By Matt Givner
By now, the phrase “content marketing” is probably one that you have seen or heard before, but may not understand entirely. To put it briefly: content marketing is the process by which a company or organization creates and distributes content that is designed to provide helpful information to a particular target audience. What separates content marketing from more traditional marketing efforts is that these pieces of content almost never include any kind of naked or aggressive sales pitch whatsoever.
For example, if your company sells office equipment, a traditional marketing piece might display all of the pieces of office furniture your company offers, complete with descriptions and prices. An example of a content marketing piece, on the other hand, would be an article that discusses the benefits of having an open office floor plan that contextually references some of the office furniture your company sells.
Check out our previous post 5 B2B Content Marketing Tips
So if content marketing pieces don’t try to push a sales pitch, why bother? Unfortunately for traditional marketers, the average consumer’s buying process has changed significantly over the past decade or so. Whereas before a prospective buyer might reach out to a sales person if they were interested in a company’s products/services, these days prospective buyers prefer to do a substantial amount of research on their own long before they contact a sales person. Therefore, if you want to successfully get your brand in front of your target audience, you need to start creating and distributing content that answers the questions they will pose during their research.
How can this be accomplished? A more detailed answer is available in my eBook, “How to Make a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Strategy in 10 Steps.” In the meantime, we suggest taking a look at your sales funnel and then creating content to address the most likely questions a prospect will have at each stage as they make their way through the funnel from discovery to conversion.
At the Top of the Funnel, your goal is to increase awareness. The prospect is just getting to know you, and they will likely be at their most wary. Therefore, you don’t want to start with a naked sales pitch right out of the gate. Instead, focus on content that addresses your prospect’s immediate concerns while introducing them to your brand. Consider the questions they’ll be asking and the keywords they’ll be using. Think about what circumstances would drive them to seek out your company’s products/services in the first place, and create content that addresses those circumstances. Things like social media posts, blog entries, How To videos, infographics, and SlideShare presentations are all good choices as they are easily digestible and (very importantly) easily shared amongst a large audience.
At the Middle of the Funnel, your prospect is clearly interested in your company, but they’re still not sure about you. Here, you want your content to focus on further introducing them to your brand and giving them an idea of what it will be like to do business with you. You still don’t want to be too aggressive about blatantly promoting your company, but at the Middle of the Funnel you want your brand name and value proposition to be clearer and more obvious. Branded webinars, case studies, free samples, FAQ pages, and video testimonials are ideal for your Middle of the Funnel prospects.
Once your prospect makes it to the Bottom of the Funnel, it’s time to get serious. Now you can feel free to make a more aggressive sales pitch about your particular products/services. Inform them about your company’s strengths and core competencies. Provide them with specific information about your products and services. Directly contrast your products/services with those of your competitors. Entice them with a free trial, a live demo, or a discount to sweeten the deal.
By considering each part of your sales funnel, you can easily determine what content to make for your prospective buyers as they work their way towards a conversion.
Don’t forget, for a more detailed explanation of content marketing and how to create the best strategy for your company, download our eBook, “How to Make a Comprehensive Digital Marketing Strategy in 10 Steps.”
