Organisations use content to attract new customers, drive loyalty, and encourage repeat business. But for many managed IT service providers (MSPs), it can seem like an intimidating task.
However, creating content that appeals to prospective customers is not as complicated as it sounds. With an effective content marketing strategy, your MSP can develop valuable, helpful, and engaging content that will resonate with readers and convert them into promising leads.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing covers creating, distributing, and promoting high-quality content to your target audience. It helps you nurture a positive image, drive traffic to your site, and cement your status and expertise within your industry.
Content takes the form of numerous formats. These include:
- Blog posts – written text published on a website’s blog.
- Infographics – visual representations of information.
- Case studies – written text detailing a company’s past actions concerning its services and products.
- eBooks – electronic books covering a topic.
- Whitepapers – reports that leverage evidence to showcase particular solutions and services.
- Videos – visual mediums that combine images with audio and text to engage viewers.
Business-to-business (B2B) marketers have long seen the value that content marketing provides organisations, particularly technology companies, whose services are not accessible to the everyday person. According to research conducted by Semrush, 97% of content marketers use content marketing within their marketing campaigns.
In advertising, increasing brand awareness is the name of the game. With an effective content marketing plan in place, managed IT service providers can narrow down the intended audience of their ad campaigns and target the people they know will enter their company’s sales funnel.
Is social media marketing and content marketing the same practice?
On the surface, social media and content marketing appear the same. However, there is a difference that should be made clear.
Content marketing is often the root of digital marketers’ campaigns. Content is carefully crafted to appeal to your customer’s needs and takes readers on a journey from your website’s home page and through individual landing pages, educating them on the value of your services.
Social media marketing involves promoting a brand, products, or services through social media platforms. This form of marketing is more personable than content marketing and is used to expand the reach of content through engagement and interactions.
Do B2B lead generation strategies need content marketing?
When advertising to prospective leads, remember that your audience has heard and seen it all. Most managed IT service providers offer the same products and services, with the only differences being the name of the business and website design. There are many ways MSPs can fail in their marketing efforts, and ignoring informative content is detrimental to your business’s lead generation process.
Content marketing is your business talking the talk and walking the walk to prove that your team is trustworthy and qualified to solve problems. Prospective leads are actively curious about your services, and you have to prove you are reliable and skilled.
5 tips for creating worthwhile content for B2B lead generation
The sales funnel is fickle in all industries. But with an estimated 130,000 MSPs worldwide and technology continuously breaking down geographic boundaries, it has never been more critical for managed IT service providers to market to the people they know will be receptive to their efforts.
When creating your content, keep these 5 tips in mind:
1. Originality is king
Consider the services your MSP provides. There may be unified communications, managed services, IT support, etc. There are millions of articles on the internet covering those topics.
When creating content for your B2B lead generation campaign, you should find new ways of approaching familiar topics. This could be as simple as addressing services or products from new angles or offering advice your competitors may not be willing to divulge.
2. Prioritise your B2B leads
Content marketing is about understanding your audience – who you target with your content. Developing a buyer persona and researching your customer can help make your content more relevant.
Write your content in a way that is free of jargon, is engaging to read, and is accessible on multiple devices. This will help you connect with readers, introduce your industry, and make your content accessible.
3. Adhere to search engine optimisation (SEO)
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of increasing the visibility of a website or online resource in search engines. In content marketing, SEO is the art and science of crafting content that is rich in keywords and is helpful and exciting for readers.
By choosing the right keywords and crafting content appropriate for your B2B leads, you increase the likelihood of your content being seen by its intended audience when they need it the most.
4. Include a comments section
Comments on your website’s blog can help your site rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Comments show search engines that people find your content valuable and worthy of their engagement.
Your website can help you communicate with B2B leads and potential customers within a controlled environment by encouraging them to ask questions, provide feedback, and engage with your brand.
5. Always include a call-to-action (CTA)
CTAs are prompts that invite readers to take action to complete a goal. They should be easy to understand, visible on the screen, and satisfy the reader’s needs.
Content marketing services tailored to MSPs and IT
MSP owners are busy people, and IT content marketing is not something thrown together last minute. It requires time and the expertise to keep an ear to the ground that IT companies walk on.
Operating exclusively within the IT industry, LeftLeads’ team of advertising and content experts offers a wide range of content marketing services and solutions for managed IT service providers across the world. If you are having trouble identifying your customers’ decision makers, your sales process, or are unsure of how to craft content that will push your lead’s purchasing decision in your favour, contact LeftLeads today.
