Content marketing is a long-term strategy that focuses on building relationships with your target audience by consistently delivering high-quality, relevant content that educates the reader. In short, content marketing is storytelling. Your audience and customer base want valuable information from your business. However, content marketing isn’t as simple as publishing an article and hoping people read it. Quality content marketing is about purposefully tailoring your pages, videos, ebooks, and posts to your target audience so that they find you. Our team at Rize AVS understands that marketing takes a lot of dedication and effort, but if done correctly, it will positively impact your business. We’ve developed a guide to help you understand the importance of content marketing and what it can do for your business.
Buyer’s Journey & Content Marketing
According to Ahrefs, the buyer’s journey is the process a person goes through before making a purchase. The easiest way to understand the buyer’s journey is to create content for each stage; awareness, consideration, and decision. Let’s look at how to perfect content that ultimately leads your audience through all the phases of the buying journey.
Awareness
The first stage of a buyer’s journey is awareness – when they realize they have a problem and want to understand more about it. For example, Kate’s mom, Martha, is about to move in with her. Kate wants to make her home more accessible for Martha, who is wheelchair-bound. In researching, Kate learns about the various accommodations and decides that home automation can be the solution to her problem. She begins researching and learning more about home automation systems.
In this instance, if you want to grab Kate’s attention, your content should answer her questions. She is likely looking for information, tips, resources, etc. The content on your website should relate to the following topics:
- What is home automation?
- Can home automation make my home handicap accessible?
- Home automation resources
By creating content that solves people’s problems, you help them to discover and trust your brand. In the future, when they are ready to buy, you’ll be the first company they think of.
Consideration
Now that she has decided to invest in a home automation system, Kate begins looking for and comparing potential installations that will make her home more accessible for her mom. As she finds new integrators, she makes comparisons based on their portfolio and reviews. She’s contacting companies with her questions via chat boxes and learning more about their suggestions for home accessibility.Â
Customers don’t buy solutions to their long-term problems immediately; it can take weeks or months for them to move through the consideration phase. People are far more likely to buy when you guide them through the process, and it doesn’t have to be difficult.
In our example, Kate needs to know you are the expert in home automation, standing out from your competitors. But how do you achieve that? Before consumers buy from you, they want to be able to trust you. Guides and eBooks on your website do a remarkable job of building trust during the consideration phase. The content on your website gives your audience insight into your stance on topics, tone of voice, and your ability to present information.
Decision
Kate has found that your company is the expert in home automation in her area. She is looking at pricing packages and deciding what services of yours that she wants to integrate into her home. Your company and content have made it through the awareness and consideration stage, so it’s clear that she will include you in her decision phase.Â
Rather than focusing on the keywords your customers are searching for, look internally. Scan your internal site search data, talk to your customer support and sales team, and so on. It’s imperative that your messaging during the decision phase is consistent with your tone of voice in the early stages of the buyer’s journey.
Congratulations, you have won Kate’s approval and she has chosen to move forward with your company as her home automation integrator. Kate has moved through the buyer’s journey and is now a paying customer, thanks to your content marketing strategy.
Where Content Marketing is Useful
There are no limitations on where content marketing can be successful. There are many types of content marketing that can attract your target audience. Think of content marketing as a unique form of communication. You have to meet your audience where they are, and it’s possible through content marketing. Content can be found in blogs, emails, social media, and on your website.
Blog Articles
Blog articles are the quickest way to add regular and informative content to your website. This method is effective for getting in front of potential customers and search engines. Good blogs inspire conversation through unique content and authoritative perspectives.
Email Blasts
Email marketing and blasts involve sending promotional messages to subscribers via email with the goal of maintaining contact, converting leads, and generating engagement. It’s powerful and robust yet easy to use. Check out our guide on email marketing tips and tricks. Â
Social Media
Social media lets you stay connected with your customers by engaging and interacting with them, providing one-on-one support, sharing content, and answering comments. Social media is constantly updating and requires regular content posts to keep your business on top.
Website Content
A website with consistent content will ensure your customers choose you when it’s time to make a purchase. Building trust is essential in content marketing, especially in the AVS industry. Many of your services involve entering your customers’ homes or businesses. It’s vital to gain their trust, and a quick way to do that is through the content on your website.
Rize and Rank with Content Marketing
Content is the primary method of engaging your customers and building your ranking with the Search Engines. Customers visit your website every day, but will they return? At Rize AVS we have several packages, including content marketing services tailored to your needs. Contact us today to get started!
