For B2B companies trying to enter the Japanese market from overseas, content marketing is likely to be an effective tool if well designed. However, since there are many different methods of content marketing, many people may not know what to do and how to develop it.
This article describes the characteristics of content marketing, which is effective in the Japanese B2B market, and the points to keep in mind when implementing measures. Please refer to this article if you are interested in developing content marketing and implementing cost-effective measures from a long-term perspective.
We provide marketing and sales support for B2B companies looking to enter the Japanese market from overseas. If you are unsure of what marketing strategies are effective in the Japanese B2B market, or if you would like to conduct content marketing but do not know how to do it, please feel free to contact us.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is the method of providing prospective customers with the information (content) they are looking for in order to encourage them to convert and purchase your product. One of the strengths of content marketing is the increasing opportunities to reach out to prospective customers through continuous information dissemination.
Although there are a wide variety of possible content types, here we will focus on article content and white paper, which are often highly effective in B2B marketing in Japan.
What is the difference between content marketing and content SEO?
Difference in their purpose
Content marketing and content SEO have different objectives. Content SEO aims to increase traffic to a site, so the content needed is content that can aim for the top of Google search results.
Content marketing, on the other hand, aims to encourage prospective customers to convert and make purchasing decisions by conveying information that is useful to them who visit the site.
Differences in target demographics
As mentioned above, content marketing and content SEO have different objectives, and therefore different target readers to whom content should be delivered.
Since the target readers of content SEO will be those who search for it through search engines, the target can be said to be customers in the stage before awareness.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is intended to lead to conversions, so it targets prospective customers that are already aware of your product and are in the consideration stage of making a purchase.
What specific measures are involved in content marketing?
Case Studies
This content will introduce case studies of customers who have actually purchased your product. By introducing the issues that the company have had and what they have achieved by using your product, you will have the opportunity to help prospective customers understand more about your product.
In addition, the introduction of case studies is a measure that can make a significant contribution to gaining the trust of prospective customers, as it can give them the perception that the product is a trustworthy product that other companies have also introduced.
Indexed-content
Indexed-content is contents that are calibrated with dozens of pages of highly specialized content, instead of creating large content sites of hundreds or thousands of pages.
The greatest advantage of this Indexed-content is that you do not have to constantly follow the latest information and do not have to creating a number of contents. If you can provide an easy-to-understand collection of what could be considered basic industry information related to your product for a relatively novice readers, it can be a very valuable asset with smaller effort.
In Japan, Keyence, a B2B company that handles sensors and other products, is making very good use of this Indexed-content.
White paper
The use of white papers is also very effective in content marketing, especially for B2B business in Japan.
In addition to information on your products themselves, you will provide downloadable materials that summarize information that prospective customers want to know, such as how to use your products, case studies, and the latest industry information. If you can continue to provide beneficial information to prospective customers, it will not only lead to recognition and trust of your products, but will also be a very effective measure in terms of keeping in touch with your customers.
In addition, by asking customers to enter the minimum necessary information such as company name and contact information at the time of downloading, the data can be used for sales as data on potential customers.
Points to keep in mind when doing content marketing
Define what you want to gain from content marketing
If the purpose of content marketing is not clearly defined, the target demographic and the content to be conveyed will also remain unclear, and this will make it difficult to obtain appropriate feedback, not to mention successful results.
You should start by identifying what your company’s issues are and what you expect to gain through content marketing, as it is possible that content marketing is not the best measure for you to take.
Identify target personas
Once you have a clear goal of what you want to achieve through content marketing, the next step is to clearly share with your team what demographic you need to target and what information you need to convey in order to achieve those results.
By verbalizing what kind of persona you are targeting and what kind of actions you want them to take, you can clarify information that should be presented. Even if the results are not as expected, as long as the hypothesis and assumptions are firmly established in this step, it is possible to re-examine what went wrong.
Recognize that it takes a certain period of time to achieve successful results
Although it is a common misconception in digital marketing as a whole, content marketing is not a magic trick that will immediately produce successful results. It takes time for you to plan content, time for you to create content, and time for customers to actually become interested in your content and take specific action.
In many cases, content marketing project itself disappears spontaneously after 1-2 years due to a lack of results, but this means that if you can continue your efforts steadily for 3 years or more, there is a high possibility that your company will be the sole winner in this marketing. Do not be overzealous, but be aware that continuity is the most important thing above all else, and work on your contents.
Conclusion
- Content marketing aims to encourage customers to make conversion and purchase decisions by providing information that is useful to them.
- Specific content includes Case studies, Indexed content, and White papers, the key point being whether the content is beneficial to the customer or not.
- What is important is to clarify the results you want to achieve through content marketing, the demographics you should target to achieve them, and to continue over the medium to long term.
We support foreign companies who want to do content marketing for the Japanese B2B market. We offer a one-stop service from strategic development of what kind of content should be delivered to Japanese companies, to the actual content creation process. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have about entering the Japanese market.