“B2B content marketing ideas” and “creativity” are rarely in the same sentence. Regardless of industry vertical, the B2B segment has a clear preference for informational over entertaining or engaging content. This is by no means unreasonable: according to our 2024 tech buyers report, 74% of buyers use content to learn about a given technology ahead of considering a purchase, so it really is important for a brand’s content to be educational.
But you don’t have to sacrifice entertainment on the altar of information every single time. An increasing number of B2B brands are managing to create content that is at once fun to read and a good source of information. Injecting a little bit of creativity won’t compromise the valuable information and data you are offering your clients.
Not sure where to start? Below, we rounded up five content ideas that offer plenty of opportunities for spicing up your resource centre or your social media feed.
1. Interview your team
If you have a regularly updated company blog, it can be a challenge to find new topics and prompts that are insightful but also engaging for the reader. A fun form that your blogs can take is employee interviews. Combining employer branding with your blog content adds an authentic touch to your marketing efforts, allowing you to connect with your audience and spotlight your talented team at the same time.
You can interview your employees about a variety of topics: career advice, industry thought leadership questions, or just totally random stuff like what cocktail they would be (a total nojito over here, if you’re curious). If you need inspiration, we recently fired questions at our amazing Account Director Louise Elali; check out her interview.
TOP TIP: Make your interview-style blogs even more fun by asking your team or even your company’s LinkedIn followers to submit questions which your interviewee can then answer. This is a great way to add interactivity to your blogs – and tell your audience exactly what they want to know!
2. Record a TikTok (yes, really!)
We all know it: reading is boring! Or at least, not as stimulating by itself as other forms of media can be.
89% of consumers are hungry for video content from brands. But this is not just true of B2C content: B2B companies have more consistent success using video marketing, including a 54% higher conversion rate,. So, with video formats, you can only win.
While TikTok might not currently be part of your B2B marketing plan, it really should be. For one, you just can’t beat its numbers. With 1 billion monthly users, 3 billion total downloads since its inception, spread across 141 countries, TikTok has an enormous audience your brand can tap into. Plus, it’s a myth that only Gen Z uses it. TikTok’s statistics shows that in the US, for example, 26% of users are between the ages of 25-44 – that includes a lot of B2B tech decision-makers, too.
As for ideas, there are so many TikTok trends you can piggyback off of. We have a penchant for quotes from The Office, as you can see in our social media guru Bailey’s favourite video.
So go and grab that tripod.
TOP TIP: Adding your own spin on a trending sound is one of the best – and most popular – TikTok features, allowing you to showcase creativity and increase relevance. Check out this simple how-to guide to using TikTok sounds.
3. Send a funky newsletter
No, emails are not dead! Even in 2024, 99% of people check their emails every day, according to recent email marketing stats, so a well-crafted email will still hit the spot. Regularly sent and thoughtfully written newsletters that offer real value will strengthen the sender’s relationship with their audience – but to achieve this, you really need more than a glorified email ad.
Our report showed that 33% of B2B buyers are put off by content that is too promotional. While it’s important to highlight the values of your products and services, you can’t afford to be constantly tooting your own horn.
If you’re looking for newsletter inspiration, there’s no better place than the (appropriately named) Really Good Emails website, where you can find a beautifully curated selection of marketing emails from a wide range of companies.
TOP TIP: We know that headlines can make or break an email newsletter. Here’s a list of catchy subject lines to get your open rates up, like “Why Your 5-Year-Old Is More Digital Than Most CMOs”.
4. Upload a LinkedIn video
Social media is so competitive that you really must think outside the box to get the right engagement levels. Forget simple posts, empty stats, and boring banners with nothing to say. Just like TikTok, LinkedIn also lets you post a variety of different formats that are infinitely more attractive and fun to look at then an ordinary post, so it’s time to make the most of it!
You can share video interviews with employees, like our telco BSS provider client, ZIRA:
Or shout about the benefits of your product with exciting animations as Verdant Technologies did about their HarvestHold Fresh technology.
The sky’s the limit!
TOP TIP: Don’t forget to add a relevant – and ideally trending – hashtag to highlight your LinkedIn post. The easiest way to search for relevant hashtags is the search bar, which will share related hashtags with you immediately. Clicking on a hashtag will show you how many followers it’s got, so you can easily gauge its popularity.
It’s also a good idea to follow relevant hashtags to get a feel for the type of content people like.
5. Record a podcast episode
Podcasts continue to enjoy immense popularity, with over 4 million registered podcasts in the world today. As well as a fun way to spend your twice-a-day, hour-long commute, they’re also a great marketing tool, allowing brands to showcase their expertise and letting their spokespeople shine.
It’s possible to have your company’s spokespeople feature on individual episodes: check out this insightful interview in EM360 with the CEO of Emnify, focusing on security in cellular IoT devices.
If you’re looking to highlight your brand’s unique voice more consistently and cut yourself a larger chunk of the podcast pie, it’s not a bad idea to launch your own. With podcast platforms like Zencastr, it’s actually a relatively straight-forward process!
TOP TIP: “What’s in a name?”, asks Shakespeare’s Juliet; “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet”. Not so for podcasts: what you call your own matters hugely. Check out Spotify Podcasting’s how-to guide for finding a killer podcast name that is catchy and searchable and will get your audience rushing to your episodes.
Psst! Isoline is launching our own podcast very soon! If you’re interested in featuring as a guest, let us know at hello@isolinecomms.com!
Take your content to the next level
All day, every day, we interact with a deluge of content, from social media and emails to brochures and articles. With such an overwhelmed audience, whose attention is tricky to capture, you need a thoughtful approach to content, rather than just regurgitating the same old ideas. A fun idea or a new spin on something you’ve done before is a great way to enhance your engagement – and maximize leads – without too much effort.
Need creative ideas to spice up your content marketing strategy? We’ve got what you need. Speak to us now at hello@isolinecomms.com.
