A Simple Recipe for B2B Content Creation

[sarah_manning]

For those of you who like to cook and eat, here is a follow-on to my previous post on creating effective content that compares the written word to food. I think it's a pretty effective analogy.

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Like reading well-written copy, eating tasty food should be easy—in theory. But it's not as simple as you might think.

Ask the head chefs and content marketing specialists. Just as you can't throw random ingredients in a bowl and hope for a soufflé, creating content that directly contributes to revenue requires a scientific approach.

Here are some proven ways to get buyers to consume your food for thought, and keep coming back for more.

Build trust.

What if you found out your favorite Asian restaurant uses MSG? Or that those "all natural" brownies contain high-fructose corn syrup? It's difficult to enjoy what you're served if you aren't confident in its integrity.

Your content needs to lend the same impression that it's a credible place for readers to sink their teeth. Like meals, it also needs to be offered consistently.

A few tips:

• Cut information into bite-sized chunks. Make your advice digestible and easy to follow.
• Use familiar language. Like foreign or strange ingredients, jargon turns people off.
• Be authentic. Readers can smell inauthenticity in less than 140 characters. If you want to speak on a topic intelligently, but aren't an expert yourself, point your readers to other trustworthy sources.

Be an expert.

Pretend it's your anniversary, and you're seated at the nicest restaurant in town. The waiter approaches your table and says, "I'd just like to let you know that our executive chef is out sick tonight. Our apprentice will be directing the kitchen." Would you be as excited about the food? Probably not. You expect expertise from expensive restaurants. In the same way, readers expect value when they come to your website. Why? Because when all is cooked and done, it really boils down to whether you're worth your readers' valuable time and contact information. Often, they fork over both to access your content. Take action:

• Ask yourself—What about your background and expertise is different from anyone else's? Use your answers as your starting point.
• Are you curating content from industry experts? Today's best information is specialized and socially created. And guest blogging is the new black.

Use fresh, in-season ingredients.

You wouldn't serve pumpkin ravioli in May, just like you wouldn't talk about the financial crisis as if it were big news. When you write about current issues that are relevant to your readers, your website will become a go-to source. How easy is it to spot rotting food at the grocery store? It's just as easy for your content to peg you as someone who's behind the current trends. Keep your eye on the seasons, and you'll serve content that's fresh and fetching. Take action:

• Don't sensationalize what's not news. For example, everybody knows today's buyers have access to a ton of information. That's the problem. Offer the solution.
• Match content to current events like holidays, politics, health trends or issues that you care about. Create subtle metaphors.
• Research upcoming and relevant conferences that readers might like to attend. Write summaries if you go, or assign a guest post to someone who did. (Did someone say creating content is like cooking?)

Finally, prepare with precision. Don't forget to ruthlessly self-edit to make sure your content is crisp and your cooking is clean. Cheers to success!