In our most recent ePub we outlined (link here) several strategies for content marketing specific to B2B manufacturers. Creating content exclusively for each part of the buyers funnel – top, middle and bottom – is really what’s going to help attract potential customers and drive sales. While it’s important to get new customers associated with your products and services at the top of the funnel, it’s arguably of the most importance for a business to get that final sale efficiently and effectively. After all, sales are what keep us in business.
Bottom of the Funnel Content
It’s easy to get caught up in marketing strategies in an effort to broaden the funnel and attempt to use general content tactics to target the top, middle and bottom all at once, not paying attention to the individual needs of each phase. Content specific to the bottom-funnel is innovative, significant and worth the viewer’s time. Remember, this is the last piece of the puzzle needed to capture a customer and fill your wallet. It gives the reader that last final push needed to take action that converts into a sale. Simplistically, it turns potential into actual. And it needs to be good.
It’s important to note that before getting to this point, more than likely the reader has read, watched, clicked or engaged in various previous marketing pieces and has gone through the process of the buyers funnel; starting at the top by being educated on your company and services, then moving to the middle to assess and compare to the competition, then finally to the bottom, the “purchase” stage. So at this point the buyer should understand your company and what you offer and why you’re the best solution to their problem. Don’t waste time or space going through these previous points and instead focus on what you need to do to nudge your lead into becoming a customer. But how?
The challenge here is developing the right content that effectively speaks to your buyer and makes them want to become a customer. It’s a fine line and one that needs to be treaded carefully. Keep in mind that dollar spending drastically impacts a buyer’s readiness to make a purchase. There’s less risk in purchasing something for $5 compared to a $50,000 investment, and a lot more time and energy will go into the latter than the former. This also varies from industry to industry and depends on your sales cycle and audience. Research shows that people will get up to 60% through the buying process before they’re ready to engage with someone from the company to discuss a potential purchase.
Engage
The most successful bottom-of-the-funnel content isn’t necessarily content, but it’s all about engagement—product demos, trial offers, case studies, free assessments and product literature. All of these marketing pieces and strategies have one important thing in common: they allow a potential buyer limited access to your product and imagine what it would be like to commit to working with your company or use your product or services.
The best way to get the most out of your marketing campaigns is to fully understand who comprises your industry. Who is your audience and what are their needs? Why might they be hesitant to purchase something or become your customer? How do you solve a problem and what makes you different?
Take these and use them to your advantage in developing your marketing strategies. Create strategy maps that customize content specific to each stage of the buyer’s journey through the funnel and use this to target certain leads. Once you start to understand a buyer’s process to purchasing, your content will become gold and you’ll never look at marketing the same way again.