Although 88% of organizations use content marketing to reach a B2B audience, only 30% believe they are using it effectively. That doesn’t have to be true for you. Here are five tips for writing engaging content for enterprise buyers: B2B executives, senior leaders, and other top decision-makers.
1. Executives prefer longer-form content.
In the era of mobile-driven content, you might be surprised to learn that most CXOs still prefer to get their business insights from feature-length articles and reports, according to a Forbes/Deloitte survey. Don’t be afraid to dive deeper into your topic to make your case. That might mean beefing up your word count to 2000-3000 words per piece. Turns out executives will read it.
2. Get to the point fast.
Quantity may be good, but quality still matters. Cut out the fluff. Use action verbs. Nix the jargon, clichés and overused buzzwords like “cutting edge” and “best of breed.” Executives will skim your document before deciding whether to read the whole thing. Make it easy for them by using catchy subheads and putting valuable information up front.
3. Focus on the issues that matter to stakeholders.
Knowing your audience helps you decide what to write, how to write it, and what tone to use. CXOs, for example, are concerned with strategic, big-picture themes that affect business goals, such as how to improve efficiency and productivity to get to market faster. LOB executives make narrowly-focused decisions. Choose the persona, voice and style that appeals to your target reader.
4. Explain how your solution solves their business problem.
Will your content help them succeed? Are they like to share it with colleagues? Start with the real challenge they are facing, then offer a real solution. Be sure to include actionable insights, like tips or takeaways, at the end of the document or article.
5. Add value with case studies, stats and ROI.
A sure-fire way to add value and credibility to your content is to provide relatable examples in the form of case studies and customer testimonials. In a survey of enterprise buyers, 89% said that winning vendors provide content that clearly demonstrates ROI. Backing up your claims with numbers and stats will keep your enterprise audience engaged – and reading.
Enterprise audiences are reading as much as they ever have, so don’t be afraid to write longer pieces. Just make sure quality is your top priority.
Across the Streetwise team, we have years of experience writing for an enterprise audience. We know what kind of content to create and what language to use in order to effectively influence executives and other decision makers. If this is something you’re struggling with, let’s chat about how we can help.
