Your clients move through a funnel every time they look to purchase your products or services. While the acceleration can vary greatly between each person, the steps are typically the same.
So how can you meet your audience right where they are with the exact message that they need? Using content marketing, you can generate content and promote that content to specific segments of your prospects based on what stage they find themselves in.
Awareness
Prospects are just starting their journey of needing something that you provide. They go through their typical steps of finding a company to work with. They might do a Google search, post on their social media profiles or even discuss with a close friend.
The awareness stage in the buyer journey is all about high level insight into the product they are looking for. Some of the best types of content include:
- Educational content – Videos, blogs, social campaigns and events are great channels to distribute your educational content to this audience.
- Data – This could encapsulate several different areas of your business, but think “big-picture statistics” that you can incorporate into your content that reinforces your messaging.
- Opinions and Insight – During their research, they might have stumbled across your website (thanks to great SEO) and begin digging through your resources. Keep the insights high and make it easy for this audience to find this type of content on your website.
Consider implementing these content examples in your awareness campaigns:
- How-To’s
- Infographics
- Webinars
- E-Books
- Checklists
- Tip Sheets
Consideration
When your audience gets to this stage, they are asking questions, looking for pricing and perhaps have already reached out to your team. This is your chance to show them your business is the best option for them, opposed to the competitors they might also be considering.
Trust – Can you do what you say that you can do? If so, how does your audience know that with just a website that lists the services? Build trust through your content that proves that you can help solve a need.
Service – During this stage, most prospects reach out for more information. How quickly did you respond and better yet, how did you respond? 9 times out of 10 a prospect reaches out to more than 1 company for the same service, you don’t want to lose the business because you took 3 days to respond or came across short and unhelpful.
Some of the best types of content to plan for this segment include:
- Case studies
- White papers
- Testimonials
- Product Demos
- Fact Sheets
- Samples
- FAQs
Intent
One of the best stages for sales reps and business owners. A prospect found you (likely online), researched your business, might have a quote and is basically ready to move forward. Now, it’s closing time. Here is what this specific audience is looking for:
Free Trials – If you sell software, own a facility that charges a monthly fee, you can give them a taste of what they get when they purchase. This is a great time to offer this type of content because they are primed to move forward with a purchase.
Contract Negotiation – From a B2B standpoint, you might have more of a contract based business, so this is when you are able to add things on, give a cut in pricing or a slew of other things that benefit both parties to seal the deal.
PRO TIP: At this stage, your audience is talking to you, analyzing final questions and getting ready to sign. Customer service is a large part of this stage – so keep that top of your mind.
47% of customers would take their business to a competitor within a day of experiencing poor customer service (24/7)
Purchase, Loyalty and Advocacy
When your prospect becomes a client and purchases your product or service, it’s not the end. You want to generate positive word of mouth, loyalty and repeat business from that client. So what can you do? From a content standpoint, here are some ideas:
- Email Campaigns – At this point, you have their email address so use it. Do you have a monthly or weekly newsletter? Stay in front of your previous buyers and offer them education, give them incentives to share and spread the word about your business.
- Client Video – Shoot a short video of the client and have 3-5 short questions that they can answer. This video content is great for testimonials and building trust across your brand.
- Social Campaigns – If you are a B2C business, generating social media content using the same information from the above helps nurture your followers as they move through the buyer journey.
- Referral Programs – Build advocacy with a referral program for your clients. Depending on your business, you can tailor the program to benefit both your company and the client.
Make your content relevant to your audience, based on where they are in the buyer’s journey. Nurture them through the funnel and deliver timely, relevant content that converts into revenue.
Taking this a step further, delivering this content through a marketing automation platform like Marketo, Infusion Soft or Pardot gives you a wealth of control, analytics and ROI from your efforts.