Online Marketing for Local Business
Posts tagged content marketing tips
Content Marketing Matures to Cover Entire Buying Process
8 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
When online content marketing first blew up, brands hopped onto the newly requisite bandwagon and published whatever online content they could muster up. Blogging became an absolute mainstay in online marketing. Websites were made-over with new, richer copy. And soon enough, content truly became king.
However, these early stages of the content marketing era were just that — early, rudimentary, and simple.
Today, just about one year after Google released the industry-changing Hummingbird update, businesses have begun mastering online content marketing. Rather than working feverishly to produce as many words as possible, content marketers are now working smarter and targeting online content to engage with customers throughout the entire buying decision process, guiding them down the sales funnel.
From need recognition to the initial search, all the way to post-purchase, savvy content marketers are covering all the bases. That means those who don’t will soon be left in the dust.
How to Cover All the Bases of Content Marketing
First, make sure you’re familiar with the buying decision process. There are five key steps:
- Need/problem recognition: Let’s say a window in my bedroom has broken. Suddenly, I have one of two needs. Either I need a professional installer to help me replace the window, or I know how to replace it and I simply need to purchase the new glass.
- Information search: Since I like to save money and do things myself, I want to purchase the new glass pane and install it myself. I need to search online to find out what I need to buy. I type into Google “how to replace bedroom window”.
- Evaluation of alternatives: I’ve done my research and I know what I need. Now I need to decide what product I will actually purchase, and who I will purchase it from. To decide, I’ll search for the product and compare different vendors.
- Purchase decision: I know what I want to buy and I’ve found the perfect online vendor. I’m ready to fill my shopping cart and enter my payment information. Hopefully, this will be an easy step, but I still haven’t looked at the shipping costs or tried to use the shopping cart. Hopefully, both fit my needs.
- Post-purchase behavior: My purchase from my preferred vendor went smoothly. I have the new glass and I’m ready to install it. First, however, I’m going to search online for an installation guide.
Creating Your Full-Coverage Content
Cover steps one and two in the buying decision process. In order to capture the attention of potential customers as soon as they enter the market for your product or service, you need to publish online content that answers their initial questions.
- Who manufactures the best glass?
- Who offers the best price on the glass I need?
- Which vendors offer quality customer service?
Next, your content marketing strategy should target the “evaluation” step in the buying process. Again, create content that answers the questions your customers are asking at this critical stage.
- How does one replace a bedroom window?
- Am I capable of doing this myself? If so, can you give me the basic instructions? If not, what should I do?
Finally, don’t forget to address your customers’ post-purchase needs. By providing a an installation guide, for example, you can outshine your competitors and keep customers coming back to you. Cover the entire buying process, and you’ll have a hook-line-sinker content marketing strategy to boost your business well beyond the publishing date.
What’s Next For Content Marketing
Plain and simple, content marketing aims to answer customers’ questions before they even think to ask. Businesses have to anticipate what type of information will attract their target market to their product or service.
Consequently, content marketing will continue to grow more sophisticated. It is a staple of online business. So what’s next? It’s sensible to expect that King Content will really cozy up to Big Data. How, of course, has yet to be seen!
If you want to learn more about advanced content marketing strategies, please don’t hesitate to contact Hat Trick Associates. Our content marketing experts specialize in helping businesses achieve their online marketing goals. Give us a call anytime at (314) 494-3494 or email Jim Haynes at jhaynes@hattrickassociates.com.
Top Content Marketing Strategy: Helpful Information as the Sales Pitch
11 years
by jhaynes
in Uncategorized
Content marketing is all the buzz, and it has changed the way we do business. An effective content marketing strategy now serves an increasingly significant role in marketing departments throughout the world. Whether you’re working to generate leads, improve search engine rankings, or boost sales efforts, content is a big deal.
Some companies, however, are missing the point. Avoid wasting your time and follow the top content marketing strategy out there – make helpful information your new sales pitch. From e-commerce to SaaS, business is no longer about the sale, it’s about customer service and education.
Why Build an Educational Content Marketing Strategy
Let’s say you’re selling light bulbs. Your prospective online customers are probably homeowners or business owners, and they’re either replacing a burned out bulb or outfitting a new building with brand new lighting fixtures. Either way, you’re trying to convince these web surfers that your light bulb web store deserves their time over any other light bulb web store. How are you going to do that?
Answer: By helping them.
When a prospective customer first discovers a new need, such as light bulbs, the final purchase is rarely the first step in solving that need. Rather, it’s usually next to last. That means the final sale cannot be the focus of your content marketing strategy. The new sales pitch is helpful information.
Google has coined the marketing term “zero moment of truth” or ZMOT to explain where in the purchasing process educational content comes into play. The ZMOT is the first step in the process – conducting initial research.
These days, most everyone goes online to find out more about a desired service or product. During this time, they’re not yet in buying mode. They’re in learning mode. Of course, the ZMOT phase in the purchasing process isn’t new, but with the growth of online stores, review websites, and social media, this phase has become incredibly more important to consumers.
According to Google (easily one of the most influential companies in the marketing industry), “Before making an online purchase decision, a customer may engage with your brand through many different media channels over several days” (The Customer Journey to Online Purchase). In marketing time, these several days can turn into eons if your content marketing strategy fails to engage potential prospects at the zero moment of truth.
However, if your content marketing strategy is based on a commitment to providing helpful information, you can win over prospects right off the bat. Which website would YOU click on when searching for “how to replace a light bulb”? Would you click the link that says “Buy Discounted Light Bulbs Here” or the one that says “How to Replace a Light Bulb”. Probably the latter, right? We’re all looking for information, and the companies that provide it are the companies that earn our attention.
How to Create Educational Marketing Content
Once you decide to build your content marketing strategy upon helpful information, the path forward is fairly clear. Consider the different reasons your customers require your services or products, determine the frequently asked questions, and then answer those questions through original, educational content.
One of the easiest ways to get your helpful information published and found online is by blogging. Your company blog can potentially become a go-to resource for information about your industry. And by attracting online consumers who are just in the “zero moment of truth” phase, you can capture their attention before anyone else, and capture their business in the long run.
For more information on developing an education-based content marketing strategy, or on any other aspect of online marketing, call Hat Trick Associates today at (314) 494-3494. This is our zero moment of truth together, and content marketing expert Jim Haynes is ready to answer your questions. Come to the next phase with us to discover the power of educational marketing content!