According to a report by the Content Marketing Institute, 90 percent of B2B organizations use some form of content marketing. At the same time, The Content Marketing Institute reports 54 percent of small B2B and 58 percent of enterprise organizations find the idea of creating engaging content a serious challenge.
So what exactly is “engaging” content? And what are the successful, outside-of-the-box content tactics that you should embrace and can separate you from the competition?
What do they really want to hear? At the base level, think about what your customers really want to hear about, and then figure out how to deliver it. Beyond being informative and accurate, have fun with your content and keep it light. Strive to be creative, informal, and most of all yourself as you showcase your firm. Offer opinions and insight of current events and industry happenings, and springboard your content of daily news. Remember that clients are coming to you for information about how to run their businesses.
The power of infographics. Infographics offer a fun yet informative way to package data and a wide range of information to your customers that is quick and easy to digest. They have a long shelf life and are great on social media platforms because they can be reposted and shared easily without much effort.
Why not video? The popularity of video shouldn’t be a surprise. Who wants to read 1,000 words online when you can watch a two-minute video? Beyond posting video on your website or embedding it in a blog, utilize social media to push video content and create a video channel on YouTube that is easily found in Google search results and is more engaging than text-based content.
Think about eBooks. Adding a new, complimentary media channel will only improve online integration, engagement and visibility. Create a centerpiece of all your content – much of which you likely already have produced – with embedded slideshows, galleries, videos and infographics in one interactive space that highlights your content.
Truly interactive content. Quality content is a conversation and a two-way street. If done right, interactive content can be a dynamic space to solicit, capture and hold attention. Think about interactive product demos, facilitate engagement on your mobile apps or offer free trials of your product. Take it one step farther by creating a community page of all your social media platforms that feeds in from all your accounts and products to serve as an interactive hub for your customers.