🖊️ 15 Experts Weigh in On Making Killer B2B Content

Gather round kids - the #ContentClubUK crew have spoken

Hi! 👋

In The B2B Bite, I break down the most effective strategies and tactics to help B2B companies do better marketing.

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Content Marketing

🖊️ How to Make Killer B2B Content

Last week, the lovely Fi Shailes invited me to host #ContentClubUK Twitter chat, a weekly, must-attend digital event for anyone working in content marketing.

(And no, you don’t have to be based in the UK to take part - though you may have to wake up a little early depending on where you are in the world!)

Besides obliterating my notifications - my account was temporarily locked at one point - I was humbled by the experience to learn from so many incredible marketers sharing their wisdom on how to make B2B better.

The three questions I put to the Twitter-verse were:

1. What makes you look at a piece of B2B content and think "that's boring as hell"?

2. What does the modern-day B2B buyer expect from a brand's content marketing?

3. What’s the best piece of B2B content you’ve seen this year?

There were so many great answers in fact, I had to collect some of the best in one place for you all to benefit.

Enjoy!

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PS. You can join #ContentClubUK yourself each Tuesday at 11am GMT. Just search for the hashtag and join the fun!

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#1. What makes you look at a piece of B2B content and think "that's boring as hell"?

Specky Scribbler | Michelle @SpeckyScribbler

@JasonRBradwell A1. A 'holier than thou' tone. One that screams: my product is better than yours and you're going to love it because we said so. See also: patronising tone, jargon, etc. etc. B2B content can and should have personality! #ContentClubUK

Louise Shanahan @LouiseShanahan_

@JasonRBradwell A1: Keyword stuffing, vapid phrases, buzzwords like 'new normal', zero insights or curiosity, reliance on stats that are a thousand years old... I could go on! #ContentClubUK

Ed Callow @EdCallowWrites

@JasonRBradwell A1: Oh, gosh, where to start? Headlines that I swear I've already read verbatim a thousand times before. "In the current climate..." Buzzwords. Generally, any time someone has forgotten that the Bs in B2B are made up of people, not robots. #ContentClubUK

Masooma | Content Writer @inkandcopy

@JasonRBradwell A1. B2B content is boring for me when it doesn’t have personality. Meaning: no voice, written like the audience is a robot, and sprinkled with tons of technical jargon with no regard to readability. #ContentClubUK

AndraZaharia @AndraZaharia

@JasonRBradwell A1: Has a generic intro, loads of platitudes, no different angle, no real life applicability, and doesn't speak to authentic pain points. I'll sneak some examples here: #ContentClubUK

AndraZaharia @AndraZaharia

Here are 5 intros I skipped in <10 mins: "Looking back on 2020, we can honestly say..." "As remote work becomes the new normal..." "A year ago, IT and cybersecurity teams..." "Prior to the pandemic, many organizations..." "Each day, the business world is more challenging..." 1/

Steve Ash @CommsBreakdown

@JasonRBradwell A1. Main red flags would be: ❎ Content being too long and wordy ❎ Full of technical guff and abbreviations ❎ Too much focus on selling, and nothing on end value #ContentClubUK

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#2. What does the modern-day B2B buyer expect from a brand's content marketing?

Ant Henderson @AntPHenderson

@JasonRBradwell A2 - Clear articulation on why it makes their life easier / better / offers a solution to something they need a solution for - Ease of access to the product / service - A price that reflects the value of the product / service

Fi Phillips @FiPhillipsCopy

@JasonRBradwell A2. Authenticity, no tricks (like promising the answer and then saying you'll have to sign-up to get it), and professionalism. #ContentClubUK

RuthSedarWrites @ruthsedarwrites

@JasonRBradwell A2. The 'why' needs to be clear. The audience is just people, after all. Someone told me B2B is just people2people and that makes way more sense to me. #ContentClubUK

George @GeorgeRTerry

@JasonRBradwell the same things people always look for - a sense of connection - shared experiences / common ground - useful information - to be entertained FWIW I think 'sense of connection' is most important it's all about building relationships #ContentClubUK

Ishbel Macleod @Ishbel_Macleod

@JasonRBradwell A2. I think a B2B buyer wants the same as a B2C customer! They want clear options and answers, without waffle. They want to know how it will help THEM and their business, how it will make their lives easier. #ContentClubUK

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#3. What’s the best piece of B2B content you’ve seen this year?

George @GeorgeRTerry

@JasonRBradwell personally, @thinking_slow's work for @AnimalzCo is right up there Trends.vc by @DruRly (does that count as b2b?) I also really love @morganhousel's writing for @collabfund #ContentClubUK

trends.vcTrends.vc — Discover new markets and ideasDiscover new markets and ideas

AndraZaharia @AndraZaharia

@JasonRBradwell The @auth0 brand refresh that also involved a content refresh. Their homepage is exquisite and they keep churning great product-driven content: auth0.com #ContentClubUK

auth0.comAuth0: Secure access for everyone. But not just anyone.Rapidly integrate authentication and authorization for web, mobile, and legacy applications so you can focus on your core business.

Joshua Young @digitalprince_

@JasonRBradwell A3: Yesterday I did a deep dive into Gymshark and discovered that Ben Francis has his own YouTube channel where he announces news and shared his own journey. Building the founders profile is a great B2B (and B2C) tactic! #ContentClubUK

Emma Cownley @EJCownley

@JasonRBradwell A3. I really enjoy the blog posts @sallymfoxwrites writes for us freelance business owners. My fave has been this post on the power of rituals in the creative process: sallymfox.com/blog/the-power… #ContentClubUK

sallymfox.comSally M Fox | Blog | The power of ritualsYour lucky shoes, your favourite pen, your morning routine. Most of us have little rituals that help ground us and set us up for what’s to come. But how can we consciously use rituals to bring us more creativity, ease and happiness in our working lives?

Sally Fox · Copywriter @sallymfoxwrites

@JasonRBradwell A3 I love @sonderandtell's newsletter on all things brand messaging/copywriting sonderandtell.com/content-commun… #ContentClubUK

sonderandtell.comContent Creators Share the Stories That Inspire Them | Sonder & TellFrom Dolly Alderton and Alice Levine to Otegha Uwagba and Nellie Eden, Sonder & Tell’s content creators that know the importance of a good story.

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• Dave Gerdhart has just launched a new Swipe File that includes a bunch of killer B2B marketing examples across websites, copy, ads and more.

• The folks over at LinkedIn coming in hot with this article on how to become a famous B2B brand - and why fame matters.

• Happy belated Social Media Day everyone! Check out this AMAZING article from my friend Jayde Powell on what SMMs want you to know.

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In this episode, I sit down with Ali Schwanke, Founder and CEO of Simple Strat, a growth marketing agency.

We talk about:

• Hubspot and why it - or a platform like it - is a MUST for young marketing teams

• The disadvantages of using a 'Frankenstein's monster' technology stack

• Building an air-tight lead scoring system that'll help you measure channel ROI

This episode is a must-listen for any marketers struggling with proving their value to a predominantly sales-led organisation OR looking for advice on how to sell-in Hubspot to a sceptical leadership team.

This is real advice for the everyday B2B marketer who wants to be better.

You can follow Ali here: @alischwanke

Or watch her Hubspot Hacks series here.

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And that's it! See you next week.

PS. I’m on Twitter. All my best stuff is on Twitter.