A Content Marketing Funnel Explained

A content marketing funnel helps potential customers to learn more about your brand and solve their issues. They also feel comfortable buying from you. Different kinds of content marketing examples work best for each stage of the funnel.

Infographics, videos and checklists are effective at attracting attention, generating leads and keeping readers involved. Content that is gated, such as guides and templates, also works well at this stage.

Awareness

At this stage, consumers are simply aware that your brand exists and the solutions you offer. This is where the content is created to educate and inform potential customers about the challenges your solution solves and its distinct features from competitors.

Think about the keywords your audience uses when searching online. Through keyword research, you can figure out which terms your customers are searching for that suggest an interest in your product or service. These information can be used to develop a content calendar and decide which content pieces should be designed to target these keywords.

The creation of content for this phase of the funnel will also help you build brand loyalty among your customers. If your customers are aware about your brand, they will have more faith in your ability to solve their problems. This results in higher conversion rates, whether it's newsletter signups, purchases or click-throughs to your website.

A well-executed strategy for content can help you close this conversion gap. If, for example, you discover that the majority of your digital content marketing is targeted at increasing awareness, but nothing influences consumers to make a buying decision, then you can increase your spending on ads that target middle-funnel keywords.

Social media is a different way to increase your bottom-of funnel conversion. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook permit you to communicate directly with your customers, giving you an opportunity to showcase your customer service. This can range from retweeting good reviews to promoting special offers.

You can also use content that already exists to guide buyers through the funnel, such as blog posts or case studies. If you write a blog post that explains the reasons why your product is superior to the competition's you can share it on social media and invite your readers to sign up for your email list to receive more information. You can also encourage a conversion in this stage by asking your followers to tag you on their social media posts after they have used your product. This will inspire other users to do the same and help spread the word about your brand.

Inquiry

A well-planned content strategy should comprise a variety of content types that draw customers in every stage of the funnel. Brand awareness campaigns, for instance, might include ad copy as well as blog posts and infographics to address common objections and concerns. These content pieces can be distributed via email and social media to boost organic traffic.

As consumers progress through the decision-making process they begin to search for specific product features that can help them make a purchase decision. This phase is a great time to make use of FAQ pages. Use tools for keyword research such as Ubersuggest or search for popular hashtags for your industry to find people who are asking. Develop answers to these questions and then add them to your content funnel map.

At this point it is crucial to present a clear value proposition that demonstrates to potential customers what your product or service will solve their issue and make them more money. The content should also highlight your brand's distinctiveness in comparison to your competitors.

This is a relatively easy step to measure, as consumers are making a choice whether or not to purchase. Examine metrics such as conversion rate, payment numbers and click-through rates to determine whether your efforts are producing results.

When consumers reach the advocacy stage your brand becomes more and more important to them. They will share your content with friends because they are so enthusiastic about it. This is a powerful way to grow your audience. You'll need to create content marketing trends that inspires people share it, rather than just looking at engagement metrics. Consider using a tool like Sprout Social to track the social shares that result from your content marketing efforts. This will give you a much more accurate view of the impact you have.

Decision Making

They are looking for content at the decision-making stage that substantiates the purchase and describes how to use the product. At this point, they want to know that your product will resolve their problem and will make their investment worthwhile. At this stage, high-quality content, such as product guides and case study videos and customer success tales are crucial. Your customers also want to be capable of asking questions and get answers from your support team. Sending them personalized emails and round-the-clock customer service is a great way to delight customers and encourage them to share their experience with others.

It is your hope that at this point the customer will turn into an advocate for your brand and will promote it to their coworkers and friends. In order to convert these advocates into raving fans you'll have to provide them with useful information that will allow them to get the most out of your product or service. Personalized newsletters tutorial videos free trial offers and loyalty programs are all great ways to do this.

It's time to start focusing on the retention of your audience after it has turned from leads into paying customers. Content marketing funnels usually concentrate on revenue as the final goal. However, customers will continue to interact and interact with brands even after they have made an purchase. Therefore, it's essential to redefine the funnel as a loop model rather than an unchanging structure that ends with revenue.

While traditional funnels for marketing content marketing on social media can help you plan your strategy but they don't take into account the complexities of the buyer journey. Instead reinventing the funnel as a loop model will aid in creating an effective and more holistic content marketing strategy. By planning for every stage of the process you'll be able to develop content that will engage your audience and increase conversions. You can then use the information from conversions to enhance and test your strategy. Are you ready to see the difference that this strategy can bring to your business? Contact us today to request a complimentary content of marketing strategy marketing guidebook!

Retention

A content marketing funnel can be a useful tool to help brands plan, execute and measure their strategy. It can also give them insight into the gaps in their strategy for content that must be filled. For example the case where a brand has a large amount of content that is geared towards increasing awareness and generating interest, but only a few pieces aimed at the middle of the funnel, they should be focusing on creating content that is targeted at this stage.

Utilize tools such as Ahrefs that examine the average time on the page and bounce rate of each piece to determine how specific your content is. The higher the number, the better performing your content.

Once you've written content for the top of your content marketing funnel, it's important to keep it fresh and relevant. This will ensure that your audience stays engaged and curious about your brand and its products or services. The best method to accomplish this is to create fresh content that focuses on certain keywords, provides answers to questions that are likely to be searched by your audience and includes the most current information regarding your business or product.

As your audience steps onto the MOFU stage they'll be seeking more details about your product or service, as well as solutions to their problems. At this stage, it's important to build trust by providing honest reviews and demonstrating value.

The final stage of the content marketing funnel is when your customers will make a purchase decision. This is achieved through gated content that requires an email or other form of registration to gain access. The content is designed to turn the engagement and awareness that you've created at the top of your funnel into qualified leads. Your sales team will then follow up.

You can still influence the journeys of your customers through your brand, even if the sales and support teams are the primary ones responsible for customer retention. Create content that delights your customers throughout the entire funnel of content marketing. This could include helpful resources, behind-the-scenes information and special offers that only your audience will have access to. If you can build trust with your audience, then they will be your greatest advocates and will help reduce the time to sell.