Competition for attention in the digital world is fierce.
From brands and influencers to family and friends, we’re faced with new engagement opportunities everywhere we look.
In fact, we spend nearly seven hours (six hours and 37 minutes, to be exact) on the internet a day3.
Which provides plenty of opportunities to get in front of your consumers.
But you need to work hard to cut through the noise.
That means producing the right content.
Here I’ll show you how.
Tell powerful stories
Good content is about masterful storytelling to attract your leads to you.
And that storytelling has to be your buyer’s story, not your own.
66% of customers expect brands to understand their needs2. They want to feel seen.
Good storytelling is both art and science.
It should:
- win hearts and minds. But it should also reflect the values of your brand.
- help you stand out from the millions of other brands competing for your prospects’ attention.
- be purposed to suit every stage of your buyer’s journey daily
- focus on benefits and solutions
- focus on values that align with your audience
Use the right content framework
If you read my previous blog, you’ll know that I like to structure conversion content using Hubspot’s flywheel1, rather than the traditional marketing funnel.
It’s simpler and more relevant to the way we consume content today.
It provides a framework for developing your content in line with your customer’s needs at different stages of your relationship.
This will generate a steady stream of leads and customers.
Understand who you’re talking to
Before you develop any content, you need to understand exactly who you’re talking to, so you can tailor your messaging to them:
- Who are your future customers and how is your brand relevant to them?
- Where are they from and how can you tailor content to suit this?
- What barriers and motivations are they facing in relation to your products or services? How do you provide solutions to these?
- What’s their lifestyle and media habits? How can you respond to this?
- What kind of content are they responding to now? How can you do this better?
Be aware of social sentiment
Keep on top of what’s happening in the world today.
From anti-racism and mental health to Covid and cost-of-living, these external events provide opportunities for relevant content that builds trust.
For example, can your products or services help with cost-of-living issues., or can you offer advice?
Can you demonstrate inclusivity as part of your content to tap into anti-racism values?
Your three-stage content framework
The flywheel provides a simple but effective structure to help you develop the right content, for the right people, at the right time.
Consider building a relationship with your prospects as you would consider any relationship. Think of your audience as a person.
Put your best bits forward first. Then slowly reveal more relevant details over time. Don’t give away or ask too much too early.
The further around the flywheel, the more information is exchanged.
Be clear what you’re trying to achieve with your content and what phase of the flywheel it fits into.
Awareness: Attract
You have eight seconds to differentiate your business in a positive way2
- How do your future prospects feel about you? They know nothing or very little about you at this stage – they’re strangers
- What do they want? They want content that gives them as much upfront value as possible, with no pressure to buy
- What should your strategy be? Think about this stage like a dating website. It’s about shining a light on the best and most relevant parts of your brand
- What kind of content works?
- Free content that’s easy to consume and costs your prospects nothing but a few minutes of their time, eg.
- an ‘always-on’ outbound ad campaign to inspire people with key brand messaging
- an inbound blog strategy covering hot public topics, relevant to your products or services, or answering an industry-specific question. Rank high up in web search results and develop your reputation as a subject expert
- Free content that’s easy to consume and costs your prospects nothing but a few minutes of their time, eg.
Consideration: Engage
Prove your value and differentiate your brand
- How do your future prospects feel about you? They know a little about you, and they like what they know so far
- What do they want? They’re considering their options and comparing you to your competition
- What should your strategy be? Bring out the big guns, because you’re being compared to your biggest rivals; capture data where you can, so you can support conversion with further outbound tactics such as re-marketing ads, email or direct mail campaigns
- What kind of content works?
- Justify the value of your brand, products or services – provide clear solutions to specific problems
- Differentiate yourself from your competition through unique messaging that helps you stand out
- Give something away for free or create a compelling offer to capture data, eg.
- eBooks, brochures or in-depth blog posts to continue to establish yourselves as experts
- White papers illustrating the results of your solution
- Webinars and events to build strong relationships
- Short case studies that prove the worth of your brand
Decision: Delight
Exceed expectations with unique content that persuades and reinforces reasons to purchase
- How do your future prospects feel about you? Late-stage prospects are the most qualified, therefore the most likely to become loyal customers. The feel very confident that your brand can help them meet their goals
- What do they want? They want to be intrigued by your brand. They have the information they need about the solution to their problem. They also know what their options are. Now, they’re weighing those options and deciding whether your solution is the one for them. Or, as promoters, they’re already on board with your solution and they’re looking for even more reasons to tell the world about it.
- What should your strategy be? Continue to provide and communicate solutions to their problems, exceeding your audience’s expectations through unrivalled brand experiences
- What kind of content works?
- Valuable content that’s unique to them. So valuable that you could charge for it, but it’s free
- eBooks, brochures or in-depth blog posts to establish yourselves as experts
- White papers illustrating the results of your solution
- Webinars and events to encourage help build strong relationships
- Toolkits, including interactive resources like checklists, templates, flowcharts and worksheets
- Private social networking groups and bespoke online information
- Case studies that illustrate new and innovative applications for your solution
Basically, deliver unique and valuable content to the right people at the right time.
Be customer-focused to build trust and connections with your brand.
References
1Hubspot, 2023: Sales funnel
2Hubspot, 2022: 9 customer experience trends and stats that will define the next year
3Oberlo, 2022, How much time is spent with different types of media?
Forbes, 2017: Why every business needs powerful storytelling to grow