Persona-based B2B Content Marketing: How to Better Engage with Your Audience

Content is one of the pillars of an effective digital marketing strategy. Whether it’s creating blog posts for SEO, copies for paid ads, posts to push out for your social media marketing, or landing page copies for your website, content provides the oil to help your brand be more visible. 

But, there is more to content than simply writing and hoping your audience understands your message. You need content that captivates your audience, drives engagement, and ultimately leads them to be your next customers. That only works if you’re talking to the right persona. 

A persona-based content marketing strategy allows you to align your messaging to the intent of search users and their stage in the buyer’s journey. With persona-based content, you can create a customer-centric strategy for your B2B digital marketing efforts. 

Different Types of Marketing Personas

Before you get started on creating your content marketing strategy, you need to identify your marketing personas and know which of your customers resonate with these. 

Identifying your marketing personas allows you to better understand how your audience thinks, what motivates them to do business with you, and what are their pain points. In the end, it makes the journey of your audience smoother as they engage with your brand. 

Let’s start with these types of marketing personas.

1. The Looker 

The Looker is a type of search user who is simply browsing online for whichever kind of information. They are the type of users who do not have anything specific in mind when they are online. They browse from one website to another. Think of them as your “window shoppers”. 

The Looker is at the top of the marketing funnel and at the first stage of the buyer’s journey. If you were to apply an SEO service strategy, this means you need to target broader and more general keywords. 

While Lookers like to browse different websites, their attention span may be shorter than your average search user. You need to pique their interest so you can keep them longer on your website. 

Here are a few ways to engage with this marketing persona:

• • A visually appealing website – You want to attract Lookers the moment they land on your website. That’s why visuals play a great role in engaging with Lookers. Ask your outsource website development provider to help you with creating infographics and other visuals that can complement your website’s design.
  • Engaging landing page copies – You need to draw the attention of Lookers with content that piques their curiosity. Use stop words in your landing page copies and provide information that answers questions. 
  • Value-adding newsletters – One way to ensure Lookers will go back to your site is by providing them with value-adding newsletters. Not only does this help you promote information about your business but it also helps you stay on top of their minds. 

 

 

2. The Researcher

The Researcher is much like the Looker but is more focused on getting the right information that answers their questions. Data drives them to engage with your website. Statistics attract them. 

Search users with the Researcher persona are also at the top of your marketing funnel and at the latter parts of the awareness stage in the buyer’s journey. With the right information, they can transition into the consideration stage in the buyer’s journey and become your customers later on with proper lead nurturing. 

To engage with Researchers, your SEO and content marketing strategy should include:

• Lead magnets – Whether it’s a free ebook, a product catalogue, or any kind of downloadable resource, lead magnets can help you engage better with Researchers. This also provides you with a convenient way of nurturing them while providing value. 
• Quality blog posts – Content with updated, fresh information is what makes Researchers happy. If you consistently publish blogs on your website, you won’t have any trouble driving Researchers to your website. 

3. The Champion

The Champion is often a person with a position in an organization, such as a manager or a team leader. When they search online, they look for solutions that will make them look good to the organization’s decision-maker. 

If you get the attention of a Champion and become interested in what you can offer, they will push for the implementation and evangelize your solution to the entire organization—the very reason they’re called a “champion”.

Champions can be in the middle of the marketing funnel and may be in between the consideration and decision stage of the buyer’s journey. This is why content that is appropriate for Champions is one that shows them value upfront. 

Here are a few ways to engage with Champions:

• • Free resources – If you want Champions to keep pushing for the adoption of your solutions or services, you need to provide them with as much information as possible. Free resources such as product catalogues and guide books can be ideal for your content marketing strategy. 
  • Video content – The easiest way to help Champions understand your products and services is through video content. These can be tutorials or product demonstrations that you can share on your website. 

 

 

4. The Decision-maker

The Decision-Maker is the business owner. They are the ones who call the shot. They make the final say. If you want to engage with customers, they’re the gems you should be looking out for. 

The intent of Decision-makers often falls along the lines of “How can I make my business better? How can I maintain my cashflow?” If you analyze it carefully, Decision-makers are very business- and revenue-centric. 

Decision-makers who are at the bottom of the marketing funnel and at the decision stage of the buyer’s journey likely look for content that will prompt them to transact with your business. 

Here are a few ways to engage with Decision-makers through persona-based content:

• Interactive content – A great way to reel in Decision-makers is by providing them with interactive content, This helps you paint a story of your solutions while providing them with data-rich, value-added content. The more engaging and conversational your content, the more memorable you will be for Decision-makers. 
• Premium downloadable materials – These can be content that answers any of their questions right off the bat, such as white papers and high-quality articles, webinars, or presentations. 
• Promotional newsletters – Sending newsletters consistently to Decision-Makers can reignite your relationship with them. However, as most Decision-Makers have their hands tied in running their business, they may only take a quick glance at your newsletters. That’s why you need content that will entice them to read what you can offer. It can be a promotion or a special discount you’re running. 

Final Thoughts

In the end, every business should provide content for their audience. Putting content out there that doesn’t resonate with your audience is just wasted effort. It’s like having no clear direction for your marketing efforts. A persona-based content marketing strategy solves that. 

What type of content does your audience need? What are your customers’ problems that you’re trying to answer? It all goes back to these questions. 

By putting your audience at the centre of your content marketing strategy, you’re not just targeting better engagements but also creating more opportunities to build brand loyalty. 

Have you identified your marketing personas? If not, it’s never too late to start! 

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