Looking for great B2B marketing examples? In this blog post, we’re sharing 12. We’ll cover some of the best content examples we’ve come across to give you inspiration for your own, and include context for why you should consider including these content formats in your strategy.
Content marketing’s been around for a while now and that means the landscape is evolving. In his presentation at the Traffic and Conversion Summit this year, CEO of DigitalMarketer, Ryan Deiss, introduced the idea that we have now entered into the 5th phase of digital marketing.
What is the 5th phase?
It’s categorized as the innovation phase.
It’s where brands can either create innovative marketing ideas or watch their competitors take the lead.
Source: facebook.com
And innovative brands have taken charge. Content Marketing Institute reports that 90% of top-performing B2B content marketers have begun prioritizing the information needs of their audience above the focus on driving higher conversions faster.
This shows that content marketing is still very much alive, but also evolving from checking off content production tasks on a list and hoping to generate leads and sales.
So, which content types are ideal and should be included in your content mix?
Here’s our list of 12 of B2B marketing examples that we found powerful.
12 Effective B2B Marketing Examples:
Video
Videos have officially become the content format that more B2B marketers are focusing on today. Research shows that marketers produced more video last year to their strengthen competitive advantages.
Image: Content Marketing Institute
And this isn’t just about what the competition is doing either. While blogging is still a top content format that people use to gather information and arrive at informed decisions, 82% of consumers would rather watch a video than read a blog post.
So, what kind of video should you be creating?
It all depends on what your funnel needs most now.
If you find that your YouTube channel isn’t generating enough traffic, you have a brand awareness problem.
Focus on producing more awareness videos about challenges your audience face. Use longtail keywords and go broad. This approach will help generate more views for your content and channel, and can lead to more subscribers.
Once you’ve built a large enough subscriber base, then focus on middle-of-funnel and bottom-of-funnel content.
For example, almost everyone knows HubSpot. To create awareness for their ideal customers, they produce a video that defines what inbound marketing is.
Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vki1C05sQV4
This video is ideal for anyone who’s heard of the concept of inbound but isn’t sure what it is or how to apply it within their business.
Webinars
Webinars are the perfect B2B marketing tool for selling high-ticket solutions. For example, Neil Patel offers access to his digital marketing course for around the $1000 mark.
And while it may appear to be impossible for anyone to commit the offer after around 40 minutes, Neil converts as much as 22% of his attendees.
Salesforce does a great job of creating various ways for prospects to engage their brand. They constantly offer webinars on a range of topics, ensuring that anyone who’s in the market for their solution can access in-depth insights (with the possibility of becoming a customer).
Image: Salesforce
Infographics
Infographics make for highly effective storytelling tools. Research shows that 40.2% of marketers mentioned infographics among the top-performing types of content they produced in 2018.
Using the right design elements, they help brands communicate often complex subject matter in easy-to-quantify stats and figures for target audiences.
In the example below, Forbes and Samsung unpack four of the top trends shaping virtual reality experiences. Their infographic is both beautifully designed and packed with valuable insights and stats that tell a compelling story about the role of VR today.
Image: Forbes
Podcast
There was a time when podcasts seemed out of reach for many brands. But that day ended a long time ago. Today, they are a quintessential component of creating a truly omnipresent brand.
DigitalMarketer has committed to podcasting in a big way with the launch of two podcasts. Perpetual Traffic is all about generating traffic to help power your business’s growth. To date, it’s produced over 200 episodes and enjoys a 4.8 rating from over 630 listeners on iTunes.
After the success of Perpetual Traffic, DigitalMarketer launched DigitalMarketer Podcast, a weekly show dedicated to exploring the world of digital marketing. With 69 episodes produced, it holds a 4.9 rating from over 132 listeners on iTunes.
Image: DigitalMarketer
Blogging
Blogging is still one of the easiest and more convenient ways to start making an impact with content.
It’s also cheaper than getting an infographic designed professionally, or producing videos. But don’t let the ease of blogging lead to poor quality blog posts.
Search engines want to share the very best content with their users, and that means high-quality, useful blog posts that answer questions.
In Backlinko’s example below, Brian Dean pulls back the curtain on a topic that many marketers and SEOs wonder about: how to make their site mobile friendly.
This blog post is so effective that it’s generated over 400 comments!
Image: Backlinko
Slide Decks and Presentations
Slide decks aren’t mentioned all too much in content marketing, but they are a great way to generate brand awareness. In the example below, Jean-Baptiste Dumont’s presentation has received over 960,000 views.
What makes his presentation so interesting?
It covers a topic that is still largely unknown by many. In it, Dumont shares findings of a study (information not easily accessible publicly), giving readers true value.
Image: Slideshare
White Papers
White papers are seen by many as one of the very first forms of content. They are instrumental in helping decision panels identify the best course of action and make informed purchase decisions.
And they are appreciated by prospects, too. Research shows that 61% of professionals share whitepapers with colleagues.
But to ensure that your white paper is seen as valuable, you’ll need to create a strong case for it.
Mobile Payments Today identifies a very real and present issue that the financial services and insurance industries face today in their landing page headline copy.
They follow up by further explaining how the issue of customer service challenges influence businesses.
It’s clear to any professional from either industry that this is a white paper worth downloading, especially if they want to establish operational excellence.
Image: Mobile Payments Today
Ebooks
E-books, like white papers, are must-haves for B2B prospects. In fact, research shows that 62% of buyers view them as crucial for early, mid and late stages of the buying process. They are educational and do a great deal to bridge the knowledge gap buyers have when trying to find the right solution.
And like white papers, yours must be compelling.
In CoShedule’s example below, they’ve upped the ante by making an offer that includes a free ebook and a content calendar template. If you’ve been looking for ways to develop an effective social media strategy, this offer is sure to catch your attention.
Image: CoSchedule
Case Studies & Testimonials
As more content makes its way to the web, buyers have been less excited by claims brands make. Customers want to see more data and research from vendors to validate claims.
This sentiment has also lead to content formats like case studies and testimonials gaining more prominence. As a form of social proof, people are more inclined to believe what industry participants and connections say about brands.
What’s more, 79% of buyers prefer case studies as a content format for the above reasons.
While case studies are favored, they need to be strong and convincing.
It’s not enough to introduce a customer and share results.
You’ve got to paint a very clear picture of a challenge, how it hurt the client, how your solution helped, and what results your client enjoyed.
In this example from Vero, you get a first-hand look at how they made a positive impact on CrazyMonkey’s business.
Image: Vero
Image: Vero
Email Marketing
Here’s a stat that will make you gasp..
Email click-through rates are 47% higher for B2B email campaigns.
It’s also a crucial channel for B2B marketers. 93% of marketers use email to distribute content.
Email can be used at any stage of the content marketing funnel and beyond. For instance, Asana shows that onboarding can be carried out using beautifully designed emails.
Image: Really Good Emails
Social Media Posts
There’s no getting around it. Social media is where all brands need to be. But to make your brand stand out in busy buyer feeds, you’ll have to come up with creative post ideas like this one from Cisco.
It’s one of the smarter posts we’ve seen in a while, and with 1,941 likes, it’s clearly a favourite with their audience.
Image: Cisco
Website pages
Comparison pages may not be the first type of web page you think of when it comes to your website. But they can be highly effective, especially because people are always on the lookout for the best solutions out there.
For example, Ubersuggest shows that there are 2,400 monthly searches for the term “freshbooks vs quickbooks” in the US alone. It makes sense that creating a dedicated sales page would help convert more buyers.
So, FreshBooks put together a comparison page with strong messaging and a clear call to action.
Image: FreshBooks
Conclusion
While there are tons of other great examples available, these show that creating strong and compelling content is possible. Content marketing is all about finding unique ways to engage with your audience. As illustrated with these B2B marketing examples, by thinking outside the box, you’ll be able to create content that your audience will respond to favorably and position your brand more competitively.
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