3 “boring industry” B2B content ideas that aren’t boring

A lot of B2B companies in boring industries are intimidated by content marketing or just skip it all together. So what you’re not writing about the newest tech gadget that appeals to the mass market? Your content might not matter to most of them, but it does matter to some—your customers and your potential customers.

Realizing that people do care about your industry is only the first step. When I started working on a “boring industry” client last year, I started thinking of ways to shake things up in the healthcare furniture manufacturing industry. We didn’t just want content that would drive more website traffic and social actions. We wanted real leads—to create content good enough that people would eagerly hand over their contact information in exchange for it.

Here are 3 B2B content ideas and examples from my time working with that client that I found gave us the best traction:

Take a stance on an industry issue or hot topic.

Even the most boring industries experience a little drama from time to time.  In my client’s case, their industry was suddenly questioning the safety of the chemicals found in the once sought-after flame retardant fabrics many manufacturers use.

Other manufacturers weren’t touching the subject. We chose to get in front of the issue, educating our audience with unbiased information and reassuring them of the company’s commitment to assisting customers in their efforts to limit undesirable chemicals in the products they chose to order.

Taking a stance on a hot issue is a great way to demonstrate your expertise while capitalizing on a trending topic that is naturally more likely to garner attention.

Tell a story.

We all know that being overly self-promotional is the fastest way to make people gloss over your content. My client was pushing out new products all the time and at that frequency, even engaged buyers won’t pay attention to it all. We needed to come up with more creative ways to introduce new products.

With an increasing emphasis on improving mental healthcare, our client saw an opportunity to create healthcare furniture tailored to the specific needs of these new facilities. We saw an opportunity to market the story behind the product, rather than the product. Instead of listing features, we told the story behind the features and the problems they solve, turning a boring product launch announcement into an opportunity to be seen as an innovator.

Make someone’s life (or job) easier.

The previous two examples pave a pretty direct path to a potential purchase. Not every piece of content you produce has to do this, especially because a large segment of your audience will be new to your brand and not necessarily ready to take that leap. Sometimes it’s about creating high value content that helps build that “know, like, and trust” relationship with a new prospective customer.

For this same client, we looked at one of their largest target audiences, their dealers. We knew our client had valuable industry insights that could help dealers do their jobs better (sell more healthcare furniture). So we put together an eBook with intelligent insights on industry trends, the unique needs of a healthcare furniture buyer, and how a buyer evaluates a dealer. We paired that content with a killer design and a very modest social ad budget to amplify it.  Our conversion rate on the piece even shocked us, and leads poured in. People were happy to provide their contact information in exchange for this valuable piece of content, trusting that any further communications would be of similar high value. Our expertise earned their trust.

These are just three simple ideas to get you started.

The key thing to remember when coming up with your own B2B content ideas for a “boring industry” is to find creative ways to position yourself as an innovator or an expert that your audience wants to know.