From some point on, many companies post content on their blogs and share it through SNS such as Facebook.
In the midst of this, it is noteworthy that more and more companies are operating separate media organizations. Large companies such as Samsung Electronics are providing high-quality content beyond simple press releases through their own newsrooms, and the evaluation is good.
The B2B SaaS version is no exception.
Salesforce, a B2B SaaS pioneer, opened a video streaming service such as Netflix under the brand Salesforce Plus, and HubSpot, which provides cloud-based CRM and marketing automation tools, acquired a company that operates podcast and newsletter services.
In the case of Shopify, which provides e-commerce solutions, it introduced Shopify Studio, a media organization, in 2019, and produced an I Quit show dealing with discovery channels and founders. It was a program about founders who quit their jobs to start a startup.
Content, increasingly revolves around customer connectivity strategies
Companies owning media is a common scene both at home and abroad. There are also many media companies whose owners are certain companies. However, it is worth noting that companies like Salesforce and Hubspot are investing in media with the goal of B2B marketing.
Salesforce’s opening of Salesforce Plus is part of its marketing strategy to secure customers through its own media.
Content has also been placed in a way that will help corporate http://54.254.57.212/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/twx33i9v6eu-1.jpgs. In addition to on-demand content, live event broadcasting is also possible. According to Axios reports, Salesforce also set up its own editing team consisting of plaintiff writers and broadcast producers while preparing for Salesforce Plus. According to TechCrunch’s article, Salesforce has also built a Hollywood-style studio to produce interesting content.
In the case of Hubspot, it has entered its own media operation through mergers and acquisitions (M&A). HubSpot invested $27 million last year and acquired The Hustle, which provides newsletter and podcast content. Hussle was integrated into Hubspot after running The Trend and podcast programs, a free newsletter with 1.5 million subscribers.
The contents that companies post on websites and blogs are honest and not very interesting.
Media provided by companies such as Salesforce and Hubspot may also be considered quite hard to handle business content, but it is not.
Although corporate customers are targeted, content quality is close to the level provided by existing media. High-quality production is mixed with entertainment elements.
In other words, it will create content at a level that is not a waste of time by itself and use it to reach customers.
According to TechCrunch reports, according to Hubspot CMO Kip Boardnar, the company is trying to use media to reach customers, not to attract customers to its website. It is explained that it wants to be a space that serves to inspire and educate customers through the media.
Salesforce wants to break the stereotype that B2B marketing is boring through Salesforce Plus.
Content such as promotion and advertising cannot connect with customers
Looking at the way Salesforce or Hubspot approaches the media, the focus is on creating content that is meaningful and helpful to viewers. It is not promotional content, but a strategy to secure a connection by providing content that may appeal to current or potential customers. According to TechCrunch, Brent Leary, founder and chief analyst of CRM Essentials, emphasized, “The key is to produce content that doesn’t feel like you’re watching advertisements for companies that made the content.” In other words, it is highly likely that the content created to promote the product will not work.
There are two main ways for companies to strengthen their contacts with customers through media. It is to build on its own or take over external media channels.
At this point, you can ask, “Do companies need to hire dozens of people to do media?” Some people may want to ask, “Isn’t it overspending that Hubspot bought Hustle for $27 million?”
In response, Robus Ross, founder, and chief analyst at The Content Advisor, a company that helps companies set up content organizations, commented on the acquisition of Hubspot’s Hustle at TechCrunch, “It may seem like a considerable investment, but it is not compared to the typical corporate marketing budget. “It’s a low-risk bet,” he said. “Moving to evolved media provides a way to connect directly with customers and potential customers,” he said. “Companies are willing to pay for it.”
As I talk to corporate marketers, interest in marketing using content seems to be growing even among domestic companies. There are also many small and medium-sized companies that are working hard to create meaningful content with not much budget and manpower.
However, in terms of investment in content, it is often thought that there is still a long way to go. This is especially true of the management’s mind. Rumor has it that there are many superiors who think they can quickly create content and waste money.
In this environment, it will be difficult for content to come out that helps reach customers. You can often see companies that create blogs and plaster them with press releases, even product information close to catalogs, and the mindset of executives who deal with content may have affected this.
Even if you don’t invest in manpower and money at the same level as Salesforce or Hubspot, there is a way for B2B SaaS companies to communicate with customers with content. There will be an answer to the process of trying to find out what the customer wants to know, not what they want to know.
#SaaS # #B2BSaaS #SaaSTrend #B2BSaaSCompanyAnalysis #B2BSaaSIndustrial Trends #SalesForSales #Hubspot #Shopify #SaaSMarketing #ContentMarketing #B2BMarketing
by Sasquachi
