Are you struggling to create content that stands out from all the noise, enables you to showcase your expertise, while build know, like and trust with prospective customers?
Content is crucial. Whether you’re delivering your content as a podcast, an article, or even a Facebook Live.
However, if you’re not creating valuable content that’ll be found and appreciated by your ideal client as they begin searching for a solution it’ll be impossible for you develop a relationship with that prospective customer.
As mentioned in my article: ‘A Customer’s Buying Journey: How many of YOUR ideal clients are actually buying?’ as Change Makers and aspiring Industry Thought Leaders, to nurture potential customers through the buying journey, you want to create content that:
- Captures the attention of your ideal clients – who are aware they have a problem and are beginning their research for a suitable solution.
- Provides real value so your solution is one being considered as a viable option as they move into the decision-making stage.
- Engages, educates AND entices him/her to select to do business with YOU, when they’re ready to make a purchase?
Here’s a recap of what each of the buying stages is and the type of content you’ll want share:
- Stage 1: Awareness: Content that provides valuable information that allows your ideal client to recognise you know what he/she is going through and you have valuable solutions to help them. Your call to action invites them to learn more and invites them access additional resources in exchange for their email address.
According to TRACC Films – who have worked with numerous B2B customers – ‘52% of B2B buyers begin their buying process with informal research and 78% of that researc begins online.’
In order to create compelling content you MUST ensure you’re providing valuable content that’s relevant to the questions your ideal customer is searching for.
A great tool I was recently put onto, (which will enable you to practically read your ideal client’s mind) and will definitely enable you to answer your ideal customers questions is: Answer the Public.
Enter your keyword in the field and press ‘Get Questions,’ and you’ll get a plethora of information that relates to your specific keyword.
Here’s a screenshot of what came up when I used the keyword: content marketing.
Here’s a link to the original search and the report I got back when I did a search of the keyword: content marketing on the site. It’ll blow you away. Seriously.
So using the example above, some of the content I could create (whether it be in the form of a podcast, an article or a Facebook Live) could include that discusses:
- What are the recent content marketing trends?
- Which content marketing is best?
- Content marketing and podcasting: the How to’s and what mistakes to avoid.
The aim of this content is to provide answers to the questions your prospective customer is looking for, using keywords and phrases they are using as part of their search.
When you get this right – your content is more likely to be found by your prospective customers.
The next stage of the customer buyer’s journey is Consideration Stage.
Recap:
- Stage 2: Consideration: Now that you have developed a level of trust, you continue to nurture your relationship by sharing even more valuable insights. Our clients are taking their prospective customers through their 3-Part Thought Leadership Podcast Series, along with follow up emails and additional resources to support their learning.
Provide such valuable content that they can’t help imagine what it would be like to work with you and the expertise they’d be gaining access to, if this is what you are providing them for free. Doing so strengths your relationship as you continue to build that all-important ‘know, like and trust’.
This can include content such as:
- Providing even more valuable information on the topics I have addressed in the Awareness Stage, however in order to gain access to this content a name and email address must be provided, therefore adding them to my list.From here I’m able to nurture the relationship, continuing to build know, like and trust while also showcasing my expertise. [This is going to ensure that only those people who are interested take that next step].
- Checklists and templates that guides people to take mini action steps toward small wins, even if that win is gaining insights they have no idea about before.
- Statistics and case studies that shows how clients have achieved valuable outcomes in order to validate what I’m saying and therefore continues to build credibility.
The next stage of the customer buyer’s journey is Decision Stage.
Recap:
- Stage 3: Decision: After having spent time with you and listening to your voice, reading your follow up emails, and working through checklists and templates, now is the time to invite him/her to take the next step. This could include a call with you, so you can decide whether he/she is a good fit for your high-end program, or a DIY course, which they can guide themselves through.
This can include content such as:
- An invitation to get on a no obligation call with you to see where they’re at and how best you can support them.
- Share more about product(s) or program(s) you believe would be an invaluable resource that guides them step-by-step in what they need to do in order to overcome their challenge and secure their desired outcome.
Want to make the headlines you use for your content stand out?
A incredible tool I frequently use to create SEO Rich and engaging headlines is: Sharethrough Headline Analyzer.
While we’re on the topic of headlines, Backlinko studied 912 million blog posts and found that:
- Longer headlines are correlated with more social shares. Headlines that are 14-17 words in length generate 76.7% more social shares than short headlines.
- Question headlines (titles that end with a “?”) get 23.3% more social sharesthan headlines that don’t end with a question mark.
Keeping this in mind, this week I’ve used this tool to create headlines for my Podcast Episode Titles, Article Headlines, and Program Titles, to come up with this:
- Podcast Episode Titles
Here are two of the titles I’m using for my own Industry Thought Leader Podcast Series.
Just to make sure they hit the mark, I shared them with a few of my trusted colleagues who each gave them the thumbs up!
- Facebook Post Headlines
Here’s the Facebook Live I did recently that explains the steps I use every time I’m planning out any piece of content, in order to nurture prospective clients through the Customer Buyer’s Journey as they continue to build ‘know, like and trust.’
- Workshop Heading
After deciding to take my online: How to Create a Profitable Podcast (Webinar) Masterclass to an in-person workshop, I played around with a few ideas for the Workshop Heading.
Here’s what I can up with:
Even though including the word ‘Fast’ received a higher score, I decided to drop it.
It just sounded a little too gimicky to me – even though I know that participants WILL be able to generate results much quicker after they learn the steps and systems I’ll be teaching them during the workshop. However, you have to select words that suit your brand and style. For me, that was a little too much ‘in your face’.
Give these tools a try as you continue to create content that builds ‘know, like and trust’ with your prospective customers. Let me know how you go!