13 Types of Marketing Collaterals for B2B Companies

For the longest time, B2B marketing had the reputation of being bland and boring. Being highly technical and jargon-filled, it would most often than not cause eyes to glaze over.

In this article, we’ll explore the 13 types of marketing collaterals you should consider producing for B2B companies

But not anymore.

Consumer mindsets have evolved and there isn’t any place for boring marketing content today.

With several decision-makers involved and longer buying cycles, B2B marketers need to create compelling content and marketing collaterals that tell stories, solve problems, and spark conversations.

It’s interesting to note that as per an Isoline study, over half of B2B buyers consume 3-5 pieces of content before contacting a supplier. This only goes to show the power content holds in the world of B2B marketing.

What are the Types of Marketing Collaterals for B2B Companies?

Let’s face it: B2B marketers have it tough. Unlike your B2C counterparts, you can’t launch a social media contest or release an ad campaign and expect an immediate increase in sales.

What’s important is creating different types of marketing collateral with an objective to push prospects down the sales funnel, giving them a reason to consider your brand and instill trust in it.

Let’s take a look at the 13 types of marketing collaterals for B2B companies.

1. Blog posts

Blogging is a powerful B2B content marketing tool.

This short-form content type gives you the opportunity to educate your audience, engage with them, and establish expertise.

That’s not all, blogging also leads to increased traffic which widens your scope for generating leads and sales. In fact, as per a study, companies with blogs have said to get:

Being an inexpensive marketing collateral, B2B brands must leverage this medium to connect with their target audience and answer their pressing questions.

Here’s an example of an engaging B2B blog by Drift. Their blog posts offer actional advice while being easy-to-read and conversational in nature.

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2. Landing pages

The primary goal of B2B marketing is lead generation. Landing pages can take you closer to that goal.

The purpose of a landing page is to convert website visitors into leads. It usually consists of a gated content offer in the form of an eBook, white paper, or webinar among others. Prospects are encouraged to download the content in return for their details by filling out a form.

Why are landing pages important, you ask? That’s because they let you educate prospects about the content offer without any distractions.

Here’s an example of a well-designed landing page by Shopify. The landing page talks about a free webinar. They’ve used a compelling headline and teamed it up with crisp copy outlining the benefits of viewing the webinar.

They’ve also included a picture of the webinar host along with his credentials in order to gain the prospect’s confidence. Clicking on ‘watch webinar’ leads to a simple and easy-to-fill form.

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Lead form

3. eBooks

Did you know that 63% of B2B buyers say that they would be willing to share their information in exchange for an eBook?

This goes to prove that eBooks are one of the most effective types of B2B marketing collateral. Being in-depth and comprehensive, they help you offer immense value to your target audience while helping you position yourself as an expert in your field.

However, apart from focussing on the content of the eBook, it’s also important to make it visually-appealing and easy-to-scan in order to capture and retain people’s attention.

Here’s a good example of an eBook by Pardot on lead generation. Notice how they use colors, visuals, and text-boxes to emphasize information and engage readers.

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4. Webinars

Webinars are a middle-of-the-funnel (MOFU) type of content that are useful for establishing expertise and convincing prospects on why your brand is the best choice.

They are an effective tool because they’re engaging and help you connect with a broader audience.

What’s more, you’re likely to attract leads with high intent through webinars because the fact that they’re registering for your webinar indicates that they are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

Some popular webinar formats include:

  • Product demos
  • Training or workshops
  • Panel discussions
  • Product announcements

Here’s an example of a webinar by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) on reimagining the future of work after COVID-19.

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5. Case studies

While B2B marketers continue to produce branded content, one can’t deny the impact case studies have on decision-makers.

As per a study done by the Content Marketing Institute, 58% of B2B companies considered case studies to be an effective content marketing tactic.

Case studies work because they let you demonstrate your expertise and show prospects what your brand is capable of, building trust and credibility in the process.

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Here’s a snippet from our client case studies page. You can click on the individual success stories to get a comprehensive understanding of how we helped our clients with their marketing efforts.

6. Infographics

Infographics are a visual representation of information or data. They comprise minimal text and imagery in the form of charts, icons, graphs, and illustrations.

This type of marketing collateral is great for conveying complex information in an easily digestible manner while keeping readers engaged.

There are different types of infographics such as:

  • Informational
  • Timeline
  • Statistical
  • Process
  • Map
  • Comparison
  • List
  • Interactive

Here’s an example of an infographic by WordStream on advertising strategies to outsmart your competition.

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7. White papers

A white paper is an in-depth and authoritative report meant to explain a complex or technical concept. White papers can help you address your target audience’s challenges while building authority in the process

Being comprehensive, they may come across as a ‘heavy’ read. The key is to tell a compelling story, use visuals, and break down the information. This is likely to increase its chances of getting read.

Here’s an example of a white paper by Hitachi on intelligent supply chain practices.

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8. Explainer videos 

Considering the depleting attention spans and deluge of content, most people are likely to watch a video than read an article. This is why explainer videos are a must-have in your B2B marketing arsenal.

As the name suggests, explainer videos are mini-videos that are meant to explain a particular concept or describe a company’s product or service.

The best explainer videos are those that are focussed on a single message, use attractive visuals, and end with a strong call-to-action.

Take a look at this explainer video by Zendesk. It’s to-the-point and accurately introduces viewers to their product, Support Suite.

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9. Email newsletters

81% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters.

Being the most personalized form of communication, email newsletters help you reach your audience directly and build long-term relationships.

What’s more, email delivers $38 in ROI for every $1 spent, making it one of the most effective marketing channels available.

Here are some ways to use email newsletters:

  • Share product news
  • Deliver company announcements
  • Offer access to exclusive content
  • Promote an event and attract attendees
  • Share blog posts

Take a look at an example of our email newsletter that promotes a newly published blog post and encourages subscribers to read it.

10. Product guides 

Selling a financial service is not the same as selling a piece of clothing. The former involves a more convoluted and complex buying process. It requires marketers to first educate their audience and gain their trust before anything else.

This is where product guides come into the picture. They are meant to assist B2B buyers in the decision-making process.

From introducing the product or service and explaining how it works to outlining the benefits — a product guide needs to encompass all these elements in order to lure prospects and give them all the information they need to be convinced.

Here’s an example of a product guide by TrustRadius that educates readers on how they can find the right web conferencing software.

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11. Brochures and flyers

Brochures are an effective branding tool.

Whether you choose to distribute printed brochures at an event or upload the digital version on your website — brochures and flyers are useful for highlighting key information and takeaways, helping prospects get a better understanding of your business.

12. Interactive Content

We can all agree that it’s getting increasingly difficult to capture and retain people’s attention. In such a scenario, a type of content that can help you engage prospects and increase chances of conversion is interactive content.

This form of content works because it compels users to engage with it and offers a more immersive experience than the other types of content.

Some examples of interactive content include:

  • Quizzes
  • Calculators
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • eBooks
  • Contests

Here’s an example of an interactive quiz we created for one of our clients, ActiveSG. The idea was to find out the lifestyle habits their prospects have. Each of their buyer personas were categorized as an outcome.

Based on the results, the brand decided on the kind of content they should create to nurture their leads and convince their target audience to enroll in their programs.

13. Interactive Videos 

Taking video marketing one step further is interactive videos.

This highly engaging type of content gets viewers to take action and participate in the video which determines how the video unfolds. This leads to longer viewing time and higher conversions.

Here’s a light-hearted interactive video by Deloitte titled ‘Will You Fit Into Deloitte’. It gives candidates a fun peek into the company while giving options to choose the course of the video, helping them understand if they’re a good fit.

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Conclusion

Creating B2B marketing collaterals is a time-consuming process and a one-size-fits-all approach certainly doesn’t cut it.

This is why it’s important to go beyond ‘salesy’ tactics and develop collaterals that truly educate your audience, address their challenges, and position you as an expert. This will help you differential yourself from your competitors while generating leads, and increasing conversions in the process.

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