7 B2B Content Examples That Drive Leads and Sales
B2B content marketing is a powerful way to attract and engage potential customers, build trust and authority, and generate leads and sales. But how do you create content that stands out from the crowd and delivers results? In this article, we’ll show you seven B2B content examples that drive leads and sales, and explain why they work.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
B2B content marketing is a powerful way to attract and engage potential customers, build trust and authority, and generate leads and sales.
B2B content marketing can take many forms, such as blog posts, ebooks, white papers, case studies, webinars, podcasts, videos, infographics, and more.
To create effective B2B content marketing, you need to understand your target audience, their pain points, challenges, goals, and preferences. You also need to plan, create, distribute, and measure your content strategically. And most importantly, you need to create content that is relevant, engaging, useful, and persuasive.
What is B2B Content Marketing?
B2B content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to a clearly defined audience of business buyers, with the goal of influencing their purchase decisions. B2B content marketing can take many forms, such as blog posts, ebooks, white papers, case studies, webinars, podcasts, videos, infographics, and more.
The benefits of B2B content marketing are numerous, such as:
- Increasing brand awareness and visibility
- Educating and informing prospects about your products or services
- Establishing credibility and thought leadership
- Nurturing relationships and loyalty with existing customers
- Generating qualified leads and conversions
- Boosting organic traffic and SEO rankings
- Reducing marketing costs and increasing ROI
However, B2B content marketing is not easy. It requires a deep understanding of your target audience, their pain points, challenges, goals, and preferences. It also requires a strategic approach to planning, creating, distributing, and measuring your content. And most importantly, it requires creating content that is relevant, engaging, useful, and persuasive.
To help you get inspired and learn from the best, here are seven B2B content examples that drive leads and sales.
1. HubSpot: The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Trends in 2020
HubSpot is a leading provider of software for inbound marketing, sales, and customer service. One of their most successful pieces of content is The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Trends in 2020, which is a comprehensive ebook that covers the latest trends and best practices in digital marketing.
The ebook is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a timely and relevant topic that interests their target audience of marketers
- Provides valuable insights and actionable tips from industry experts
- Showcases HubSpot’s expertise and authority in the field of marketing
- Includes clear calls to action to download the ebook and sign up for a free trial of HubSpot’s software
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the ebook
2. Shopify: How to Start an Online Store in 2020
Shopify is a leading platform for ecommerce businesses. One of their most popular pieces of content is How to Start an Online Store in 2020, which is a detailed guide that walks readers through the steps of launching an online store.
The guide is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a common pain point and goal of their target audience of entrepreneurs
- Provides practical advice and step-by-step instructions on how to start an online store
- Showcases Shopify’s features and benefits as an ecommerce platform
- Includes clear calls to action to start a free trial of Shopify or contact their support team
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the guide
3. Slack: How Work Happens
Slack is a leading platform for team collaboration and communication. One of their most effective pieces of content is How Work Happens, which is a video series that features real stories of how different teams use Slack to work better together.
The video series is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a common challenge and need of their target audience of teams
- Provides authentic testimonials and case studies of how Slack helps teams achieve their goals
- Showcases Slack’s features and benefits as a collaboration tool
- Includes clear calls to action to try Slack for free or contact their sales team
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the video series
5. Mailchimp: The Small Business Guide to Marketing on a Budget
Mailchimp is a leading platform for email marketing and automation. One of their most successful pieces of content is The Small Business Guide to Marketing on a Budget, which is an interactive guide that helps small businesses create effective marketing campaigns on a shoestring budget.
The guide is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a common challenge and concern of their target audience of small businesses
- Provides useful tips and tools for creating low-cost but high-impact marketing campaigns
- Showcases Mailchimp’s features and benefits as an email marketing platform
- Includes clear calls to action to sign up for Mailchimp or contact their support team
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the guide
6. Salesforce: State of Sales Report
Salesforce is a leading provider of software for customer relationship management (CRM). One of their most influential pieces of content is State of Sales Report, which is a research report that reveals the latest trends and insights on sales performance, technology, and customer expectations.
The report is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a relevant and important topic that interests their target audience of sales professionals
- Provides valuable data and insights from a global survey of over 6,000 sales respondents
- Establishes Salesforce’s credibility and thought leadership in the field of sales
- Includes clear calls to action to download the report or request a demo of Salesforce’s software
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the report
7. Canva: Design School
Canva is a leading platform for graphic design and visual content creation. One of their most engaging pieces of content is Design School, which is an online learning platform that teaches users how to create stunning graphics and visuals.
The Design School is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a common need and interest of their target audience of designers and marketers
- Provides valuable lessons and tutorials on how to use Canva and improve design skills
- Showcases Canva’s features and benefits as a graphic design platform
- Includes clear calls to action to sign up for Canva or contact their support team
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the Design School
- Buffer: The Science of Social Media
Buffer is a leading platform for social media management and analytics. One of their most entertaining pieces of content is The Science of Social Media, which is a podcast that explores the latest trends and best practices in social media marketing.
The podcast is a great example of B2B content marketing because it:
- Addresses a timely and relevant topic that interests their target audience of social media marketers
- Provides valuable insights and tips from industry experts and influencers
- Showcases Buffer’s expertise and authority in the field of social media
- Includes clear calls to action to subscribe to the podcast or try Buffer for free
- Generates leads by requiring an email address to access the podcast
TIP
- Know your audience and their buyer journey
- Define your goals and metrics
- Choose the right format and channel for your content
- Optimize your content for SEO and conversions
- Provide value and solve problems for your prospects
- Include clear calls to action and lead magnets
- Test and optimize your content performance
B2B Content Marketing: A Statistical Report
B2B content marketing is the practice of producing and distributing content in order to increase brand awareness, traffic, leads and sales for business-to-business companies. Some of the most popular types of B2B content are blog posts, white papers, templates, case studies, videos, webinars, and podcasts.
According to a 2020 CMI study, B2B marketers shared that they’re able to effectively create brand awareness (86%) but also build credibility and trust (75%) with the target audience. A separate study also revealed that the majority of global marketers were happy with their content marketing results in 2020. They expect to increase their content marketing budgets in 2021.
However, not all B2B content is created equal. Some of the best examples of B2B content marketing are those that showcase thought leadership, innovation, customer success, and storytelling. Below are some of the brands that are breaking the mold and creating great content that grows fervent, dedicated audiences:
General Electric
GE Reports puts the spotlight on its customers and how they use GE’s products and services to solve problems in various sectors, such as power, aviation, healthcare, and more.
HubSpot
HubSpot offers a wealth of resources for marketers, salespeople, and entrepreneurs, such as blogs, ebooks, courses, templates, tools, and podcasts. HubSpot also hosts an annual inbound marketing conference that attracts thousands of attendees.
Deloitte
Deloitte Insights publishes research reports, articles, podcasts, and videos on topics such as digital transformation, innovation, leadership, diversity, and sustainability. Deloitte also features its own experts and external influencers as guest contributors.
Salesforce
Salesforce produces engaging content that showcases its products, customers, partners, and culture. Salesforce also runs several online communities and events for different audiences, such as Trailhead for developers, Dreamforce for users, and Equality for all for social impact.
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that provides funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs. Y Combinator also creates content that educates and inspires founders, such as blogs, podcasts, videos, newsletters, and interviews with successful alumni.
These are just some of the examples of B2B content marketing that demonstrate how to create value for the audience and build trust and loyalty. B2B content marketing is not only about promoting products or services but also about providing solutions, insights, and stories that resonate with the audience.
FREQUENTLY QUESTIONS
Q1: What is B2B content marketing?
A: B2B content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to a clearly defined audience of business buyers, with the goal of influencing their purchase decisions.
Q2: What are the benefits of B2B content marketing?
A: The benefits of B2B content marketing are numerous, such as increasing brand awareness, educating prospects, establishing credibility, nurturing relationships, generating leads, boosting traffic, reducing costs, and increasing ROI.
Q3: What are the types of B2B content marketing?
A: B2B content marketing can take many forms, such as blog posts, ebooks, white papers, case studies, webinars, podcasts, videos, infographics, and more.
Q4: How do you create effective B2B content marketing?
A: To create effective B2B content marketing, you need to understand your target audience, their pain points, challenges, goals, and preferences. You also need to plan, create, distribute, and measure your content strategically. And most importantly, you need to create content that is relevant, engaging, useful, and persuasive.
Q5: What are some examples of B2B content marketing?
A: Some examples of B2B content marketing are HubSpot’s The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Trends in 2020, Shopify’s How to Start an Online Store in 2020, Slack’s How Work Happens, Mailchimp’s The Small Business Guide to Marketing on a Budget, Salesforce’s State of Sales Report, Canva’s Design School, and Buffer’s The Science of Social Media.
References:
https://www.infosys.com/about/knowledge-institute/insights/Documents/future-customer-engagement.pdf
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/B2B2C-business-to-business-to-consumer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-640-89316-4
https://archive.org/details/ecommerceformula00plan/page/26
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-81-203-5154-7
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/b2b-content-marketing-examples
https://www.contentgrip.com/b2b-content-marketing-examples/
https://www.semrush.com/blog/b2b-content-marketing/
https://backlinko.com/hub/content/b2b
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