You’ve got a revolutionary technology product or platform. And you know your blog is a fantastic vehicle for spreading the word—after all, 95% of tech brands use some form of content marketing. But even though you’ve been posting what seems to be informative, well-researched, and useful content, you’re not getting the traction you seek. What gives?
Taking a page from a storytelling master
Back in the 1900’s, Charles Dickens popularized a whole new form of literature: the serial novel. Rather than publishing a book in full, he would release his now-famous stories, from The Pickwick Papers to Great Expectations, in installments through All the Year Round, a journal he himself founded and ran. The strategy was brilliant: By breaking down his tales into bite-sized pieces over time, he was able to keep his audience engaged, grow his readership, and earn more money.
You can do the same with your technology blog. Rather than treating it like a collection of posts on related themes or topics (like a magazine), think about it as a series of story installments that are progressively adding up to an ending where your reader (the hero) wins with the help of your tech. Here are a few ways you can do that:
Tap into the news cycle
Sometimes when we put on our marketing hats we forget that it’s a great big world out there—and very few people are thinking about our products in their daily lives. That’s why one of the most powerful ways to make your content relevant is to break out of the bubble—and tie it into current events. If you’re in the life sciences industry and the FDA passes a new regulatory update, write a post on it. If you’re in HR and the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases new stats on the gig economy, share a relevant thought piece. In other words, use news as fodder for conversation, just as you would when talking with a friend. Doing this over time helps your prospects see how your product fits into the larger picture.
Become a fan favorite
Why do readers return to their favorite stories time and again? A character they’re rooting for, a message that hits home, an inspiring mission, an incomparable voice. For example, people know that Apple equals innovation. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed since they last read a post or saw an ad from them—when they tune back in, they know what they’ll find.
Brand consistency inspires consumer loyalty. For instance, I don’t need to read The Atlantic every single day to know that their pieces are insightful, credible, and thought-provoking. They’ve laid the groundwork and earned my trust, which keeps me coming back without hesitation. Same with a company like McKinsey. That credibility and reliability is invaluable. Consider it the mission of your tech blog to become a permanent fixture in your reader’s brain—giving them an ongoing narrative they can plug into anytime, anywhere, to put themselves on the path to success.
Illustrate how your reader wins the day
Yes, your tech makes your users’ lives easier. But the best B2B tech marketing goes one step further to show your target audience how their customers wind up happier, more successful, or better off in the long run.
For example, if you create a software platform that helps doctors analyze tumors more efficiently and effectively, that’s great for helping them save time and do a better job. But don’t forget to talk about the patient themselves—because in most cases, there’s a human being beyond the person you are talking to who will benefit from your tech. Make it clear how that’s so—and give your reader the winning vision they need to choose your product.
Case Study: FinTech
A fintech platform that simplifies small business lending for banks approached MarketSmiths for help with their blog strategy. Despite posting intelligent, information-rich, and well-researched content, they weren’t getting the traction they’d hoped for. Our diagnosis? The content, despite its robustness, was not telling a clear, cohesive story about how the small business lending landscape was changing—and how our client’s platform empowered banks to capitalize on a lucrative new revenue stream and win the day.
So we changed directions. We pivoted from long, academic posts to short, punchy bursts of insight. We tapped into the news cycle to make the brand’s message more relevant and timely. We shed fresh light on the evolving day-to-day reality of small business owners. Readership saw a major uptick, sales reps were consistently armed with fresh, shareable material, and emails like this one began arriving in our inbox: “This blog post helped us book a meeting with a $2 million bank in Missouri.” All because the new content direction pivoted and was now inviting readers to star in a story of industry change.
The main point here is that your prospects are not buying a product. They are buying a story. And when it comes to technology, that story is almost always about change. Recognize this, harness it, and build it into your blog strategy, and not only will you see an uptick in readers by making yourself relevant—but you’ll see an uptick in sales because you’ve made it clear how your technology offers a way to win in our ever-changing world. Need a hand making it all happen on time and on budget? Get in touch.
