A Content Marketing Funnel Explained

A content marketing funnel is a way to help potential customers learn about your brand, discover solutions to their problems and feel confident about buying from you. Different types of content are more effective in every stage of the funnel.

Checklists, videos and infographics are effective at getting attention, creating leads and keeping readers engaged. Content that is gated, such as templates and guides, also performs well at this stage.

Awareness

At this point, customers are only aware of your brand and the solutions you provide. In this stage the content you create is intended to provide information and help prospects about the issues your solution addresses and what makes it different from competitors.

To understand your content gaps at this point, think about the types of keywords your audience uses to browse online. Through keyword research, you can find out which terms your audience is searching for that suggest an interest in your product or service. These information can be used to create a content calendar and then decide which content pieces are designed to target these keywords.

The creation of content for this phase of the funnel can help you build brand affinity among consumers. If your customers are more informed about your brand, they'll trust you more in your ability to solve their problems. This results in higher conversion rates for newsletter signups and purchases as well as clickthroughs on your website.

A well-executed content strategy can also assist in closing the gap in conversion at this stage. If, for instance, you observe that the majority of your content is aimed at increasing awareness, but not enough influences customers to make a purchase decision, then you can increase your spending on advertising campaigns targeting middle-funnel keywords.

Another way to increase the bottom-of-the-funnel sales conversion is by using social media. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook permit you to communicate directly with your customers, providing you the chance to show your customer service. This can range from posting positive reviews on Twitter 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. For example, if you write a post about how your product is superior than a competitor's and you want to post it on social media and encourage readers to sign up to your mailing list for more information. You can also encourage conversions at this point by asking users to tag you on their social media posts once they have tried your product. This will inspire others to do the same and help spread the word about your company.

Consideration

A well-planned content strategy should consist of a variety types that draw customers in each stage of the funnel. Brand awareness campaigns, for instance may include ads, but also blog posts and infographics to address common objections and concerns. This content could be further distributed via social media and emails to drive organic traffic.

As consumers progress through the consideration phase, they begin looking for specific features in a product that can help them make an informed purchase decision. This is the perfect time to make use of FAQ pages. Utilize keyword research tools such as Ubersuggest or search for popular hashtags for your industry to find people who are asking. Then, you can write answers to these questions and place them in your content funnel map.

In this phase it is crucial to present an unambiguous proposition that shows how your product or service can solve their problems and generate more revenue. The content should also demonstrate the distinctiveness of your brand in comparison to the brands of your competition.

This is a relatively simple stage to measure, as consumers are making a choice whether they want to buy. Consider metrics like conversion rate, payment numbers and click-through rates to see if your efforts are working.

As they move into the advocacy stage, they become loyal followers of your brand and share your content because they feel so strongly about it. This is a highly effective method of growing your audience. You'll need to develop content that is inspiring people to share it, instead of simply looking at engagement metrics. Use Sprout Social, for example, to track social media content marketing shares that are a result of your marketing efforts with content. This will give you an accurate picture of your influence.

Decision

At the point of making a decision consumers are seeking content that confirms their purchase and outlines how to use the product. At this point, they need to know that your product will resolve their problem and make the investment worthwhile. It is crucial to have high-quality content at this stage, including product guides, case studies, videos, and customer success stories. Your customers should also be capable of asking questions and get answers from your support team. Providing them with customized emails and 24 hour customer service is a great way to delight customers and encourage them to share their experiences with others.

At this point you're hoping that the customer will become a brand ambassador and will recommend your product to their colleagues and friends. To convert these advocates into raving customers, you will be required to provide them with relevant information that will help them get the most from your product or service. Personalized newsletters tutorial videos free trial offers and loyalty programs are excellent methods to achieve this.

After your audience has changed from leads to paying customers It's time to concentrate on retention. Content marketing funnels tend to focus on revenue as their final goal. However, consumers will remain in contact and interact with brands even after they have made purchases. It's essential to think of funnels as a dynamic structure that incorporates revenue, instead of a static model.

While traditional funnels for marketing content can help you plan your strategy but they don't take into account the complexity of the buyer journey. Reimagining the funnel of content marketing as a circular model can help you develop an overall strategy. You can create content that is engaging your audience and boosts conversions by planning for each phase of the process. You can then utilize the data from conversions to enhance and test your strategy. Are you ready to experience the impact that this strategy can make for your business? Contact us today and request a complimentary content marketing playbook.

Retention

A funnel for marketing content can be a useful instrument to aid brands in planning and execute their strategy. It can also assist them in identifying the areas where they are lacking in their approach. For example when a company has a lot of content that is geared towards increasing awareness and generating interest, but few pieces targeted towards the middle of the funnel, they should prioritize creating content that is targeted at this stage.

Use tools like Ahrefs which look at the average time on page and bounce rates of each piece to determine how specialized your content is. The higher these numbers are, the more effective your content is.

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 keep your customers interested in your brand and its products and services. This can be accomplished by creating content that is focused on key words, addresses questions that your audience is likely to look for, and highlights current information about your industry or product.

When your audience arrives at the MOFU stage they'll be seeking more detailed information about your product or service as well as solutions to their issues. It's important to build confidence by providing honest reviews and demonstrating the value of your product.

In the final phase of your funnel for marketing content, your audience will decide whether they want to purchase. This is accomplished through gated content, which requires an email or another form registration to access. The purpose of this content is to convert the engagement and awareness you've built at the top of your content marketing funnel into leads that are qualified for your sales team to follow up on.

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