Are you in an industry where customers have no choice but to purchase from you? If so, then you’re one lucky business owner because you generate leads by simply existing!
However, if you’re like most of us, your potential customers have plenty of options, so you need to convince them that you’re the best one. That’s where content marketing can help lead generation for your business. Content marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing and generates about 3 times as many leads.
Embracing empowered buyers
Someone looking to buy your product or service has access to a lot of information, including others’ preferences and experiences, potential costs, details of your competitors’ products, and, of course, information on your products, too. Potential leads will also be jumping onto message boards, reading up on social media reviews, and, as Taimur (Tim) Hydari, content expert at Jupiter Business Mentors (JBM) says, “Generally getting their hands on any information they require to make their decision, which could be from a single source or multiple sources.”
A business’s marketing strategy and campaign should be directing people to the content businesses want them to see. As Hazar Ibdah, Arabic content expert at JBM, says, “Content helps your customers make an informed decision based on well-articulated information.” Almost all customers start their journey by using search engines, which means Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) play a big role in getting you seen by interested eyes. As Hazar suggests, to gain better leads, a business should have “SEO experts working hand-in-hand with copywriters to create content that works in terms of reach and ranking.”
So, the best way to attract leads, win them, and keep them, is to give them the information they want and need. This approach isn’t necessarily direct selling, but uses methods which make it easy for customers to find answers and educate themselves on why your product or service is the viable and valuable solution they’re looking for. According to, Diksha Vohra, content expert at JBM, “If you’re posting information that people find beneficial, interesting and it addresses their pain points, they’ll like, comment and share.”
A better way to build a relationship
However, all our experts stress that, with content marketing, the impact isn’t necessarily instant because a rapport needs to be established between you and your leads. “Building your business by being helpful to strangers, prospects and customers will lead to healthy buyer-seller relationships,” mentions Tim. He continues, “Gone are the days of simply promoting your product or service and calling it good – the market is more nuanced than that. People expect more support and clarity around their decision-making and the problems that they’re facing. This is where content comes in.”
Whilst your product or service has the potential to solve your customers’ problems, it’s possible that multiple alternatives also exist. Hazar suggests that, “for the most basic content marketing plan, a client should draft a strategy for their social media and make sure they continue feeding and targeting their audience with relevant content.”
When there are alternative offerings available for your product or service, you should feel secure in educating people about them, and then explaining why your solution is the right choice. As Diksha says, “Put yourself in their shoes and then talk about how they can help themselves through their problems, and if they need additional help, you’re there to help. Don’t push. Be visible and share knowledge.”
Building relationships with your contacts is the foundation of a successful business. Contacts aren’t just email addresses and phone numbers that live in your database. A contact is anyone that the company markets to, sells to, partners with, engages with, or employs. These are the people who you provide value to, and in turn, they help your business grow. Make sure to segment your contacts so that you’re sending them relevant information at the right time.
Using the right content to generate the right leads
Whether it’s blogs, articles, eBooks, presentations, videos, infographics or other types of content, “they need to be contextualized,” believes Tim. He continues, “That means each piece of content is tailored towards someone who is looking for your services or wants to buy your product.” Buyer personas, which are detailed descriptions of your ideal customers created through research, can help you figure out how to tailor your content. As Hazar mentions, your content should be “shaped by your thorough understanding of the targeted audience.”
Importantly, conversion rates are nearly 6x higher for content marketing adopters than non-adopters. As Tim suggests, “Start by taking a look at who is actually buying from you. Then, use multiple sources, including historical data, interviews and, of course, educated guesses, to put a profile, or a ‘persona’, together.” These should be used across your entire organisation, whether it’s marketing, sales, or services teams so that everyone is communicating with the business’s same ideal customers. “The more unified your message, the more likely it is you can provide an end-to-end customer experience,” he says.
This experience is also described as the buyer’s journey. About 49% of marketers are learning to drive content to align with the buyer’s journey. Your buyer’s journey depends on your unique business model, including your product/ service, your pricing and target audience. It begins with the Awareness Stage, when a prospect is looking to name and frame their problem. The Consideration Stage is when they’re committed to understanding all the available solutions to their problem or opportunity. The Decision Stage is when the prospect has decided on their solution and they’re compiling their shortlist. As Diksha notes, the right content “gives you visibility and, somewhere in their mind, registers you as a credible resource. Once they have a requirement, they’ll come to you.”
Keep at it, revisit and repeat
“Untargeted content without a purpose is just spam,” Tim notes. He continues, “People love opportunities to learn and your brand can become a vital resource.” When strangers, prospects and customers are getting expert insight from people at the forefront of an industry, they’re increasingly likely to trust the information.
As Diksha mentions, “Content marketing helps you remain in the subconscious of your audience and that actually helps build trust. If I am seeing someone post daily about the wonderful tasks they’ve done, I’m more likely to trust them and their work.” However, if something isn’t working, i.e., not generating leads, then it’s important to re-strategise.
This is where goal-setting can be key. “Without a goal you won’t know if your marketing efforts were successful,” says Tim. He continues, “Whether it’s increasing website traffic, social media engagement, click-through rates, or, for example, converting more leads into sales, make sure to have metrics that will not only show this, but demonstrate reason behind choosing that particular metric.”
Content marketing can provide you with quality leads that could become your new customers, but it does require some strategising, planning, and commitment before you’ll see real results. However, if you put in the effort, you’ll find a new (and lucrative) way to attract more business over the long term.
To consult with our content experts, get in touch with us here and avail of the 30 minutes free spot with any of our Mentors.
To book a spot with Tim Hydari
