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What are the best brands doing to stay relevant, build trust, and create content smarter?
At Share Your Genius, we have the same questions, so we're tapping the best in the space for their answers—one voicemail at a time.
Join us each week for quick hits of insights from b2b marketers and leaders.
[00:00:09] Amanda Smith: In B2B marketing, it's easy to focus on flashy campaigns, things that really sparkle and pop. But the real secret to success with these marketing campaigns, you know, I'm gonna say it. It’s trust. Jeff Coyle. He's the head of strategy at Siteimprove, and he really knows about this firsthand. So for Jeff, trust is built through a deep understanding of the customer at every stage of their journey, consistently delivering value along the way. So whether it's content that speaks to their challenges or knowledge that guides them through their buying process.
[00:00:47] To him, trust is built one meaningful interaction at a time. So, you know, I asked Jeff, how can content help build trust for brands? Because I was very, very curious what he would have to say.
[00:01:10] Jeff Coyle: Hi Amanda. Regarding B2B scaling. So companies scaling for B2B, it all connects to their customers and they have to illustrate that they understand their customers, they understand the buying process, and they also need to represent themselves as experts. So that customersthat do purchase feel like they care about them.
[00:01:33] And how do they care about them? One core way is through the content that they can access, whether it's on their website, whether that's in a knowledge base, whether that's in communications from a customer success professional, whether it's via SaaS, whether I'm buying large machine equipment, or otherwise. If I'm looking at a manual, if I'm reading a guide to troubleshoot, right? So the journey in the funnel are complex. They're different for every industry. It's not always awareness, consideration, purchase, post-purchase, troubleshooting, and customer development. If you're in education, it could be related to attending that first day of class, could be part of your funnel.
[00:02:15] Well, that doesn't fit into care, consider, choose for B2B technology. So your content needs to not drop off. It's not only marketing, it's also customer focus, and it's also knowledge based. It's also installation. It's also maintenance. It's anything that goes from the top of the funnel. Someone doesn't even know that they need you, nor might they know your brand.
[00:02:40] It's really easy in something like pharmaceutical B2B where it's healthcare professionals, it's non-branded, and then it's branded content. You separate them. You have to separate them in different sites, for legality, But when it's that crystal clear, you gotta make sure that you're following through.
[00:02:56] It's not a one page and done. You are telling the story that you understand the customer, you understand specifically what they're going through in deciding whether they are aware of their need. They're deciding on your brand. They're deciding you actually show them that you know them with the content you create. So if that content's written by somebody who does not understand that process, and they're phoning in that expertise, it's gonna show through and then during that journey, at some point the laser is gonna go off in their brain. They're gonna say, "You are not the expert. I don't trust you." Or, "Oh yeah, wow. That's a nuance. This is over my head. I really need them." Or, "Oh wow, that aligns. I went through that experience too. I had that challenge too. I'm going through this with you." So you're part of that process. So you build trust, the more times your brand gets associated with that understanding moment. If you're selling to big teams that may require content for each persona, that may require content, and this is where B2B struggles, right? Because you're selling to buyers. You're installing with users, you need a lot of content for the users. You need a lot of content so that the user that's part of that buying team can trust you. Might that mean that you should define a content item that illustrates how to build an RFP for your particular category? Maybe, right? Because the CFO's going in there and going, "It's a big purchase. You know, what do I do?" If you're selling to higher education. If you're selling to government, might that mean that you wanna show how hard it is to procure products in that space, right? Are you selling to somebody? Maybe you're selling large machinery? And most of the time this is a retrofit or a repurchase. You should show that you understand what they're going through when they're making a decision whether to repair or buy. So no matter what it is, you can illustrate, you understand the buyer journey, and you are an expert through your content. And the companies that understand this and live it and show that expertise, put themselves in a position to scale with their marketing campaigns. During that call, the sales rep, if there is one, or during that buyer experience, they're going to go to your website. They're going to go to other websites that represent your brand. Maybe it's an aggregator or a comparison solution, or a clearinghouse, whatever the case may be. If it's a price sensitive dynamic, that content needs to be consistent, that needs to inspire confidence, and it needs to illustrate expertise and potentially even illustrate experience by the writer. Thanks.
[00:05:33] Amanda Smith: Thank you for listening. Want your podcast to do more? Subscribe to Genius Cuts because it's never just a podcast.