The Content Marketing Funnel: Convert Consumers into Customers

🤔 Do you create content to generate sales?

👌 Are you looking for a better content marketing strategy that generates more consistent sales?

👇 In this video & article, I’m going to explain how to create content for each stage of the content marketing funnel that attracts, engages and converts new customers.

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What is a Marketing Funnel?

A Marketing Funnel is a buzz phrase used to describe the stages your customers go through from not knowing who you are, to converting into a customer.

Once you understand these stages, you can tailor your marketing activities and content at each stage to guide your potential customers through this journey.

Below is a super simple version of a Marketing Funnel to explain this further. Each stage is explained in more detail with examples below.

STAGE 1: Awareness

Your potential customer becomes aware that they have a problem that needs solving.

They also become aware that you could potentially be the business that helps them solve that problem.

Entertaining, educational and insightful content that provides value or fulfils one of your potential customer’s needs works well here.

Example Content

STAGE 2: Consideration

Your potential customer carries out research on a selection of companies that could help them solve the problem.

The potential customer is looking for someone who can provide them with the best solution. The ‘best’ solution can vary dramatically depending on the customer and their requirements. Price and value proposition are usually big factors influencing the decision, but there will also be an array of factors including;

🎯 The quality of your product/service

🎯 How trustworthy you appear

🎯 How convenient it is to make the purchase

🎯 Your reputation

🎯 How ethical/green your company is

🎯 Your level of customer service

Content that communicates the value you offer or answers common questions potential customers may have when doing their research works well here.

Bonus TIP: Go through every page of your website and ask yourself this question, ‘What information can I provide on this page that will place me as the #1 choice of supplier?’

Example Content

STAGE 3: Purchase

Once your potential customer has completed their research, a percentage will want to make a purchase with their chosen supplier. We need to make this process as easy as possible for them.

Content that outlines a clear call to action with great visuals works well here (see below). Also, having a smooth checkout/ contact process on your website is important.

Bonus TIP: Add an instant chat plugin on your website so that you can quickly answer any questions someone who is about to make a purchase/ make contact may have.

Example Content

How Can You Impact Your Potential Customer’s Purchase Decisions?

Through Marketing.

Marketing helps you infiltrate your potential customer as they are going through this journey.

Marketing is about identifying where your potential customer goes looking for information at each stage of the Marketing Funnel, and giving them the information they want, in a convenient way.

Think of it this way.

What was the last product or service you purchased from a new supplier?

A pen? A computer? A massage?

Think about the process you went through from not knowing you wanted/ needed that product or service, to becoming aware of it, researching suppliers, to making a decision and purchasing it.

I can guarantee you consumed a lot of content to get to that final decision.

That content influenced your purchase decision. I’m going to show you how to come up with the right content ideas for each stage of the funnel, so that you can influence your potential customer’s purchase decisions.

Step #1 Map out the places information is consumed at each stage of the funnel

Awareness

There are a number of ways you can identify how your potential customers become ‘aware’ of you as a potential supplier;

1. Ask your current/ future customers how they became aware of you.

2. Use your initiative: what are the ‘potential’ ways they could hear about you?

3. Pick relevant ideas from the handy list we’ve made below.

IDEAS

🎯 Social Media

🎯 Paid Social Media Ads

🎯 Search Engines

🎯 Recommendations

🎯 Review Sites

🎯 PPC Ads

🎯 Newspaper Ads

🎯 Magazine Ads

🎯 Radio Ads

🎯 TV Ads

🎯 Met you/ your team at an event

🎯 Saw you speak at an event

Consideration

Try to think about the places you look for information when you are considering which supplier to choose for a product/service. It’s likely that your customers look in similar places.

IDEAS

🎯 Your website

🎯 Review sites

🎯 Speaking to previous customers

🎯 Search Engines

🎯 Telephone

🎯 Email

Purchase

This one is pretty simple, where do you customers go to make a purchase?

IDEAS

🎯 Your website

🎯 Distribution sites (ebay/Amazon/Etsy/Facebook Marketplace etc)

🎯 Telephone

🎯 Face to face meeting

🎯 Email

Step #2 Write down what information you could share to nudge them to the next stage

Awareness

What information could you provide that would take your potential customer from being aware you can solve their problem, to considering you as a potential supplier?

IDEAS

🎯 Educational videos that demonstrates your knowledge

🎯 Step by step tutorials that teach your potential customer how to overcome a problem (like this one).

🎯 Announce and comment on breaking industry news across social media

🎯 Deliver an entertaining and educational keynote

🎯 Share a jaw-dropping offer for new customers via PPC Ads

🎯 Create an entertaining interview series on YouTube where you interview industry experts

🎯 Create a LinkedIn video series where you review other products/ services in your industry

🎯 Create blogs which answer your potential customers most common Google search questions

Consideration

When you are choosing between suppliers, what kind of information would persuade you?

IDEAS

🎯 Detailed case studies on your website

🎯 Video testimonials on your website and across social media

🎯 Create video content that answers questions that potential customers may have when considering working with you

🎯 Create video content which explains why potential customers should use you as a supplier

🎯 Create social media posts which outline the benefits of working with you

🎯 Optimise your website to include faq videos on every page of your website

🎯 Include a chat function on your website so questions can be answered quickly

🎯 If you run an E-commerce site, just look at the incredible amount of information Amazon provides on their product pages as an example.

Purchase

What could you do to make it as easy as possible for your potential customers to purchase your products or services?

IDEAS

🎯 Setup an email campaign that nudges people who have put something in their basket but not purchased

🎯 Ensure there are as few steps as possible for someone to get in touch on your website

Step #3  Develop creative content ideas for each piece of information

Now that you know where your potential customers search for information and what information they are looking for, you need to develop creative content ideas to communicate that information.

The biggest mistake businesses make is creating boring, yawn-worthy content to communicate this information.

You need to create content so great that your potential customers want to come back for more.

One of the best ways to come up with ideas is to get inspiration from others that are nailing it.

Below are some more examples to provide you with inspiration.

Awareness

Consideration

Purchase

Over To You

Now it’s time for you to put what you’ve learnt into practice. If you have any further questions about developing your Content Marketing Funnel then comment below, I’d be happy to help.