Content marketing strategy is used by several businesses to attract, engage, and convert their potential customers. It focuses on creating and distributing content for target audiences that solves their problems or pain points. For B2B companies, content is very important as it helps nurture leads and convert them. B2B marketing focuses more on building long-term relationships with target customers. This is especially important during the buying process. Through content B2B companies can build relationships with leads which encourages them to reach the final decision.
Social media has become an important B2B content strategy. According to the Content Marketing Institute, LinkedIn is the most popular platform used by B2B marketers, followed by Twitter. Through these channels B2B marketers aim to distribute their content for lead generation, brand awareness, establishing authority and forming potential business connections. In this article, we will focus on how LinkedIn can be used to improve B2B content marketing.
What is B2B Content Marketing?
B2B content marketing refers to the creation and distribution of content that is interesting and useful for the target audience. It aims to resolve any business problems for potential customers. Businesses can build meaningful relationships, create brand awareness, and gain customer’s trust through content. Content is not used to merely promote products or services but to provide solutions and address the pain points of the target audience.
B2B content marketing gives long-term results and should be a part of the overall digital marketing efforts.
Here is how you can implemeny your B2B content marketing strategy on Linkedin.
LinkedIn For B2B Content Marketing
Plan your content
To achieve the best results, plan the content you are going to share. Start by researching articles that are going to be interesting for your target audience. If you publish blogs, then write on topics that are relevant to your customers and share your blogs on LinkedIn. The best way to ensure that you are regular in posting your content is by maintaining a content calendar. You can use tools like Hootsuite or HubSpot to schedule your content. Another way is to download content calendar templates to make it easier for you to organize your content.
Planning content beforehand gives you an advantage as you can share relevant content on time. It also enables you to share content regularly without missing out.
Understand your competitors
When planning your content strategy, look at what your competitors are doing on their LinkedIn platform. Find out how they share their content like content formats they use, how often they post, what topics they post and how people engage with their content. Analyzing your competitor’s LinkedIn platform can give you more ideas and inspiration on what you can incorporate in your own content strategy.
LinkedIn Status Update
You can share quick status updates in your LinkedIn profile. This is how most marketers share and distribute their content. You can pick any article or topic you want to post on your profile for your connections to see it. Status updates are a great way to share your thoughts, but it can be even better if you link it to any interesting blog or website. Share links to interesting articles and blogs. Use words that grab the reader’s attention that encourage them to click on the link you have provided.
You can also talk about an event or webinar you may be attending or have attended. This encourages your readers to get involved and ask you any questions about the event. Through status updates you can share content like checklists, white papers, or case studies by attaching these documents. Another thing to remember is to post on a time when you can get the maximum engagement. According to Sprout Social, the most engaging LinkedIn posts are published on Wednesdays between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and noon, Thursday at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and Friday at 9 a.m. Posting on odd hours will not get your posts enough attention.
Publish articles on LinkedIn
All LinkedIn members and admins of a LinkedIn page can publish articles on their area of expertise, interests, or industry. These articles are a great way to distribute content and establish yourself as a thought leader. It also helps you reach new audiences and expand your connections. You can target your potential customers by choosing topics that interest them. Majority of your connections are like minded professionals who will be interested in similar topics. Create useful articles that resonate with your audiences. This gives you an opportunity to open discussions and communicate with your connections.
These articles can be seen by your connections in their notifications. It encourages them to view these posts and engage. These articles can help you establish yourself as a thought leader. Your connections will share your compelling articles with their connections. This helps you increase your followers and attract potential customers to your business.
Use video content
If you are a video marketer, you can share prerecorded or live video content on this platform. Videos are a more interactive and engaging form of content that grabs the audience's attention. You can also host a live Q&A to enable your connections to communicate with you. According to Wyzowl, in 2019 over 87% of video marketers on LinkedIn described the platform as an effective video marketing channel. In addition, 66% of video marketers said that they would include LinkedIn in their 2020 video marketing strategy.
Users like to engage with content that does not require too much of their attention. Videos can easily grab the audience’s attention and engage them.
Leverage content from other sources
It is good to share your own content on your LinkedIn, but you can also share relevant content from other sources. Sharing content from other credible sources is great for your content marketing strategy. Your audiences can see that you are sharing relevant knowledge from other sources as well rather than just sharing your own content. It can also help you build relationships with other publications and websites.
While sharing content from other sources, be selective. Ensure that the content you share comes from a credible source. The Content Suggestions tool on LinkedIn can help you come across content from credible sources that your audiences are already engaging with.
Post on LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn groups provide an opportunity for professionals in the same industry to come together and talk about similar interests. Group members can share relevant knowledge, insights, and expertise on various topics of interest. LinkedIn Groups are beneficial for any business trying to build new and meaningful connections while establishing themselves as thought leaders. As a member of the group, you can share your valuable insights here.
Post often in your LinkedIn Group to keep audiences engaged. Comment and share your expertise on other posts and interact often. This can help other members to know you and open a dialogue with you. Businesses can form valuable relationships, create brand awareness, and attract potential customers through these groups. If you are not part of any group, then join groups relevant to your business.
Find out more about LinkedIn Groups here.
Measure your success
To know how your content marketing strategy is doing, you need to keep track of your ongoing efforts. Tracking your success helps you to improve your overall content strategy. Page admins have access to in-depth insights through LinkedIn Page Analytics. This helps you measure the effectiveness of the content you share. You have access to the data related to your followers as well. Use these insights to improve your current content marketing strategy.
With Page Analytics tool you also get insights about your visitors, who is engaging with your content and who subscribed to your page. Keep tracking your content performance to refine your strategy.
To build successful relationships with buyers, B2B marketers need to create a consistent experience for them. The content that you share needs to help your buyers resolve their problems and make decisions. With credible and relevant content, buyers can trust your business and invest in it.
LinkedIn is a great tool to help you leverage your content strategy. You can distribute content through multiple ways on LinkedIn. This platform also helps you discover new connections through your content and gives you a place to discuss your ideas. With the help of analytics, you can also make improvements to your current strategy and drive successful results. The points discussed above can help you achieve positive results and make the most of your LinkedIn platform for your content strategy.
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