CONTENT IS KING

Want to make your customers happy? Stop selling for a minute and give them something to read. It can be detailed product information or even jokes. But it may be time to learn what other b-to-b merchants already know: that content is king.

Take Carhartt, a manufacturer of clothing for field and construction workers. Visitors to the firm's Website can learn about the flame-resistant clothing worn in the oil, gas and utility industries.

That includes tips on how to care for the garments and data on government standards. Customers can even download videos.

What's the point?

“There are other retailers offering similar things,” says e-commerce director Thadd Tucker. “We look at content as a way to sell the brand and image.”

Then there's Lab Safety Supply, a seller of industrial and safety products. The firm's Website details how products like cut-resistant gloves comply with standards.

Is this right for you?

“I can't think of a company where providing content isn't a good idea,” says Terry Jukes, CEO of consulting firm B2B Direct Marketing Intelligence.

That's because b-to-b customers are on the market for knowledge as much as they are for widgets. And suppliers perform a training function in many organizations.

Not everyone agrees.

Content “costs money and doesn't drive sales for us,” says Hy Schwartz, vice president of sales and marketing for S&S Worldwide.

S&S markets non-technical educational supplies — there's no need for technical information. Customers want “quality service and products at a good price,” Schwartz adds.

Content can be a “value-add service,” that helps customers solve problems, says John Favalo, managing partner, group B2B, with Eric Mower and Associates.

Or it can show them that a purchase complies with regulations — a critical factor for people working in the public sector, says Mark Amtower of Amtower & Co., a consulting firm that helps firms federal government. That by itself is good content.

E-zines

Websites aren't the only vehicle for delivering content-many b-to-b marketers send regular e-mail newsletters.

“By offering potential customers a free subscription to your e-zine, you can capture their e-mail address and add them to your online database,” writes copy expert Robert W. Bly in “The White Paper Marketing Handbook (Racom Communications and Thompson, 2006). “You can then market to these prospects, also at no cost.

What can you put in the e-letter? Tips, how-to articles, previews and case histories about customers.

Firms operating in multiple channels can even build content databases containing hundreds of articles. These will provide “the bulk of the material for a wide variety of newsletters,” says David Fish, CEO of IMN.

Those e-zines can be personalized with material from local offices or stores. And the metrics they provide can help in targeting.

If a person clicks through to an article on office copiers, for example, it's safe to assume that they're on the market for one.

Can you sell in e-mail newsletters?

Sure, although it's generally not wise to do a hard sell. Above all, clearly separate content from advertising.

“Whether you are generating leads or direct sales, there are two ways to sell your products and services to your e-zine subscribers,” Bly writes. “One is to place small online ads in the regular issues of your e-zine. These ads are usually a hundred words or so in length, and include a link to a page on your site where the subscriber can read about and order the product. Or you can send standalone e-mail messages to your subscribers, again promoting a specific product and with a link to your site.”

Quality control

Let's say you've decided to start a newsletter. Don't think you can serve up any old slop. The information must be relevant.

For example, a firm that provides posters and information on Federal and state labor laws could run an article on changes in the minimum wage, Amtower says. Most customers need to know this.

Make sure the content is appropriate. There's no need to offer general new — that's what trade publications are for.

And stay focused, Favalo urges. A story about corporate network security shouldn't instruct consumers on how to protect their personal information online.