CONNECT TO YOUR CUSTOMER WITH VALUABLE CONTENT
Many Impact Entrepreneurs enjoy being creative. As such, they like to put a lot of time, money and energy, into content production. Unfortunately, this content rarely delivers the hoped-for results. With the right content strategy, you can convert potential customers into loyal ambassadors.
Create Content for every phase of the Customer Journey
Connection is the key to building a sustainable business. You want to build relationships that last for the long term. You want to create a real network of loyal partners, teams, investors and, of course, customers. In traditional marketing, we talk about the Customer Journey. These are the steps a customer takes from the first moment they hear about you and your product until they become loyal ambassadors. There are 5 steps or phases in this process.
Phase 1: I notice you in the Awareness Phase
The Awareness Phase is the first stage of the marketing or sales funnel. Potential customers notice your brand or company for the first time. This is an extremely important contact moment because potential customers get a first impression of your brand’s identity, values, products and services.
If you create content for this stage, it should showcase the essence of your company and your key products. Make sure you invest time and budget to create high-quality content. This is how you will make a strong first impression. Original owned content that works very well in this phase is a book, a keynote presentation, web videos, a blog series, an app or a game. If you create time-proof content, it can be used multiple times for a longer period of time.
Test and verify which content works best for your primary audience. For this content, you can then set up a campaign and run ads. This will help you attract a lot of attention in a short period of time. Choosing the media channels that work best for you is another part that requires testing. Different audiences require different approaches and different media channels. Today, all media can be measured. Both digital and offline media have useful statistics. The most widely used social media channels for both publishing and advertising are LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Remember to research and include traditional media as well, such as radio, TV, print and billboards.
Phase 2: I research you in the Consideration Phase
In the Consideration Phase potential customers actively look for information and solutions. They compare different products and prices. They look into all possible options before taking the decision to purchase. In this phase you will have to build trust and show the value you have to offer. You will have to demonstrate how your product or service can be a solution for the customer’s problem. This phase is critical in guiding potential buyers towards making a final purchase decision.
In this phase you will need to create content that is both informative and engaging. Your content will have to answer the questions and needs of the consumer in this phase. So make sure you know what these questions and needs are. Once you identified these, you can create the tailored content to adress these specific topics. Content types that work really well in this phase are case studies, testimonials, success stories… but also how-to videos, mini-trainings, whitepapers, ebooks and blogs.
As the potential customer is actively searching for information, you have to make sure that your content is shown. Google is still the main search engine so make sure take care of SEO, search Engine Optimization. Also Search Engine Advertizing can be helpful when you choose your keywords right. Youtube is also used as a search engine. Having videos with the right titles and settings, is key to have your content pop-up. Advertizing on Youtube or Social Media advertizing in general can pay off.
Phase 3: I choose you in the Decision Phase
In the Decision Phase, the customer makes the choice to buy. For lower-priced products, this may be an impulse purchase, a quick decision to buy on the spot in the shop. For most higher-priced products and services, the customer will first ask for a conversation or meeting with the sales team. In this conversation, it is important to unveil and understand the customer’s concerns, obstacles and reservations. Some common topics include cost, free trials, customer service, reviews, warranties, product maintenance and so on.
Content for this phase should address these specific concerns and help the customer overcome the obstacle. I like to create flipbooks for products that include the solution, key features, what is and isn’t included, the buying process, frequently asked questions and customer success stories. If you have several product variations, a product compass works really well. These are sequernces of questions with multiple choice answers that will lead the customer to the perfect product. Also live webinars or live meetings are most effective because customers can ask questions and share obstacles which you can address on the spot.
If you want to sell your products online, you need some kind of webshop. For some low-priced products, it can be advantageous to use a shared webshop that allows different suppliers to sell their products online. Some well-known examples are Amazon.com and Bol.com, also Google and social networks like Facebook offer some sales opportunities. But if your products are more exclusive, you will need your own converting website and webshop.
Phase 4: You make me hapy in the Retention Phase
In the Retention Phase, you want to keep your customer happy, satisfied and engaged. After they have made the initial purchase, you want to make sure the customer gets the maximum value and enjoyment from this purchase. You want to follow up proactively and connect with your customer on a deeper level. You want to understand the customer’s struggles and frustrations, but also the successes. As you get to know your customer better, you can continue to develop new products that offer even more solutions to your customer’s challenges. This makes your customer even happier.
Content for this phase should be inspiring and valuable, interactive and engaging. Such as exclusive content that explains how to use your products most effectively. This could be a manual with instructions, instructional videos or even augmented reality training. You could also consider publishing a periodic magazine for your customers. This could include scoops and inside news on product updates and innovations. You can organise exclusive events for your customers, and so on. Constant communication with your customers is crucial to deepen the bond.
This is the phase when you start thinking about your own online academy or social content platform. Product trainings, product releases, a knowledge base will be a big part of the platform. But just as important is the social interaction, the groups and the chat function that allows you to communicate directly with your customers.
Phase 5: I want to help you in the Advocay Phase
In the advocacy phase, your customers are excited about your product. They are often grateful for the solutions you have provided and the difference you have made in their lives. They want to pay you back by becoming advocates for your brand. They share positive experiences on social networks, give testimonials and refer others. They voluntarily promote your brand and encourage others to try your products and services. This is the best marketing you can get. There is no better promotion than word of mouth.
Content creation at this stage actively involves your advocates. You can do an interview with them for publication in your magazine. You can invite them to be speakers at your event. You can ask them to record a video training for your academy. You can involve them in your organisation. Invite them to be active in the groups on your social content platform. And so on.
How do you start with your content strategy?
Contrary to what the customer journey may suggest, it is not a good idea to start with first-phase content. Why make it hard on yourself and start with a cold audience in the awareness phase? This is a common misconception. Start with the low-hanging fruit. These are easier to reach and you can pick them faster.
When you start creating content, it is better to produce your content for the warm audience first. So start with your own website and optimise the content so that a warm audience converts. This does not have to be an immediate purchase, it can also be contacting or downloading information. Either way begin with the content that helps your customers research and decide. That is the content as described above for phases 2 and 3, the Consideration Phase and the Decision Phase.
Only when you have tested, adjusted and tweaked this content, it will make sense to start targeting cold audiences. Only then is it worth investing time, effort and budget into advertising.
In the meantime, think about your existing customers. It takes less time, money and effort to upsell to an existing happy customer than to bring in a new one. Sometimes people think that phases 4 and 5 are only for the big brands. Nothing could be further from the truth. Often, the very first customers can grow into ambassadors very quickly. Even before you start investing in phase 1 and start approaching a cold audience.
Take your content to the next level
Would you like to explore how we can help you connect with your customers in every phase of the Customer Journey? Meet our team leaders and discuss how we can help you with your content strategy, your content creation, your website and platform setup.
