We are going to take a risk here. The primary goal of any marketing is to assist your sales staff in closing more business.
This is the easy ripe fruit. This is how you can create content now that will have an impact tomorrow, not four months from now when it eventually shows in a SERP.
If you can create content that helps a salesperson close a prospect, you are accomplishing more for your firm than ranking #6 for some long-tail industry term.
What is the Purpose of Content Marketing?
Here’s how to get started creating meaningful content.
Step 1: Map out your buyers’ journey, including your sales process
If you haven’t already done so, you should. (Or, even better, contact one of our sales trainers. We can assist!)
In any case, after you’ve mapped out your sales process, you’ll be able to clearly identify the steps a consumer must follow in order to purchase from you.
Tip: When mapping out the stages of the buyer’s journey, start with something like “problem aware” — which simply indicates they are aware of a problem and are attempting to identify and quantify it.
The last stage of the buyer’s journey should be something like “customer becomes an advocate” — really you’re looking beyond the initial purchase.
Step 2: Fill in the blanks with your questions, concerns, and sticking points
After you’ve laid out your buyers’ journey, it’s time to put yourself in their shoes. Think about what typical questions consumers ask or think about at each stage of their journey with your sales staff. Determine what concerns purchasers have about buying at each point of their journey. Identify the issues that purchasers must resolve at each stage of their journey.
Then begin to connect these questions to the stages of the buyer’s journey. Refine these questions, worries, and sticking points into article ideas by conducting keyword and intent research or even asking your sales staff what language they use when discussing this issue.
Step 3: Begin developing content for the stages where consumers are most likely to spend money.
The issue with most content marketing initiatives is that they begin at the top of the funnel, expecting to fill it up so that more buyers come out the bottom.
Wrong.
Begin at the very bottom of the funnel. Create material for the consumer who has almost decided to buy from you. Create content that increases that figure to 90% if 80% of prospects in her position buy from you.
The impact will be enormous.
Step 4: Concentrate on client education
What is going through the customer’s head right before he signs? What are his final few inquiries before deciding to take the plunge? Is he curious about the cancellation policy? What about the onboarding procedure? What about the setup cost?
Now assume that just as he is about to ask that inquiry, the sales guy emails him and says,
“Hey Matt, I thought you might have a few final questions about our cancellation policy before we meet tomorrow.” So I wanted to provide you a FAQ resource that should answer the majority of your questions. If you have any more queries, please bring them up during our meeting on Thursday.”
Step 5: Repeat, working your way up the funnel
Next, begin working your way up the funnel. Create information that will relieve stress, answer questions, or address concerns at each decision point.
Remember that you must teach in the manner in which people want to learn. Use video if something is better seen than read. If your consumers want something comprehensive, you should write it. A slew of fast responses? Make use of a FAQ format.
Step 6: Match your content to the buyer’s path
The key to creating meaningful content is to link it with your buyer’s journey. And don’t be concerned with vanity metrics. Instead of focusing on frivolous top-of-the-funnel activities that are unlikely to add to your bottom line, start close to the sale – and focus on consumer education.
This is the plan and framework required for your content. This is the road plan that will guide you from confusion to clarity.
Need help in converting your website or social media copy into a seller one? Connect with us and let us take your content to the next level, here at Business Growth Managers we have a team of professionals that can scale your business through our variety of services.
Let us manage your Content Marketing