How to Use Content at Each Stage of a Sales Funnel?

Before you dive into reading the blog, let me ask you a question - When was the last time you made a purchase of something you have never heard about?

Let me save you some time; you have not! In this digital world, it is impossible to make a purchase decision without researching about it by reading articles or looking at videos, etc.

And there's a 100% chance that you will see 10 different ads at various platforms about that product or service since you were "looking" for it!

This is because you have been a part of that company's sales funnel for years, or even decades!

Most of the content we devour online aims to compel us to purchase different products or services. We see ads and content related to what we have been looking for. And that's how you will also convert prospects into paying clients - by building a sales funnel.

Implementing the best sales funnel strategies can influence the purchase decisions of your prospects. And creating relevant content at each stage of the funnel will be the to move prospects from one stage to another.

What is a Sales Funnel?

The sales funnel is essentially the milestones that your prospects go through during their buying journey. There are primarily 4 stages your potential clients go through -

1. Awareness - it's the stage where they become aware about your services
2. Interest - here's where your prospects knows about the services you provide and evaluate whether you're the right fit for them.
3. Desire - the third stage is where your leads are ready to make the purchase and are considering several options.
4. Action - lastly, they take action of buying your services and become a paying client!

Each stage fulfills a particular set of needs of the prospects. And creating good, relevant content at each stage can compel your visitors to move from one stage to another and finally buying your services!

Before we move forward, one key thing to understand is that whenever a potential client reach out to you, it is because they're in difficult circustances and are already facing a problem. They're not particularly looking for your services, rather a solution to their problem.

That is why, across all the stages of the sales funnel, it is vital for you to talk about their problems and how you will be able to help them with a solution.

Do not sell your services. Sell solutions to their problems!

Types of content to create at each stage of the sales funnel

1. Awareness

The first stage is where you should create content that grabs your audience's attention and gets them to stop what they're doing; even if it's just for a moment.

At this stage, your potential clients will become aware about a problem they're facing, decide to find a solution and come across your services.

Here are some types of content you can create to spread awareness about your services -

PR Articles

These are the articles that basically talk about your company's achievements such as awards won or funding acquired, etc. Your prospects will become aware about you when they read about your services in the news!

Webinars

Conduct webinars where you talk specifically about the problems your prospects make and how you can offer a solution. It's one of the best ways to reach your target audience.

Website

Your website might be the first place where your prospects go to learn about your services and the solutions you provide. Make sure you ask for an email from your website visitors to keep them in your sales funnel. You can do that by handling out free resources or asking them to sign up to your newsletter, etc.

2. Interest

Once they become aware about you, you whould want to generate interest in them to learn more about you and your services. This is the stage where you offer interesting facts & use cases and start gaining their trust.

In the middle of the funnel (MOFU), potential clients decide if they need your services. That is why creating content that talks about solutions to their problems is more important at this stage.

Here are some types of content you should create to spark their interest -

Email Campaigns

Once a prospect gives their email id to you, they'd expect to receive good content in their inbox. This is your chance to show how well you understand their problems and how good you're at solving them!

Social Media

Having a social media presence is not exactly a priority for most agencies. But missing out on billions of users every month is not a mistake you want to make. Social media platforms are your chance to get personal with your prospects and engage with them. There are a lot of types of social media posts you can create such as infographics, carousels, video content, etc.

3. Desire

At this stage, your potential clients are ready to make a purchase and are considering multiple options. Here's where you will create content that clears any hesitation about you and explains the benefits about your services.

For example, you can create a microsite or a landing page where you highlight solutions to your prospect's most-faced problems.

One of the proven ways to convert your lead at this stage is to get them on a call or in a meeting with you. Your job at this stage is to listen to their difficulties and understand everything about their circumstances. Ask as many questions as you can to learn everything about their business and problems they're facing.

Another excellent way to convert leads into paying clients would be to do some sample work. This will instill their trust in your business and push them to make the purchase decision.

4. Action

At this stage, your prospects are ready to become your clients by purchasing your services. This is the stage where you finalize the project details, sign the proposal and make an advance payment.

To seal the deal and leading your prospects to take the action, create content that shows them you're trustworthy. Share similar case studies and testimonials from your previous clients to convince them that you're the perfect solution for their problems. Let your work and data talk for you.

Moreover, you can even go to the extent of offering discounts or a complimentary service such as an extra blog each month, an extra week of social media management, etc.

Wrapping up

Altogether, a solid content strategy is an integral part of the sales funnel. You also need to evaluate the performance of your content using different tools. Routinely monitor your content, find out the flaws and search for approaches to improve or repurpose the content. Good content will ensure a high client retention rate and boost your business’s growth.

And remember, talk about solutions to your prospect's problems rather than your services.