Knowpreneur

Today every business is on the Internet because they’re looking for solutions to their problems and it’s the greatest information source in history.

Your job as a B2B supplier is to help them sift through various options until they decide that your solution is best for them.

There are several ways to do this, but one of the best is content marketing.

Content marketing is expertise marketing in that it brands you as an expert at specific tasks or services. When B2B prospects shop for a solution to a problem, they go first to organizations that have displayed expertise about that problem.

You establish yourself as that kind of organization by delivering educational information that engages their attention and subtly persuades them about the value of your product or service and of you as a supplier.

Make Your Prospects Care

The ugly truth about B2B marketing is that most professional organizations still use inappropriate and traditional push techniques like advertising, brochures and old-fashioned messaging to find new clients or service old ones. They “push” themselves on prospects.

That might (arguably) work for B2C, but B2B prospects and clients have long ago learned to resist push marketing.

To attract the attention of prospects, investors, or supporters today, you need to use pull techniques, persuading them that you have THE BEST solutions to their particular problems.

The Persuasion Path

B2B “buyers” tend to move through four distinct psychological stages:

Oblivious: These people don’t know you and don’t particularly care about your solution. They are merely researching a problem before making a decision. To reach them, you must disturb or interrupt them with attention-grabbing content.

Interested: These people may give you a look but are cautious about your solution. Educational content will convince them to move closer to a decision.

Short-lister: These people have put you on their short list for a further look. Your content needs to confirm that they are making the correct decision.

Customer: These people have moved through the cycle to become clients or supporters. But that doesn’t mean you ignore them. Deliver content that validates their decision and makes them feel wanted.

Contact Knowpreneur today to begin your own persuasion path.