How Content Marketing Impacts the Sales Funnel

The sales funnel is a model representing the journey a customer takes from first becoming aware of a product/service to making a purchase. The steps work together to gradually get a potential customer to flow through your sales process. The four key steps of the sales funnel are:

1. Awareness
2. Interest
3. Decision
4. Action

By understanding the process of the funnel, you can use your content to target each of these stages effectively and drive sales.

1. Awareness

Goal: Capture the attention of potential customers.

At the top of the funnel, the primary goal is to make potential customers aware of your brand and what you offer. Without being aware of your brand, they can’t move through the rest of the funnel. This stage is all about visibility and attracting a broad audience.

The best types of content at this stage should be engaging and informative, designed to introduce your brand to a wider audience. This content shouldn’t include promotional or sales content – that’s for much later. First, you need to make an amazing first impression on your audience, not shove your products and services at them.

Types of Content:

• Focus on Video: Short, engaging videos that introduce the audience to industry-related topics, trending ideas, or helpful guides. Video content is easily the most engaging and best-performing form of media across platforms right now, so it’s the perfect way to reach a larger audience. These videos can be shared on various social media sites as well as your website.
• Leverage Storytelling: Use storytelling to attract attention through images, carousels, etc. Sharing these posts on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn can significantly boost brand awareness.
• Use Infographics: This is extremely saveable and shareable content that will not only keep the current audience interested but help to expand your reach.
• Blog Posts: Use educational articles that address common pain points and provide solutions to target people through search engines. Blogs are an excellent way to show your expertise and start building that necessary trust.

There are other types of content that can expose your brand to potential customers, but these are some of the core pieces. By consistently producing high-value content and putting it in front of your audience, you increase awareness of your brand.

2. Interest

Goal: Engage the audience and build interest in your products or services.

Once potential customers are aware of your brand, the next step is to pique their interest. This involves providing more detailed information about what your brand is. This includes sharing your products or services and demonstrating how they can solve the customers’ problems or fulfill their needs.

At this stage, you’re competing with other businesses that the customer may be considering. Therefore, you need to prove to them why your brand is the one they should go with. The best way to do this is to demonstrate your expertise and authority in your industry.

Types of Content:

• In-Depth Articles: Go deeper than your normal blog posts to show how your products or services could be a solution to their problem. Make it clear that you simply want to help guide them to a solution for their challenge. They are the hero – not your brand.
• Webinars: Live or recorded sessions that provide valuable information and allow for interaction. Webinars are extremely effective for interest because you can directly speak to potential customers.
• Newsletters: Regular emails that offer useful content and updates about your products or industry. If you can get people to sign up for a newsletter, then you can reach them in their personal inbox, which is often more effective than scrolling past a post on social media.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples that show how your product or service has benefited others. Highlighting success stories of customers who have solved their problems with your products is one of the best ways to build interest.

By engaging potential customers with valuable content, you move them further down the funnel, from mere awareness to genuine interest. The best options are educational and informative, demonstrating how your business can help.

3. Decision

Goal: Help potential customers make an informed decision.

Following interest is the decision-making process. At this stage, potential customers are considering whether to purchase your product or service. They are likely comparing your options with competitors and evaluating the benefits. Therefore, content at this step should aim to provide the necessary information to help them make an informed decision and feel confident about choosing your brand. This means that yes, you can finally really push content around your products and services.

Types of Content:

• Testimonials and Reviews: Positive feedback from satisfied customers is always effective. People love hearing what others have to say about a product through reviews. Sharing real testimonials from happy customers can build trust and credibility.
• Demos: Content provides a unique opportunity to walk potential customers through your product or service in action, in a virtual environment. You can make a video showing how your product or service works, increasing their trust in your brand.
• Detailed Product/Service Descriptions: Similarly, share comprehensive information about product features and benefits. Clear and detailed descriptions of your products or services will let the audience know exactly what they’d get through purchasing from you.
• Product/Service Comparisons: You can take product descriptions a step further and actually compare your products to competitors. Through articles or charts, you can make the comparison process easy for your customers.

By providing clear content that covers all your bases, you help potential customers make informed decisions and move closer to taking action. Be honest and thorough to help people through the decision-making process.

4. Action

Goal: Encourage the customer to make a purchase.

The final stage of the funnel is getting the customer to take action, typically by making a purchase. At this point, all the work you put into your previous content comes down to the final test. You obviously can’t force them to make a purchase, but you can make sure that the option is easily available. By including clear calls to action (CTAs) you can make the buying process as straightforward as possible.

Types of Content:

• Strong CTAs: Clear and compelling calls to action in emails, social media posts, and ads. Ensure that your message comes across correctly and is effective in encouraging customers to finalize their purchase.
• Customer Support Content: One way to make the process easier is to have FAQs, how-to guides, and contact information easily accessible to address any last-minute concerns. Providing support content can remove any last-minute barriers to purchase.
• Checkout Process Optimization: This depends on how your purchases are completed, but regardless, ensuring a smooth and user-friendly checkout experience is essential. Simplifying the checkout process can increase conversions by taking away any added stress that may be created by unnecessary complications.
• Promotional Offers: Discounts, coupons, or limited-time offers to incentivize purchases can be effective. This also depends on what products or services you offer, but keep in mind that this can be a way to encourage that final decision of making a purchase.

By making it easy for customers to take action, you increase the chances of turning a decision into a completed purchase. Keep things simple, make the process easy to follow, and encourage incentives along the way.