Though most B2B companies are using and creating content in 2022, they’re still struggling to optimize their strategy to the fullest. Case in point: An astounding majority of B2B marketers (91%) say they use content marketing, yet just 42% of B2B marketers have a documented content marketing strategy.

Clearly, many marketers need some direction when it comes to planning and executing their content. And creating a list of content marketing ideas is one of the best ways to get started.

Sure, planning and scheduling out content topics takes some upfront time and effort. But it will be well worth the time investment: In 2020, 62% of buyers said they can make a business decision based solely on online content—and those numbers are expected to rise in the future. If you need a little inspiration when it comes to planning B2B content marketing, take heart. Here are 10 tried and tested ways to discover B2B content topics in 2022.

1. Talk to Your Customers

Unsurprisingly, your customers should be the first stop on your journey to finding new content topic ideas. After all, your content is meant to serve your customers as well as drive new leads—so it’s important to be producing the type of content they want to read. Build trust with your customers and get feedback by conducting surveys, reviewing customer service calls and emails, reading online reviews, building case studies, etc. The better you can understand the pain points of your customers, the better you can market to prospects.

2. Study Search Engine Results

Search engine data offers a treasure trove of topic ideas that will help make your B2B content marketing strategy more successful. These are the topics your audience is actually searching for—and if you write about these topics, your website will be more likely to rank highly in search results. Harnessing the power of SEO through tools like Semrush and Keywords Everywhere will help you learn what your audience is searching for online, analyze competitors, and identify trending topics. 

3. Analyze Your Website Search Results

Do you have a website with a search bar? If so, it’s important to be tracking what your visitors are looking for when they come to your website. Fortunately, there are plenty of website data tools to help you easily hone in on the most relevant search terms. Try DOMO or Algolia to find out more about user behavior on your site.

4. Keep a Pulse on Social Media

Social media is another great source of content inspiration, highlighting your customer’s needs, wants, and questions. Not only should you be publishing engaging social media content yourself, but you should be using social media as a tool to understand your industry and potential customers.

Of course, when it comes to understanding your B2B target audience, there is no better social network to use than LinkedIn. And while you can simply scroll through LinkedIn posts, comments, and DMs, a better approach is to use social listening tools like Sprinklr, Reputation, or Sprout Social. These tools help you keep better track of what people are saying about your brand or industry across multiple social media channels, providing you with keywords, a list of mentions, hashtags, and more.

5. Participate in Online Forums

Whether you sell sports equipment or SaaS, there are probably at least a few online forums available talking about your industry. And if you’re not engaging in those forums—or at least keeping a pulse on the conversation—you’re missing a big opportunity. Head to forums like Reddit or Quora for general message boards and forums, or check out niche online communities relevant to your brand.

6. Manage Your Online Reputation

Online reviews offer a wealth of information that can inspire your content marketing strategy. It’s smart to regularly check reviews of your brand—and the competition—in order to better understand how to serve your potential customers. 

While you’re at it, engage with online reviewers by letting them know you hear their feedback and are taking it to heart. Reputation management tools like Podium and Trustpilot will help you leverage online reviews by giving you real-time notifications, analytics, insights, and more. Plus, you can use good reviews as testimonials on your website.

7. Show Off Your Expertise

Want another great way to amp up your content marketing efforts? Write about what you know. Like, what you really know. Even if you feel like a small fish in a big pond, you probably have some specialized knowledge that none of your competitors have written about. So harness that expertise! Write articles for your blog, white papers, guest posts, or participate in an industry webinar! By highlighting your strengths and providing relevant information, you’ll be sure to boost your lead generation strategy.

8. Interview an Expert

If you don’t feel like an expert yourself, go out and find one! Interview a senior member of your team, or use your networking skills to find a sought-after expert or influencer in your field. Ask them questions you know your customers want answers to, then publish your interview in the form of a blog post, podcast episode, or social media series.

9. Create a How-To Video

Video content reigns supreme on the internet, making it a sure-fire way to boost engagement and conversions. Create a tutorial video about a topic relevant to your industry and you’ll be more likely to catch the attention of your target audience. If you’re new to video making, start out by posting simple videos to Instagram or YouTube. Just pull out your smartphone and hit record!

10. Create Thought Leadership Content

The popularity of thought leadership content is growing, with 54% of decision-makers saying they spend more than an hour per week reading thought leadership. Of course, as the trend grows, it’s important to publish relevant content to cut through the noise. By positioning yourself or your company as a thought leader, you’ll gain greater credibility and prestige among your audience.

Gain More ROI with Route

These 10 tips are sure to help you generate a long list of B2B content ideas, which will help you generate leads, increase conversions, and boost SEO. Use the tools recommended on the list to further optimize your B2B content marketing and beat out the competition.

Looking for even more tools to add to your tech stack? Route can help. Take your eCommerce store into the future with our tools for merchants, which help your customers easily track orders, protect packages, and discover new products.

Learn more about Route today.