To attract customers, supply chain and logistics companies must do more than simply ensure the smooth operations of all aspects of their service.
They must embrace content marketing.
Most other companies have. 88 percent of B2B marketers in North America already use content marketing to generate leads, and 75 percent of companies are increasing investment in content marketing. With the right content hub, a supply chain logistics can be a valuable resource where customers can learn more about your process and find answers to all their burning questions.
More than that, content marketing can differentiate your brand from the rest. Besides educating customers, putting a human personality in front of a faceless business will also increase trust and awareness among potential customers. And that’s just good for business.
Here are six content marketing tips for supply chain and logistics companies:
1. Share Your Brand Story.
One of the best ways to separate your brand from the others is to show that you’re more than your product or service. Your brand is your company history—how it came to be, its vision, mission, and culture. If there’s a story about how your company saw a method of streamlining shipping processes no one else thought of, then tell that story. Explain that process and make it clear and visible for your audience.
Speaking of whom, be specific about who your audience is in your story. Are they the people involved in gathering raw materials? Are they in manufacturing? E-commerce? Have a clear goal in mind when it comes to who you’re trying to reach, and make sure that goal—and your story—is reflected in your logo, color scheme, and even the font used on your website. It all comes back to your brand story.
2. Give Livestreaming Video a Go.
One way to stand out from the pack is to embrace live video. That might be weird to say, at a time when even New Jersey senators are can be seen playing Pac-Man on Twitch, but how many supply chain logistics companies can you name with a consistent live video presence? There aren’t many but considering 82 percent of all global Internet traffic will be video traffic by 2021, now is the time to start implementing a video plan.
It doesn’t have to be a big-budget affair at first. Most smartphones now have terrific audio and video capabilities, which can work well for a quick office or facility tour—and interestingly enough, video that’s not overproduced will serve to humanize your company. At the same time, you don’t want to appear amateurish, so investing in proper video equipment should be on your to-do list down the line. Promote your services, interview employees about what it’s like to work in logistics and be relaxed about it. And don’t forget to incentivize your employees and clients to share it.
3. Give Podcasting a Shot.
Interestingly, 64 percent of B2B buyers call podcasts their preferred content form in the early stages of the buying process, according to Demand Gen’s 2018 Content Preferences Survey Report. It doesn’t matter how long they are, either, with buyers reporting they listen to podcasts for 20 minutes or more.
This preference for podcasts actually makes a lot of sense. Everyone always has a mobile device on them, complete with earbuds and downtime to spare. Business travelers can listen to podcasts while they’re boarding planes, in cabs, or waiting for appointments. It’s the perfect way to listen to an informative conversation, and a terrific tactic for boosting brand awareness. Just ask GE, which celebrated 8 million downloads for its podcast efforts last year.
4. Transform Website Pages into Landing Pages.
Not every page on your website is designed to collect customer information, but most of them should include a strong call-to-action, especially the pages that detail your services. In your pages about freight and inventory, include forms where customers can sign up for more information via your email newsletters. In your page about customer service, make your Contact Us and email forms as prominent as possible. In your page detailing costs, include a phone number that customers can call. Give your visitors as many chances as possible to engage with you, and you’ll significantly increase conversions and lead gen from your website.
5. Leverage Social Media Channels.
69 percent of millennial buyers are more likely to find your content—and speak with a sales professional—when they see your brand has a solid social media presence. If you have a variety of content to share—well, then, share it! Sharing content on LinkedIn is important, because that’s where your buyers are and readers can easily browse a timeline of your content. Twitter is great for facilitating conversations around niche topics.
Post consistently so visitors come back and your marketing and sales team can start conversations and begin answering questions. And don’t forget the imporance of content curation. Especially in B2B industries, there’s always relevant news coming out about new legislation or industry trends that can be leveraged to build thought leadership for your brand.
When you form a community on social media, you’re creating a trusting atmosphere and building confidence in your brand and your services with both new and existing customers..
6. Put a Dedicated Team in Charge.
Content marketing in the B2B space requires more than just someone to create content and someone to push it out – it requires someone (or a team of someones) to be held accountable. Content marketing is a long game, and it takes a lot of planning and hard work to pull off. It’s challenging to pull off with a team – it’s near impossible to pull off with one person.
With a full content marketing team, you can have proper editorial management—someone to edit, someone to write, and someone to deliver content when it’s needed. With a team, you can create the proper processes for SEO and keyword research. You have a dedicated person to handle content distribution through social channels who can leverage content to build community. And someone else who can leverage branded content to get media coverage and raise brand awareness.
Supply chain and logistics companies aren’t always the first in line when it comes to engaging and thought-provoking marketing campaigns, but with the right processes, the right strategy, and the right team, it can be done. For more content marketing tips, drop us a line below.