There’s an awful lot of content focused on the reach and engagement stages of the B2B buyer’s journey, and not nearly as much directed at conversion and retention. These late stages of the journey are critical and deserve more attention, particularly given the challenges our sales and field marketing representatives are facing in a mostly digital environment.
The Changing Buyer's Journey
B2B buyers are handling purchasing differently since the beginning of the pandemic. A staggering 90% of sales are managed online, over the phone or through videoconferencing, according to a McKinsey & Company survey in April. Only about half the respondents suggested this path is either “as effective” or “more effective” than face-to-face communications.
The current climate demands late-stage content that will help convert and retain buyers. Conversion content can include deeper dives into product and service features and benefits, how-to assets, brand comparisons and case studies. Retention content is an important component to support brand loyalty and nurture existing clients. That can take the form of well-designed newsletters, certifications and digital experiences that enable customers to do and buy more.
Sales Enablement
The line that separates marketing from sales continues to blur, and sales enablement content straddles the two worlds. Personalized content helps your sales team further their conversations with prospects and customers in touches that might have previously occurred face to face.
Things like battlecards help the sales team communicate clearly about brand differences, feature comparisons and pricing. Testimonials and personalized videos can do some of the heavy lifting to convert leads to sales.
Case Studies & Testimonials
Video is an ideal format for featuring powerful customer stories that show your product or service in action, but it’s not the only option. Content4Demand has produced case study portfolios for clients that tell a sampling of compelling customer stories to help reach multiple members of the buying committee.
In interactive assets, you can tell a concise story with attention-grabbing headlines, and allow readers to dig into the most relevant stories with a single click, whether they’re most interested in a particular problem/solution or hearing from someone in a similar job role or vertical.
Newsletters
Email newsletters have been making a solid comeback, and that trend accelerated this year as many industries were eager for guidance and insights on what to do next in uncertain circumstances. These newsletters can help you strengthen connections with your customers when they’re built on timely news items, quick summaries and impactful stories that keep them up to date on what’s going on in your industry, your company and other relevant worlds.
Tonya Vinas spells out three valuable reasons to publish newsletters here.
Tutorials & Certifications
Offering classes and credentials for professionals to build their skill sets can serve as a valuable relationship-building tool helping customers make the most of their investments with you. These can be full-blown certifications or brief tutorials that make your product easier to use or understand.
It’s important to remember that content can do more than just attract customers and promote your business when you keep the entire buyer’s journey in mind. Expanding your library to include late-stage content can help you drive conversions and retention.
Use our Content Format Discovery Tool to find new ways to engage your buyers in any stage of the funnel.
Holly Celeste Fisk
Holly Celeste Fisk is an accomplished marketing pro with 20+ years of experience in B2B and B2C. She’s responsible for Content4Demand’s internal marketing efforts, managing everything from content creation and email marketing to events and sponsorships, blog publishing, website management and social media presence. When she’s not working, you’ll find her sliding into third at softball, buried in a book or practicing her Italian.
