We must all start our content marketing strategy with our customer in mind. But first we must understand exactly what are our customer’s issues.
It is good to ask yourself what is my prospective customer thinking about today?
Maybe you consider: What is it that I can send my prospect that will grab his attention?
To explain further, we publish a magazine in the HR and Recruitment sector and one of our clients is an HR Consultancy – and a very good one too.
If we want to help them engage with their prospective new clients, we won’t simply push out a message about the services they offer.
That may surprise you, coming from a marketing agency, but it shouldn’t…
Do you have a focus for your marketing?
Nowadays we need to attract the attention of our audience, not by telling them what we do, but by letting them know what we can do to help them!
But first, a headline or message which is relevant and important to THEM and their sector, has a far better chance of catching their attention – and that is the first step you must take, in engaging with them.
We must focus on the customer and what he needs as opposed to what we have to offer.
As an example, we write articles for our HR clients about different issues facing their prospective customers – This may be an article about ‘time management’ or maybe a piece on dealing with staff absenteeism.
The sole purpose of this article is to attract the reader with an issue relevant to them. This helps to bring the target prospect into your space, in order for you to further ‘engage’ with them.
You must never be too eager to try and make the sale, before your prospect is ready to say ‘yes’ to you.
I have seen this drilled into sales people for years, where I have heard them being told “You must ask for the sale” or “did you close the deal?”
Of course you need to close the deal. But not before the prospect is ready to say yes!!
Once you have ‘connected’ with your prospect, your next step is togently educate him, or her about the way you operate and the success you have had in helping others.
This will lead him into a state of mind where he has the answers he needs and more importantly, the belief in you being able to do what he wants, and do it successfully!
This content can take the form of video interviews and maybe testimonials and even white papers. In every case this content needs to show your expertise and demonstrate your behaviour, rather than your direct sales message.
When all the content is then linked together in a way that creates a route to your door, you will have a successful system for ‘customer acquisition’ and the sale will be completed more easily and more often!
Please contact me on 08450 519374 for more information about our Customer Acquisition Programme
David Lomas
Let's Talk Social Media & Content - with David Lomas 