Let's face it – content is the high-octane fuel that powers modern marketing engines. But with limited resources and budget, what's the best way to create content that converts?
At a high level, focusing on targeted, high-quality content is key to revving up your marketing engine. But how exactly should you map content to your conversion funnel? What types of content work best for which goals? And how do you create cost-efficient assets with maximum impact?
If you’re looking for an answer to these questions, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll get into some key lessons on using content to fuel your revenue marketing objectives.
But first, let’s explore how content can drive your organization’s revenue.
Using content to drive revenue
Think about it – we all love finding a blog post or video that solves a nagging question we have. This kind of helpful content builds real trust and loyalty with audiences. Suddenly, you don't feel like you're being "sold to" anymore.
Strategic content marketing guides people on their buyer's journey from start to finish. It draws in qualified leads by answering their most pressing concerns. It nurtures them through targeted sales funnels and converts them to happy customers.
Hannah Wesson
Even then, the journey doesn't end – content keeps delivering value to drive repeat sales. It boosts SEO, social media reach and brand awareness along the way.
In short, intentional content pulls people in rather than pushing products onto them.
Here’s how it works…
Attract qualified leads
High-quality, relevant content attracts people who are interested in your products or services. Useful, informative content builds trust and establishes your company as an authority. This inbound lead generation is more effective than interrupting people with ads.
Nurture leads through the sales funnel
Content allows you to guide prospects through each stage of the buyer's journey. From awareness to consideration to decision and, finally, advocacy, tailored content addresses their questions and concerns at each step. This nurtures leads, builds relationships, and increases conversions.
Upsell and cross-sell to existing customers
Valuable content provides reasons for current customers to buy more from you. For example, a blog post on new product features or complementary products can drive more sales from your existing audience.
Build brand awareness and loyalty
Consistent, branded content gets your name out there, establishes expertise, and generates goodwill. This makes customers more likely to think of you first and refer others. Content acts like marketing and advertising that customers seek out themselves.
Improve SEO and discoverability
Quality, optimized content drives organic search traffic to your site by using keywords potential customers are searching for. This incoming traffic is highly qualified. Content also gets shared on social media, driving external traffic.
Stay top of mind
Regularly updating blogs, social media, videos, and other content keeps you in front of audiences in a subtle, value-adding way. This strengthens your brand identity and recall.
Hannah Wesson
How to use content to drive revenue
Develop a hero content piece as your linchpin
When architecting an impactful content strategy, resist the urge to jump straight into tactics. Instead, invest time upfront in developing a comprehensive, anchor content asset that demonstrates thought leadership and establishes your authority. This long-form “hero” content piece will become the foundation upon which all other content assets are built.
Here’s an example of one of ours:
Hannah Wesson
An in-depth eBook, research report, or whitepaper works well. Fill it with industry data points, trends, and insights tailored to your audience’s interests. Then extract blog posts, videos, webinars, and more from each section. This centralized content hub fuels a multitude of downstream assets while positioning your brand as an expert.
Patience is key – don’t cut corners when crafting your hero content. Spend time perfecting an informative asset packed with value. The effort will pay dividends across your entire content ecosystem.
Match content types to the buyer’s journey
Next, align content formats to each stage of the customer journey. The type of content you create should shift strategically based on your goal during that phase – whether it’s driving awareness, generating leads, or nudging prospects closer to a purchase.
For upper-funnel goals like raising brand awareness, short videos are highly shareable on social media and are usually your best bet. Easy-to-digest video content can communicate your value proposition to new audiences.
But when looking to convert interest into leads, few assets perform better than long-form content like eBooks and guides. At this middle-funnel stage, prospects want more information to gauge fit. So equip them with detailed resources tailored to their interests.
Overall, take a tiered content approach:
- Video builds awareness up top
- Long-form content converts awareness into leads
- Promotional content closes leads at the bottom
Continuously test and optimize based on data
While certain content types may work well at specific stages, every audience has unique needs. You can’t make assumptions in today’s diverse, cluttered content-laden world
That’s why it’s important to continuously A/B test a variety of content pieces. Track meaningful metrics tied to conversions to determine what truly resonates with your audience. Analyze this data, then double down on what works.
For example, eBooks might perform wonderfully for some audiences, while others highly engage with behind-the-scenes videos. Let data guide your decisions as you optimize your approach over time. A/B testing content takes persistence, but it’s crucial for maximizing impact.
Get creative in sourcing content cost-effectively
For resource-strapped organizations, sourcing content can be a challenge. But it doesn’t have to require big budgets. Look inward and leverage existing talent across your company.
Identify colleagues from other departments who enjoy writing or have creative hobbies. Gather them for brainstorming sessions to develop collaborative content on a shoestring budget.
Hannah Wesson
Start small. An HR rep could draft a blog on remote work culture. An engineer might help create a “behind the code” video series. Little bite-sized pieces can add up while validating the approach before requesting more resources.
Getting creative with sourcing and formats can help develop cost-efficient content that still packs a punch.
Personalize content strategically based on insights
When implementing personalization, take a targeted approach. Don’t blast out generic content to everyone – hyper-focus each piece based on insights into which pain points different audiences care most about.
Conduct buyer research, surveys, and interviews to uncover what matters most to each of your buyer personas. Then craft content specifically addressing those needs and interests, in their preferred formats.
Personalized content tailored to each audience demonstrates you truly understand their worldview and challenges. This establishes rapport, making prospects more likely to engage with your brand and convert down the funnel.
While personalization takes effort, it’s one of the most powerful ways to fuel your content engine. Speak to individuals, not broad demographics.
Eve Chatfield
Analyze competitors but differentiate your approach
As a final step, regularly analyze what content resonates for competitors in your space. If certain topics or formats work for others, they can work for you too.
But don’t just copy competitors outright. Put your unique spin on it. For example, produce videos on the same topics they cover in eBooks. Or create more bite-sized, scannable content if they publish lengthy downloads.
Studying competitors guides your strategy, but differentiating based on your strengths and audience insights helps your content stand out. Draw inspiration from others, then innovate.
Final thoughts
Effective marketing content is about more than just throwing together some words and calling it a day. It takes serious dedication and strategy. But once you realize that content is a key player when it comes to boosting revenue, nurturing leads, and keeping customers coming back for more, you see why it’s worth the effort.
Getting content marketing right takes work. But in today’s digital-first reality, high-quality, strategic content fuels success. We hope these tips help rev up your content engines to drive results and dominate your niche.
