With a market saturated with content, B2B buyers must ensure they can trust their sources to get the information they need to make a purchase. Research shows that close to three-quarters (74%) of B2B buyers are performing more detailed ROI analysis prior to deciding.
To gain that trust and help their buyers make an informed decision, content creators are turning to a serialized content approach to position their brand as a thought leader on the topics most relevant to their audience.
In an interview with Demand Gen Report, Michael Brenner, CEO of the Marketing Insider Group, shared his thoughts on how B2B organizations are starting to use trustworthy serialized content to engage their audience. Brenner also shared a variety of examples that show how some notable B2B companies see success with a serialized content approach.
Demand Gen Report: How have you seen serialized content, such as webinar series or regular podcasts, better position B2B brands as trusted thought leaders in their space?
Michael Brenner: The truth is that one-offs hardly ever work because it is just too difficult to break through the noise with inconsistent or random acts of content, as I like to call them.
In order to position your brand as a thought leader, you need to create content consistently. My own research proves this point. We have found that weekly content is almost becoming the minimum amount of quality content. My advice to brands is to pick a frequency that feels like a bit of a stretch and make it work.
DGR: How does a serialized content approach impact the overall sales funnel and how marketing teams contribute to revenue?
Brenner: In order to generate revenue, you need to identify those who are interested in your solution. We call that process demand generation, but it’s really demand cultivation.
We must start in the earliest stages of the buyer journey, either at or before prospects know what problem they are trying to solve. A serialized content approach allows you to meet the needs of those potential buyers early on in the journey so you can measurably nurture those prospects into leads and sales.
DGR: Are there any instances where serialized content isn’t a good idea? What is your checklist for assessing whether a topic or theme can make great serialized content?
Brenner: Serialized content should support the mission of the company. It should meet the needs of the target audience, on topics or themes that the brand has some expertise in, and it should primarily solve a customer pain or challenge. That’s the check list I use with clients to determine themes that can position the brand for success.
DGR: Do any B2B brands come to mind of folks who are killing it with serialized content? Why?
Brenner: The classic content marketing examples of American Express with their Business Trends and Insights, Adobe with CMO.com, L’Oreal with Makeup.com. I use all these examples to show other brands what tremendous impact serialized content can have.
DGR: What sort of tips/best practices would you share with content creators looking to take a more serialized approach?
Brenner: In order to take a more serialized approach, you need to create the content mission statement defining who you are targeting, what topics are important to them and what value you can bring. But in order for it to be true serialized content, you must commit to regular frequency. I suggest weekly or twice weekly as a good starting point.
