Content is king. But there’s more to an effective marketing strategy than rolling out articles and product spotlights. Timing is everything. To usher a customer through the buying journey, you must deliver the right message to the right people at the right time.
That’s why context holds the key to the kingdom. This point is emphasized in the results of The Role of Media in the Adoption of Life Science Research Products & Systems, a recent study by Martin Akel & Associates that looked at B2B purchasing cycles in the life science industry. The study examined how different content moves prospects from one phase of the buying journey to the next, and it demonstrated that all content is not created equal. What you say is just as important as when you say it.
We know that dentists gather information before reaching out to manufacturers, and this is true for business consumers across industries. A Corporate Executive Board study from the Harvard Business Review found business consumers make 60% of a purchasing decision before they ever talk to a supplier.
The context of the content you deliver to prospects can make the difference between driving a customer to the next step, or pushing them away. Here’s how to build a content marketing strategy with the appropriate context for every phase of the sales cycle.
Stage Your Content
You know customers are looking for and absorbing your content for more than half of the sales journey before they pick up the phone. They want to learn about you before they ever talk to a representative at your company, so your content needs to be your surrogate during their product research. To accomplish this, you must create appropriate content for every stage of the customer’s sales journey.
First, that requires knowing how a customer walks through the process. It starts with awareness and exploration, followed by evaluation. Next customers build a preference as they explore—and then make a final decision. After that, you’re not done yet. That final stage is repurchasing. Providing content and communication after a sale is critical to keep that customer and to encourage him or her to spread the word about you.
Customize Content: Think Like Them
If you create content that’s too salesy or overly promotional when a customer is really seeking education and information, you’ll turn them off. If you hold back on technical product information when a customer is ready to digest the details, they’ll get frustrated. If you roll out an email blast before a customer feels ready to receive that direct communication from you, they might feel bombarded.
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Refer to the customer journey through the sales cycle and think about the questions customers ask you at every stage. What do they need to know when they are just becoming aware of your product? What information do they need when they’re at the stage of consideration—and what about the next step when they begin weighing their options? What will they ask right before they make the purchase?
If you’re not sure, then talk to sales staff and reach out to existing customers. Ask them what information truly helped them. And, consider partnering with an industry specialist such as Dentalcompare that truly knows your audience.
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Effective content marketing is customized to address customers’ needs at every stage of the buying process.
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Map Out a Content Strategy
Now that you are focused on creating content for every stage in the customer journey and you’re thinking about what the customer wants, it’s time to actually map out a content strategy. In a way, this is like drafting a script. What will you say to the audience and when will you say it?
The Akel study found marketing efforts are successful when they use different content to move customers from one phase in the buying journey to the next. Early in the process news announcements, “how it works” videos and articles explaining technologies and products helped move prospects through the Awareness and Exploration phases.
Effectively moving customers from the middle of the buying phase to a final decision can be achieved by providing prospects with access to technology protocols and clinical workflows. When it comes to helping prospects complete their evaluation phase and make the final decision to become your customer, the Akel study found 71 percent of respondents said product comparisons are helpful tools.
Your Content Cheat Sheet
The average sales cycle today can take up to 22 percent longer than several years ago because there are more decision-makers involved in the process, according to the content marketing outlet Kapost. So, it’s critical to distribute the right content at the right time—to the right audience. Based on the Akel study, here is how to align context with the customer buying journey to maximize the results of your content marketing campaign:
Content for Gaining Awareness & Exploration
- Your company’s latest news
- Articles about your technologies and products
- Videos introducing your technologies and products
- Webinars, eBooks and Infographics on the problems your products help solve
Content for Moving Through Exploration & Evaluation
- Comprehensive directory listings
- Interactive tutorials
- Video and Article case studies
- Webinars, eBooks and Infographics sharing customer success stories
- Product reviews
Content to Drive Evaluation & Final Decisions
- Comparisons of your products to competing options
- Practical tips on optimizing use of your products
- Protocols and best practices for success with your technologies, products and systems
As a leading resource for detailed dental product information, Dentalcompare is focused on providing the up-to-date information and context your customers are searching for. As content marketing experts, we understand what type of information your customers need at every stage of the buying cycle, and we’re ready to help you connect with them as they move along their individual purchasing paths.
We’re making this sound easy. We admit that it’s not. But that’s why we partner with dental companies such as yours to create and execute effective content marketing projects. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more about Dentalcompare and the full-funnel services we provide.