Five creative B2B content strategies to build brand authority
- Brand development
- Digital strategy
Your expertise is your most valuable asset, but so often it goes underutilised. Your potential B2B customers aren't looking for a sales pitch; they are looking for a partner who can help them solve their problems. The default way to demonstrate this expertise has long been the blog post or the gated white paper. While still valuable, these formats are often not enough to cut through the noise.
The real challenge—and opportunity—is to share your knowledge in a way that is genuinely engaging, memorable, and useful.
To do that, you need to think less like a seller and more like an educator, a publisher, or even a researcher. A few forward-thinking B2B brands are leading the way, building loyal audiences and generating demand by sharing their knowledge creatively. Here are five examples of brands doing it right, and what you can learn from them.
1. The academy model: HubSpot and Google
It is impossible to discuss this topic without acknowledging the giants of B2B education. With HubSpot Academy and Google Digital Garage, these two companies have reframed marketing as a free public service. They offer comprehensive courses and certifications that not only teach audiences valuable skills but also train them on their own product ecosystems.
Why it's creative: Instead of just selling software or an ad platform, they are building an entire generation of skilled professionals who see their tools as the industry standard. It’s a long-term strategy that builds a powerful, self-sustaining community of brand advocates. The education provides standalone value, which in turn builds immense trust and authority.
The takeaway: You don’t need to build a full university, but consider how you can formalise your expertise. Could you run a webinar series that acts as a 'course' on a key topic? Or create a definitive 'how-to' guide that becomes the go-to resource in your niche?
HubSpot | Google Digital Garage
2. The practitioner-led content engine: Ahrefs
Ahrefs, a company providing SEO tools, has built its reputation on the back of radically transparent and practical content. Their blog and YouTube channel don't just talk about SEO theory; they provide incredibly detailed, step-by-step tutorials showing you exactly how to solve complex SEO problems—often using their own tool.
Why it's creative: It's the ultimate 'show, don't tell' approach. They demystify a complex subject and prove the value of their product in the process. By giving away so much high-level expertise, they build incredible trust and make the decision to pay for their tool feel like the next logical step.
The takeaway: Be generous with your knowledge. Show your audience exactly how you solve problems and don't be afraid to reveal your 'secrets'. Demonstrating your expertise is far more powerful than simply claiming it.
3. The data-as-content model: Stripe
As one of the world's largest payment processors, Stripe has a unique view of the internet economy. They leverage this by turning their aggregated transaction data into compelling annual letters and reports. This content provides a macro-level view of digital commerce trends, highlighting shifts in consumer behaviour and business growth on a global scale.
Why it's creative: Stripe transforms its operational data into strategic industry insights. It positions them not just as a utility for processing payments, but as an authoritative voice on the health and direction of the entire digital economy. This creates unique content that no competitor can replicate, building enormous credibility.
The takeaway: Look at your own business data. What unique insights can you pull from it? Whether it's from customer surveys, product usage, or industry trends, turning proprietary data into public insight is a powerful way to establish authority.
4. The category-creator model: Drift
Before Drift, 'live chat' was often seen as a tool for customer support. Drift reframed it as 'Conversational Marketing'—a proactive tool for sales. They achieved this by creating a movement. They wrote books, launched a popular podcast, and ran events, all centred around this new philosophy.
Why it's creative: They didn’t just market a product; they marketed a new way of thinking and placed their brand at the heart of it. They sold the vision first, which created demand for the software that enabled it. They established the category and, in doing so, became its undisputed leader.
The takeaway: What is the bigger idea or philosophy behind your product or service? Building content around that 'why'—the movement you want to lead—can be more powerful than just talking about your 'what'.
5. The instant-value tool model: CoSchedule
CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer is a perfect example of creative knowledge-sharing in its simplest form. It’s a free, easy-to-use tool that solves a small but persistent problem for every content creator: writing better headlines. It gives users immediate, tangible value without asking for anything more than an email address.
Why it's creative: It’s a lead magnet that doesn’t feel like one. It’s a genuinely useful utility that builds goodwill and introduces users to the CoSchedule brand in a positive, helpful context. Every time someone uses it, they are reminded of the company that helped them.
The takeaway: Think about the small, repetitive problems your audience faces. Can you create a simple template, checklist, or calculator that solves one of them? Offering a free tool can be one of the most effective ways to build trust and generate high-quality leads.
The most powerful way to build trust is by generously sharing what you know. It's a principle we believe in strongly, which is why you'll find our own collection of guides and insights for ambitious digital marketers in the Brew Digital resource hub.
