The goal of content marketing is to attract your target customers to your brand and convert them into leads, ultimately clients. But that doesn't happen overnight.
And you definitely can't achieve this by posting random content on social media.
The fact is, B2B buyers are in different stages of the buying journey and they are looking for a specific type of content at each stage of their journey.
According to research, the average B2B buyer consumes at least 13 pieces of content before becoming a customer.
You need to map their journey across the different stages, analyze how they make decisions, and create content that gradually positions your brand as the ideal solution to their needs.
That's when they'll come to you when they are ready to buy.
To achieve this, you need a strong content marketing funnel based on a data-driven strategy rather than hunches and guesses.
The Content Marketing Funnel is all about creating targeted content for different stages of the buyer's journey with the goal of converting them into a customer
Steps towards building an effective content marketing funnel
Identify your ideal clients, their current state, struggles and aspirations
Research the kind of content they like to consume, in what form and where
Create targeted content for different stages of their journey
How to create content for different stages of the buyer journey
Top of the Funnel
Goal of content at this stage: To create awareness among strangers
People in this stage are not ready to buy and they are not aware of your brand. Many of them may not even realise they have a problem and need a solution.
At this stage, your content should make them aware about:
Your brand
Problems that are hampering their business
How to solve those problems
What kind of content to create for buyers in this stage:
Blog Posts
Infographics
Podcasts
Newsletters
Checklists
How-to-guides
Informative Videos
Polls/quizzes
Middle of the Funnel
Goal of content at this stage: To convert strangers into qualified leads
People in this stage are aware of the problem, they are aware of your brand, have buying intent but they are exploring available solutions out there.
At this stage your content should:
Take them deeper into how your solutions work
Show how your solutions solve their problems
Highlight how they compare to other solutions in the market
What kind of content to create for buyers in this stage:
Comparison Sheets
Client Success stories
Use Cases
Testimonials
Toolkits
Product Webinars
Bottom of the Funnel
Goal of content at this stage: To convert qualified leads into customers
People in this stage are aware of your brand but they are not sure if you have exactly what they are looking for and are the right choice for them
At this stage your content should:
Convince them that you have the ideal solution for their needs
Demonstrate that you provide the best value for money
Show them that you have people they can count on
What kind of content to create for buyers in this stage:
Demo/Free Trial
Free Consultation
Walkthrough Videos
ROI Calculator
Pricing Sheet
Email Offers
Bonus tactics to move your audience along the funnel
Send them follow-up emails based on their actions on your website or how they interact with your content
Implement internal linking on your blog and other online content resources to direct users to relevant product/services pages where they can learn more about solutions
Suggest related content to keep them engaged with your brand and position you as an expert (the more of your content people consume the more they are likely to trust you and buy from you)
Add relevant and persuasive CTAs at the end of every piece of content to make them take the desired action(s)
Run retargeting campaigns to people who consumed your content to keep them engaged and bring them back to your site. (Related article: Effective B2B Retargeting Tactics to Increase Website Conversions)
