Happy Wednesday, Dear Reader! It’s Matt here, from MessageUp.
I’m delighted to report that last week’s presentation to an IT crowd was a success. It’s always gratifying to see heads nodding during the talk—in approval, not slumber!—and find oneself immersed in follow-on conversation for a solid hour afterwards.
Want to know what we discussed? It was all about how content marketing has become mission critical for B2B companies, and the important role a B2B CEO plays in making content marketing a priority for their team. Send me a message if you’d like to set up a session for your group or company.
Alright, enough of the gratuitous self-promotion. That isn’t even where I was going with the “magnetic” headline…
Have you noticed how successful businesses seem to have no trouble attracting customers, employees, or investors? You might think it’s because their product or service is vastly superior to the competition but in many cases that’s not true. Businesses with equivalent—or even arguably inferior—solutions are making this happen. So, what’s going on?
Frequently, we’re attracted to the purpose behind the business and the mission it is pursuing. We feel an emotional connection that heavily influences our decision to buy from them, work for them, or make an investment.
Why doesn’t every business develop this level of magnetism? Well, for starters, it requires hard work.
In this week’s post on The Framework blog, I explore Six Ways to Bring Purpose and Mission into Your B2B Content. These steps will help you to understand, explain, and showcase the why, how, and what of your business in ways that your target audience finds uber-appealing.
Elsewhere on the web, we’ve found some valuable nuggets to share on: writing content for the market, the buyer, and the bots; content marketing’s importance to B2B startups; predictions for B2B marketing trends in 2023; and, managing effective Google Ads like a pro. Scroll down to What We’ve Been Reading to find brief summaries and the URLs.
And for this week’s One Step actionable tip, I’ve laid out a 5-minute drill you can use each workday morning to set yourself up for a purpose- and mission-driven day. You might be surprised how quickly this becomes a valuable habit.
Have a great week. I’ll see you back here next Wednesday for more B2B content marketing fun!
~ Matt
o/b/o Team MessageUp
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Our Latest Posts on The Framework Blog
Jan 25, 2023 - Six Ways to Bring Purpose and Mission into Your B2B Content
Jan 18, 2023 - Taking Down the Decorations - The Impact of Branding on B2B Content Marketing
What We’ve Been Reading
Here are some articles we’ve been reading this week that you might enjoy and find helpful:
Balancing the Art and Science of B2B Tech Communications
Writing for Forbes Agency Council, Bryan Scanlon, Founder of Look Left Marketing, discusses the perils of writing for—and like—a machine in today's algorithm-driven world. He explains how to balance writing for the market, the buyer, and the bots by combining problem-solving with a dash of creativity.
Why Content Strategy is Vital for Your B2B Startup’s Long-term Growth
Too many leaders believe content marketing is only for established companies. Here, Alessandro Ravanetti at e27 explains why content plays a vital role in lead generation, especially for B2B startups, and should be considered a long-term investment.
5 Predictions for B2B Marketing in 2023
Listicles with titles like this are a-dime-a-dozen at this time of year. However, this piece by Becky Schilling at Insider Intelligence contains more profound insights than most. Pay particular attention to her views on digital self-service dominating the B2B buyer journey, marketers owning the full customer life cycle, and the importance of personalized content.
How to Create B2B Google Ads Campaigns that Nurture and Convert Customers
B2B content marketers regularly direct some of their ad spend to Google Ads because of its potential for quick returns. However, as Adriana Stein at Search Engine Journal explains, that's only going to happen if you have the right strategy in place. Her comprehensive piece explains how to develop and manage effective Google Ads like a pro.
One Step…
Continuing this week’s theme of bringing purpose and mission into your content, here’s a 5-minute drill that supports step number 6 described in this week’s blog post: Embed purpose and mission in your day-to-day operations.
To develop a new habit takes weeks of diligent practice. Try following these steps at the beginning of each work day—or last thing before you shut down for the evening, if that’s when you prefer to do your next-day planning.
First, remind yourself of the company’s purpose and mission*.
Then, pull out your list of objectives for the day and ask yourself:
Which of these tasks contribute directly to the company’s mission? Am I giving them high enough priority?
Do any of these tasks deviate from the company’s purpose? If so, how might I approach them differently or remove them from my plate?
How might I challenge conventional thinking or take a different approach that places achieving our mission above checking boxes or maximizing profits?
Who will I meet today that I can choose to remind about our purpose and mission or help better understand their importance and impact?
Some days are filled with drudgery and low-impact tasks. Give yourself permission to grind through them, clearing the decks for more impactful work. Or, decide which ones you can deprioritize and replace with a more mission-driven activity.
* If your company hasn’t yet clearly defined its purpose and/or mission, start a conversation with the people who can make that happen. Drop me a line if your team needs help with this vital task.
Until Next Time
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