September 19, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How To Create Customer-First Content For Tech Companies

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September 19, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How To Create Customer-First Content For Tech Companies
September 21, 2022
by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment
Most technology companies have a content problem.
Despite a potential wealth of engaging customer stories and meaningful ways that the technology is helping humans, tech company content is often filled with jargon, overfocuses on the tech itself, and is simply boring. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this #ContentChat recap, Lakshmi Padmanaban ( @Lakshmi_Writes ), an engineer-turned-writer who specializes in long-form B2B content, and the community explain how to create customer-first content for tech companies. Read the full recap below to learn:
Common reasons that tech company content fails to resonate with readers
How to amplify your customer voice in an authentic way
Ways to turn tech-heavy announcements into engaging content
Q1: What makes so much tech company content irrelevant, inaccessible, or simply boring? Share your least-favorite and too common worst practices and pitfalls.
There are many reasons that people do not like tech company content. For starters, B2B tech company content often focuses on the product and product features, not the customer’s needs…
A1: Content marketing needs to be about your community, not your product. This is why too often, I see #B2B tech startup content that isn’t getting results. You need to be useful and show you understand your customer’s needs BEFORE talking about product features. #ContentChat https://t.co/DUneUYDovg
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) September 19, 2022
And tries to drive a sale without providing value to the reader.
A1. Tech company content can often be very salesy without making it engaging. #Contentchat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) September 19, 2022
Q2: What audience or persona details are helpful to know when crafting customer-focused content?
To craft customer-focused content, content marketers should understand the customer journey for each level of customer, and the associated touchpoints across that journey…
A2: Much like the different stages of marketing, there are different levels of customers, from a new techie to an experienced CTO in the decision process. So it’s important to know the different touchpoints of these customer persona as we climb the marketing funnel. #ContentChat
— Lakshmi Padmanaban (@Lakshmi_writes) September 19, 2022
The pain points (or points of possibility ) that your solution can address…
A2. Know what struggles your target user deals with regularly.
Knowing your persona’s pain points help you understand how your product can help solve those specific pain points.
In turn, this helps you create content that resonates with its readers #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 19, 2022
Community groups can be valuable for potential tech buyers to source recommendations and discuss options, including Facebook and Slack groups.
Community groups definitely have an impact as well. Business owners will share their recommended products or services in FB or Slack groups in an informal way. Ex: Someone will ask for a good project mgmt software and get crowdsourced recs. #ContentChat
— Melissa Chiou (@melissaC_says) September 19, 2022
White papers and case studies are helpful, especially for providing in-depth details and bringing customer stories to life. Slide decks, however, are not preferred.
A3: Definitely NOT a slide deck. Most tech startups are really BAD at these.
For an established technology company, I really enjoy reading their white papers on various topics. Case studies are helpful too. #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) September 19, 2022
Comparison blogs are helpful for buyers that are considering replacing an existing solution.
This is a good question! I’ve found comparison blogs helpful, for when I’m considering replacing an app with a new one that just got released. If it’s well written it shows me they’re aware of existing market needs. And always – testimonials. Real ones. A3 #ContentChat
— Rochelle Sanchez (she/her) (@RochelleSanch) September 19, 2022
And help your primary persona(s) get the necessary buy-in and budget approval.
A3. In addition to content targeted to your primary persona(s), create content they can use to get buy-in & budget approval. For example, some of the DAM vendors I recently researched provided shareable business case content. #ContentChat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) September 19, 2022
Provide clear success metrics that address the human element of your product.
A4: Success metrics are especially helpful! How does your technology save people time or money, or help them avoid frustration? How does that enable them to provide an even better experience to their customers? #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) September 19, 2022
Q5: What should a customer-first landing page include to appeal to your customers’ needs and convince them to trade their data for your content?
Landing pages should put the reader’s needs front-and-center. Explain how the solution addresses their common pain points, show how it can help, and back up your claims with numbers and proof points.
A5:
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 19, 2022
Q7: What tools do you use or practices do you follow to understand your audience’s needs and their potential content interests?
Metrics like email open and response rates, reading time, and bounce rates can help you understand what content resonates with your buyers.
A7: I use the metrics I can get my hands-on like email open and response rates, reading time, bounce rates, etc. And the most important for me are repeat customers and referrals. They’ll let you know why people come back and bring more people with them. #ContentChat
— Lakshmi Padmanaban (@Lakshmi_writes) September 19, 2022
Directly connect with your ideal buyers to understand their needs. Set up 1:1 coffee chats, send DMs, and experiment with polls or surveys.
1:1 coffee chats and DMs, mostly. I would love to say “polls” but I don’t get good feedback from them. I think I’m just not a good poll maker!  #ContentChat
— Rochelle Sanchez (she/her) (@RochelleSanch) September 19, 2022
Q8: How can you make the case for change in tech startups that take an “ask forgiveness, not permission” POV on customer name use and email opt-ins?
Always get explicit permission from your customers for you to contact them. Ideally, you should enable them to share how often they’d like to hear from your brand and in what capacity.
A8: It’s absolutely horrendous that some use the customer info without their permission, or even, hide the permission in lengthy drones of content hoping that the person would click without reading the entire thing.
They’re the ones to lose out on customers fast.