A Content Marketing Funnel Explained
A funnel for marketing content helps potential customers to learn more about your company help them solve their problems and be confident about buying from you. Content is best suited for each stage of the funnel.
Checklists, videos, and infographics are effective at getting attention, creating leads and keeping readers engaged. Gated content, like guides and templates, also is effective at this point.
Awareness
At this stage, consumers are aware of the existence of your brand. They are also aware of the solutions you provide. This is the stage where content is created to educate and inform prospects about the issues your solution solves as well as its differences from competitors.
To determine the gaps in your content at this stage, you must consider the different types of keywords that your customers use to browse on the internet. Through keyword research, you can find out what terms your audience is searching for and which suggest a need for your product or service. These information can be used to build a content calendar and decide which content pieces are designed to target these keywords.
In addition creating content for this stage of the funnel will help to build brand loyalty with consumers. If your customers are aware about your brand, they'll have more faith in your ability to solve their problems. This translates into greater conversion rates, whether that's purchase orders, newsletter sign-ups or click-throughs to your website.
A well-planned content strategy can help you close the gap in conversion at this stage. For instance, if you find that the vast majority of your content is aimed at gaining awareness, but not enough of it is pushing buyers toward the purchase decision, you can increase your advertising budget to target keywords in the middle of the funnel.
Social media is yet another method to increase your bottom-of funnel conversion. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook let you interact with your customers directly and give you the chance to showcase your dedication to customer service. This could include anything from retweeting good reviews to promoting special deals.
You can also make use of existing content to draw customers to the bottom of the funnel for a lower cost, such as blog posts or case studies. For instance, if you write a blog post on how your product is superior than a competitor's then you can post it on social media and invite readers to subscribe to your mailing list to receive more information. You can also encourage conversions at this stage by asking users to tag you on their social media posts once they have used your product. This will motivate other people to do the same, and will help spread the word about your brand.
Consideration
A good content marketing strategy should include the use of a variety of types of content to engage customers throughout the funnel. Brand awareness campaigns, for instance could include ad copy, but also blog posts and infographics to address common concerns and objections. These pieces of content can be distributed via email or social media to increase organic traffic.
As consumers move through the consideration phase and begin to look for specific features in a product that will help them make the purchase decision. This is the perfect time to make use of FAQ pages. Use tools for keyword research, such as Ubersuggest or Google search for popular hashtags in your industry to find questions that your audience asks. Then, you can write answers to these questions and include them on your content funnel map.
At this point it is crucial to present a clear value proposition that shows potential customers what your product or service will solve their problems and earn them more money. The content should also demonstrate the uniqueness of your brand compared to the brands of your competition.
This is an easy step to evaluate since the consumer is making a purchase. Look at metrics like conversion rate, payment numbers and click-through rate to determine whether your efforts are producing results.
When consumers reach the advocacy phase and become loyal customers of your brand and are more likely to share your content because they feel strongly about it. This is a highly effective way to grow your audience. You'll need to develop content that encourages people to share it, instead of simply focus on engagement metrics. Use Sprout Social, for example, to track social shares that are a result of your content marketing efforts. This will give you an accurate picture of the impact you have.
Decision Making
In the final phase, people are looking for content that confirms their purchase and outlines how to use the product. At this point, they need to be confident that the solution will resolve their problem and make the investment worthwhile. Quality content is essential at this point, including product guides videos, case studies, and customer success stories. Your customers also want to be capable of asking questions and receive 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 at this point the customer will be an advocate for your brand and promote it to their coworkers and friends. In order to convert these advocates into raving fans, you'll have to provide them with relevant information that will allow them to make the most of your product or service. You can accomplish this by creating customized newsletters, tutorial videos free trial offers, and loyalty programs.
After your audience has converted from leads to paying customers It's time to concentrate on retention. Content marketing funnels tend to focus on revenue as their end goal. However, customers will continue to interact and engage with brands even after they have made a purchase. It's essential to think of the funnel as a dynamic model that incorporates revenue, not an unchanging model.
While traditional funnels for content marketing can aid in planning your strategy but they don't take into account the complexities of the buyer journey. Instead reinventing the funnel as loop models can help you create a more holistic and effective content marketing strategy. You can create content that is engaging your target audience and increases conversions by planning for each stage of the process. Then, you can use the data from these conversions to enhance your strategy and make sure that it is working effectively. Are you ready to see the difference that this strategy can bring to your company? Contact us today to request a complimentary content marketing playbook.
Retention
A content marketing funnel is a valuable tool that can help brands plan their strategy, implement it, and measure its effectiveness. It will also help them determine the areas where they are lacking in their approach. For example, if a brand has a large amount of content targeted at generating the public's attention and interest, but few pieces aimed at the middle of the funnel, they should prioritize creating content that is targeted at this stage.
Utilize tools such as Ahrefs which analyze the average time spent on the page and bounce rate of each piece to determine how targeted your content is. The higher these numbers are, the better your content is performing.
Once you've written content to be the top of your content marketing funnel, it's important to keep it up-to-date and relevant. This will ensure that your audience stays engaged and interested in your brand and the products or services it offers. This can be achieved by creating new content that is focused on key words, addresses questions your audience is likely to look for, and provides the most the latest information regarding your product or industry.
As your audience steps onto the MOFU stage they'll be seeking more information on your product or service, as well as solutions to their issues. article rewriting tool 's also important to build trust by providing honest reviews and demonstrating your value.
The final step of the content marketing funnel is where your audience will make a purchase decision. This is done by gated content, which requires an email or other form registration to access. This content is meant to turn the engagement and awareness you've built at the top of your funnel for content marketing into leads that are qualified for your sales team to follow up with.
While customer retention is largely to your support and sales teams, you can still have an impact on the customer's experience with your brand by generating content that delights them throughout the entire marketing funnel. This could include helpful information, behind-the-scenes details and special offers that only your audience has access to. If you can build trust among your audience they'll be able to serve as genuine advocates for your brand and aid in reducing your sales cycle times.