A Content Marketing Funnel Explained

A content marketing funnel is a way to assist potential customers to learn about your brand, discover solutions to their problems, and feel confident about buying from you. Content is best suited for every stage of the funnel.

At the top of the funnel, infographics, videos, and checklists grab attention, generate leads, and keep the readers interested. Guides and templates that are gated work well in this stage.

Awareness

At this stage, consumers are aware of the existence of your brand. They are also aware of the solutions you provide. At this point the content you create is intended to give answers and educate potential customers about the issues your solution solves, as well as the ways it differs from competitors.

Take note of the keywords your target audience is using to search online. You can use keyword research to find out what is a content marketer terms your audience uses when searching online. This will help you determine if your product or service is needed. This information can be used to develop an editorial calendar and determine the types of content that be targeted at those specific terms.

The creation of content for this phase of the funnel will aid in building brand loyalty with your customers. The more your consumers know about your brand, they will have greater confidence in your ability solve their issues. This results in greater conversion rates, be it purchase orders, newsletter sign-ups or click-throughs to your website.

A well-executed strategy for content will aid in closing the gap in conversion. If, for instance, you find that most of your content is aimed at raising awareness, but nothing influences consumers to make a buying decision, then you could increase the amount you spend on marketing campaigns that target middle-funnel keywords.

Another way to boost your bottom-of-the-funnel conversion is to use social media. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook let you interact with your customers directly, giving you the opportunity to showcase your customer care. This could range from tweeting good reviews to promoting special offers.

You can also use existing content to guide buyers through the funnel, like case studies or blog posts. For example, if you write a post about why your product is better than one from a competitor, you can share it on social media and encourage readers to sign up to your mailing list to receive more information. You can also encourage conversions at this point by asking users to tag you on their social media posts after they’ve used your product. This will motivate other people to do the same, and spread the word about your brand.

Then there is the consideration

A well-planned content marketing strategy incorporates a mix of content types to capture consumers throughout the funnel. For instance, brand awareness campaigns might include ad content but they should also include blogs and infographics that address common objections and concerns. This content can be further shared via social media or emails to drive organic traffic.

As consumers progress through the consideration stage, they start looking for specific features of products that can help them make a purchase decision. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages are a great content type for this stage. Use tools for keyword research such as Ubersuggest or search for popular industry hashtags to find the people who are asking. Create answers to these questions, and then put them on your content funnel map.

During this stage, it’s important to provide an unambiguous value proposition that demonstrates to prospective customers the way your product or service will solve their problem and make them more money. The content should also emphasize the distinctiveness of your brand when compared to your competitors.

This is an easy step to evaluate since the consumer is making a purchase. Examine metrics such as conversion rate, payment numbers and click-through rates to determine if your efforts are working.

As they move into the advocacy phase, they become loyal followers of your brand and are more likely to share your content because they feel strongly about it. This is an extremely effective way to grow your audience. You’ll need to develop content that is inspiring people to share it, rather than just looking at engagement metrics. Use Sprout Social, for example to track the number of shares on social media that are a result of your marketing efforts with content. This will give you a precise image of your impact.

Decision

People are looking for content in the decision-making process that substantiates the purchase and provides instructions on how to use the product. At this point they want to make certain that your product will solve their problem and justify the purchase. Quality content is essential at this stage, including product guides video, case studies and customer stories of success. Your customers would like to ask questions and receive answers from your support staff. It’s a great way to delight your customers and encourage them by sharing their experiences.

At this stage you’re hoping that the customer will become a brand advocate and will recommend your product to their friends and colleagues. To turn these advocates into enthusiastic customers, you’ll need to provide them valuable content that allows them to get the most from your product or service. Personalized newsletters, tutorial videos free trial offers and loyalty programs are excellent methods to achieve this.

It’s time to begin focusing on the retention of your audience after it has changed from leads to paying clients. The conventional content marketing funnel models tend to view revenue as the end of the journey, however it’s crucial to remember that consumers continue to engage with brands after they’ve purchased. It’s essential to think of the funnel as a dynamic structure that includes revenue, not an unchanging model.

The standard funnels for content marketing are helpful in creating your strategy, but they do not take into account the complexity of the buyer’s journey. Reimagining the funnel of content marketing as a circular model can aid in developing an integrated strategy. You can create content that engages your audience and drives conversions by planning for each phase of the journey. You can then utilize the data from conversions to optimize and test your strategy. Are you ready to experience the impact this approach can bring to your business? Contact us today to request a complimentary content marketing playbook!

Retention

A content marketing funnel can be a powerful instrument to aid brands in planning, execute and measure their strategy. It can also help them identify the areas where they are lacking in their strategy. If a brand has lots of content targeted at generating the public’s attention but only few pieces aimed at middle of funnel, it must create content for this stage.

One of the best ways to gauge how well-targeted your content is to use tools like Ahrefs to determine the average time on the page and bounce rate of each piece. The higher these numbers are, the more effective your content marketer is.

After you’ve put together content that will be at the top of your content marketing funnel It’s essential to keep it up-to-date and relevant. This will ensure that your audience stays engaged and interested in your brand and its products or services. This can be accomplished by creating content that is focused on key words, addresses questions that your target audience is likely to search for, and provides the most the latest information regarding your industry or product.

When your target audience enters MOFU and MOFU, they’ll be looking for more details about your product or services, as well as solutions to their problems. It’s important to build confidence by giving honest reviews and demonstrating the value of your product.

The final phase of the funnel for content marketing is where your audience will make a purchase decision. This is typically done via restricted content that requires an email address or some other form of registration in order to access. This content is designed to turn the interest and awareness you’ve created at the top of your funnel into qualified leads. Your sales team will then follow to follow up.

While customer retention falls mainly to your support and sales teams, you can still influence your customers’ journeys with your brand by creating content that delights customers throughout the entire marketing funnel. This can include useful information, behind-the-scenes information, and special offers that only your customers have access to. If you can build loyalty with your audience, then they will be your greatest advocates and help to reduce the time to sell.