Pretend I’m a B2B customer. I want something your business provides – financial software, a new machine for my manufacturing plant, a chemical additive for some paint I’m mixing up – but I don’t know where to start. I also don’t feel like talking to a human being just yet.

Where does that leave you, a human being who works in B2B marketing or sales? Do you beg for attention? Stress-eat cookies? Or let content do the upfront work for you, leaving you free to chase warmer leads?

That last one sounds pretty nice. B2B content does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to support both marketing and sales, and that supporting role is becoming even more important in 2021, as we wait for facetime with customers to become a viable reality.

So, let’s talk about content and how it helps you do your job.

People are tired of chatting

The past year has been taxing in many ways, but one thing many people have quickly come to dislike is constant video calls. Zoom fatigue is real, and it often extends to voice calls too.

According to research by Trew Marketing, engineers prefer to find information online before talking to someone, and more than 50% of the buyer’s journey happens online.

Another study by Salesforce shows how important digital channels have become to marketers in general. Survey respondents said websites were their most-used channel at 87%, followed by social media publishing and advertising at 82% and email at 80%.

That’s where content comes in: it gives people the opportunity to access information in a quick, no-commitment way. Providing strong content also makes a good first impression on those potential buyers.

Make information easy to access

B2B buyers love datasheets and diagrams – basically any technical information that helps them understand how your product fits into their process.

When that information is readily available on your website, users can quickly make the calculations to see if you have what they need.

This may come in the form of PDFs in a “Resources” area on your website. That’s a common example, but you could also crank your technology game up to 11 with something like a 3D product viewer. We helped one of our clients turn a 3D render of their equipment into a clickable interactive.

Answer their questions up-front

Your product or service might be complicated, even to an audience of engineers and scientists – that’s the nature of B2B. Naturally, inquiries come with a lot of questions.

Imagine if your website could field many of those questions. Visitors could click through a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) for a quick glance at the answers they need. If they’re looking for something more in-depth, a blog or how-to video can help them troubleshoot issues, follow a mechanical process or understand a key concept, among other examples.

Show, don’t tell

You can explain the benefits of your product until you’re blue in the face, but sometimes customers would rather see an example of it in action. A well-written case study goes a long way, because it demonstrates how your product (and all its unique features) materially benefited someone’s business in a particular industry.

Videos are another great way to showcase a concept that is difficult to explain in words. Or you could combine writing and visuals with an illustrated scene – that’s something we’ve done with multiple clients, because it makes a big impression for a reasonable budget. In one case we portrayed a scene familiar to our client’s customers, but we added clickable pins explaining how their software integrates into that particular scenario.

Position yourself as the expert

This is where content lets you show off a little. All those blogs, videos and whitepapers establish trust with readers and position you as a specialist in your industry. Some call it thought leadership, but in essence, this approach is all about making a great impression online and warming people up to call or email you. Extra points if you can personalize content for key audiences.

You’re the industry expert, but sometimes it’s tough to convey ideas in a way that is simple and appealing to customers. That’s where a seasoned content writer comes in. We’re trained to distill complex ideas into engaging, creative campaigns that resonate with your readers.

Want to talk about how the writing whizzes at Motum B2B can amplify your expertise – and help your audience find what they need? Fire us an email today.