A Content Marketing Funnel ExplainedA funnel for content marketing helps potential customers discover more about your brand and solve their issues. They also be confident about buying from you. Different types of content are more effective at each phase of the funnel.Infographics, videos and checklists are effective in attracting attention, generating leads and keeping readers interested. Templates and guides that are gated perform very well at this point.AwarenessAt this stage, consumers are simply aware of your brand and the solutions you provide. This is where the content is created to educate potential customers and inform them about the challenges your solution solves as well as its differences from competitors.To identify your content gaps for this stage, consider the different types of keywords your audience uses to search on the internet. Through keyword research, you can figure out what terms your audience is searching for that suggest the need for your product or service. This data can then be used to create an editorial calendar and decide the content pieces that will be targeted at those specific terms.Creating content for this stage of the funnel will help you build brand loyalty with your customers. If your customers are aware about your brand, they will have greater confidence in your ability to solve their issues. This will result in higher conversion rates for newsletter signups and purchases as well as clickthroughs on your website.A well-planned content strategy can assist in closing the conversion gap in this stage. For instance, if discover that the majority of your content is aimed at gaining awareness, but not enough of it is influencing buyers towards a purchase decision, you could increase your advertising budget to target keywords in the middle of the funnel.Another way to boost your bottom-of-funnel conversion is through social media. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook let you interact directly with your customers and give you the chance to show your customer service. This can include retweeting good reviews to promoting special offers.You can also use existing content to lure buyers into the bottom-of-funnel for a lower cost, such as blog posts or case studies. For instance, if write a blog post explaining the advantages of your product than one from a competitor, you can share it on social media and ask readers to subscribe to your email list for more details. You can also encourage conversions in this stage by asking users to include your name on their social media posts after they have used your product. This will encourage other people to do the same, and spread the word about the brand.InquiryA well-planned content marketing strategy includes various types of content to attract customers throughout the funnel. Brand awareness campaigns, for instance could include ad copy, but also blog posts and infographics to address common concerns and objections. This content can be further shared via social media and email to drive organic traffic.As consumers progress through the consideration phase they begin to search for specific product features that can help them make an informed purchase decision. Frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages are a great type of content for this phase. Utilize keyword research tools such as Ubersuggest or search for popular industry hashtags to find the questions that your audience is asking. Create answers to these questions and then add them to your content funnel map.During this stage it is crucial to present an enticing and compelling argument that demonstrates the way your product or service can solve their problems and earn them more money. The content should also demonstrate the distinctiveness of your brand in comparison to that of your competitors.This is a straightforward step to evaluate because the consumer is making a decision to buy. To see whether you're getting it accomplished, look for metrics like conversion rate as well as the number of transactions and click-through rates.As consumers move into the advocacy phase they become loyal fans of your brand and are more likely to share your content because they feel strongly about it. This is a powerful method to increase the number of people who follow your brand. But you'll need to concentrate on creating content that encourages people to share, instead of focusing on only engagement metrics. Use Sprout Social, for example, to track social shares that result from your content marketing efforts. This will give you a more accurate picture of your influence.DecisionIn the final phase the buyers are looking for content that confirms their purchase and outlines how to utilize the product. At this point, they want to know that your product solves their issue and will make their investment worth it. It is crucial to have high-quality content at this stage, including product guides, case studies, videos and customer stories of success. Your customers should also be in a position to ask questions and get answers from your support team. Offering them personalized emails and 24/7 customer service is a great method to please customers and encourage them to share their experiences with others.It is your hope that by this point, the customer will be an advocate for your brand and will promote it to their colleagues and friends. To turn those who are advocates to raving fans, you'll have to provide them with useful content that can help them get the most out of your product or service. You can do this by creating personalized newsletters, tutorial videos free trial offers, and loyalty programs.Once your audience has transformed from leads into paying customers and paying customers, it's time to concentrate on retention. Content marketing funnels tend to concentrate on revenue as the end goal. However, consumers will continue to interact and engage with brands even after they have made a purchase. It is crucial to redefine the funnel as a dynamic structure that incorporates revenue, not an unchanging model.The traditional funnels for content marketing are helpful in creating your strategy however, they don't take into consideration the complexity of the buyer's journey. Instead reinventing the funnel as loops will assist you in developing an effective and holistic content marketing strategy. You can create content that is engaging your audience and drives conversions by planning for each phase of the process. You can then utilize the data from conversions to optimize and test your strategy. Are you ready to see how this approach will benefit your business? Contact us today to request a no-cost content marketing guidebook!RetentionA funnel for marketing content can be a valuable tool to help brands plan and execute their strategy. It also gives them insight into the gaps in their strategy for content that need to be filled. If a company has a lot of content that is geared towards generating attention and interest, but only a few pieces aimed at middle of funnel, it needs to develop content for this stage.One of the best ways to gauge how well-targeted your content is to use tools like Ahrefs to look at the average time on the page and bounce rate of each piece. The higher these numbers are, the more efficient your content is.After you've put together content for the top of your funnel for marketing content It's essential to keep it fresh and relevant. This will keep your customers interested in your brand and its products and services. The best method to accomplish this is to create new content that focuses on specific keywords, addresses questions that are likely to be asked by your customers and includes the most recent information on your business or product.As your audience steps onto the MOFU stage they'll be seeking more detailed information about your product or service, as well as ways to solve their problems. At this stage, it's important to build trust by providing honest reviews and demonstrating value.The final phase of the content marketing funnel is when your customers will make a purchase. This is accomplished through gated content, which requires an email address or other form of registration to gain access. The content is designed to turn the interest and awareness you've created at the top of your funnel into qualified leads. Your sales team will follow up.You can still influence the journeys of your customers through your brand, even though the sales and support teams are primarily responsible for customer retention. Create content that is enjoyable for your customers throughout the entire funnel of content marketing. This could include helpful information, behind-the-scenes information and special offers that only your audience has access to. If you can build trust among your audience they'll be able to serve as genuine advocates for your product and help reduce the time it takes to sell your product.