The Transforming Role Of LinkedIn As A Platform For Content Distribution
In the dynamic landscape of B2B content marketing tactics, the emergence of AI and evolving buyer behaviors have catalyzed a remarkable transformation. Gone are the days of linear content consumption. There is no sales funnel in the classic sense.
Today’s B2B buyers navigate a complex digital marketplace and seek out nuggets of insight and expertise that resonate with their immediate needs and challenges. The result? 83% B2B content marketers have started creating content that differentiates them from their competitors. And guess what? Content marketing on LinkedIn still remains a top choice amongst content distribution platforms for both organic and paid content.
However, here’s where the transformation is developing. The modern buyer narrative suggests that the future of content marketing tactics may not lie in the old paradigm of awareness, consideration and conversion but rather in the nuanced world of thought leadership pieces. The latest B2B thought leadership impact research from LinkedIn and Edelman found that thought-leadership pieces have more impact on purchase decision making in times of economic downturns. Moreover, 61% of decision-makers feel that such content is more effective in demonstrating the potential value of products/services over traditional product oriented marketing.
Now, even if you were to create and publish some well-thought content pieces, who’s to guarantee that a potential buyer would notice and act on it? In this regard, B2B marketers have long relied on paid advertisements that give them more control over who sees their content. They have targeted their potential set of audience in the hope of getting maximum conversions. It has worked wonders for some! But many have reported subpar results. While the content distribution tools and methods remain the same, here’s how your organic and paid content marketing on LinkedIn should pan out to create the best content marketing in Mumbai.
Creating Organic Content: Standing Out Among The Competition
We all value organic relationships, don’t we? The one that comes with no strings attached! The same holds true even for the B2B spaces. A well-crafted content can not only pique the interest of your prospective customers but also nurture the relationship along the way.
But let’s take a step back. You don’t want to shoot arrows in the dark and wait for the results to show up. A content can only be as effective as the intent with which it is published. And largely, it is the audience’s intent that matters. Hence, the content must address their interests and needs.
According to Databox, 67% of B2B content teams say top-of-funnel content is the type of content they create most. This is because that’s where most of the eyeballs are. A part of the argument also sheds light on the intense competition that ensues in the niche category keywords and content. There are different content formats that you can leverage to engage your audiences. Here are some of our favorites:
Blog Posts
Blogs allow you to talk at length about your perspectives on the current industry trends, best practices to navigate them, and how-to guides that position you as a reliable source of information and build repo with the audience. Should we optimize them for SEO? Is the question that follows. While keyword optimization does help, the focus should be towards creating relevant content. LinkedIn focuses on building a relevant feed that delivers content which users value the most. Thus professionally relevant content will reach a large group of professionals through your organic network.
Infographics
Infographics are an interactive way to engage your audience and present important information within quick scrolls. When paired with blog posts, infographics can pique consumer interest and lead them further.
Case Studies and Whitepapers
Case studies are in-depth analyses of specific situations or projects, showcasing real-world examples and outcomes. Similarly, whitepapers are reports or guides that provide detailed information on a particular topic, often presenting research findings, insights, and recommendations. Case studies and whitepapers are authoritative resources that provide valuable information to educate and inform B2B buyers, helping them make more informed decisions. These content formats serve as more than mere informational pieces; they are powerful tools for building credibility, trust, and authority within specific industries or niches.
Videos
A growing number of B2B players are also attending and speaking at professional networking events. Videos from such events are then integrated within LinkedIn content strategy to maximize impact and showcase thought leadership. According to LinkedIn, members are 20X more likely to share a video than any other post. As per the latest B2B Marketing Benchmark, video ranked next to thought leadership among top content marketing strategies in the B2B landscape.
As long as you create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience, it is possible to attract prospective leads on LinkedIn. However, incorporating paid marketing into your strategy can significantly enhance the impact and reach.
Paid Marketing: Amplifying Organic Content
Just 5% of marketers focus their attention on B2B buyers moments before buying. This is because B2B content converts the best when someone is close to buying a deal. That said, when it comes to paid marketing, there is no one-size-fits all approach; it’s all about aligning the content being advertised with the end goal. The success of a paid marketing campaign hinges on its ability to effectively resonate with the target audience and deliver measurable results. Moreover, LinkedIn’s precise targeting capabilities offer a range of segmentation like job title, function, industry and more that allow marketers to target the most relevant group of professionals.
So the right question to ask is: What am I looking to achieve? Do I want to drive brand awareness, generate leads, increase website traffic, or boost conversions? Every objective prescribes its own set of rules and strategies.
For example, a B2B company looking to drive brand awareness can boost some of its case studies and success stories to grab user interest and gain credibility. Similarly, a B2B company looking to drive conversions can drive ads to promote its whitepaper and follow up with prospects via marketing channels like emails and LinkedIn chats.
Specific content pieces that are particularly effective for B2B marketers to advertise on LinkedIn are the ones related to online and offline events. B2B companies can leverage LinkedIn ads for content that covers webinars, training courses, panel discussions, interactive workshops, Q and A sessions, product launch events to target the right set of audience and boost registrations. This effectively captures the attention of people with an interest in the topic and enhances the value of the event. Additionally, such content can drive interactions on high- quality organic content supported by increased reach.
The best way to approach paid marketing is to look at it in conjunction with the organic marketing efforts. By taking advantage of LinkedIn’s unique features and professional user base B2B marketers can unlock the intricacies of content marketing in Mumbai to access a larger group of target audience and move their business forward.