Why you have to get personal.

Getting personalisation right in B2B content marketing is your ticket to better relationships and more effective sales enablement. Find out how…Ask any B2B marketer about how to boost content engagement, and we guarantee that the answer will contain the word ‘personalisation’.

Unfortunately, this term is in danger of joining the collection of buzz words people bandy about without specifying what they really mean — losing its power along the way. And, considering its potential, this would be a real loss to the effectiveness of B2B content marketing.

To help you outsell your competition, we’re going to break down personalisation into three key action points.

The three golden rules of personalisation.

1. Make your content talk to a person, from a person.
   
   If you were having a face-to-face conversation with a customer or prospect you wouldn’t just talk at them, you’d find out where they were coming from and adapt what you said accordingly.
   
   It needs to be exactly the same in B2B marketing. By finding out who you’re talking to and how their buying journey has brought them to this point, you can match the content you offer to their needs. Plus, by discovering how they like to receive content and how they like it to be presented, you can make sure your information is more likely to get seen. You need to give your target audience a persona: your communications will have more of a ring of realism, and your target will feel understood — responding accordingly. And, using your audience’s natural language will reinforce your relationship, too.
   
2. Put a face to your communications.
   
   Bring your C-suite executives and subject matter experts to the fore by letting your target audience ‘meet’ them through your content. By giving your organisation a more personal face (or faces), you make it easier for your customers and prospects to forge a relationship with you. People like talking to people, and a blog coming directly from an expert in the field is likely to have more impact than a generic one.
   
   Explore the many ways you can create the personal feel your audience wants: grow personal brands within your organisation by letting your people’s personalities speak through their writing or video blogs. Something as simple as including photos of content authors with blogs or on social media quotes can add to the picture, too.
   
3. Keep it relevant.
   
   When creating every single piece of B2B content ask yourself: how is this relevant to my audience?
   
   Focusing on the needs and goals you’re seeking to address will make sure you’re offering value within your communications. Consistent relevance will draw your customers and prospects closer to you, as you develop a reputation for offering valuable content.

Get personal with us.

This is just the start of the personalisation conversation. If you’d like to find out more, then get in touch or sign up to receive our regular newsletters, packed with the insight you need to stay ahead of your competition.