Content Strategy for Btob Companies

B2B marketing at a turning point:

Finding new direction through strategic content planning

”District heating is a good example. Finnish district heating expertise is second to none internationally. Unfortunately no-one is real-

ly aware of this.”

Quote from Aamulehti in spring 2012

http://twitter.com/ContentStrateg1

The authors:

Kati KeronenKati Keronen is an expert on online content. Her passion is helping Finnish

organizations develop their online content in order to make it more customer-

focused, engaging and influencing. Kati has worked with online content and

Internet marketing throughout her career, in the higher education sector, industry

and as a content consultant in online projects by public sector entities. She holds

a Master’s Degree in Communications, specializing in Technical Communication,

Organizational Communication and International Marketing. Kati also has exten-

sive pedagogical expertise and works as a trainer and mentor for various organi-

zations on the effective use of online content and social media.

Katri Tanni

Katri Tanni, Ph.D., is a teacher, lecturer and marketing entrepreneur. In 2007 Tan-

ni started Differo Oy, a company specialized in brand building, online visibility,

online success and social media. In recent years, through various branding work,

marketing strategies and social media activities, Tanni has become increasingly

interested in online presence and how companies can develop themselves into

interesting, approachable and differentiated online operators. With extensive

experience in editorial work, Tanni’s strengths include the creation of content and

interesting messages.

Katri [email protected]

Kati [email protected]

B2B marketing at a turning point: Finding new direction through strategic content planningKatri Tanni & Kati Keronen

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Abstract

Finland is home to world-class expertise in biomedicine, technology and machine building, to mention

but a few fields. Despite this high-level knowhow, very few Finnish corporations in the industrial and

service sectors use the Internet in their marketing at a level that is commensurate with their level of

expertise. Customer focus and a proactive approach to managing customer relationships are key values

for many successful companies, but few of them are able to implement these values in their online pres-

ence. Online, customers are often left to their own devices. The statistics are painfully clear: for many

B2B companies, the most frequently visited web pages are the home page and the contact page, with

bounce rates generally over 50%. These figures suggest that visitors use websites as telephone direc-

tories and that advertising placed on the home page is unproductive. Sales personnel do not perceive

websites as providing support for sales or the generation of new leads. Customers who seek expertise

and information on industry trends through Internet search engines tend to find a large number of

foreign service providers, but only few Finnish businesses. Industrial corporations are quickly revamping

their strategies to develop from component manufacturers into highly skilled service and expert busi-

nesses, but they rarely see the Internet as playing a significant role in these changes. Finland is currently

lacking in effective models for the online marketing of the high level of expertise that B2B companies

have. Strategically planned content plays a key role in this process, for it is content that is consumed

online and used for exercising influence on the Internet.

B2B marketing at a turning point:

Finding new direction through strategic content planning

B2B marketing at a turning point: Finding new direction through strategic content planning

Katri Tanni & Kati Keronen4

Changes in marketing can be traced to a shift in online behavior

Significant changes have taken place in the way people use the Internet, both professionally and during

their free time. We no longer surf the net by entering the URL for a company’s website in the browser’s

address bar and taking several minutes to find the information we need. Direct links to frequently used

services and websites tend to be bookmarked on various devices and social media channels. We sub-

scribe to interesting work-related information in the form of various feeds delivered by e-mail, and tips

on interesting content can also be received through professional networks. In our free time, we ask for

information and advice online from friends and people who share our hobbies and interests.

If these resources fail to provide the information we are looking for, we use search engines for highly

specific and detailed searches. We don’t simply search for shoes online, but rather the exact shoes that

a favorite television personality might have worn in a magazine photo. We constantly evaluate search

results and make choices based on the short descriptions shown on the display, mercilessly rejecting

the results that appear irrelevant. If a newsletter we have subscribed to turns out to be useless, we

unsubscribe – even if we have a long customer relationship with the company that sends it out. Even if

we don’t unsubscribe, we may ignore the e-mail newsletter based on its subject line alone. Our time is

precious and we don’t want to waste it. We have an increasingly critical attitude towards the mass of

information coming at us on a daily basis and we don’t get excited by content that is obvious to us.

IMAGE 1. Changes in the Internet and online behavior from the perspective of B2B companies.

Changes in online content and online behavior from the perspective of B2B companies

2020s

2010s

2000s

from browser to content producer

On-demand services

personalized online services

Importance of web tools

influencers and early adopters

B2B services online

SMO social media optimization

SEO

blogs

content marketing

social buying

content strategy

online servicessocial media

the arrival of Google

blogs publishing platforms

online shops websites

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From the perspective of marketing, these changes in customer behavior must be taken seriously. The

behavioral patterns described above are already a reality, and the speed of these changes will only con-

tinue to accelerate. Despite this, changes in how online content is produced have been relatively slow,

particularly in the case of B2B companies.

The illustration below (Image 1) outlines the changes in online behavior that have taken place thus far

in the 21st century, along with future trends. Changes in terminology are also indicative of the changes

that have taken place: instead of simply talking about websites or home pages, people now talk about

online services, web forums, social media, social consumption and social buying. This suggests a shift

in which customers, rather than being satisfied with simply being presented content to browse, now

demand service and interactivity. Both of these can be produced online through good content.

How do we respond to this challenge? By producing even more content? In our view, the answer –

particularly in the B2B sector – is not increasing the volume of content, but rather reducing content and

targeting it more precisely. Up to 80% of the content of online forums is largely insignificant in terms of

supporting a company’s business objectives. A company that wants to be the best possible partner for,

and an advisor to, its customers is a company that aims to be genuinely customer-focused and solu-

tions-oriented. Effective online content is built on these values. In the following chapter we describe the

keys to implementing this change in marketing.

Responding to change through strategic content planning

Strategic content planning is based on the company’s strategy and core competences. When a com-

pany revamps its strategy to become a service organization instead of a pure manufacturer, the focus

of marketing must simultaneously shift from product-oriented marketing to customer-focused expert

marketing, in other words the marketing of expertise and knowhow. The focal point in the marketing

of expertise can be determined by identifying the customers’ information needs. Strategic content

planning (referred to as content strategy from this point on) offers effective tools for the marketing of

expertise, brand building and the management and development of customer relationships.

This new perspective on marketing does not simply mean that companies should produce more online

content. There is already an excessive amount of content online and the majority of it is quite trivial.

A company that succeeds in using content for differentiation and getting customers hooked will have

a significant advantage in international competition. The first step in these changes in marketing is to

analyze how the current marketing mix meets customer needs. Only those methods that work should

be retained. Renewal requires the courage to let go of the old.

Content strategy is not only a method for renewal, but also a tool for analyzing the current situation.

In the following chapters we shed light on the fundamentals of creating an effective online content

strategy that supports both new customer acquisition and the management of existing customer

relationships. The focus is on the customer-focused and goal-oriented use of content to highlight what



the company is truly capable of, and the level of expertise it offers – not only with regard to its own

products, but also the day-to-day operations of its customers, changes in their industries and future

challenges. In other words, content strategy can produce genuine added value for customers.

The changes in online marketing are based on four ideas that are both new and old at the same time.

We present these four ideas below. A more detailed treatment of the subject matter will follow in our

book on content strategy, which will be published in autumn 2012.

Targeting based on information needs

Target-audience thinking is a familiar concept to all marketers and business executives. However,

changes on online behavior are resulting in new requirements for targeting. In the context of the

marketing of expertise, the most important of these requirements is identifying information needs and

responding to them through online content.

As stated above, customers today demand quality content and their information searching behavior has

been refined towards increasingly specific online searches to find the relevant information as quickly as

possible. Customers must therefore be directly taken to the relevant content. From the perspective of

designing online forums, the first change is shifting the focus from home page design to designing the

content that comes after the home page. Professional networks and Google are increasingly function-

ing as the front pages through which specific content on a company website is accessed.

Targeting based on information needs begins with two questions: ”in what aspects are we superior to

our competitors?” and ”what do our customers need in order to respond to future challenges?” These

questions lead to concrete themes that serve as the foundation for building the content strategy. In

other words, targeting content is more complicated than simply stating ”our customers are leading

businesses in process technology” on the front page of an online forum. Genuine targeting calls for the

generation of content that is relevant to the day-to-day operations of such customers. The marketing of

expertise underscores the fact that the company knows the day-to-day operations of its customers and

is therefore able to offer superior understanding and opportunities compared to its rivals.

This type of content includes interpretations of industry trends, the publication of research data, expert

lectures and presentations online (webinars) and various tests. The goal of these types of content is to

create ideas in the reader’s mind and generate opportunities for partnership, rather than passively com-

municating “we’ll be over here with these products and services, give us a call if you think we can help”.

Planning customer behavior online and inviting action

Rather than describing the company’s own operations, content strategy focuses on attracting custom-

ers to the online forum (see the previous section on targeting) and influencing how customers act once


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they are there. For this reason, content strategy requires not only the creation of interesting content

that attracts customers to the forum, but also ways for customers to be guided in the marketer’s de-

sired direction on the forum.

Online forums shouldn’t be seen as passive channels for ”discovery”, as B2B customers do not use the

Internet to surf for fun. The process can be compared to supermarket design: a supermarket customer

ends up at the check-out through one of several possible routes, each strategically designed with new

products, free samples and special offers. Online customers should be similarly guided towards making

a purchase decision, searching for further information, spreading positive online word-of-mouth on your

behalf, or perhaps subscribing to a newsletter. Customers need information to support their decisions

and develop their operations. Companies that can offer this type of information are seen as interesting

future partners.

The problem is that online activities and operations are currently being planned from the wrong per-

spective. Today’s online strategies are largely focused on who produces content, at what frequency and

through which channels. Failing to consider what customers should do online to fulfill the company’s

objectives leads to content being disjointed and relying on random coincidences and chance events to

guide customers from content such as published research to the company’s services and offers to have

sales representatives visit the customer for a consultation. Without clear objectives on the part of the

content provider, customers will not have transparent and meaningful content paths that invite them to

take action. Instead, positive research data published in an online forum may lead to the customer do-

ing a web search based on the results of the research and – in the worst case scenario – ending up on a

competitor’s website.

Online content paths must be derived from the company’s strategy. This means that there is no single

magic formula for what content produces the best results. For companies whose main priority is in-

creasing the depth of current customer relationships rather than acquiring new customers, improving

customer service is the primary online objective. Companies that are actively seeking new customers,

on the other hand, often find that visitors who try a service or product are more easily converted into

customers. Companies whose goals include internationalization may focus on finding partners in their

target markets. Goal-oriented and transparent content that guides customers online is a tool for achiev-

ing these types of objectives online, which in turn helps the company realize its business goals.

Our upcoming book will feature an exercise for visualizing customer behavior online in order to link it

with the objectives and activities of the online content provider. We call this exercise ”the content path”

and our past workshops have indicated that it opens up an entirely new perspective to the planning of

online content.



Strategic multi-channel management

Content strategy also incorporates channel thinking, but only after the company’s core competences

have been linked to the customers’ information needs and ideas on meaningful online operating meth-

ods have been developed. Today, a multi-channel approach too often involves simply sharing the same

content across all of the company’s online channels in the hope that key audiences will receive the mes-

sages through one channel or another.

When planning a multi-channel approach, it is important to remember that every channel has its own

audience with different values and ways of operating. For example, an advertisement in the form of an

expert comment posted on LinkedIn expert groups is likely to only result in dissatisfied silence, while a

deep discussion on values posted on Facebook is unlikely to garner many ”likes”. Once the company

knows what content it is offering and how it wants its customers to act, it must determine whether one

of the existing channels suits the selected strategy. Companies that use channels as the basis for plan-

ning a content strategy are doing things the wrong way around.

There must be a strategic objective for the channels used, and the content produced must support the

achievement of that objective. Some general examples: the objective behind using certain channels is

to arouse media interest (Twitter/Facebook), some channels are used to attract international attention

(Twitter/Webinars/Slideshare/YouTube), other channels are used for more in-depth customer service

(expert articles, starting or participating in discussions as an expert on various industry-specific online

forums and seminars/LinkedIn/YouTube) and others are used to get customers hooked (expert blogs,

newsletters, customer portals, YouTube).

Regardless of which channels are used, the objectives set for them and the quality of the content

published through them must either guide the audience to other channels or provide them with a more

in-depth understanding of the company’s expertise.

Influencers

Word of mouth and recommendations from satisfied customers have always served as engines for

natural demand for organizations that are able to keep their promises. This fundamental fact has not

changed, but the opportunities provided by the Internet for increasing the visibility of such influencers

can magnify the reverberation of word of mouth and keep sales departments busy. This does not simply

mean positive statements by reference customers on a website or in social media, although they can

also be valuable.

Influencers are people and organizations whose opinions are perceived as interesting by current and

potential customers and who are trusted either within a company or as part of their customer or stake-

holder groups. Sometimes there are influencers within companies in places where you least expect


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to find them. Such hidden gems may come in the form of key account managers, but also technical

writers or mechanics designers, in other words people who are rarely involved in direct interaction with

customers. Outside the organization, the right influencer could be an ordinary customer whose insight

and expertise combined with the way he or she uses the services provided by the company has reached

unexpected proportions. Such innovative and insightful customers should be given the opportunity to

highlight their experiences and views, for instance as guest bloggers or as ”guests of the month” in

webinars.

Inspiring personalities attract interest and the audience is happy to read or listen to their stories. Ex-

pressed as personal views and opinions, they often hit home with customers who can easily relate them

to their day-to-day operations. In the best case, they can produce ideas that make the customer contact

a sales manager: “We want the kind of solution presented in your recent webinar. Could you visit us to

see how this approach might be applied in our case?”

Using influencers can be a challenging thing for marketing departments, or brands in general, to do.

It requires the ability to let go. When influencers are used, part of the content provided is no longer

produced by communication and marketing professionals. Instead, it takes the form of realistic and

practical stories of positive and negative experiences. Companies must realize that they are involved in

the publishing business, whether they like it or not. In our view, influencers serve an important purpose

in bringing the marketing message to the level where it should always be: communication from one

person to another. Why has this extremely important aspect been buried under fancy appearances and

technologies along the way?

Who needs content strategy?

This article has briefly described why those who market expertise and knowhow should focus on pro-

ducing influential and high-quality content online. We have also touched on what characterizes effective

and engaging content. Every company whose primary asset is expertise needs a content strategy in

order to create a system that produces and maintains the right type of content.

We have developed four models of content strategy thinking that help make content-oriented market-

ing better respond to the needs of both customers and the company that provides the content. These

concrete models and instructions will be available in our book on content strategy, which will be pub-

lished in late 2012.

If you want to learn more about content strategy, please read http://twitter.com/ContentStrateg1.



“Content strategy applies to every medium, platform, and device. As evolving technology continues to throw us one curve ball after the next, keeping a handle on our content—no matter where it is and who it’s for—has become more critical than ever.”

Kristina Halvorson, Brain Traffic Blog, 5 March 2012http://blog.braintraffic.com/

“Social media starts with a Content Strategy”

Joe Pulizzi, bloghttp://blog.junta42.com/2009/09/social-media-starts-with-a-content-strategy/

“Content strategy is planning for every aspect of content to get results. That goes far beyond writing the copy.”

Colleen Joneshttp://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/04/12/make-your-content-make-a-difference/

Interested in content strategy?

We are not alone in promoting the importance of content strategy. The following thought-provoking

articles are a good start:


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Content Strategy for Btob Companies

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