A Content Marketing Funnel Explained

A content marketing funnel is a way to let potential customers learn more about your company, find solutions to their issues, and become confident in purchasing from you. Different kinds of content work best in every phase of the funnel.

At the top of the funnel informational videos, infographics and checklists draw attention, create leads, and keep readers entertained. Guides and templates that are gated perform very well at this point.

Awareness

At this point, consumers are aware that your brand exists. They are also aware of the solutions you provide. In this stage, content is meant to provide information and help prospects on the problems your solution tackles and what makes it different from competitors.

To understand your content gaps at this stage, you must consider the types of keywords that your customers use to browse online. You can conduct keyword research to find out what terms your customers use when they search online. This will aid you in determining if your product or service is in demand. This data can then be used to develop an editorial calendar and figure out which content pieces will be targeted at those specific terms.

As a bonus creating content for this phase of the funnel helps to build brand loyalty with your customers. The more your consumers know about your brand, they will have greater confidence in your ability to solve their issues. This leads to greater conversion rates, whether that's subscriptions to newsletters, purchases or click-throughs to your website.

A well-planned strategy for content can help you close this gap in conversion. If, for instance you find that most of your content is targeted at raising awareness, but not enough influence customers to make a purchase decision, then you could increase the amount you spend on ads that target middle-funnel keywords.

Another method to increase your bottom-of-funnel conversion is through social media. Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook allow you to interact directly with your customers and give you the opportunity to show off your customer service. This could range from tweeting good reviews to promoting special offers.

You can also use content that is already available to guide buyers through the funnel, such as case studies or blog posts. If you write a blog article explaining why your product is superior to that of a competitor, you can share it via social media and invite your readers to join your email list to receive more details. You can also encourage conversions in this stage by asking users to tag you on their social media posts once they have tried your product. This will inspire other users to do the same, and help spread the word about the brand.

Inquiry

A well-planned content marketing strategy incorporates the use of a variety of types of content to attract customers at every stage of the funnel. For example, brand awareness campaigns might include ads, but they should also feature blog posts and infographics which address common concerns and objections. This content can be further shared via social media or email to drive organic traffic.

As consumers progress through the consideration phase they begin to search for specific features of the product that can help them make the purchase decision. This is a great time to make use of FAQ pages. Utilize keyword research tools such as Ubersuggest or search popular industry hashtags to find the questions that your audience is asking. Create answers to these questions and then place them in your content funnel map.

In this phase, it's important to provide an unambiguous value proposition that shows potential customers what your product or service can solve their problem and make them more money. The content should also emphasize the uniqueness of your brand in comparison to the brands of your competition.

This is an easy step to evaluate because the consumer is making a decision to buy. Consider metrics like conversion rate, payment figures and click-through rates to see whether your efforts are producing results.

When consumers reach the advocacy phase, they become loyal followers of your brand and share your content because they feel so strongly about it. This is a great method to increase the number of people who follow your brand. But you'll need to concentrate on creating content that encourages people to share, instead of focusing on only engagement metrics. Use Sprout Social, for example, to track social shares as a result of your marketing efforts with content. This will give you a precise picture of the impact you have.

Decision Making

People are looking for content at the decision-making stage that substantiates the purchase and provides instructions on how to make use of the product. At this stage they want to be certain that your product will solve their issue and justify the cost. Quality content is essential at this stage, including product guides videos, case studies and customer success stories. Your customers want to have questions answered and get answers from your support team. Sending them personalized emails and 24/7 customer support is a great method to please customers and encourage them to share their experiences with others.

You're hoping that at this stage the customer will be an advocate for your brand and promote it to their coworkers and friends. To turn those who are advocates to raving fans you'll have to provide them with valuable content that can help them make the most of your product or service. Personalized newsletters videos, tutorials, free trial offers, and loyalty programs are great methods to achieve this.

After your audience has converted from leads into paying customers and paying customers, it's time to concentrate on retention. Content marketing funnels typically focus on revenue as the end goal. However, consumers will continue to interact and engage with brands after they make a purchase. It's essential to think of funnels as a dynamic structure that includes revenue, not an unchanging model.

The traditional funnels for content marketing are useful for planning your strategy, but they do not consider the complexity of the buyer's journey. Reimagining the content marketing funnel as a circular model will help you develop a more holistic strategy. You can create content that is engaging your audience and drives conversions by planning for each step of the process. You can then utilize the data from conversions to improve and test your strategy. Are you ready to see the difference this approach can bring to your company? Contact us today to request a free content marketing guidebook!

Retention

A funnel for marketing content can be a useful instrument to aid brands in planning and execute their strategy. It can also assist them in identifying the weaknesses in their strategy. If a brand has a lot of content geared towards attention and interest, but only a few pieces aimed at the middle of funnel, it should create content for this stage.

A great way to see how well-targeted your content is is to utilize tools such as Ahrefs to analyze the average time on page and bounce rate of each piece. The higher these numbers, the more efficient your content.

Once you've created content that will be at the top of your content marketing funnel It's crucial to keep it up-to-date and relevant. This will ensure that your audience is engaged and curious about your brand and the products or services it offers. This can be done by creating new content which is focused on keywords, addresses questions your audience is likely to look for, and highlights the latest information regarding your business or product.

When your audience arrives at the MOFU stage they'll want more information on your product or service, as well as solutions to their issues. In this moment it is crucial to establish trust by offering authentic reviews and demonstrating value.

In the final stage of your uk content marketing agency marketing funnel, your audience will decide whether or not to purchase. This is usually done through restricted content that requires an email address or other method of registration to access. This content is meant to convert the interest and awareness you've built at the top of your content marketing funnel into qualified leads for your sales team to follow up with.

While customer retention largely falls into the hands of your sales and support teams, you can have an impact on your customers' journeys with your brand by creating content that delights customers throughout the entire marketing funnel. This can include useful sources, behind-the-scenes information and special deals that only your audience has access to. If you can build trust to your customers, they will become your most loyal advocates and will help reduce the time to sell.