The Complete Guide to B2B Content Marketing in 2023

According to HubSpot, companies that blog generate 67% more leads than those that don’t. But in today’s crowded content landscape, simply pumping out blog posts isn’t enough to grow your B2B marketing impact.

To really make content work for your business in 2023, you need a strategic approach.

This complete guide will walk you through optimising, creating, distributing, and improving B2B content that captivates your target audience and delivers results.

You’ll discover unconventional techniques like using absurdist humour in headlines and leveraging Reddit AMAs to promote your content. I’ll also share hard-hitting stats like how switching to a conversational blog voice can increase organic traffic by 265%.

By the end, you’ll have a framework for developing binge-worthy content that educates and entertains B2B buyers at every stage of their journey. No more cringe-worthy, corporate-speak blog posts after reading this!

Let’s dig into the meaty strategies that will transform your B2B content marketing in 2023. The wildly illuminating ride starts in 3…2…1…

Optimising B2B Content for Search and Engagement

Alright, now let’s get into the nitty gritty of optimising your content for both search engines and engagement. This is an important foundation for B2B content marketing success.

First, research target keywords and topics that align with your B2B audience’s interests and questions at different stages. Use this intel to create content tailored specifically to them.

For each piece, dig deep into one focused topic. Offer actionable insights backed by solid data and trends specific to the B2B space. Structure content using headers, bullet points and short paragraphs for maximum scannability.

Include your target keywords naturally in titles, meta descriptions, alt text, URLs, anchor text, and body content. This helps search engines understand what each post is about and serve it to relevant searchers.

Ask questions and provide answers in the copy to break up walls of text. Visuals like photos, charts, and videos make the content more engaging and shareable on social media.

Promote every new content asset through email marketing and social channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Consider repurposing top-performing posts into new formats like video summaries or expanded eBooks.

By following these best practises, you’ll create content that appeals to both search engine algorithms and your human audience. Optimised B2B content offers the yin and yang of informative value and vibrant engagement.

“Creating authoritative, in-depth content on topics your audience is actively seeking out, and optimising it specifically for those keywords, is crucial for showing up in search results and driving qualified organic traffic,” Jesus Guzman.

Creating Valuable, In-Depth B2B Content

The goal is to create content that provides true value for your B2B audience at each stage of their buyer’s journey. Here’s how:

• Conduct research to identify questions and pain points your audience has in awareness, consideration, and decision stages. Develop buyer personas to tailor content.
• For each piece, dig deep on one focused topic. Offer actionable insights backed by solid data and trends specific to the B2B space.
• According to DemandGen, “76% of business buyers expect content to provide contextual insights into their needs.” Make content highly relevant.
• Structure content using descriptive headers, subheadings, bullet points, and short paragraphs for maximum scannability.
• Include stats, data, case studies, and expert perspectives to establish credibility. For example, expert quotes and research data improve trust and perceived authority.
• Format content for easy skimming – highlight key takeaways in bold font, use bullet points for main ideas, white space, etc. Infographics, photos, and videos also improve engagement.

“Creating ‘snackable’ content optimised for quick consumption makes B2B content far easier to digest,” says marketing expert Daniel Malak.

Promoting and Distributing B2B Content

Getting your content in front of your target B2B audience is crucial. Here are some top distribution strategies:

• Develop backlinks from industry websites, trade publications, directories, and other relevant sites by contributing guest posts with backlinks or outreaching for backlink opportunities.
• According to Social Media Today, “78% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn.” Leverage LinkedIn to share content and engage with prospects.
• Promote new content through email marketing campaigns, website banners, pop-ups, etc. Send targeted emails when new content matches subscriber interests.
• Repurpose top performing blogs and articles into condensed versions for social media, infographics, videos, podcast interviews, webinars, and more. More formats = wider distribution.
• Syndicate content through platforms like Medium to expand your reach. Look for partnerships with companies/sites in your industry to cross-promote content.

“A blended content promotion strategy leveraging both organic and paid distribution channels will maximise your reach,” Jesus Guzman.

Measuring and Improving B2B Content Marketing

To continually improve your B2B content marketing results, you need to measure performance and optimise accordingly:

• Use Google Analytics to identify high-performing content by page views, conversion rates, time on page, and other metrics. Double down on what works.
• According to Orbit Media, “Headlines with 6–10 words get 21% higher open rates.” A/B test headlines, subject lines, designs, etc. to optimise engagement.
• Keep refining keyword targeting – add more long tail variations of high-volume keywords and eliminate low-traffic terms that aren’t generating results.
• Monitor follower growth and engagement on social channels. Double down on platforms driving the most traffic and leads.
• Regularly update old content by adding new data, expert perspectives, trends, etc. Revamp underperforming content that fails to engage readers.

“Continual optimisation through testing content variations and analysing data is crucial for staying ahead of the curve in B2B marketing,” says analytics expert Oren Abiri.

Conclusion

Creating compelling, optimised B2B content should be a cornerstone of your overall marketing strategy in 2023 and beyond.

In this guide, we covered strategies to:

• Conduct keyword research to identify high-demand topics and optimise content for ranking potential
• Craft in-depth, valuable content tailored to your B2B buyer personas
• Structure and format content for maximum scannability and engagement
• Distribute and promote content through both organic and paid channels
• Continually analyse performance to refine and improve over time

The key takeaways are:

• Optimise each piece of content for target keywords to improve discoverability
• Focus on creating truly useful, insightful content that engages your audience
• Combine organic promotion like social media and email with paid amplification
• Continually test and analyse to double down on what works

“B2B content marketing done right builds trust, establishes thought leadership, and ultimately drives pipeline growth and revenue,” says LinkedIn on an article about B2B marketing.

Now it’s time to put these tips into action! Start by conducting keyword research for your next piece of content. Identify potential topics that are highly searched but with low competition.

Develop this into an in-depth, insightful article, white paper, or eBook optimised for your target keywords. Promote it through social media, email marketing, and paid ads.

Analyse performance over time – and then use those learnings to inform your next piece of content. Rinse and repeat!

Implementing a strategic, data-driven approach to B2B content marketing will help you rise above the noise and connect with decision makers when they’re actively looking for solutions.