MARKETING
How to use
CONTENT MARKETING AS A GAME-CHANGING SALES TOOL
D
oes your business view sales and content marketing as equally important channels that run parallel but don’t intersect? Businesses that fail to integrate sales with content marketing efforts often hit roadblocks. These obstacles may include an incomplete understanding of the target customer, missed opportunities to enhance client conversations or interdepartmental miscommunications. Breaking down this siloed approach not only yields dynamic and profitable results, but a strong content marketing strategy that effectively speaks to customers’ concerns and questions can also free up time for your busy sales professionals. Instead of constantly answering FAQs, they’ll have more time to focus on closing leads. How can content support customer service and sales in the best way possible? Make content buyer-focused, not just product-focused Of course, you think your company’s offerings are the best – but your content marketing represents an opportunity to communicate how your offerings can make your customers’ lives easier, answer their most pressing questions and present your company as an indispensable partner. Buyer-focused content makes them the hero of the story – and that’s much more intriguing than a thinly veiled sales pitch. Strengthen communication between marketing and sales teams Does your sales team know what content materials are available for them to use? Do sales reps have a way to provide feedback to the marketing team, and vice
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Taylor Haynes Marketing
versa? To avoid this common mistake, make interdepartmental communication a priority. Schedule regular meetings between content developers and sales professionals to discuss content opportunities, ask questions and improve processes.
case studies support product claims with hard evidence. Blogging is an easy and cost-effective way to disseminate education. Email newsletters can be effective for sharing updates and keeping your brand top-of-mind among your audience. Video is an engaging way to communicate your company’s key messages. Moreover, don’t forget social media: it gives curious consumers a dedicated space to ask questions and learn more about your company. You might even use chat capabilities to provide customer support.
Use analytics to examine and respond As with any marketing approach, Match content to customer’s journey measurement matters. In this context, The customer’s journey is an easy way it’s imperative to track how your content to visualize the steps a potential buyer development efforts are performing. takes before making a commitment. Most Whether monitoring website traffic, social often, it begins with brand awareness, media inquiries or how many case studies gaining more insight and education, then are downloaded within a designated time selecting the right service and/or product, period, statistics illustrate not only how integrating into their lives and, finally, well your content is working, but also how maintaining a relationship with your it can improve and further catalyze sales. business. Your content should align with Sales-enabled content could prove a each step in this journey, nurturing them critical aspect of your outreach strategy. toward a purchase and brand loyalty. A When effectively developed and skilled marketing team can identify the distributed, content can lead to highappropriate types of content for each stage, quality leads, improved customer retention while taking your business goals into and stronger brand loyalty. A sales team consideration. with good content is an empowered sales team: your business, audience and Leverage different mediums and channels customer service will all benefit. for greatest impact Taylor Haynes is a content marketing Your content marketing strategy might specialist with Aker Ink, which provides combine several types of content across integrated public relations and marketing many channels – both on and off-line. services to help companies increase brand awareness, enhance thought leadership and One-page talking points may be kept on generate leads. Learn more at akerink.com. hand for customer conversations, while