B2B companies serve an especiallysophisticated customer. Yet B2B advertisingresearch isn’t as robust as for B2C, and thesame channels don’t generate leads.

Within B2B, tech innovators in particular canstruggle to transcend personal passion in orderto speak to a broader audience. Many subjectmatter experts face this problem. But thechallenge grows exponentially in an industryfocused on platforms, devices and systems.

Customers, of course, are not systems. They’reinfinitely more complicated. They’re humans.

Fortunately, on even the most technical topics,high­quality content can create a valuablehuman connection—throughout the customerlifecycle.

Content Marketing 101

Content marketing leverages the channels youalready control to promote your company.Effective content uses highly engaginglanguage and visuals to provide immediate

value to the audience, while drivingconversions.

Content marketing feels natural, evenentertaining. If you do your job well, theaudience is an active partner, conversing withyou and sharing your content.

But to apply content marketing effectively, it’simportant to understand the distinct value thatsocial media and long­form content provide.

Long­form content goes deep, talking to peoplewho are already engaged. Case studies andwhite papers, among other formats, supportyour sales team by educating discerningprospects. These pieces cut throughmarketplace confusion, differentiating yourtech.

Social media, on the other hand, points tosomething deeper than itself. This moreshareable content provides a range of services.Companies use social to fuel web traffic andSEO, find prospects, provide productinformation, boost sales, address controversy,follow up with customers, and grow loyalty.

Business­serving tech companies face unique marketing challenges. Both socialmedia and long­form content offer solutions, engaging the same prospect atdifferent stages of the sales funnel. This paper examines content marketing throughquantitative research, plus real­world examples from Microsoft®* and implementers.

A Model Content White Paper

CONTENT MARKETING FOR B2B TECHBalancing In­Depth and Shareable Resources

for an Effective, Audience­Centric Strategy

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In the pages to follow, you'll find research onthe benefits of in­depth versus shareablecontent, as well as strategy for each. Thediscussion includes real­world examples fromMicrosoft products and platforms, plusprofessional implementers.

Go Wide: Social Media

B2B tech is serious business. And so is social.

Social media canput your brand infront of prospectsfor the first time.Shareability is keyto the medium'seffectiveness as apromotional tool.But the benefitsdon't stop withlead generation.Peer­reviewed and industry studies over thepast decade have shown social media providesa return on investment throughout thecustomer lifecycle.

Not only do customers use corporatesocial media to gather brand and product

information, but also increasingly to developlong­term relationships through theconversational exchange of information anddata. This is according to an online survey ofalmost 400 salespeople published in 2013 inthe Journal of Internet Commerce.

The study, "Utilization of Relationship­Oriented Social Media in the Selling Process: AComparison of Consumer (B2C) and Industrial(B2B) Salespeople," found that B2B companieswere more likely to find social media useful forprospecting, handling objections, andfollowing up after sales.

The findings corroborate other researchshowing that B2B professionals observe real

value in relationship­oriented selling practices,social media in particular.

A 2016 study in the Journal ofMarketing used microlevel customer

behavior data to show that social mediacontent works with TV­ and email­basedmarketing to encourage buying across productcategories, serving long­term financial goals.

"We find that investing in developing a socialmedia community with a dedicated fan base

(e.g., a Facebookpage) cansignificantlystrengthencustomer­firmrelationships andcan lead to adefinitive impacton the firm’srevenues andprofits,"

according to "From Social to Sale: The Effectsof Firm­Generated Content in Social Media onCustomer Behavior."

In 2016, the online magazine SocialMedia Examiner mirrored these findings

in its eighth annual survey. Over 5,000marketers responded from a variety ofindustries, such as IT services and technology.The researchers found that 75% of respondentsreported positive results in using social mediato increase web traffic, 58% to improve searchrankings, and 51% to boost sales.

"It takes time to develop relationships thatlead to sales. However, a large percentage ofmarketers who take the time find greatresults," according to the magazine's "2016Social Media Marketing Industry Report." Theresearchers also found, among B2B marketers,that 62% use social effectively to create a loyalfan base, creating a long­term relationshipwith prospects and clients.

To access the real­worldexamples and research

indicated by the icon, clickthe icons or this text box.

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Finally, a case study of agriculturebiotechnology giant Monsanto found, as

early as 2010, Facebook and Twitter amongthe top five sources for traffic to its website.

And social media is also serving the company’snever­ending crisis communication needs,according to the study, published in 2010 inthe International Journal of Communication.The study notes that Monsanto has madeadverse global headlines for its hazardouswaste contamination in America, the cripplingdebt incurred by farmers using patented seedsin India, and other major issues.

"...[O]ne of the chief opportunities Monsantoperceives in new social media is the ability tomove beyond response to promotion,"according to "Monsanto Discovers New SocialMedia." "That is, rather than having tocontinually respond to the latest accusationsby activists or regulatory and policy changes,the company wants to develop a differentdialogue."

The companyobserves thesebenefits despitefarmers, itsprimarycustomers, beingamong the morereluctantprofessional groups to adopt social media inany broad or consistent manner.

Social Strategy for B2B Tech

For your efforts to pay off, tap into yourexisting wealth of content inspiration, whichwill be people more often than products. Andbe strategic in adopting the right channels totalk to current and future clients.

Marketing analytics software providerTrackMaven used their proprietary

platform to analyze the 2015 social mediacontent of over 300 leading B2B brands,including the top of the Fortune Global 500.

According to TrackMaven's "2016 Social MediaImpact Report: B2B Industry Edition," yourlargest audience is likely waiting for you onLinkedIn. The tech exception, computerhardware, finds more followers on Facebook.You'll likely achieve your highest engagementratio, an arguably much more importantmetric than followers, on Instagram. Biotech'sengagement, however, peaks on Facebook.

Biotech and engineering are two of the mosteffective B2B industries in social media."Brands in these industries have bothsubstantial audience growth and high contentengagement on social media, indicatingimpactful social content," says the report.

Biotech, in particular, presents an interestingcase. Biotech B2B brands tend to have a smallaudience size compared to sectors like

professionalservices,computerhardware andpharmaceuticals.But over thecourse of 2015,biotechexperienced

roughly 110% follower growth and anengagement ratio of over 12 averageinteractions per post per 1000 followers.

Both numbers are significantly higher thanmost other sectors studied. Across the B2Blandscape, biotech brands have the mostengaged social media audiences with anaverage engagement ratio of 12.46. Financialservices place a distant second at 9.94.

Once you've adopted the correct platforms, youneed an effective strategy. Microsoft's socialmedia paints a visual, and sometimes

"Biotech and engineering aretwo of the most effective B2Bindustries in social media."

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emotional, picture of the company's work atthe intersection of humanity and technology.

The company mines its existing charitysupport, user victories and human resourcesfor inspiration. The resulting posts appeal to abroad base of social media users whilefulfilling brand goals. Let's look at examples.

Leverage Your Giving

Effective social media relies heavily on visuals,something many tech companies findchallenging. Microsoft's social platformshighlight the company's charitable support forprograms that produce visuals well­suited tothe format's norms.

The company supplied mountainclimbers with technological aids for their

trek. Gorgeous panoramas resulted, and thecorporate Facebook account broadcast theseimages to the world.

During the 2016 Olympics, Microsofthighlighted its crowdfunding site for

youth sports programs in Brazil. Even in themost technical industries, kids, animals andvintage photos are always a win.

Promote your Customers

Microsoft profiles users who do interestingthings with their tech. While the companydoesn’t refer to these posts as case studies,they use the same storytelling techniques (seepage 6 for narrative strategy).

At a young age, Ziad Sankari lost hisfather to a heart attack. He has devoted

his career to helping others by creatingmedical technology on the Microsoft Cloud. AFacebook post tells his story.

In another Facebook post, Patrick ‘Duffy’De Armas uses a Microsoft Surface® Pro

3 to create innovative, hot rod­themed designsand installations for Seattle businessesand art lovers.

On Instagram, Microsoft posted avideo still from Lebanese

electronic rock duo Wake Island. Thepost shows how the band usedMicrosoft Kinect® to illustrate thecomplexity of human relationships.

Tell the Story of Staff

Finally, instead of relying entirely onstock photos, Microsoft shows the realhumans behind the company’sinnovations. The company proudlyexpresses support for the employeeLGBT group and includes other humaninterest stories straight from staff.

To promote Bing® and relatedcareer opportunities, a LinkedIn

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post featured summer interns’ behind­the­scenes experience working on the OlympicGames.

Foremotionally

compellingbranding, anInstagram posthighlightsemployee EdSproull’s journeyacross disabilitymanagement andaddictionrecovery to his current role in corporateleadership.

And to show actual Microsoft researchersat work, a Facebook video explains an

emerging technique to store data in DNA.

Go Deep: Long­Form Content

Everyone wants to shorten their sales funnel,particularly the scoping phase, and get on withretaining happy customers. In reality, however,the cycle is growing longer. Long­form contentcan help.

A 2016 B2B marketplace survey byOctopus Group, a content marketing

agency focused on tech, documented increasedconfusion in the buying process. Thisconfusion is driven by competition, so clearand early differentiation of your brand is moreimportant than ever.

"The information gathering stage of the buyingprocess is no longer a quick Google search anda visit to the vendor’s website," according to"Tech Heads 2016: The Sleepless CMO," whichsurveyed 400 B2B buyers and 100 B2Bmarketing directors and CMOs. "Instead, it’s atime­consuming research exercise, with hoursspent digging around for the right products."

But the report also found 70% of decisionmakers to be more likely to work with a vendorthat clearly differentiates itself.

It's clear that, intoday's

competitive, high­informationmarketplace, richcontent drives sales. Aglobal online survey byHubSpot, an inboundmarketing and salessoftware firm, mirrorsthis finding.

"Just 26% of salespeople say prospecting ishard when their lead is very knowledgeableabout the salesperson’s product or services.But when a lead is clueless about what thesalesperson is selling, the task of prospectinggets harder," according to HubSpot's "State ofInbound Report 2016." "Marketers, take note.The best way to help your sales team is toeducate your audience."

As for how to educate, HubSpot found that38% of buyers trust vendor­authored materialswhen looking for information for businesspurchases. Among C­level executives anddirectors, that number rises to 41%.

Your Long­Form Strategy

Valuable formats for in­depth content includeblogs, e­books, speeches, videos, podcasts andapps. Let your audience be your guide. Thispaper discusses two of the more traditionalformats of "into the weeds" content: casestudies and white papers.

When deciding the level of depth to employ fora piece of content, consider where the reader isin the customer journey.

"Marketers, take note.The best way to help your

sales team is to educateyour audience."

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If they’re just getting to know your product,create a one­pager with lots of bullets, visualsand "friendly" white space. Conclude with acall­to­action to move the reader along, andlower the barrier to the next sales funnel step.

If they’re already engaged, however, include ahigher level of detail on implementation, useradoption, immediate and long­term costsavings, or other relevant issues.

That’s the great thing about a content­basedmarketing program: you can make it exactlywhat a particular customer needs.

When deciding between case studies and whitepapers, consider your goals and audience.Primarily, do you need to show an example of asuccessful implementation or to explain aproduct? Are you talking to a specific prospector to all potential users of a product? Inanswering both questions, go for case studiesfor the former and white papers for the latter.

Case studies vary widely in format, but thereare some universal rules. For one, effectivecase studies are narrative in nature. They walkthe reader through the customer's journey ofchallenge, solution and impact. Secondly, forany project you profile, be crystal­clear aboutwhich products, services and integrations wereused.

And finally, it may seem counterintuitive, butdo not make your company, products orservices the hero of the story. The hero is yourcustomer. Your role is to enable theirheroics—the transformation demonstrated bytheir own quotes and the metrics they see asmost relevant to victory.

Let’s take a look at the way Microsoft and itsprofessional B2B implementers use in­depthcontent.

Case Study: RSM

In the first example of a B2B tech casestudy, consultant RSMTM helped

Osmotica Pharmaceuticals expand from drugdevelopment to international manufacturingand distribution, all while nurturing their drugpipeline. RSM accomplished these goals byimplementing Microsoft DynamicsTM AX, anenterprise resource planning platform.

RSM highlights this project with brevity. Justover 200 words and three minutes of videoinclude all the critical narrative elements.Without going into too much depth, RSMdemonstrated the complexity of theproject—Osmotica's challenge wasn't justgrowth.

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"Another concern was regulation andcompliance. They had specific needs aroundthe FDA Validation process on all aspects ofthe implementation, from the RSM hostedserver cluster to the install of the software tothe implementation of each of the functionalareas," according to the case study. "Through aclearly defined implementation methodologyand a tried and tested documentationprocedure, Osmotica is able to meet andexceed all government expectations."

This piece shows audience tailoring. Usejargon your client would use—no need todefine terms, spell out acronyms or use "plainlanguage." But always write with theunderstanding that your reader is a human,not the legacy system you aim to replace.

The content also illustrates multimediaengagement via web publication. Nothing isworth more than accolades straight from themouth of a happy customer, like the one whoappears in this case study's embedded video.

Case Study: Microsoft

Microsoft takes a multimedia approachas well. Through its Customer Success

Stories, the company tells a long list of usernarratives with a browsable brevity.Sometimes Microsoft complements the textwith videos, colorfully designed brochures, andlinks to detailed overviews of the products onwhich the customer relies.

In other case studies, the company takesa deeper approach. For Henry Mayo

Newhall Memorial Hospital, Microsoft goesinto great detail on how Windows Embeddedand other tools tied the hospital’s siloedsystems together and enabled faster access topatient data.

"By using HealthCast and Microsofttechnology to connect multiple devices with

EMR information in a streamlined, centralizedsolution, Henry Mayo is gaining better accessto data, enhancing patient care, saving time,and improving IT manageability," according tothe case study.

Microsoft balances the higher density of thepiece with smart design. Two columns ofnarrative are paired with a third column ofhighly skimmable pull quotes, bulletedinformation and images.

The piece illustrates how a detailed case studycan complement more web­friendly materialson your site, providing an optional "deep dive"for engaged prospects. Pieces like this can alsobe professionally printed for distribution atconferences and launches, as well as left with aprospect after a face­to­face meeting.

White Paper: Box

While case studies tell stories, white papersexplain. You may picture a white paper as athick volume of dry text. But, as with casestudies, white papers can take a very widerange of formats.

Box, a content collaboration platform,created a white paper to feature their

Microsoft integrations. With less than 500words across one well­designed page, thisscrollable piece is basically a text­heavyinfographic.

Per the norm for the infographic format,content is organized into "chunks." At the top,an intro covers all three critical narrativeelements right away. Four subsequent chunksgo into more detail about key product features.

"With deep integrations across Office, Office365, Office Mobile, Office Online and Outlook,easily open, edit, create and save your files inBox to power collaboration with anyone,anywhere, from any device," the paper says.

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At a time when Office products and updatesare generating buzz, the piece capitalizes onthis interest to show how Box seamlesslycomplements Microsoft products with Box'own features for productivity and security.

White Paper: Microsoft

Finally, for proof that a more traditionalexplainer piece still serves as a relevant

tool, see Microsoft's white paper on why clientscan trust Office 365® to fulfill their securityand compliance needs.

"Businesses today need productivity servicesthat help users get more done from virtuallyanywhere while maintaining security in theface of ever­evolving threats," according to thewhite paper. "Office 365 supports both of these

needs at once with a highly secure, cloud­based productivity platform."

This 14­page document includes only onegraphic and one logo. Otherwise, it’scomprised entirely of highly technical text.Descriptive subheads, in a color that contrastswith the body copy, facilitate easy skimming.Sometimes, traditional is just the thing.

Go Forth and Promote

Though this case study focuses on Microsoftand its implementers, we hope you’ve foundsome insights for your own business.

Both social media and long­form contentprovide value in today’s era of stretched­out,complex sales cycles and immediate, mobile­based communications. Both forms of contentmarketing drive success throughout the B2Btech customer lifecycle.

Promotion, sales and retention call forcontinual investment. Not only do you needdistinct content to reach specific customerpersona profiles, but also to speak to the samecustomer at different stages in their journey.

Your audience will guide decisions on howmuch staff time and budget to devote to long­form versus social media content. Industryresearch should inform your decision aboutformats and platforms. Having a partner who’sexperienced in telling your industry’s story canalso be a major benefit in navigating your path.

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www.modelcontent.coinfo@modelcontent.co504.300.9943

* Model Content is not associatedwith or sponsored by Microsoft® orother companies mentioned.