So, you have a well-optimized website and the requisite company profile on all the social media networks – now what?

B2B businesses, especially professional services firms, have to find a way to stand out among the competition. The best way to do that is to share your knowledge with your  potential clients.

Think about what your previous or current customers needed to know before they hired you. What concerns did they have when they initially reached out?  What problems were they hoping to solve by talking to you? Try to develop a few “client personas” so you can answer those questions and create content that speaks to them. Maybe you produce a case study or whitepaper that can be shared on your blog or social networks; maybe you host a webinar to explore a particular situation — a regulatory or technological change, perhaps, or anything else that may impact their businesses, for better or worse.

The Content Marketing Institute explores different approaches to take when developing content in this terrific post, and offers good, practical advice for how to go about preparing a content marketing strategy.

And don’t forget to take a look at what your peers and potential customers are talking and asking about on industry specific forums and LinkedIn Answers. Answering business-related questions in your niche not only helps you showcase your expertise, it also helps drive traffic back to your website.