10 Types of Content to Optimize Your B2B Marketing Funnel

Table of Contents

1. Different Types of Content Marketing
   • Social media content marketing
   • Blogs
   • Videos
   • eBooks
   • Infographics
   • Emails
   • Webinars
   • Podcasts
   • Presentations
   • User-generated content marketing
2. What options can you explore to stay ahead in the race?
3. Why do you need to create a B2B content marketing funnel?

B2B marketing is quite different from B2C marketing, and so is its marketing funnel. According to a 2021 report by Content Marketing Institute, 43% of successful B2B marketers have a content marketing strategy in place. 

But, what type of content do you need to optimize your B2B marketing? Let’s check out some B2B marketing tips. 

First, let’s look at the popular types of content that we consume online.

Different types of content marketing

1. Social media

Social media is a collective term for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. If some companies are not on social media yet, they have missed the bus. Some points to consider:

• Social media is the best B2B marketing funnel platform for product/service promotions, brand awareness, and lead generation.
• Social media content marketing strategy can involve different types of content like a post, story, video, tweet, or simple graphics.
• The number of global social media users is expected to reach almost 3.43 billion in 2023, according to Statista.
• Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the most common social media platforms that are used by marketers, according to Hubspot.

2. Blogs

Blogs are simple articles/posts written for a website (owned or other types). Some points to consider:

• These are informational pieces that help brand awareness, lead generation, and ensure a thought leadership position.
• They are crucial for an effective SEO and content marketing strategy.
• A blog can be a long-form piece of content or a short-form one depending upon the kind of audience that is being targeted. 
• A long-form blog can be a research-based blog that shares in-depth information about a topic.
• A short-form blog can be a listicle or a checklist.
• Following a regular blog calendar works wonders for raising credibility levels.
• Blogs are among the top content marketing strategies in the B2B marketing funnel (Hubspot, 2020).
• They now face a problem of plenty; the blog scene is indeed very crowded. To ensure that you get eyeballs, make your content marketing to the point and highly relevant to your audience. 

3. Videos

Consider these B2B marketing tips about video content:

• Videos are an engaging form of content.
• Video is the most used format in content marketing (HubSpot, 2020).
• Video content is twice more likely to be shared than any other content type. 
• Various forms of video content can be created. These include:
  • Vlogs
  • BTS (behind-the-scenes)
  • Live stream videos
  • Facebook Watch
  • Company videos 
• 87% of video content marketers say that videos have raised traffic to their websites (Wyzowl, 2020).

4. eBooks

In simple terms, an eBook is an electronic book. Some points to consider:

• eBooks are visually appealing and can engage readers.
• They should be written in an easy-to-understand manner.
• eBooks are longer than blogs but shorter than whitepapers.  

5. Infographics

We have heard that an image speaks a thousand words. Disseminating information with attractive images helps a reader understand content more easily. It helps in understanding more content in a shorter time and also consumes less space than text.

6. Emails

Email newsletters are sent to existing and potential clients for B2B Marketing of product/service/event promotions or to share information about a company or a brand. Email marketing boasts a 4200% ROI ($42 returns for every $1 spent) of content marketing strategy. They are the best way to build a relationship with potential and existing customers.

7. Webinars

Webinars are interactive sessions in which online training or discussions revolve around a particular topic. Discussions can take place through presentations, videos, etc. Webinar participants can be spread across the globe. 

They’re a crucial part of a content marketing strategy because they give a glimpse of what you do and how you work and are an important way to build trust with the B2B Target audience.

8. Podcasts

Podcasts are like TV serials, but the key difference is that they are available in audio formats.

• Podcasts are now trending platforms for creators.
• India has emerged as the 3rd largest market for podcasts.
• Podcasts are available on various platforms like Spotify, Clubhouse, Google podcast, iTunes, etc.
• There are fewer B2B podcasts available and huge opportunities. So businesses should tap into podcasting.

9. Presentations

Yes, our good old presentations are also an appealing content type. Sometimes presentations can easily explain the content. Slideshare, scribd.com, and LinkedIn are famous for sharing presentations.

One of the latest additions to this list is the Canva presentation that may prove a game-changer. With Canva, one can use existing templates or create a PPT from scratch with different elements, images, font styles, creating and effects.

10. User-generated content marketing

It is content generated by a customer and is a handy marketing tool for a company. User-generated content works amazingly well for a B2B marketing company. Some points to consider:

• User-generated content refers to testimonials (written or via videos), reviews shared either on websites, LinkedIn, professional forums, association sites, or Google.
• Positive content enhances the credibility of a brand.
• Potential customers looking for such content are usually qualified leads who are interested in buying a product.

What options can you explore to stay ahead in the race?

All in all, we have put forth an extensive list of types of content in B2B marketing in this article you can opt for. But, it is not necessary that every company, brand, or individual create all kinds of content available under the sun. 

A company can choose different types of content based on its vision, content marketing strategy, target audience, and the kind of content its target audience prefers. 

Source

Marketers use a mix of content types, and depending upon campaign goals, they give more importance to one content type than the other.

Websites, social media content and blogs are a must in any content marketing strategy. Marketers should also focus on coming up with accessible content to create, maintain, and serve the proper purpose.

Simply put, users go through various stages in their journey to become aware of a brand and then finally buy it. A funnel can visually represent this journey. The following image gives a snapshot of the meaning and purpose of each stage in the B2B marketing journey.

Let’s now understand in detail how content fits into this marketing funnel.

Why do you need to create a B2B content marketing funnel?

As we mentioned above, a B2B marketing journey goes through different stages. How do you plug in content at each stage of this journey?

Each stage has a specialized content type. A webinar or a tutorial will not be helpful to someone who is at the brand awareness stage. Instead, a blog post, an infographic, or a video ad will be the best bet.

The following image shows the different types of content best suited for each stage in the marketing funnel:

Source

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