Call us: (443) 956-2249
kelle@kc-communications.com
  • Blog
  • Contact
B2B Technology Copywriting – Kellé Campbell PR WriterB2B Technology Copywriting – Kellé Campbell PR WriterB2B Technology Copywriting – Kellé Campbell PR WriterB2B Technology Copywriting – Kellé Campbell PR Writer
  • Home
  • Why Kellé
  • Software & E-learning Writing
  • Content Writing
  • Portfolio
  • Testimonials

Skyrocket Sales Funnel Success: Get the Content Right

    Home Resources Skyrocket Sales Funnel Success: Get the Content Right
    NextPrevious

    Skyrocket Sales Funnel Success: Get the Content Right

    By administrator | Resources | Comments are Closed | 28 June, 2020 | 0

    According to the 2020 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America report, many businesses still aren’t crafting content for specific stages of the customer journey. The report’s finding are below:

    • Less than half of all respondents (48%) always or often followed this practice.
    • A little over a quarter (26%) of the least successful always or often followed this practice.
    • Almost three quarters (74%) of the most successful always or often followed this practice.

    So, here’s a quick overview of how to determine what content works at different stage of the customer journey.

    Mapping the Customer Journey

    We usually think of the customer journey (also known as the buyer’s journey) as the classic sales funnel:

    • Top of the Funnel: Prospective buyers become aware of your offering or their problem.
    • Middle of the Funnel: They assess the suitability of your offering.
    • Bottom of the Funnel: They consider the purchase decision.
    The three stage sales funnel: awareness, evaluation, and purchase.

    Actually, a buyer’s journey can have three to six stages. According to Gartner, most (82%) B2B companies create a custom customer journey map.

    But for simplicity’s sake, we’ll stick with the classics and use the three-stage sales funnel.

    Top of the Sales Funnel: Awareness

    At the top of the sales funnel, prospects have become aware of their problem or need. So, they are investigating all available solutions. They’re nowhere near ready to buy, so don’t push your product or service at this point. But they are interested in research data, reviews, expert insights, etc. that can help them figure out their next steps.

    Content for this stage for the buyer’s journey should address the following:

    • Customers’ pain points and needs
    • Problem-solving/How-to’s
    • Industry trends/forecasts

    Some people think content at the top of the sales funnel has to be short and light, e.g., infographics, short videos and blog posts, quizzes, etc. That’s not necessarily the case. White papers that describe a business problem and its solution are also top-of-the-funnel content.

    If prospects find this content helpful, they are likely to continue on to the middle of your sales funnel.

    Middle of the Sales Funnel: Evaluation

    In the middle of the funnel, prospects are trying to determine whether your product or service is a good fit. When your product or service is complex and/or expensive, this stage tends to be rather lengthy. You’re going to have to build their trust and touch base with them on occasion so that they remember you.

    At this stage, you can mention your product or service, but it should not be the focus of the content piece. Middle funnel content will generally do the following:

    • Highlight advocates for your product or services
    • Weigh costs (e.g., implementation) against risks and anticipated benefits

    The lines between top and middle funnel content can be blurred somewhat. E.g., you could create a light but informative piece such as  a numbered list on a challenge that they’re facing.

    Bottom of the Sales Funnel: Purchase

    When prospects are near the bottom of the sales funnel, they are close to making a purchase decision. But chances are that they are also looking at alternatives to your offering. You need to create content that your sales team can use to nudge prospects your way.

    At this point, you don’t have to shy away from mentioning your offering too often. In fact, you can’t mention your offering too often; your content should focus on your offering. The prospect needs to understand it and why it’s a better choice than the alternatives on the market.

    This is also a good time to let prospects take your offering for a “test drive.” If they get accustomed to using it and like using it, it’ll be that much easier for them to keep using it.

    At this stage, you’ll be creating content that does the following:

    • Shows how the product or service works
    • Compares products/services with competitors
    • Provides tutorials
    • Explains exactly how it helped people in situations very similar to the buyer

    Conclusion

    As mentioned before, the three-stage sales funnel is oversimplified. Not only can there be more than three stages, but the journey is also nowhere as linear as the above diagram indicates.

    Because the process is not straightforward, content can help keep you top of mind. Also, most buyers are going to do most of their own research before they ever contact you. So you need to be able to give them the information they require.

    Hopefully, this process outline, simplified as it was, gave you an idea of how to map content to your own customer journey.

    No tags.

    administrator

    More posts by administrator

    Related Post

    • Boost Your Business Value – Get Published!

      By admin | Comments are Closed

      Getting articles published is an excellent way to establish yourself as an expert and gain the recognition of peers, customers, and superiors. Organizations love to say they have a published writer/expert on their payroll, andRead more

    • 4 Alternatives to Press Releases

      By admin | Comments are Closed

      Press releases are considered the mainstay of public relations, but that doesn’t mean that other written materials can’t get you media exposure. If you don’t have a subject newsworthy enough  for a release, try sendingRead more

    • 4 Ways to Reduce Writing Time

      By admin | Comments are Closed

      With our hectic schedules, tactics for trimming time off or even getting started on a writing project can be invaluable. Everyone has their own preferred techniques, but here are a few I’ve learned: 1. LetRead more

    • Dodging the Homophone Bullet

      By B2B Tech Writer | 2 comments

      While editing a client’s proposal, I noticed that the program’s agenda was described as “complimenting” the public school curriculum. Recently, a friend received a flier from a public relations department offering “complementary” beverages at aRead more

    • The Case for the Inverted Pyramid

      By B2B Tech Writer | Comments are Closed

      Storytelling techniques have a lot of advocates (including me). However, some storytelling advocates suggest that  the traditional  writing structure of the inverted pyramid  is a thing of the past. In the inverted pyramid format, theRead more

    • Grammar Fix: Repairing Fused Sentences and Comma Splices

      By B2B Tech Writer | Comments are Closed

      You probably remember the terms comma splice (also called a comma fault) and fused sentence (aka a run-on sentence) from some point in English class. For those of you who need a refresher, these terms referRead more

    • Tell Your Story with Case Studies

      By B2B Tech Writer | Comments are Closed

      Case studies provide all the appeal of a good story while sharing solutions for overcoming challenges or achieving objectives. The promise of practical tips draws readers’ interest, and if they can identify with the peopleRead more

    • Solving the “Who” vs. “Whom” Mystery

      By B2B Tech Writer | Comments are Closed

      One major English grammar challenge is figuring out when to use either who or whom. A good number of professional communicators (myself included) have done fairly decent impressions of owls as they glare at their computerRead more

    NextPrevious

    Send Me a Message

      Your Name (required)

      Your Email (required)

      Phone Number

      Website Address

      Message

      Recent Posts

      • 1 June, 2022
        Comments Off on Powerful content answers the questions your prospects are asking

        Powerful content answers the questions your prospects are asking

      • 23 January, 2022
        Comments Off on 4 more ways to repurpose your webinar content

        4 more ways to repurpose your webinar content

      • 4 September, 2021
        Comments Off on How to make new content from old webinar text: 3 more repurposing ideas

        How to make new content from old webinar text: 3 more repurposing ideas

      • 21 June, 2021
        Comments Off on How your old webinar video can boost your lead generation

        How your old webinar video can boost your lead generation

      • 24 March, 2021
        Comments Off on Persuasion doesn’t just happen: How to avoid the agony of butting heads

        Persuasion doesn’t just happen: How to avoid the agony of butting heads

      • 21 February, 2021
        Comments Off on Show You Know Your Customer: Be Specific

        Show You Know Your Customer: Be Specific

      My Work

      • Quick Guide to for Learning Intervention Early Warning Indicators
      • Spartanburg Case Study
      • School Case Study
      • Twitter Backup App
      • Landing Page
      KC Communications
      Kellé Campbell is a public relations writer with more than 15 years of experience performing writing, editing, ghostwriting, and research services for clients in a variety of sectors, specializing in technology.

      Recent Posts

      • Powerful content answers the questions your prospects are asking

        The most interesting content you can create for prospects and customers is

        1 June, 2022
      • 4 more ways to repurpose your webinar content

        I’ve been sharing a variety of ways that marketers can repurpose webinar

        23 January, 2022

      Recent Tweets

      Tweets by @kcwriter

      Contact Info

      Phone Number
      (443) 956-2249
      Fax:
      (443) 288-5074
      Email Address
      kelle@kc-communications.com
      Copyright © 2023 KC Communications. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy, Disclaimer and Terms
      • Home
      • Why Kellé
      • Software & E-learning Writing
      • Content Writing
      • Portfolio
      • Testimonials
      • Blog
      • Contact
      B2B Technology Copywriting – Kellé Campbell PR Writer