Before someone makes the decision to do business with you, they go through what’s called a buyer’s journey. They start out as a stranger, but after getting to know your brand, they may turn into a viable lead. It’s called a journey for a reason. Just like any relationship, it takes time and the right amount of nurturing to seal the deal.
How do you move prospects through each stage of the journey? The answer is with content.
Use Content to Generate Leads
Content marketing builds trust and raises brand awareness through personalized information that educates, offers advice and gives answers. In other words, the more you’re seen as a go-to knowledge source, the more reason for people to seek out your brand.
The image below illustrates the path your prospects take to become customers and followers of your brand.
Give Your Content Purpose
All pieces of content should have a purpose within your overall strategy, whether you’re using it to attract people to your brand or convert them into leads. Keep in mind, you don’t have to create all materials from scratch. Assess your existing content and determine what can be used as is, what can be repurposed, and what you still need to create. Consider these content ideas:
Company Blog
A company blog is a great way to prove your industry chops by relating your insight to trends and timely news events, while also providing tips and advice. If you’re consistently publishing high-quality content, the blog becomes an awareness tool to attract prospects to your business. It’s easily shareable and can be used to drive traffic to your website.
Read more: How to Incorporate a Company Blog into Your Business Strategy
Infographics
Mix up your text-heavy content with a visually appealing infographic. If you have a white paper filled with complex data, repurpose it into a graphic that’s more easily digestible, especially if you’re sharing on social media platforms.
Read more: Infographics Gone Wrong: Steer Clear of These Common Blunders
Ebooks
Ebooks are useful lead conversion tools when used as gated content. In exchange for contact information, the user can download an ebook that is chock full of information that solves a problem or offers advice. They can be long or short, but should always be a resource and provide value for the user.
Videos
It’s no secret that people are more likely to watch videos than read a ton of text. In fact, 87% of online businesses use video as part of their digital marketing strategy. Videos can supplement virtually any form of content and provide a more dynamic way to tell your story. From product videos and testimonials to educational and how-to videos, there is no shortage of ways to entice viewers to watch.
Read more: Five Ways to Wow Your Audiences with Video
Quizzes & Surveys
With attention spans getting shorter by the minute, keep your audience interested with interactive content. Some people may not want to spend the time reading your blog or ebook, but may want to take your 5-minute quiz or survey. It also gives you a reason to connect with your users again when it’s time to share the results. While surveys are good tools for nurturing your leads, they can also be an effective strategy for keeping your existing clients or customer base engaged.
The key to a successful content marketing campaign is to be purposeful with your content and to remember that adding variety to your content pool can mean the difference between losing a lead and gaining a customer.
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