The Anatomy of a Perfect B2B Persona
by MGB2B
Personas are a key part of any content marketing plan. For the purposes of content creation, a persona is a fictional character who represents a buyer in one of your audience segments. Each piece of content you create should be written for a specific persona. Let’s say you’re a manufacturer with prospects in five different verticals, two of which are defense and medical devices. Each of the five will have a different persona for whom you create content. This is because the content that appeals to your defense prospects is not going to appeal to your medical prospects and vice versa.
The more relevant content you share with the defense guy, the more he’s going to keep coming back for more. Send him something that doesn’t resonate, and you may lose him for good. You might even create different personas for job titles within each vertical (Purchaser, CEO, etc.).
So now you know why you need personas. But do you know exactly how to create a B2B persona?
Here are the Elements that Make Up a Perfect B2B Persona:
The Name. Get creative with it. Give them a personality. No-Nonsense Nancy. Type-A Todd. Decisive Dave.
The Photo. A lot of brands skip this step, but it’s nice to put a face with a name. What does Decisive Dave look like? What does he wear? You’re only using this internally, so feel free to find a picture online and use that. Visualization can help your content team write the appropriate content.
Age, Title, and Type of Company. These are likely demographics you’re already targeting. But no persona should be without them. They are the perfect jumping-off point for the rest of your persona development.
What His/Her Day Is Like At Work. Sitting in front of a computer all day is not what we’re looking for here. You want to have an idea of how they interact with staff, what their short- and long-term goals are, and what they need to help them do their jobs better.
At What Point He or She Is Involved In Decision Making. This is important. Is this a person that introduces ideas to their boss? Or the person that makes the final decision about purchasing? Is it someone who is more concerned with money than quality or vice versa? Are you talking to engineers or IT people? That’s a whole new ball game. All of this can and should influence your content.
Media Consumption. How does this person find new products? What do they read when they need insights to help them thrive in their position? When do they read articles online? How often?
What Home Life Is Like. This may seem irrelevant, but it’s not. Does Nancy have a husband and two kids or is she single? Is Todd married? Does he spend too much time commuting? Any little bit of personality you give to your personas is helpful (as long as it’s not completely off-base).
What He or She Does in His/Her Spare Time. Does Decisive Dave spend a lot of time on the golf course? Is Nancy a world traveler? Again, this stuff is gravy, but it can make a big difference for certain types of content. For instance, let’s say you’re targeting doctors, and you have solid information that the majority of doctors like to golf on the weekends. Amidst all of the insights you send their way, you might mix in a comparison between a golf game and the manufacture of medical devices. This is a unique B2B approach that will draw them in and keep them engaged.
These are the elements you need to look at while creating your brand’s B2B personas. Getting them right is one of the most important things you can do for an effective Content Strategy. Need help getting started? Drop us a line.
Continue ReadingTop 10 Types of B2B Lead Generation Content
by MGB2B
Have you ever experienced “writer’s block?” Sometimes instead of not knowing what to write, the trouble is figuring out what form to write it in that will entice new leads to engage. This is a content rut and it happens to everyone.
Fear not, because Mascola B2B has compiled a list of the top 10 performing B2B lead generation content pieces. Say goodbye to your tired content calendar and hello to your list of fresh, new leads!
- White Papers. Tried and true, white papers are a standard for offered-value. People download them because they are authoritative, detailed, and informative. When you’re looking to pack a punch with your offering, a white paper will do just that.
- Podcasts or Videos. If you have the time and bandwidth, audio and video content are two great ways to engage your audience. They’re opportunities to put a voice to your brand and allow your team to show their creative side. When it comes to generating leads, be sure to include a form fill so your listeners/viewers can subscribe.
- Contests. Who doesn’t love to win something? Contests are great for driving engagement, growing your reach, and, most importantly, generating leads. Contests also adapt to many online platforms like your website, lead gen landing page, and social media channels.
- Ebooks. Like white papers, ebooks provide a comprehensive look at a specific topic. Ebooks tend to be a little more creative, so be sure to inject a combination of information and creativity into yours.
- Checklists. Unlike many content formats, checklists are short, simple, and easy to generate internally, while simultaneously offering unique, digestible content to your readers. Include clear headers and keep copy brief.
- Templates. A template is a strong offering because it provides the reader with a usable tool for creating an original piece of their own. Templates can take many forms such as calendars, outlines, plans, or worksheets. And each time your downloader wants to create a new piece, he or she will be reminded of you upon returning to the original template.
- Original Data & Research. There’s no offering more unique or informative than original research findings from your company. One of the least expensive ways to curate original data is to conduct a survey and share the results via a downloadable report or infographic.
- Demos. You’ve hooked your reader with a few blog posts, a podcast, and perhaps a white paper. Now they’re ready to give your product a try. Create an enticing free offer with language reinforcing the highlights of your product. Also, make sure it’s seamless to schedule a demo.
- Tool Kits. If you have a bunch of related pieces of content lying around, a tool kit is a great way to re-purpose them into a meaningful, cohesive collection. This can be a great follow-up method for connecting with past customers or readers who have downloaded a few pieces of your content.
- Webinars. A webinar is a useful format for combining an authoritative tone on a topic with the personality of your company’s leadership. However, a successful webinar can take a lot of work. Try partnering with your industry’s leading trade publication to produce a sponsored webinar and let the pros handle the hard part, while you get to play host and collect the leads.
From templates to white papers to podcasts, there are endless types of B2B lead generation content out there. The key is finding the right mix of what works for your business while keeping your audience alert and engaged with new topics and formats.
Still stuck in a content rut? Mascola B2B is here to help.
Continue ReadingKey Content Marketing Stats for Manufacturers in 2017
by MGB2B
The Content Marketing Institute recently released its annual report: 2017 Manufacturing Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends North America. And the results are promising for manufacturers this year. Many who were stuck are starting to find their way through the world of content marketing. And lots of manufacturers are starting to see results.
Here Are 6 Key Content Marketing Stats for Manufacturers — and What They Mean for Your Business:
- 85% of Manufacturing Marketers Are Using Content Marketing to Reach Their Prospects.
What that means for you: Content marketing may not be part of your marketing plan, but it is likely something your competitors are doing. If you are using content marketing, it’s important that you differentiate your content. The content you are producing should resonate with the audience but also reflect your brand’s strategic positioning in order to accomplish this.
- Of Those Who Don’t Use Content Marketing, 53% Plan to Do So Within the Next Year.
What that means for you: Again, if content marketing is not part of your marketing strategy, 2017 is the year to get it going. Your competitors are likely already on the content train.
- 92% of Content Marketers in the Manufacturing Sector Use Email to Distribute Content.
What that means for you: There are many ways to distribute content, but email is one of the most frequently used. What’s more, manufacturers in particular have success at getting their prospects to open their emails. So having an email program is a must, but it’s also important to know how to do it right. That includes everything from proper segmentation of your lists to intuitive design based on the user experience.
- 63% Proclaim SEM to Be the Most Effective Method for Promoting Content.
What that means for you: Along with email, Paid Search should be among your distribution tactics when you’re ready to put your content out there. It’s an effective way to get new leads — one that can be fine-tuned easily and quickly. You should also consider hiring an SEO Specialist or an agency that can help you with all aspects of Search Engine Marketing — both paid and organic.
- 82% Are Running Print Ads to Promote Their Content.
What that means for you: Advertising in Trade Publications is far from dead. In fact, there are many reasons why you should strengthen your relationship with your trade pub reps. Chief among them — you can score opportunities to promote your content digitally to their lists and drive new leads into your sales funnel.
- 69% of Manufacturers Who Do Content Marketing Attribute Their Success to Good Strategy.
What that means for you: A Content Strategy is one of the most important parts of a successful content program. If you’ve skipped this step, it’s a good idea to go back and make sure you have a plan before you start creating and distributing content in 2017. Make sure your Content Strategy is well-documented so you can measure its success at several points throughout the year.
As you prepare for 2017, Content Marketing is an essential tool to have in your arsenal. If you haven’t already, it’s time to surpass your competitors, and establish yourself as the authority in your industry.
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