Prospects and Clients respond to Digital Content Marketing when it speaks to their problems, fears, challenges, frustrations, uncertainties, concerns, or issues, that is relevant to their role, business, or industry. The more generic or general the content, the less likely that your target audience will read and engage.

One of the most effective ways to make Digital Content Marketing relevant is to speak to a stage in the Buying Cycle, Buyer’s Journey, or Lead Funnel. There are effective ways to implement these effective tools of the trade … Are you in the game …

 

Here are some ideas that may help:

 

The Top Of The Funnel

Infographics, Whitepapers, and Reports

 

Depending on the topic, infographics can actually work at any stage in the funnel, but work best illustrating trends, tips, and best practices that serve to attract early-stage buyers. An effective “white paper” is ideal top-of-the-funnel content because it can also be repurposed into multiple assets like a blog post, an infographic, or even a webinar.

Reports work well at the top of the funnel because they help buyers benchmark performance against their peers, helping to highlight a problem or opportunity they may not have previously considered. And of course, if they learn something that can transform their business and life, it would be priceless, right?

Here is a tip though. Make sure your “title” is right. The title of your content has to do with how it aligns with a particular stage. But most importantly, the top-of-the-funnel content is best if the title does not mention your company or product. It represents your “Interrupting” part of your target audience.

 

The Middle Of The Funnel

Case Studies, Calculated Examples, and Webinars

 

Case Studies are ideal content for a stage in the buying cycle when prospective customers might be looking for examples of how other organizations have benefitted from a product or solution. A well-crafted Calculation Example (as in: How much can you save), is a perfect candidate for lead nurturing because it helps a prospect craft a compelling business case for the investment.

Webinars can work at the top of the funnel, but they are generally most effective at later stages when potential buyers are more invested in the process, and thus willing to commit 40+ minutes of their day.

 

The Bottom Of The Funnel

Analyst Reports & Buyers Guides, Testimonial Videos, and Technical Briefs

 

Content that ranks multiple solutions within a specific product category is ideal fodder for the “selection” phase of the buying cycle. In the latter stages of the purchase decision, buyers are looking to validate their decision. Testimonial videos work best with those prospects actively choosing a solution. (If you can get them).

Key to success late in the lead funnel is appealing to different roles and decision-makers. A technical brief or technical white paper can help alleviate concerns from more technical influencers who may need to rubber stamp any decision.

Here is another tip. Project an image. Try to always include an image of the tangible offer (Ebook, Report, Video, etc.) in your ad, email, or landing page. Showing what people “get” when they download your offer makes the content more real and therefore compelling.

 

When it comes to content, effectiveness in driving conversions tends to vary depending on the stage of the “Buyer’s Journey”. The Sales or Digital Content Marketing “Funnel” is a tested and proven method to get Email Lists growing, in providing great information that compels your target or ideal market to engage with what you offer, or simply handing out your Compelling Offers to gain attention, awareness, show your authority, and get as many contacts as you possibly can … If you need some help getting leads, monitoring what everyone might be mentioning, or some serious data, there are powerful Software answers just for that … Let me know, I can help …