“We spend so much time on content marketing. When is it going to start having an impact on sales?”
I overheard an exasperated business owner having this conversation with a colleague at a networking event and it took everything I had not to pop into the conversation and tell them that maybe it wasn’t content marketing’s fault. Maybe it was their approach.
Now, do I know for sure that their approach needed some work? No. I’d need to ask a few more questions to better understand their lead nurturing strategy. But I do know this––if content marketing isn’t producing results for you (yet), it’s not because it doesn’t work. And it’s not because you need to spend more time and money on it.
Ultimately, content marketing can improve your lead nurturing strategy by building trust with potential clients and providing insights on how people are interacting with your brand. Here’s what we mean:
Using Content to Build Trust with Leads
Trust is important in any relationship. Building trust with potential clients is crucial in order to gain and hold their attention. When potential clients trust your brand, they will feel more confident in buying your services.
Building trust isn’t a one-and-done effort. This is something that is built over time. Use these tips to develop trust through your content.
- Be consistent in your brand story – Make sure all of your content is aligned. If your services are described as cutting-edge, you should have a great website experience. If you claim to offer competitive prices, make sure you’ve done your research to back that up.
- Resolve customer complaints – Everyone, including prospects, does the obligatory online scan of a business they’re considering to work with. Online reviews play a big role in how people perceive a company and have a huge impact on their decision to do business with them. Check out our guide from last week that outlines how to develop a rock solid online review strategy.
- Introduce social proof into your lead nurturing strategy – Social proof may seem like one of the easiest marketing tactics, but it’s definitely one of the most important. Show potential clients just how you can solve their problem. Examples of social proof include testimonials, reviews, and case studies from your clients. As a result, this can influence them that it’s finally time to make a change.
Learn How Leads Are Interacting with Your Content
You can leverage digital marketing to better understand how potential clients are interacting with your content and inform your lead nurturing strategy.
First, take a look at your website. Google Analytics can show how prospective clients are interacting with your website. This tool gives insight to user behavior on your website like where users click, how long they spend on each page, and at what point they bounce from your website. Knowing where they hesitate is the first step in determining how to help them step past that.
You can do the same with email marketing. What subject lines are people opening, and which links are they clicking on? People interact with content most when it’s relevant and helpful to them.
Finally, explore your social media analytics. What types of posts are gaining impressions and engagement? This may provide insight into what your prospective clients need from you in order to take a leap of faith and make a change.
Content marketing doesn’t just help promote your business; it can also provide crucial information into how your prospective clients’ minds are working and what you need to do to help them consider your services as a solution.
Do you have clients stuck in the middle of the decision cycle? You might need to adjust your lead nurturing strategy to help them decide it’s time to make a move. Let the Wayward Kind team help.
There’s no time like the present to begin developing an effective video content strategy for your small business. Schedule a free strategy review with our team so we can help you make 2019 the year that your content marketing strategy produces results!
