The Complete Guide To Content Marketing Funnel

A Content Marketing Funnel Explained

A funnel for content marketing helps potential customers to learn more about your brand and solve their issues. They also feel comfortable buying from you. Different types of content are more effective for every stage of the funnel.

Checklists, videos and infographics are effective at attracting attention, generating leads and keeping readers engaged. Templates and guides that are gated work very well at this point.

Awareness

At this point, customers know that your brand exists. They are also aware of the solutions you provide. At this point the content you create is intended to provide answers and educate prospects about the issues your solution tackles, as well as the ways it differs from competitors.

To understand your content gaps at this point, think about the types of keywords your audience uses to search on the internet. Keyword research can be used to determine the terms your target audience is using when they search online. This will aid you in determining if your product or service is required. These data can be used to build a content calendar and then decide which content pieces should be designed to target these keywords.

In addition producing content for this stage of the funnel will help to build brand loyalty with consumers. If your customers are aware about your brand, they will trust you more in your ability solve their issues. This translates into greater conversion rates, whether that's newsletter signups, purchases or clickthroughs to your site.

A well-planned content strategy can also help you close the gap between conversion and purchase at this stage. If, for example, you observe that the majority of your content is aimed at increasing awareness, but not enough is influencing buyers to make a purchase decision, you may increase the amount you spend on ads that target middle-funnel keywords.

Social media is a different way to boost your bottom-of-the-funnel conversion. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook let you interact directly with your customers, giving you the opportunity to show off your customer service. This can include everything from retweeting good reviews to promoting special deals.

You can also make use of content that already exists to help buyers move through the funnel, such as case studies or blog posts. For example, if you write a blog post on how your product is superior than the competition's then you can share it on social media and invite readers to subscribe to your mailing list to receive more information. You can also encourage conversions at this stage by asking users to include your name on their social media posts after they've used your product. This will inspire other users to follow suit and spread the word about your brand.

Then there is the consideration

A good content marketing strategy should include the use of a variety of types of content to attract customers at every stage of the funnel. For instance the brand awareness campaigns could include ad content, but they should also include blogs and infographics that address common objections and concerns. This content could be further distributed via social media and emails to drive organic traffic.

As consumers move through the decision-making process they begin to search for specific features in a product that will help them make an informed purchase decision. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages are a great type of content for this phase. Utilize keyword research tools such as Ubersuggest or search for popular industry hashtags to find the people who are asking. Develop answers to these questions and then place them on your content funnel map.

During this stage, it's important to provide an unambiguous value proposition that demonstrates to prospective customers what your product or service can solve their problems and earn them more money. This content should also highlight your brand's uniqueness compared to your competitors.

This is a relatively simple stage to measure, since consumers are making a decision whether they want to buy. To determine if you're getting the job accomplished, look for indicators like conversion rates as well as the number of transactions and click-through rates.

As they move into the advocacy stage, they become loyal followers of your brand. They also share your content because they feel so strongly about it. This is a highly effective method of growing your audience. However, you must focus on creating content that encourages people to share it, instead of focusing solely on engagement metrics. Utilize Sprout Social, for example, to track social shares that are a result of your content marketing efforts. This will give you a clear picture of your influence.

Decision Making

The majority of people are looking for information at the decision-making stage that validates the purchase and describes how to use the product. At this point they want to be sure that your solution will solve their issue and justify the investment. High-quality content is important at this point, including product guides, case studies, videos and customer stories of success. Customers also want to be in a position to ask questions and receive answers from your support team. It's a great method to please your customers and to encourage them to share their experiences.

It is your hope that at this stage the customer will turn into an advocate for your brand and promote it to their coworkers and friends. To convert these advocates into rave customers, you'll be required to provide them with relevant content that allows them to get the most from your product or service. This can be done by creating personalized newsletters, tutorial video free trial offers, and loyalty programs.

It's time to start focusing on the retention of your audience after it has transformed from leads to paying clients. Content marketing funnels tend to concentrate on revenue as the end goal. However, consumers will continue to interact and engage with brands after making an purchase. It's essential to think of funnels as a dynamic structure that includes revenue, not static models.

While traditional funnels for content marketing can help you plan your strategy, they don't account for the complexities of the buyer's journey. Instead thinking of the funnel in loop models can aid in creating an effective and holistic content marketing strategy. By planning for every step of the process you'll be able create content that will engage your audience and drive conversions. Then, you can use the data from these conversions to enhance your strategy and make sure that it is working effectively. Are you ready to see the difference that this approach can bring to your business? Contact us today to request a free content marketing guidebook!

Retention

A funnel for marketing content is a useful tool that can help companies plan their strategy, execute it and evaluate its success. It also gives them an understanding of the gaps in their content strategy that need to be filled. If a brand has lots of content targeted at generating attention and interest, but only a few pieces aimed at the middle of funnel, it should create content specifically for this stage.

Utilize tools such as Ahrefs that analyze the average time spent on a page and bounce rates of each piece to determine how specific your content is. The higher these numbers are, the more efficient your content is.

Once you've written content to be the top of your funnel for marketing content It's essential to keep it fresh and relevant. This will ensure that your audience remains engaged and interested in your brand and its products or services. This can be done by creating content that is focused on key words, addresses questions that your audience is likely to search for, and provides current information about your business or product.

As your audience enters the MOFU stage they'll want more information on your product or service, as well as ways to solve their problems. It's also important to build confidence by giving honest reviews and demonstrating your worth.

The final step of the funnel for content marketing is when your target audience will make a purchase. This is typically done via restricted content that requires an email address or some other method of registration to access. This content is meant to turn the awareness and engagement that you've created at the top of your  content marketing funnel  into leads that are qualified for your sales team to follow up on.

While customer retention largely falls in the hands of your support and sales teams, you can still influence your customers' journeys with your brand by generating content that delights them throughout the entire content marketing funnel. This could include helpful information, behind-the-scenes information, and special deals that only your customers have access to. When you can foster trust with your customers, they'll serve as authentic advocates for your brand and aid in reducing your sales cycle time.