Engagement Vs. Usefulness? The Content Marketing Conflict

What’s more important, content marketing engagement or target audience usefulness?

The digital world can be a noisy one with everyone competing to be heard. What will make you stand out takes a bit of time to develop and understand. With B2B content, you’re looking at a model that aims to inform and engage at the same time.

It is also a playing field where your communication should synch with the understanding of customer behavior. Creating content that serves your goals while putting the end user is crucial to your success in the B2B world.

Recognize Need for Better Content Marketing Engagement

The key to creating what customers will buy is recognizing a need and stating clearly how you’re going to fulfill that need. With that in mind, you’re able to align your marketing efforts to those businesses that are in rhythm with your end goal.

Blogging has become a powerhouse for B2B marketing in terms of generating buzz and delivering compelling and engaging content when the buyer needs it. Again, it’s all about that end buyer. When you create content, think about the benefits you are providing and the needs you are fulfilling. Start with that and your results will be increased sales, profits and traffic. Business blogging with a purpose is the vehicle to take you to your goals.

Ask yourself: are you doing it efficiently and effectively?

Audience Need Vs. Content Marketing Engagement

Forbes referenced the synchronized nature of need versus engagement: “Does it speak to them when they’re just beginning their research, or later when comparing competitor features, or finally when coming to a buying decision together with their colleagues?”

Buyers can alter their shopping habits, researching products and services when and where they want. This is a great opportunity to utilize the most unused resource: B2B marketing, and blogging. Unlike push marketing – inbound marketing doesn’t interrupt you.

Seth Godin calls this content marketing engagement technique “permission marketing.” It’s online marketing that isn’t intrusive. Instead, information or content marketing is there when you need it – providing you with the information you’re searching for online.

Godin goes on to say:

“permission marketers understand that when someone chooses to pay attention they are actually paying you with something precious. And there’s no way they can get their attention back if they change their mind. Attention becomes an important asset, something to be valued, not wasted”.

Find Effective Solutions

Online marketing is impacted by necessity meeting solution. The better that information is presented, the more likely you are to buy into. Creating a space where buyers are given an opportunity for a two-way communication is crucial.  Since B2B purchase decisions take more time (depending on how many stakeholders are involved) than B2C, B2B marketing is a feedback channel that gives the buyer a voice.

Ultimately, there’s a demand for different information for different audiences. The blogsphere is a great place to meet that demand:

• It’s an engaging space.
• It builds connections with your prospects.
• The content opens a door to meaningful interactions.

You get a chance to provide relevant information while developing a relationship that prevents, or mitigates, a problem in real-time. You have a chance to be easily accessible when it comes to addressing customer issues, need and concerns. This can only be done by going back to understanding customer behavior and listening to your prospects.

Staying consistent is another part of getting people to come back to the online marketing content that you put out there. Information that understands customer behavior is aware that humans like to be engaged in information that fulfills a need. It may not be in the immediate moment but, B2B clients know the importance of forming relationships with those who prove to be consistent in their marketing efforts.

Check this out: Infographic: Traditional Advertising VS Content Marketing

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: Shutterstock

Author Bio: John Braithwaite is a father, husband and entrepreneur. He writes on behalf of Ergo Digital, a firm offering online marketing services in Reading, UK and beyond.