So, with that in mind, here are some more suggestions to inspire you on your content journey…and never lose sight of your vision, mission and values on the way!
1. Remember the power of story-telling
“Why are stories so valuable? One reason is that a story exerts a power beyond the obvious. The whole is so much greater than the sum of its parts – the facts, the events, the context – that a story creates a deep resonance.”
Think Like A Freak.
Leader’s teams use story-telling all the time in b2b marketing content – perhaps the best examples is in case studies to show real-life transformation.
Always consider case studies as both educational, inspiring and a chance to show how your product met the customer need and/or your team went the extra mile.
2. Take your business apart
Are there specific individual parts of your business that could be of interest/engaging? Would you underpin your business’s personality and quality proposition by giving a peak behind the scenes?
A US property investment company uses videos that show assessors ‘on the job’ assessing property values. We all like a nose around someone else’s property (as the daytime TV schedules attest) and the result is both interesting and entertaining.
3. Reflect the world you seek to improve
Consider the PESTLE model used by boards to assess a company’s ability to remain competitive as their trading environment alters. PESTLE standing for P for Political, E for Economic, S for Social, T for Technological, L for Legal and E for Environmental. You can add an E for Ethics if you want to.
Use PESTLE within the context of your products and services to give you a framework for helping your customers with the pressures they face.
Read LinkedIn posts, trade forums, blogs and publications, or talk to your customer service teams and sales reps for ideas you could incorporate.
Monitor the news – what’s topical, what could you usefully comment on that would be relevant to customers?
If you’re still stuck, try:
- Google Trends – google.com/trends
- Google Alerts – google.com/alerts
- BuzzFeed – buzzfeed.com
- Buzzsumo – buzzsumo.com
