Business sales are busy times. With so much to manage amidst a merger and acquisition, it’s easy for brand positioning to fall down the priority list. Yet this is exactly when strategic marketing matters the most.
Content marketing can play an incredibly important role in attracting the attention of potential investors. Indeed, it’s perhaps the single most important period in which to get your external messaging right.
A good mix of clear, compelling and informative content can go a long way in showcasing company expertise, demonstrating authority, and building credibility – all of which are crucial in the lead up to a sale.
Acquiring parties will want to be confident in a business’s capabilities before they commit to purchase. Statistics from Edelman and LinkedIn’s annual B2B thought leadership report show that:
- 55% of decision makers say they use thought-leadership content as an important way to vet business.
- 50% of decision makers spend at least one hour per week consuming thought-leadership content.
- 58% of decision makers say they choose a business based on its thought leadership.
Clearly, content has a major influence when it comes to attracting and retaining customers, yet the same logic applies when it comes to investor relations. Companies can instil confidence in potential purchasers by demonstrating their knowledge and capabilities through written content.
Three forms of content to consider in pre-sale brand positioning
Does this company know their market? Can they deliver results? Are they respected in their industry? These are just some of the questions that potentially interested buyers will be asking, and different forms of content marketing can help to provide the answers.
Here are three commonly used content types that are regularly included in successful pre-acquisition marketing strategies.
#1 – Thought leadership
Thought leadership content plays a key role in demonstrating expertise. The publishing of executive viewpoints, technical commentary, trend analyses, and opinion pieces can showcase knowledge and industry awareness. Content creation efforts that are fresh, engaging and relevant can help to give potential investors a sense of company perspectives and strategy, all while signalling ambition, foresight and influence.
#2 – Case studies and proof points
Acquiring firms won’t just accept that your firm makes for a smart investment. They’ll want to see proof that you can deliver results, solve complex problems and scale solutions. To do that, it’s important to publish real world examples of your success. Case studies and testimonials can work wonders, proving how you’ve found solutions to challenges and delivered meaningful results. This doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be short and sweet and metric-focused, much like our own example here.
#3 – Industry insights
Third, it’s also important to demonstrate that your business understands broader market contexts such as the competitive landscape and customer needs. Here, conducting original research and publishing unique reports, such as those providing customer pain point breakdowns, can go a long way in providing investors with additional confidence. They will want to see that your business is attuned with current and future landscapes, and industry insights can help to demonstrate that understanding.
A coherent strategy is just as important as quality content
The most successful pre-acquisition content marketing efforts sit under a broader, overarching strategy.
Here, working with a B2B marketing agency can pay dividends. Crucially, they will be able to ensure that each piece of content has carefully been written to align with different investor interests, queries and expectations.
This doesn’t mean starting from scratch. It’s typically best to start with what you have and then build from there, with a B2B marketing agency capable of helping you to identify gaps and develop content that fills them – all while demonstrating company performance, reliability and market fit.
Working with a qualified partner can help you make the best use of content. They might consider how a written blog can also be used to support key investor conversations, pitch decks and meetings, for example.
Crucially, they will help you to develop content that’s clear, honest and relevant, backed by real-world examples and data points, and then distribute in the most logical areas to maximise visibility – be it on your website, via LinkedIn, through external media, or elsewhere.
Your digital presence is an opportunity, not a burden
With so much to think about in the lead up to a company sale, working with a B2B marketing agency can pay dividends.
There are so many common mistakes. Publishing content without a coherent strategy can lead to a lack of visibility and impact, while writing on topics that are vague or generic can frustrate and confuse buyers rather than inform them, potentially damaging company credibility as opposed to enhancing it.
Content marketing – particularly in the context of a business sale – needs to build trust, prove leadership, and provide confidence in a company’s strategy, culture, and capabilities. A business might have the best value proposition in the world, but if they’re unable to clearly convey that to potential investors, then they are unlikely to differentiate themselves from the pack and prove their value.
It’s why it’s important to take your digital presence seriously. It’s not a burden, but a serious asset, and major opportunity in the context of any upcoming acquisition.
At 4CM, we’re ready and able to help you develop the right marketing strategy and content development programmes to strengthen your digital presence and position your brand for a successful and higher-value acquisition.
Even one strong and relevant case study can make a massive difference. Plan now, and you will be better placed to demonstrate your value moving forward.
Contact us today to see how we can help you lay the right marketing foundations for a successful business sale.
