Once you’ve sorted out your personas, you’ll need to write content that matches what stage your prospective customer is at on their buyers journey (aka the marketing funnel).
It’s no good telling people who have already visited your site that you exist – they know that already, they’re not going to click on your link again. What they don’t know is the special offer or promotion you’re running, just for them. THAT is what will get their attention.
Your content will change for buyers at different stages.
Here are the stages and what content would help them through:
Top of the Funnel
This is the pool of people that haven’t heard of you. This is your target demographic, your ideal customer – it’s where the persona you drafted comes in.
They are at the “awareness” stage, looking for answers to their problems, resources for their work, education, data based on trustworthy research, expert opinions and insight.
Content for this group could be things like blog posts; social media updates; ebooks; research studies; industry reports.
Middle of the Funnel
Once a prospect has seen you, if they engage with it in any way that means they’ve shown some interest in your services. They’ve entered into the middle of the funnel and are much more likely to convert.
It is the “consideration” stage. They know about you now, and are researching whether or not your product or service is a good fit for them.
Content for this stage: Testimonials & reviews, product demonstrations, case studies, competitor comparisons, promotions and special offers, videos, guides or webinars proving your expertise on the subject.
Bottom of the Funnel
They’ve converted! Now your focus should switch to keeping them as a return customer.
This means building loyalty and trust, a sense of community that not only makes them feel secure in returning to you for custom, but also inspires them to tell others about you.
Content should include: Product updates, customer newsletters, surveys, latest news, how-to guides, promotions, customer rewards and special offers.
Keeping this marketing funnel in mind is pretty vital when it comes to creating effective content for your target market.
It applies to all sorts of marketing channels.
For example, for Facebook advertising, you’ll want to designate budget and campaign type depending on what stage the customer is at on their buyers journey.
Mayland Scott Marketing 