3 Ways to Create Engaging B2B Content That Converts

It’s time to stop giving B2B content marketing a bad rap. While some people may suggest that one of the “B’s” in B2B stands for boring, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Although B2B content isn’t as flashy or as emotionally driven as B2C, its value-driven approach generates invaluable leads to help businesses grow while creating sustainable relationships with customers. 

So, how can you create engaging content that will attract and nurture qualified leads for your business and ultimately convert them into loyal customers? Here are three ways to rethink your content marketing strategy and keep “boring” out of your B2B content: 

1. Personalize Your Products & Their Problem-Solving Capabilities 

At its essence, B2B content highlights how a company’s product can help solve a buyer’s problem. SEO and backlinking are great for improving a website’s search ranking to reach more customers but, when it comes to selling a product, it’s important to remember that people love storytelling—especially success stories. 

Here’s an example: Step into the shoes of an architect or a structural engineer constructing a building designed to withstand high winds, life-threatening storm surges and damage from debris. Plenty of businesses might offer different statistics that highlight why you should use their product, but Nudura took a different approach.  

North America’s leading manufacturer of insulated concrete forms, Nudura unveiled a content strategy that showed the aftermath of a seaside street following Hurricane Michael. Wreckage piled where homes once stood days earlier. The only building still standing used Nudura’s ICF product. What’s more likely for a buyer to remember: all the stats about superior insulation, or the only home that was still standing? 

B2B content is about people, or the things that people can use to drive value. If a business creates a product that solves a real-world problem, you will be much more likely to share that success story.  

2. B2B Content Marketing Should Embrace Creativity 

It’s critical for B2B content to stand out if you’re trying to build awareness, generate qualified leads and ultimately move people through your sales pipeline. Your messaging, positioning and tone are all critical when developing a content strategy for your brand’s marketing campaign. 

One memorable example is Shopify’s first marketing campaign, which targeted entrepreneurs. Shopify deployed a variety of advertisements, but perhaps its most convincing ad was a billboard with dominoes lined up. That’s imagery everyone understands. Once the first domino falls, down go the others.  

As for the copy alongside the dominos, the billboard read, “Your mom should be your first customer, not your only customer.” Shopify’s message to entrepreneurs was clear: If you have a great product, you should use our platform to sell your goods to customers around the world. In just one sentence, Shopify promoted a business service and offered inspiration to millions of entrepreneurs. 

3. Good Writing is Insightful, Not Self-important 

It’s important for B2B content producers to adhere to the principles of good writing, but that doesn’t mean your vocabulary and word choice should drastically differ between work hours and how you communicate with peers outside the office.  

Remember: most people don’t have a university-degree reading level, so there’s no need to spend time solely writing copy about why your business’ product is so valuable. Your best way to generate leads is by crafting content that focuses on being interesting to those readers.  

There’s certainly a time and place to communicate formally (or informally), but if you’re going to write with superfluous adjectives to describe a product that someone is already researching to understand more about, you’re only going to confuse your reader and make them disinterested in what you’re offering. Instead, keep things basic using words that anyone can understand. 

If you can produce B2B content that shows how your product solves problems in a memorable format, you’re already one step ahead of your competitors. While B2C is generally more personal and emotionally driven in comparison with B2B content, the latter can still be engaging and effective in reminding buyers what makes your products great. By creating engaging B2B content, you will ultimately convert new leads into loyal customers for your business.