In These Industries? Don’t Skip Content Marketing

B2B companies usually have more complicated sales processes, so they are poised to benefit from using content to optimize and streamline sales discussions.

B2B markets are generally filled to the brim with competitors, which requires businesses to find unique ways to set themselves apart. On top of that, people in the B2B space are often doing quite a bit of self-education before making a purchase, meaning companies that don’t provide helpful, educational resources are missing out on opportunities to connect with leads before they’ve even talked with a salesperson.

The past few years have revolutionized all industries, highlighting even more opportunities for B2B organizations to utilize content to reach their content marketing goals and objectives. Here are six industries we think are especially positioned to reap the benefits of content marketing:

1. Professional Services Industry

Compared to other industries, professional services companies have a lower barrier to entry. There tends to be less bureaucratic red tape, lower startup costs, and fewer challenges around onboarding team members, to name a few things. The potential drawback? This lower barrier to entry can contribute to more heated competition. So how can professional services companies set themselves apart as go-to industry experts? A comprehensive content marketing strategy.

An effective content strategy should be multifaceted. Not only should it include earned media to gain third-party credibility, but it should also include on-site blog content that can be linked to from earned media in order to build SEO visibility. And gated content can help companies acquire visitors’ contact information and, therefore, generate more leads for the business.

2. Real Estate Industry

Commercial and residential real estate saw some changes due to the pandemic. For example, multifamily homes are in exceptionally high demand, with rent prices at record-breaking levels. On the other hand, the retail property industry has seen stores ceasing operations and vacancies rising (aside from grocers and stores focusing on home improvement). Also, the office sector is seeing more vacancies due to the wide acceptance of remote and hybrid work.

Due to the onset of a lot of uncertainty and change, we see a significant opportunity for those in the real estate sector to enhance their education to help organizations and individuals navigate this constantly changing landscape and make the best, most beneficial decision for them.

3. Digital Transformation Industry

Over the past few years, buyers have increased their use of digital platforms to connect with businesses. “Customer experience is the No. 1 driver of growth in 2021 and beyond,” says Yamini Rangoon, the chief customer officer at HubSpot. “This has been happening for a while, but 2020 really accelerated trends in digital transformation and buyer-seller relationships, and there is no going back.”

This has focused on businesses that support companies throughout their digital transformation, including platforms, custom software development, and onboarding specialists. To capitalize on this trend, those in the digital transformation space can use content marketing to share content illustrating why digital transformation is imperative, how companies could benefit from it, and how they can get started.

4. Cybersecurity Industry

An increasing number of people are opting to work remotely. This influx of telework has put cybersecurity front and center. With more people working remotely, a lot more needs to be considered to keep employee and company data safe — especially for big corporations.

Companies in the cybersecurity space have an opportunity to educate on the nuances of cybersecurity and provide businesses with resources on how to successfully write policies that ensure employees can work from home safely.

5. Manufacturing Industry

You might not expect to see historical supply chain and labor shortages coupled with positive economic indicators, but that’s what the manufacturing space is seeing in 2022. According to Deloitte, “As industrial production and capacity utilization surpassed pre-pandemic levels midyear, strong increases in new orders for all major subsectors signal growth continuing in 2022.”

Despite this optimism, supply chain instability and workforce shortages reduce operational efficiency. These challenges present a lot of unknowns for the coming year regarding how the industry will evolve.

With so much uncertainty, there is an opportunity for manufacturing companies to lead the way as thought leaders by helping current and potential customers understand the challenges and providing valuable content to help them navigate these unprecedented times.

6. Events Industry

While in-person events are back, some standards from the past few years are here to stay. This means that hybrid and all-virtual events are the new normal. Industries that utilize events and trade shows the most include construction, manufacturing, entertainment, interior design, transportation, hospitality, healthcare, energy, and food.

As these industries continue to refine their marketing approaches as our world continues to evolve, they should consider supplementing their events strategy with content marketing. Doing so would allow them to reach their audience online through helpful, engaging content — and this content can also complement any events that these companies end up putting on this year.