How to Create More B2B Content

B2B content is experiencing a boom. According to latest findings from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, B2B marketers are increasing spending, using more tactics, and distributing their content on more social networks than ever before. But even with 91 percent of B2B marketers using content as part of their overall marketing mix, more than 60 percent say they are struggling to create enough content.

This isn’t all that surprising. Writing compelling content for your business blog or website —that people actually want to read—can take a lot of time and brain power. Even the best writers can’t pump out quality blog articles (that don’t suck) in 15 minutes.

But even with the challenges, producing custom content for your B2B company is an absolute must. How do you create consistently without pulling your hair out?

Here are some ways you can make the most out of your content marketing efforts.

Start with a plan.

First things first: If you want to get the most from content marketing, you have to start with a plan. And how do you come up with a content marketing strategy, you ask? Well, the quickest way to make this happen is to hire a content strategist to help you create a solid roadmap for your content (ahem… we can help with that).

A word of warning: when you create your content marketing strategy, you’re going to have to put your ego aside and really think about what kind of content your audience WANTS to read. As awesome as you think your latest product is, the content you create needs to be valuable to THEM not all about YOU. The kind of content that they don’t easily forget—that solves a problem or invokes an “AHA” moment in them. The kind of content that they want to share with all their friends.

Create an editorial calendar.

You’ve got to think like a publisher to succeed in content marketing. You need something to publish each week – preferably multiple times per week. Start with a brainstorming session. Make a list of questions your customers might ask. Do some digging in your analytics program and see what kinds of keywords are driving the most traffic to your blog. Create a spreadsheet that lists date, blog topic, keyword focus, category, call-to-action, etc. You can make it as fancy or as simple as you want, but the key here is to have topics planned ahead—with deadlines so you never stop publishing.

Enlist the help of guest bloggers.

You don’t have to do it alone! Identify some key influencers in your industry and reach out to them to provide guest blog posts. Provide the guest blogger with an author bio and a backlink to their website in exchange for content and you’ll have a line of people ready to provide content. Note: It’s a good idea to create some guidelines before reaching out to guest bloggers so everything is clear before you dive in.

Add industry news.

Another great way to beef up your content is by adding industry news to your website. Help your target audience keep their finger on the pulse of your industry. Creating short news-based pieces can help brand you as a major player and create new streams of traffic (and potential customers).

Outsource content to writers.

If you’re serious about content marketing—but you don’t have time to create consistent (quality) content–it might be time to think about hiring a content marketing team. Get specific about your needs and find a team that has experience creating compelling content. You’ll need to define your editorial guidelines, topics, tone and scheduling – and a great team can help you with that.

Producing great content is a must! By getting strategic, getting help and thinking like a publisher, you can start to reap the benefits of having a business blog.