate

15. Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Track metrics that align with your content goals, such as:

  • Website traffic
  • Conversion rates
  • Cost per lead (CPL)
  • Time on page

NOTE: Numbers tell the story. But remember, not all metrics are equal—focus on the ones that matter. KPIs can tell you so much, but you should be very careful with what you want to track and why. Just that something shows positively as a KPI doesn’t mean it will help your business. Example: more followers is nice, but if it’s the wrong followers it’s useless.

16. Use Analytics Tools

Platforms like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or SEMrush can provide insights into how your content is performing. Regularly review these metrics to understand what’s working and what needs adjustment.

NOTE: Whenever I’ve trusted my “gut” over analytics, it’s been a gamble I’ve very often regretted. A/B testing landing pages once revealed a copywriting change I never would’ve guessed boosted conversions significantly. Simply put, data is important and you shouldn’t ignore it. You won’t regret analyzing it, for sure.

17. A/B Test Your Content

Experiment with different headlines, CTAs (call-to-actions), and formats to optimize performance. Small changes can lead to significant improvements.

NOTE: Testing isn’t optional. Some of my best-performing campaigns started as A/B tests with unexpected winners. Once, a quirky headline outperformed the “safe” option by 200%. The reasons for this is quite simple: people often make irrational decision based on irrational factors; it’s not all logic and common sense (as much as we would like it).

Foster Collaboration

18. Involve Your Sales Team

Your sales team interacts with prospects daily and understands their pain points. Collaborate with them to create content that directly addresses customer objections and FAQs.

NOTE: Sales teams are goldmines of information. I’ve uncovered some of my best content ideas just by listening to their stories and unique takes. During one session, a sales rep’s anecdote about a persistent client objection inspired a game-changing blog post; it proved to be highly engaging! This is why I always say that sales and marketing (or should I say, content) must collaborate closely and support each other.

19. Engage Subject Matter Experts

Tap into the expertise within your organization. Product managers, engineers, and other specialists can provide valuable insights that enrich your content.

NOTE: SMEs are your secret weapon. They’ll give you depth and authenticity you can’t fake. A technical guide I co-wrote with an engineer became a cornerstone resource for prospects. Interviews, guides, dedicated posts, whitepapers, all of that can be much better if you involve SMEs. No matter how well you content and marketing team knows their stuff, an SME will always be at least helpful, if not massively important.

20. Build Partnerships

Partnering with complementary businesses or industry influencers can expand your reach and add credibility to your content.

NOTE: Partnerships aren’t just for visibility; they’re for strengthening your business credibility. Who you’re seen with matters. A joint webinar with a respected partner once doubled registrations for a client. There are many ways in which you can do business partnerships; they are all worth considering to fit your business needs.

Conclusion

Approaching b2b content strategically is not just about creating “good” content—it’s about creating the right content for the right audience at the right time. By understanding your audience, aligning content with business goals, optimizing for discoverability, and continuously measuring performance, you’ll be well on your way to b2b content success.

NOTE: Effective content marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency, quality, and adaptability will set your business apart in the competitive b2b space. You cannot force a lot of things in b2b; they will take time, so what you can is make the journey as engaging and interesting for your potential clients.

In wrapping up…

Remember, content creation is a learning process. Don’t be afraid to experiment, fail, and iterate. Every piece of content, successful or not, teaches you something valuable. And, if you ever feel overwhelmed, step back and ask: “What would I want to read if I were the customer?” That simple shift in perspective can work wonders.