One of the most significant hurdles for B2B distributors and trade businesses is determining the best starting point for content creation. The reality is: you possess a wealth of content that may exceed your expectations.
Through effective brainstorming, you can transform common knowledge, specialised skills, and customer discussions into a robust collection of content that establishes your business as a leading authority in its field.
Here’s a guide to creating insightful content that originates within your organisation.
1. Begin with Creative Idea Generation Meetings
- Bring together your sales, marketing, and technical teams for a collaborative brainstorming session.
- Inquiry: What are the most common questions our clients pose to us?
- Document all product comparisons, frequently asked questions, technical enquiries, or installation issues that arise.
- This initial compilation serves as the cornerstone of your content schedule.
2. Develop Instructional Manuals
- Comprehensive guides on configuring products, resolving issues, or integrating systems.
- Ideal for creating engaging written content as well as informative video guides.
- Example: “Quick guide to establishing your VoIP system in just 30 minutes.”
3. Create Comparison Guides & Charts
- A highly effective content format for online retail businesses is the product comparison chart. These enable clients to grasp essential distinctions between offerings swiftly, minimising uncertainty and enhancing conversion rates.
- Comparison Charts: Display models alongside each other in a straightforward table (e.g., Wi-Fi routers, IP cameras, headsets).
- Specifications Simplified: Emphasise key distinctions like performance, range, guarantee, cost, and accessibility.
- Visual Indicators: Implement ticks, icons, or colour highlights to emphasise key features.
- Decision Labels: Incorporate annotations such as ‘Best Value’, ‘Most Popular’, or ‘Ideal for Large Offices’ to assist customers in their choices.
- Available for Download and Sharing:Provide a PDF format for internal distribution among procurement teams.
- Example: Rather than overwhelming clients with a lengthy datasheet, a concise comparison chart can quickly highlight which model best fits their needs.
4. Leverage Technical Specifications
- Simplify intricate datasheets into easy-to-understand summaries.
- Incorporate “What this means for you” clarifications to connect complex terminology with the advantages for the buyer.
- Example: “Understanding 802.11ax Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) – reasons for distributors and installers to consider an upgrade.”
5. Create a Centralised FAQ Resource
- Gather frequently asked questions from customers and share them on the web.
- Every frequently asked question has the potential to be developed into a blog post or video content.
- Example: “What are the steps to connect my ERP with my online store?”
6. Utilise Existing Expertise
- Transforming sales presentations into engaging blog articles.
- Educational resources → Video guides.
- Transforming customer case studies into impactful thought-leadership posts for LinkedIn.
- There’s no need to start from the ground up – leverage what you already have.
7. Combine Different Formats to Enhance Reach
- Content creation for search engine optimisation.
- Visual presentations for showcasing products.
- Visual content for LinkedIn.
- Live Q&A sessions through webinars.
- A single concept can drive various platforms.
8. Maintain an Ongoing Repository of Content
- Keep a collaborative document for the team to record emerging customer enquiries or patterns.
- Consistently evaluate it to ensure a steady stream of content concepts.
- As time progresses, this evolves into an extensive repository of knowledge.
Final Thoughts
Your company has a lot of useful information, so make sure that your writing is based on that. The best way to build a valuable content library that attracts, educates, and converts your ideal trade clients is to come up with new ideas, use them again, and put them together in useful styles like how-to guides, comparative tables, and quick reference tools.
