The content opportunity: how B2B tech brands are building value and maximising impact
Over the last year we have seen a huge amount of change and evolution in the content space – namely driven by the adoption of AI with the explosion of ChatGPT and other contenders like Gemini (what was Google’s Bard). This has brought with it a whole host of complexities to navigate – appropriate and transparency of usage, an ethical approach and maintaining quality and authenticity. On the flip side, AI has also proven to be a catalyst in a content generation boom, bringing with it a wealth of opportunities for efficiency and creativity in marketing and comms.
At Tyto, operating at the intersection of clients and the media, we are all too aware of how the media landscape is evolving in relation to content. Cision recently published its annual State of the Media report and highlighted what journalists are looking for from PR professionals when it comes to content: “Understand my audience and what they find relevant.” Nothing new here, but the report revealed the drivers behind that, and the key indicators publications use to measure success of the content. Right up there are readership figures but second is engagement, from time spent on web pages through to newsletter sign ups, underscoring the need for content that is relevant and keeps readers reading.
Marketers and comms professionals today are operating in challenging times with squeezed budgets, the need to do more with less, and the need to address a far longer, more populated sales funnel – Gartner recently found the average number of decision makers in a B2B buyer journey has increased to at least 15. The point of needing relevant content that we see the media calling for is vital to the success of fully integrated campaigns too, and how marketers create impact across paid, earned, shared and owned media.
The need for multi-purpose, cross-channel and hard-working content is needed now more than ever in the campaigns that we build. Taking an integrated approach, where content is maximised across channels, is vital to ensure key messages are translated, amplified, and resonate as effectively as possible.
It has been over a year since we launched Tyto’s Content Studio which helps tech marketing and comms leaders find and share their stories across Europe, growing their business with content that resonates across channels. Client demand is increasing all the time for the Content Studio’s expertise, and we are seeing some common trends regarding how to utilise content.
Create impact that lasts
We work with clients to build campaigns that yield results and generate impact beyond earned media and beyond an activity peak. That might be taking advantage of a tradeshow presence to generate videos that will live on long after the event itself, or creating campaigns with a data-driven research report at the heart of it that can inform a series of blogs and thought leadership for the next six months. We approach every campaign with a keen eye that considers media, thought leadership, demand gen and sales engagement and how we can create lasting impact in all these areas. Our team collaborates with clients on the creative process, defining the narrative and what the story is that will resonate with target customers and work best across channels. A data-driven approach is so embedded in the way we work that it is difficult to count the number of reports we have created recently for our clients and leveraged across channels, but these are just a few examples: the 2024 Remote Influencer Report, the ultimate guide to the most inspiring and influential thought leaders in the world of remote work, and a Snowflake report on the current state of Industrial IoT in the DACH region.
Let the customers do the talking
We all know how valuable customer advocacy is – it’s gold dust! B2B decision makers today want to connect emotionally with the brands they are considering. As a result, more B2B brands are becoming their own publishers and see the value of owned content. The human stories that customers can tell bring the experience and benefit that they have gathered to life – a great example of this is the work we have been doing for one of our clients, ActiveOps, on a podcast series named ‘Ops Game Changers’ as well as generating a series of video customer case studies: MORE Stories. This is powerful when speaking to media too, giving credibility to your pitches.
Maximise global reach through social
B2B brands historically might have gotten a reputation as being light-touch when it comes to social media, seeing it as a ‘nice-to-have’ in their wider marketing arsenal. Today, that is far from the case. Social media – especially LinkedIn – is vital in B2B marketing and sales. It complements multi-market PR success too – got a fantastic piece in a top French title? Rather than let that third-party advocacy go to waste and just be seen by a French audience of that specific title, we’re helping brands amplify successful PR storytelling on social. We’re trusted by clients to make their social channels – both brand profiles and leader profiles – work harder and maximise return on campaigns. One of the most prominent examples of this is the learning and development company, EZRA, for whom we manage social media and influencer engagement.
If you’d like to speak to us about how to maximise your content or build a content-led brand that will make a difference to your business growth, get in touch and we will help you achieve maximum impact across all channels and markets.
