A Guide to Personalized Content Marketing, and Why B2B Companies Need It

The B2B industry is finally coming around to the fact that content marketing is highly valuable in that it connects companies with buyers on a more personal level. You've likely heard others point out that incorporating content marketing into your company strategy is vitally important, and even more so in the B2B world. So what is the best way to use personalized content marketing as a means of connecting with your buyers? Storytelling.

The mechanics behind telling a story in your B2B marketing come down to creating a moment your buyers can relate to and showing them what kind of opportunities await them by using your product. Whether it's connecting your product or company's story to a typical buyer experience or recreating real-life scenarios based on previous buyers, finding a way to depict a problem-solution situation, mediated by your product or service, should be the starting point for your story.

Just like in fictional writing, you need an outline that defines how your content will capture your audience. Personalized storytelling in B2B marketing is still fairly new, so you still have the ability to take your audience by surprise. To start, find something authentic and present it in a way that's immediately relatable.

CAPTURING A MOMENT IN TIME

The type of storytelling that stands out in today's marketing world is similar to the one that appears in the brief Instagram or Vine videos that companies post on social media. These videos allow companies to share with viewers a key moment in time, and to show them something that's already happened, is happening now, or that could happen when the viewers use that product.

This kind of storytelling engages the viewer in real time, and it's a smart marketing platform for featuring a product. Even a brief video on Youtube that takes viewers to a specific moment they can understand is extremely effective.

Think of a specific challenge that could occur in a workplace, and recreate the seemingly unsolvable situation for your prospective buyer. When you demonstrate how your product immediately solves the problem, you are effectively telling a comprehensive story while simultaneously showing your product's valuable use.

PERSONALIZING THE STORY

After so many years of businesslike marketing tactics, a more personal approach has begun to influence the prime directive of B2B marketing. This being said, the narrative of any story you tell needs to clearly show your business's personal side.

It's possible to achieve this by doing some research on what your buyers relate to and what kinds of problems they face. You can obtain this information by analyzing your current buyers or through conversations on social media and industry discussion boards.

In your marketing content, tell a story that's authentic rather than artificial. While you may re-create certain events, let the buyer know that they are based on reality. If you include narration, tell the story in a way that sounds like it's meant for a friend rather than just a business associate. These methods help to create the level of personalization and familiarity that you want to establish for your prospective buyers.

FINDING A MEMORABLE END TO YOUR STORY AS A CALL TO ACTION

Just like in fiction, you want a memorable end to the story you tell in your content. Don't simply show how your product solves a problem without additional elements that contribute to the final resolution. Ultimately, aim to create an ending that compels viewers and prospective buyers to make a purchase decision in your favor.