Content marketing topics and how to determine them?

You probably already have a very clear idea of who you are writing for, so now you just to have find out what your target audience really wants to know. What problems do they encounter, what are they worrying about and what information are they looking for? A good way to better understand your target group is to create buyer personas, which will give you valuable insights into their wishes, needs and challenges.

A well-established buyer persona is based on qualitative research and data from existing customers. Possible resources could be interviews with customers, search terms data from your website, data from Google Trends and Google Analytics, knowledge and insights from your sales team, and frequently asked questions gathered by your customer service department. You will probably soon discover that each phase of the customer journey has different information needs and you will need multiple buyer personas to identify your target group fully. However, don’t overwhelm yourself; start with just one or two clearly defined personas, especially if this is your first attempt at B2B content marketing.

How can you create content that is of value to your target audience? It is unlikely that you will be able to solve all their problems, but it isn’t necessary either. Determine your strengths and identify which problems you can solve or which questions you can answer with your content. That way, you set yourself apart and make a real difference within your market niche.

Initially, you determine your subjects from the target group’s point of view, but you should also consider keywords based on which you want to be found. Maybe you can even tap into a new target group with these topics – one that you had not thought about before!

Focusing on your own strengths is an important aspect of online marketing, but it is wise to keep an eye on the competition too. Thorough keyword research using, for example, a tool like MOZ shows possible opportunities and where the competition already has a strong position. Maybe you will find possible gaps in your niche that you can fill. Or are you able to create a much better whitepaper than the one your competitor published? Find out what your competitors are doing, what their strengths are, and how you can respond. But make sure you don’t just copy them; focus on your particular strengths and create relevant and valuable content of your own!

Keep the end goal in mind
In order to create successful content, it is important to always keep your end goal in mind. For what reason are you creating your content? And what do you expect to achieve with it? With those questions in mind you will make the right choices in terms of subjects, content formats and distribution.

Work with a content calendar
When will you create and publish certain content on your website and other additional channels? A content calendar provides a clear overview and guidance throughout the process. Again, it is important to think from your target group’s point of view. Which moments are logical and when are they looking for certain information?

Using existing content
Do you already have a good foundation of content, but are there certain keywords that could perform better? Use that content and repackage it into new formats and types, with those keywords as the main focus!

Do you want to know more about content marketing? Ask your questions to one of our marketing advisors via the contact form or check our content marketing page.