Lesson #5 – One Size Never Fits All

Posted on October 20, 2022
by Rob Scott

Part of our Content Code blog series

Lesson #5 - One Size Never Fits All

Formatting your content to suit a diverse audience is a crucial component of the content code.

Designing the ideal content is a complicated process these days. If you want to boost your appearance online and expand your brand reach, you need to think about a number of factors, from keywords to technical SEO. So, how do you know when it’s the right time to format your content for the SERPs, or create it to specifically speak to your target customer?

Unfortunately, the competitive SEO landscape often means content ends up being produced for all the wrong reasons. It might speak to Google, but when it come to your customers, your message ends up falling on deaf ears.

To make matters worse, companies spend so much time focusing on SEO, they forget to think about positioning their content properly to reach the right customers. If you want your content schedule to connect with your audience at every stage of their buying journey, you need a new strategy.

Matching Channels and Content: What Goes Where?

Producing effective content means creating pieces which are both optimised for the search engines, and for your customers at different stages in their buying journey. We’ve learned B2B tech buyers tend to consume content about brands and products on at least 10 different channels, and they’re looking for different things in each instance.

Here are the top 10 channels B2B tech vendors look at when learning about brands, and which types of content work best for each, defined by our Editor in Chief David Dungay:

  • Official Website: The official website of your business is where your customer defines who you are, and learns more about your brand mission, vision, and values. This is where you need to showcase your thought leadership, accomplishments, and case studies for social proof. It’s also where you’ll produce content introducing your products and team.
  • News and blog sites: On news and blog sites, buyers are looking for guidance, information, and updates. They want concise, value-driven content related to a specific subject. If you’re writing news, it needs to be short and straight to the point. With blogs, you should be answering the questions most relevant to your audience.
  • Video: Videos are an excellent way to provide visual guidance and insight to your audience. They can be a great way to showcase interviews with experts to increase your credibility, or they can offer a unique way to give your customers step-by-step guidance and help.
  • Email: The email inbox is where you nurture your relationship with your audience. Links to relevant content and blog posts can bring them back to your website, improving SEO, while offers and discounts improve your chances of sales.
  • Social: Buyers use social media to develop relationships with companies, learn more about their day-to-day activities, and seek out customer support. This is where you should be posting relevant, up-to-date content, specific to the guidelines of the channel you use.
  • Chat: Chat is becoming more commonplace among buyers during the consideration stage of the buying journey. It’s a great place for customers to ask questions and get responses quickly, or discuss specific needs with a brand.
  • Community: As the web continues to evolve, communities are growing increasingly commonplace. Community posts can answer common questions about your business, and provide insights into how your company serves its people.
  • Podcasts/Webinars: Often used for insight and education, podcasts and webinars are an opportunity for companies to generate thought leadership and credibility. They’re also a chance for your company to collect valuable lead information.
  • Hybrid events: Replacing the face-to-face interaction of in-person events, hybrid events are where companies go to learn more about companies and their services. Your events should include plenty of exclusive content, interactive experiences, and insights from industry professionals.
  • Paid ads: Paid ads are how you boost your appearance on the search engine by reaching out to a specific audience when they’re most likely to convert. Focus on targeting customers with a high level of purchase intent, and make sure you have the appropriate landing pages to accompany your ads.

Read the next blog in our Content Code series – Lesson #6 – Measure the Right Metrics

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