In an era when ChatGPT can churn out a 2000-word article in a matter of seconds, the importance of a content strategy (and the appeal of content, for that matter) as a lead generation instrument seems to plummet. But let us ask you one question: when it’s the easiest for your content to stand out and grab leads?
Answer: It’s the easiest for your content to cut through the noise and convert when your competitors flood the market with generic, uncharismatic AI-generated content.
Quality content that aligns with the B2B customer journey will give your brand an edge in a market where competitors are surrendering to the mercy of AI.
So, here’s our punchline #1: your content strategy should draw upon your B2B customer journey.
B2B customer journey: your content strategy blueprint
Understanding your buyer’s decision-making process is the first step in designing a tailored content strategy.
Typically, your potential lead embarks on a journey, the main steps of which are:
- defining the problem
- search for a solution
- identifying requirements and
- selecting a vendor
By offering the right content at each of these stages, you will greatly increase the odds of generating quality leads and successful sales.
According to Gartner, the B2B buying journey looks more like a big bowl of spaghetti than a linear process. It’s heuristic, it’s multi-step, and it’s certainly different from what you expect to see (see the picture below).
Image source: Gartner
The challenge for IT companies today is to map this confusing maze of customer interactions and provide effective, preferably unique content at the majority of touchpoints.
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Step #1. Defining the problem: ‘I need to do something about it’
At this stage, your potential customer becomes aware of their problem. It’s your golden opportunity to build trust in your brand by showing that you are on the same page with your target audience and are keenly aware of the unique challenges they face.
Let’s say a mid-sized business owner is struggling to manage customer inquiries, track sales, and retain customers. Recognizing the potential of CRM to solve their customer service woes, a business owner begins their research journey with the question: “Do I really need a CRM?”. And at this very moment, your potential lead embarks on a long journey of self-directed research.
Here’s how HubSpot and Salesforce meet their potential leads at the beginning of their journey. Take notes.
As you can see, at this stage, your potential lead needs educational (but tailored to their unique business needs) content. This mainly includes blog posts, white papers, and e-books adjusted to the needs of a specific ICP (e.g. CRM software for mid-size companies or healthcare CRMs).
At this stage, your company’s main task is to cut through the noise of generic, superficial content. To do that, your content should demonstrate that you have a nuanced understanding of your client’s problem.
Instead of writing in broad strokes, make your content more relatable by telling about a set of specific problems your former or current clients have faced. That’s our punchline #2.
For example:
Ten common CRM issues and how to overcome them
7 issues our client tackled with a custom CRM
Headlines of this kind put your company’s expertise on sharp display and stand out in the streak of similar, run-of-the-mill headlines. By making your headline more specific and aligning it with the unique experience of your company, you will also trigger the FOMO mechanism that gets your lead thinking ‘Hey, there might be an overlap in challenges, so let me check out this blog post.’
Step #2. Searching for a solution: ‘Which option is right for us?’
Let’s revisit the CRM example. Once a client has acknowledged the problem and knows for sure a CRM is the right solution, they try to figure out what kind of CRM will fill the bill. Should they go for a custom or platform-based one? And what platform should they choose in the latter case?
At this stage, your potential lead goes on a hunt for educational content, googling queries like ‘best CRM software’, ‘how to choose a CRM’, and ‘custom vs off-the-shelf CRM’. Head-to-head comparison guides like ‘Salesforce vs HubSpot’ also fall within this category.
Here’s an interesting twist.
Customers rely on different channels of information and switch from one to another while learning about a topic.
Why? Self-learning is all neat and nice, but to make the right decision, your potential leads seek the opinion of the professional community.
That’s when LinkedIn comes on stage. At this point, LinkedIn becomes an important tool to engage customers and make your company visible to decision-makers. Keep in mind that potential leads turn to this channel when they:
- lack relevant information
- doubt their decision
- want to get a holistic understanding of the solution by factoring in different points of view.
The more consistent and useful your company’s LinkedIn activity is, the more chances you have to hit it off with the lead. Your company’s CEO and C-suite can follow suit as sharing their expertise on LinkedIn makes it easier to source prospective clients and businesses.
Step #3. Identifying requirements: what exactly do we need from the solution?
So, the lead has arrived at the conclusion (with the help of your expert content) that Salesforce seems to be a good fit for him. But your potential lead still has doubts, as they struggle to come to grips with the core features of this CRM, its limitations, and customization options.
Unfortunately, software development companies’ blogs tend to fall short of helping leads clarify their needs. Instead of providing in-depth, valuable content, the absolute majority of vendors go as far as putting out superficial, SEO-first texts like ‘Top Salesforce CRM features and benefits’ and call it a day.
So how do you bring value to your potential customer at this stage? You can team up with subject matter experts to bring a refreshing perspective to the topic of Salesforce CRM features and benefits. Requests For Proposals (RFP) can also become a unique source of insights into what really matters to the buyer and what their main challenges are.
An RFP example for a Salesforce CRM
Keep in mind that a comprehensive pillar article (the one targeting a broad keyword and providing full coverage of the given topic) is not enough to help the lead outline specific requirements. You should also write detailed articles that delve deep into a particular aspect of the solution (cluster pages), whether it’s third-party integration or Salesforce automation.
Different checklists also come in handy at this stage (e.g. Salesforce implementation checklist) as they help the lead build up requirements. And don’t forget about numbers: these speak louder than words at this stage. Tell your lead about the costs of implementation, customization or configuration opportunities, approximate timelines, — and link to your success stories when you talk about the potential ROI of such projects.
Also, any case study or success story can, with a few tweaks, be turned into a standalone article (see the example below).
Source: https://www.itransition.com/blog/salesforce-case-study
If you go the extra mile for your potential client and take the headache out of their requirements building — while helping them understand the timeline and quantify the impact of the solution — your company will be moved to the top of the list of potential vendors in no time.
Step #4. Selecting a vendor: which company is the right tech partner for us?
At this stage, content marketing cedes ground to sales reps. However, commercially-focused/sales enablement content still plays a significant role in the final stretch.
Targeted service pages for lead conversion
At this point, your leads are likely conducting targeted searches. For you, this means shifting focus to well-optimized service pages that address the specific needs of your potential leads. Here’s how you pull it off:
- Keyword research: Identify relevant search terms like “CRM development company” or “Salesforce development services” that your ideal customers might use.
- Clustered landing pages: Don’t just create a generic service page. Craft targeted landing pages for different service clusters. For example, you can create a landing page for “SAP commerce services” to go with your general CRM development page.
- Industry-specific pages: Consider creating landing pages tailored to specific industries (e.g., “Banking CRM solutions”) to sport your domain expertise.
By creating a comprehensive web presence that addresses a wider range of search queries, you can capture more leads at the crucial decision-making stage.
The power of compelling case studies
Case studies are the crown jewels of BOFU content. They bridge the gap between your company and potential clients by showcasing real-world success stories. Here’s what makes a converting case study:
- Clear structure: Organize your case studies logically, including your client’s background, project scope, key challenges addressed, and the positive outcomes achieved.
- Data-driven results: Support the value delivered by your solutions with quantifiable results. This might include metrics like “increased lead processing time by 37%” or “automated 30% of business development workflows.”
- SEO: If possible, optimize your case studies for relevant search terms to ensure they appear in search engine results when prospects research potential vendors.
Investing in high-quality service pages and compelling case studies will equip your sales team with powerful tools to convert leads into customers. Remember, content marketing doesn’t end at lead generation; it plays a vital role in nurturing those leads and closing deals.
At the finish line: let your company be the vendor clients are craving
Is your marketing team delivering high-quality leads who know their requirements and have a clear vision of the project’s result? If not, we can help. Our expert marketers and copywriters ensure your content does its job, guiding prospects to the perfect conclusion — the moment they choose your company. Schedule an intro call with BRIEF Marketing and make each word on your website count.