Content Marketing has become a bit of a buzz concept today as people and organisations venture more online. But what does it actually mean? And how does it drive leads to your business?
Content has become the most critical ingredient in raising brand awareness and attracting potential customers into your sales funnel, so it’s super important your business is producing the right kinds of content, in the right form, and at the right time, to grow your lead channels and reach your goals.
Here’s all you need to know!
Your Changing Customer
Your customer today is a very different person to who they were a few years ago. Where in the past, people responded to blatantly obvious sales messages from mass media, today they are highly educated and remarkably empowered.
This means that they don’t want to be 'just sold to'; they want valuable information to educate themselves so that they can make informed choices. They demand to feel in control of their behaviour and not blindly follow advertising.
And this is where the power of content shines!
Videos, blogs, articles, pictures, infographics, eBooks and so on, are all forms of valuable content that your business can produce to provide to potential customers. If these pieces offer them value, then your brand is suddenly on their radar, creating an opportunity to capitalise on.
What Content Does For You
Content like this guides people to your business and into your sales funnel, to continually grow a pipeline full of new leads. Here's how:
Firstly, your approach to your content strategy will be key. You must have an holistic view on what content is relevant to your audience, how often they want to see it, and where it will gain the most attention.
Then, if you wish to attract more prospects to your website, it starts with your website content.
For example, website blogs on relevant topics attract interested parties to read more, and website pillar pages stacked with useful information drives people to your website.
If you want to convert these prospects into leads, you need more content.
For example, positioning an enticing, relevant free eBook offer on your blog's page gated with a form for the reader's email address turns interested prospects into leads.
Finally, if you want to transition leads into customers and then loyal advocates, you need a little more valuable content to give them.
For example, your readers' details could form a contact list where you could send relevant monthly newsletters - or better yet, a whole content workflow - that nurtures a relationship with them, closes them into customers, and continues nurturing them for repeat business and into advocates.
It changes at each stage, but high quality content is the key to unlocking the real potential of your sales funnel.
Give it a Go
So where do you start?
Start with a content strategy or plan. Map out your next content offer (and follow-up content sequence) at a time that's relevant to your audience. For example, plan a relevant Easter content for Easter, or plan a relevant recruitment offer at a time when people are typically changing jobs.
To get you started, use our free 2018 content planning calendar (link below). Add dates relevant to your audience and plan your next content campaign around it.
Still Need Help?
Many businesses, like yours, appreciate the many benefits of creating content for their audiences, but just don’t have time or don’t know how to take full advantage.
That's where we can help! We understand that it may seem difficult to know where to start, and it can be very time consuming to begin with. So if you need just a little help, a guide in the right direction, or just to chat, contact us here:
