Paula Clapon
In trying to fully embrace the inbound marketing philosophy, many marketers have grown somewhat fearful of designing content for selling. Because content marketing’s no.1 rule is “Create valuable, remarkable content”, a lot of the creation efforts are aimed at attracting top-of-the-funnel visitors, while sometimes neglecting middle-of-the-funnel and bottom-of-the-funnel prospects.
Inbound marketing is a smart way of selling, but it is, nonetheless, a way of selling. In order for the methodology and tools to work, you need to follow the funnel all the way to the bottom, creating content for every stage of the conversion process.
Your goal is to qualify the initial leads that consumed your Awareness stage content and are actively considering a product/service similar to what you have to offer. As they move towards the middle-of-the-funnel and further, you have to nurture them, according to their lead scoring grade. Here are some content ideas that will help you do just that:
1. White papers
Well-researched, comprehensive content assets that serve to qualify leads by providing relevant, in-depth industry research or thought leadership. White papers serve to consolidate trust, by presenting valuable information and even a detailed look into how a product or service works.
2. Webinars
Webinars are one of the most effective content assessed in terms of middle-of-the-funnel conversions. One of the reasons why webinars are highly effective is their visual and interactive nature. Much more well-suited to what prospects want to consume, this demonstrative, connected approach to delivering valuable content delivers highly qualified leads and ensure better completion rates.
3. Live Demos
At this stage of the Buyer’s Journey, prospects are ready to interact with your product/service and find out exactly how it works and if it suits their needs. Instead of writing a guide that one could download and easily forget about, or skim but not really understand, hosting a live demo is the best way to actually showcase your product/service. All the more so if you have a digital product – what better way of holding a prospect’s attention and engaging them than a live interaction with that product?
4. Round-table talks
This is a great way to interact more with a few select prospects that have a high lead score. Invite them for an open discussion where you discuss solutions and possible developments in a relevant industry matter. Discussions such as these have a high probability of qualifying the right leads.
5. Case studies
A case study is a great opportunity to demonstrate your value. Once you’ve identified the most important challenges that your prospects struggle with, you can present them with viable solutions.
Stating that your product can reduce their costs by 30% will most likely draw their attention but having them hear it from three other clients will surely gain their trust and make them more prone to convert.
6. Email marketing
Constantly referenced like the no.1 method for lead nurturing and middle-of-the-funnel conversions, email marketing can indeed be an efficient strategy, if done right. One of the most important aspects in implementing an email marketing campaign is to know your audience as well as possible.
Being able to send them an email is somewhat of a privilege. That’s why the quality and quantity of the information you send can result in conversions or dropouts. With every email, you will lose some people. The goal is to keep the right ones and nurture their interest until they are ready to assess your product/service.
If you are a sales manager or marketing manager looking to create a better digital presence using Inbound, take a look at our latest guide Building Your Digital Sales Funnel.
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