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How to Leverage the Combined Power of Research, Content, and Community

B2B marketers are well aware of the challenges created with the dynamic business environment in 2022. One of the key challenges is a more complex, almost-entirely digital journey, which seems to have spurred the myth that B2B buyers don’t want to engage with B2B vendors until very late into their buying cycle. 

While it may be true that sales people come into the one-to-one B2B purchase conversation at a later stage, this myth actually holds not one, but two misconceptions:

1. B2B buyers don’t see vendors as relevant to their buying process 

Not true. While business buyers turn to credible publications, community forums, and independent experts for knowledge, they also welcome vendors  — the ones making the products they will use — as credible experts.

The marketer’s challenge is to become a trusted, credible source of insight for buyers.

2. B2B buyers don’t want any human interaction with vendors till the end of the cycle

Preferring more digital contact is not the same as not wanting authentic, human interactions! On the contrary, buyers prefer B2B vendors who can personalize interactions – just not in the traditional sense of in-person meetings. 

The marketer’s challenge is to make digital engagement as human as possible.

Complex and challenging as it seems, the current B2B environment actually creates new opportunities for brands to engage more deeply, with more members of the buying collective. 

And one of the most powerful ways to do that is to leverage the combined power of research, content, and community. 

The Combined Power of Research, Content, and Community 

By themselves, each of these tactics is a proven way to engage with buyers when done right. 

However, when used together, marketers create a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts – one that compounds the returns over time. Here’s how.

STEP 1: Elevate research, content, and community-led experiences 

Elevate the research-based marketing experience

Research has to be legitimate and credible, but it doesn’t have to be boring or purely academic! Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much innovation in how marketers leverage market research to empower buyers.  Not only is research a great tool to help with planning and informing the direction for your marketing strategies; it’s also a powerful way to create a vendor-neutral, research-backed narrative for more credible content.

The twist for B2B vendors is to use market research as a marketing tool to educate and drive preference, build thought leadership, and offer credible data that buyers can use and share.

Elevate the content marketing experience

Amidst a sea of branded and gated content, content syndication, and made-for-google blogs – all staples of B2B content marketing – B2B buyers seek influential, credible, and independent voices that speak with authority on topics they care about. 

Brands can put a twist on content marketing by leveraging credible editorial voices – a major source of trusted information to address audience pain points and knowledge gaps.

Thought leadership topics delivered via neutral editorial voices, combined with native ads and content sponsorships on trusted publications create a strong association between the brand and the topic

Elevate the community marketing experience

Communities are where professionals connect on what’s new, important, helpful, and in-the-moment. But members – especially in specialist and niche communities – have a notoriously tough reputation of rejecting overt or covert vendor attempts to sell in the guise of community conversations. 

They don’t, however, have a problem with vendor reps who are in the community as legitimate stakeholders. In fact, they welcome one-to-one interactions with brands who are committed to inform, educate and engage with community members, on topics that matter. 

The twist here is to stop trying to use communities to sell. Instead, just be a legitimate member of the community, with as much stake in its success as any member. 

STEP 2: Connect the dots to deliver exponential outcomes 

Combine research, content, and community to create a value-first experience, elevate marketing outcomes, and help your brand:

  • Stand-out on neutral channels like editorial publications and practitioner communities
  • Engage with multiple members of the buying collective 
  • Stay top of mind at each stage of the buyer’s journey 
  • Create real, human relationships, even on digital channels 

Here’s how brands can connect research, content, and community seamlessly:

Get to know your audience 

Start with independent and credible market research, and strengthen these insights by listening within communities and popular industry gatherings. Validate what you’re learning with authentic intent data on your prospects. 

Build and share your authentic brand voice 

Use the insights to create value for your audience. Being entrenched in these communities lets you create content and conversations designed to help buyers learn and come to a consensus. 

  • Write and sponsor useful editorial content. 
  • Be there to answer questions and solve problems in the community.
  • Share original research to help buyers learn more about what works for peers.  

Be consistent 

While one can’t argue with any of the above, truly immersing in communities and conversations needs consistency, over time and across channels. Jumping into conversations or posting stand-alone guest blogs in an ad-hoc manner won’t achieve much traction. 

Find one partner who opens all the doors to your audience

While many communities, content platforms, and research agencies exist, managing disparate channels and vendors adds to the complexity, without delivering the compounded impact of a cohesive strategy. 

The sweet spot is finding one partner who can help you access that world and execute a seamless and consistent experience with its inhabitants. For instance, SWZD helps B2B tech marketers open all the doors — to research, community, editorial channels, industry events, and authentic intent data — through one partnership. 

B2B buyers rely more than ever on authentic and credible voices who can help make smarter decisions. In 2022, sharing an authentic brand voice via research, content, and conversations in specialist communities could be your key to that opportunity.