Why Brands and Publishers Need an AI Powered Content Marketing Funnel
Marketers know all about the sales funnel. At the funnel’s top is the largest possible number of prospective customers. As the process continues, the group is narrowed down to just those who will act or “close.” Put in the context of content marketing, brand awareness is usually at the top, and engagement or conversion at the bottom of the funnel.
At True Anthem, we think about traffic not as an end in itself but as what happens at the top of the funnel. Unique strategies from audience-development teams are then required to move readers through each stage of the funnel, regardless of whether the ultimate objective is monetization of display ads, brand affinity, email newsletter sign-up, or premium subscription conversion.
Stages of the content marketing funnel follow:
? Audience awareness. At the top of the funnel are those not yet familiar with your content. Maybe they’ve heard of your brand, but aren’t engaging with it. At this discovery stage, they will decide if your content is relevant to their interests and preferences. If you were selling cars, this is where audiences would be choosing an automotive brand that makes the most sense for their interests (being that some want a pickup truck and others want an SUV).
? Audience engagement. At this stage, a repeat visitor engages with more of your content. This is an opportunity for you to build loyalty as readers spend more time on your pages. The focus here should be on retargeting. Those potential SUV buyers would be getting insights into the features in the models they like while you would be retargeting them with specific vehicles so as to be top of mind while they consider options.
? Audience conversion. This may include readers sharing an address to receive updates through an app or email. A consumer buys a monthly subscription, downloads your mobile app, or purchases a product or service from a native ad on your site. (And that customer would buy one of your SUVs.)
The news? Social platforms’ algorithms now affect publisher objectives—and the funnel—every hour of every day.
Putting Facebook to Work for You, the Right Way
Thanks to recent advances in audience targeting—and measurement on Facebook and Twitter—editorial teams now have multiple ways to reach a desired audience through stages of the funnel. Publishers can align content at each stage with measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) and target an audience on Facebook. With its Custom Audiences, Facebook can reach audiences using first-party data (i.e., activity on a site, an app, or on the platform itself).
Why Brands and Publishers Need an AI Powered Content Marketing Funnel