How can you write content about my industry when you don’t know my industry?
26th February 2015
If we had a pound for every time we’d been asked that question….
Nobody knows your business better than those that work within it. So nobody is better suited for writing great content on its behalf, right? Not necessarily…
Knowing a subject matter is one thing. Knowing how to relay that subject matter in a way that’s both informative and engaging to a target audience is another thing entirely. It requires a specific skillset that’s developed, honed and refined with years of practice.
Enter the content marketers: a team of highly experienced copywriters that combine years of writing experience with a commercial acumen. They ensure that communications with your target audience are accurate, relevant and, most importantly, encourage the reader to act – whether that act is signing up to receive further content from your business or picking up the phone to arrange a demo of your product. Content marketers ensure that content isn’t created for content’s sake; it’s created to incite action and get results.
Of course, some initial input of those within your business may be required; your technical/finance/sales execs may provide a content marketing team with the bare bones of what they’d like to communicate – but it is the content team’s job to bring that information to life. Taking that raw data, that key information and transforming it into digestible, interesting and genuinely useful content is what sets your comms apart from the swathes of information that’s out there. What content marketers can do that businesses sometimes can’t is put the reader first; they understand what’s important to the reader and his/her classic ‘what’s in it for me?’ mentality.
So, how is content written about your industry?
It’s no magic trick. Quality content marketers – and they’re the ones you ought to seek out – will take the time to understand your business and its target audience. Becoming an extension of your own team, they’ll identify what makes your target tick and use that information to develop content that hits the mark. When partnering with a content marketer, be sure to look out for the following:
- They request an initial brainstorming session to get to know your business – But this doesn’t mean that you’ll have to spend days and days educating them; content marketers know the right questions to ask to ensure they get the right information from you first time.
- They conduct their own research – Guaranteeing an ample technical knowledge, quality content marketers will take the time to dig a little deeper and learn more about your industry. Will they know every detail in the way that you do? Probably not. But what they will know is the information that’s important to your potential customers. Their distance from the business is actually a bonus as it allows them to objectively assess what information is useful to a customer, without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail.
- They have relevant experience. This doesn’t mean they need to have written about expense management software for enterprises before (if that’s your product) but generally for a SaaS business they have B2B experience with technical companies. There are differences between marketing enterprise software and a beauty product for teenagers! Quality content marketers don’t need to be a whizz in every industry – but what they do need is the ability to extract and present information that will highlight the best parts of that industry. Ask to see their portfolio of work and look at how they’re able to market different products and services with the same level of accuracy and engagement.
Content marketing support is not a luxury or a nice-to-have. Just as you wouldn’t expect your IT guys to jump on the phone and close a lead, you can’t expect your tech or sales teams to produce quality comms that resonate and engage your target audience. Marketing is a key function that supports many elements of your business; be sure to make the right investment in it.
Content marketing with Xander Marketing
We’ve been working at it for years so we know how to create high quality content quickly. If you require help with generating great original content that gets people clicking call Xander Marketing today on +44 (0)330 223 2770 and find out how we can help, or request a free 30 minute marketing consultation.
