the funnel: how to create content that drives sales

Dear you,

It's a new month, and this is where things get serious. We spent most of last month preparing your mind to create , so now, let's create!

I remember being in a room with a client about three years ago, and she was particular about creating the kind of content that could drive sales. I had experience doing this, so I charged her a sum for it. She exclaimed, "ah! That's not possible, please. Is it not just posting? I already post on my personal page." I smiled, and she promised she was going to do it herself. Less than four weeks later, she called back saying, “Blessing, I’m tired and done! I have realised that creating and posting content for a brand to make money is very different from publishing content as myself”.?

This is a lesson every creator would learn: creating content for businesses/sales is just a tiny part of the job. You still have to figure out many elements, such as listening, distribution, analytics, and so forth. It’s time-consuming, and a big part of the process is never visible. So, how can you create content for a business in a way that achieves its goals?

I found an approach that works, and I call it the content funnel strategy. I have tried it many times, and it has worked.

The content funnel strategy

This content creation strategy is based on the existing customer funnel or the purchase funnel, a consumer-focused marketing model that illustrates the theoretical customer journey toward purchasing a good or service. The customer funnel is broken down into four essential parts:

• Lead generation (awareness): This is simply gaining the attention of a potential customer and informing them about your existence. It is the phase where you make them aware that you exist and make them curious. In this phase, they are attracted by things they can relate to, craving, or on a mission to find solutions to a burning problem they are experiencing.
• Lead nurturing (interest and desire): This is the phase where you develop, deepen and reinforce relationships with a potential customer. In this phase, you show them you know them, understand their problems and feed their curiosity. This is when they consider, evaluate, and have the intention of buying. They have the most questions about you and how your solution works in this phase.
• Sales (action): This is the phase where they take action by actually purchasing the product, and if they like it, they may buy again.
• Advocacy (community and fans): This is the phase loyalty and community is built. At this phase, your customer is referring you to people and, if you do your job well, they might feel like they are part of something, A movement bigger than your product (think about Apple vs Android users).

The content funnel strategy is designed to create content that appeals to people based on their level in this customer journey.

It is based on the understanding that not every post will appeal to everyone in your target audience because they are all at different points in their buyer journey. Some don’t know you, and some will never buy even if they know and love you. Some need a lot of convincing, some need a little convincing, and some are about to buy. This simply means different kinds of content will appeal to them.

Using the funnel for content creation:

The audience in the awareness phase may not know your name, but they know their problems. They will Google their problems and search for solutions everywhere. When they do that, will you pop up? Create content that satisfies them depending on where they are in their journey.

When they are interested (in the interest phase), they’ll dig deeper to know more about you and your product/service. Ensure your about page or bio is complete and descriptive/encompassing—leverage influencer marketing and storytelling. Let people tell them about you using their own words.

At the point of desire, they would weigh their options. When they have doubts and compare you to your competitors, ensure you have proof of your excellence, e.g. testimonials, behind the scenes, user-generated content, product demos, awards or anything that shows credibility. Show off your track record of success and reassure them in a way that communicates expertise. When they need convincing, throw in freebies that tie back to your brand every once in a while. Be smart with your giveaway, lead generation tools, first-time client rewards, and discounts/offers. Tie your giveaways back to your products so only people who need them will participate in the competition, e.g. giveaway gift cards.

At the point of action, when they want to pay, make the process smooth. Make it easy to find your support and FAQ desk if they encounter any issues. Have an excellent customer service rep there to help if your customers experience any problems or have inquiries. Share "how-to" guides, demos or prominent call-to-actions to help your customers buy.

When they buy, life doesn’t end there. In fact, your journey has just begun. This is a chance to get them into the advocacy phase. Here, you need to build a community and turn them into your brand advocates—leverage loyalty and reward programs to appreciate them for telling people about you. Put them to work by creating a knowledge base to share solutions they have discovered using your service/product. Give them the power to help the newbies who are just in the interest phase with burning questions. Encourage them to write reviews and share their experience with your product or brand. Shout your advocates out by promoting them, their businesses and their stories. Help them feel seen.

Remember always to rejig your content a little to match the tone and vibe of the platform. Utilise various media types, and in all, don't lose your personality and what makes you unique.

If you made it to this point, I am proud of you! Now experiment with this strategy and create content for the next few weeks. Feel free to share the results with me. As you know, I am always rooting for you.

With love,

Blessing Abeng

Ps: Share this with a content creator and make their job a little easier this year.