A Look At The Ugly Reality About Content Marketing Funnel
A Content Marketing Funnel Explained
A funnel for content marketing helps potential customers learn more about your company, solve their problems and feel comfortable buying from you. Different types of content are more effective in each phase of the funnel.
At the top of the funnel, infographics, videos, and checklists grab attention, create leads, and keep customers interested. Gated content, like templates and guides, also is effective at this point.
Awareness
At this point, consumers know that your brand exists. They are also aware of the solutions you provide. This is the stage where content is created to educate and inform potential customers about the challenges your solution addresses as well as its differences from competitors.
To understand your content gaps at this stage, you must consider the types of keywords your target audience uses to browse online. By conducting keyword research, you can find out which terms your customers are searching for that indicate the need for your product or service. This information can be used to build a content calendar and then decide which content pieces are targeted at these terms.
Producing content for this stage of the funnel will help you build brand affinity among your customers. The more your consumers know about your brand, they will have more faith in your ability solve their issues. This will result in higher conversion rates for newsletter signups and purchases and click-throughs on your website.
A well-planned strategy for content can aid in closing the gap in conversion. If, for instance, you discover that the majority of your content is aimed at raising awareness, but not enough influence consumers to make a buying decision, then you could increase your spending on advertising campaigns targeting middle-funnel keyword phrases.
Another way to boost the bottom-of-the-funnel sales conversion is by using social media. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook let you interact directly with your customers, providing you an opportunity to showcase your customer service. This could include anything from retweeting positive reviews to promoting special deals.
You can also make use of content that is already available to guide buyers through the funnel, such as blog posts or case studies. If you write a blog post explaining why your product is superior to that of a competitor, you can share it on social media and encourage your customers to join your email list to get more information. You can also encourage conversions in this stage by asking users to tag you on their social media posts after they've used your product. This will encourage others to follow suit and spread the word about your company.
Consideration
A successful content strategy will comprise a variety of content types that attract customers at every stage of the funnel. Brand awareness campaigns, for instance may include ads as well as blog posts and infographics that address the most common issues and objections. The content can then be shared via social media and email to increase organic traffic.
As consumers progress through the process of considering, they begin looking for specific features of the product that can help them make an informed purchase decision. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages are an excellent content type to use in this phase. Use tools for keyword research, such as Ubersuggest or Google search for popular hashtags in your industry to find questions that your customers are asking. Then, craft answers to these questions and place them in your content funnel map.
During this stage it is essential to present an unambiguous value proposition that shows potential customers the way your product or service will solve their issue and make them more money. This content should also highlight the distinctiveness of your brand when compared to that of your competitors.
This is a simple stage to measure because the consumer is making a purchase. To determine whether you're getting it completed, check out indicators like conversion rates as well as the number of transactions and click-through rates.
As they move into the advocacy phase they become loyal fans of your brand and are more likely to share your content because they feel so strongly about it. digital content marketing is an extremely effective method of growing your audience. You'll need to create content that inspires people share it instead of just looking at engagement metrics. You might want to consider using a tool like Sprout Social to track the social shares that result from your content marketing efforts. This will give you a much more accurate picture of your impact.
Decision
In the final phase consumers are seeking information that proves their purchase and provides instructions on how to use the product. At this point, they want to know that your product will resolve their problem and make the investment worth it. It is crucial to have high-quality content at this point, including product guides videos, case studies, and customer success stories. Customers also want to be in a position to ask questions and get answers from your support team. It's a great way to delight your customers and inspire them to by sharing their experiences.
It is your hope that by this point, the customer will turn into an advocate for your brand and spread the word about it to their friends and co-workers. In order to convert these advocates into raving supporters, you'll have to provide them with relevant content that can help them make the most of your product or service. Personalized newsletters tutorial videos and free trial offers and loyalty programs are great ways to do this.
It's time to start focusing on the retention of your audience after it has turned from leads into paying customers. Content marketing funnels usually focus on revenue as their final goal. However, customers will remain in contact and interact with brands after making a purchase. This is why it's crucial to think of the funnel as a loop model, rather than a static structure that concludes with revenue.
The conventional content marketing funnels are useful for creating your strategy however they do not take into account the complexity of the buyer's journey. Reimagining the content marketing funnel as a circular model can assist you in creating an integrated strategy. By planning for each stage of the process you'll be able to develop content that will engage your audience and increase conversions. You can then use the data from these conversions to optimize your strategy and ensure that it is working effectively. Are you ready to see how this approach will benefit your company? Contact us today to request a no-cost content marketing guidebook!
Retention
A funnel for marketing content can be a useful instrument to aid brands in planning, execute and measure their strategy. It will also help them determine the areas where they are lacking in their approach. For example the case where a brand has a large amount of content targeted at generating awareness and interest, but only a few pieces that are geared towards the middle of the funnel, they should prioritize creating content for this stage.
An excellent way to determine how well-targeted your content is to use tools like Ahrefs to look at the average time on the page and bounce rate of each piece. The higher these numbers are the more effective your content is.
Once you've created content for the top of your content marketing funnel, it's important to keep it current and relevant. This will ensure that your audience stays engaged and interested in your brand and its products or services. This can be done by creating new content that is focused on key words, addresses questions that your audience is likely to search for, and provides the most current information about your business or product.
As your audience enters the MOFU stage they'll be seeking more details about your product or service as and ways to resolve their problems. At this stage it's crucial to build trust by offering authentic reviews and demonstrating value.
The final phase of the funnel for content marketing is when your customers will make a purchasing decision. This is done by gated content that requires an email or other form of registration to access. This content is designed to convert the awareness and engagement you've created at the top of your funnel into qualified leads. Your sales team will follow up.
You can still influence the customer journeys through your brand, even if the sales and support teams are the primary ones responsible for customer retention. Create content that is enjoyable for your customers throughout the entire funnel of content marketing. This could include helpful resources, behind the scenes information, and special offers that only your audience has access to. If you can create a sense of trust among your audience they'll be able to serve as genuine advocates for your brand and help reduce your sales cycle times.