Consumers today are more savvy — they take time to research their purchases and turn to different channels to inform their decisions.
An estimated 67% of consumers use multiple channels for a single transaction. Each channel plays a crucial role in the overall purchasing process.
Understanding each touch point allows you to create content that engages your audience and moves them down the sales funnel. But what kind of content should you create?
That’s what we’re about to cover in this article. Here we’ll look at the types of content you should create for every stage of the sales funnel.
What is a sales funnel?
A sales funnel is a visual representation of the stages that a prospect goes through leading up to their purchase.
It can be broken down into three stages:
- Awareness: The Awareness stage is the top of the funnel when a prospect first hears about your business. Prospects are still far from a purchasing decision, but they’re aware of what you offer.
- Consideration: The Consideration stage is when a prospect has defined their problem and they’re actively searching for a solution. Prospects are researching their options and determining if yours is the right fit.
- Decision: The Decision stage is when a prospect is ready to make a decision. But they still need that extra nudge to compel them to take action.
Each stage plays a crucial role in the purchasing process. Understanding each allows you to develop a cohesive content strategy and scale the content creation process in a way that supports your goals.
Now, let’s look at what content to create for each stage in the sales funnel.
Content for the awareness stage
A prospect will typically enter your sales funnel because they have a problem. They’re looking for content that helps them find an answer or directs them to a solution.
The awareness stage is largely about educating your prospects. By providing valuable content, you can build trust with your audience and establish your brand as an authority.
Types of content to create for the awareness stage include:
- Blog posts
- Social media posts
- Videos
- eBooks
Let’s look at each one.
1. Blog posts
Blog posts work especially well for the awareness stage — they’re highly informative and each piece you create is an asset you can rank in Google.
Let’s say you’re a business owner and you want to process mobile payments. So you perform a search to learn more.
Here’s an example of a search result for “what are mobile payments”:
This blog post from Square provides a comprehensive look at mobile payments — what they are, how they work, and how to accept them. The content itself is highly informative and there’s no hard sell.
When creating blog posts, pay particular attention to SEO. Optimize all on-page factors, including page titles, headings, and the content itself to improve its relevance.
2. Social media posts
Social media is another channel you can leverage to generate awareness. Facebook alone has an estimated 2.74 billion users. In addition to posting your content, you can also advertise on these platforms to generate awareness.
Here’s an example of an ad for Dollar Shave Club on Facebook.
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The ad helps Dollar Shave Club reach their target audience and generate awareness for their male grooming products. With social platforms like Facebook, you can always start with a small budget and set demographics for your audience.
3. Videos
Videos are another content type you can use to educate your audience. They work well for explaining certain topics and demonstrating how to do something.
Here’s a good example of a video from NordVPN that explains what a VPN is and how it works:
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One bonus here is that you can get these videos ranking in YouTube for their target keywords with some optimization.
4. eBooks
eBooks are five to 10 pages in length and provide more detail about a topic than a blog post. You can also use them as lead magnets — offering something for free in exchange for an email.
For example, with our Ultimate Guide to Omnichannel Customer Service, visitors can enter their email address and download the eBook.
By creating eBooks, you can attract solid leads and establish your brand as a source of quality information in the process.
Content for the consideration stage
The consideration stage is when prospects move to the middle of your funnel. They have a much better understanding of their problem and now they’re searching for solutions — one of which is hopefully yours.
Types of content to create for the consideration stage include:
- Comparisons
- Case studies
- Webinars
Let’s look at each one in more detail.
1. Comparisons
Prospects in the consideration stage know that your solution exists, but they’re still weighing their options. Offering comparisons with other solutions is a great way to help make a decision.
Here’s an example of a comparison that monday.com, a project management tool, provides against two other options in a blog post:
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Visitors on this page can quickly see what features monday.com offers and where their competitors fall short.
Compile a list of your main competitors. Then publish content that shows how your products or services compare.
2. Case studies
Prospects ultimately want to know how your products or services benefit them. One way to help them see the value of working with your business is through case studies.
Case studies aren’t like a typical review. These are detailed accounts of the results a customer was able to achieve by working with your business.
Here’s an example of a case study from ShipTime that’s featured on Freshdesk, our platform for delivering omnichannel customer service.
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Prospects on this page can read through the case study to learn more about how ShipTime was able to improve their customer satisfaction score with Freshdesk.
When you create your own case studies, sales reps can direct them to prospects to help with their purchasing decision.
3. Webinars
Webinars are a great way to showcase your products in action. You can also engage with a live audience and answer their questions on the spot.
Here’s an example of webinars that Campaign Monitor, an email marketing platform, offers.
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Note that you can also save the recordings of your webinars and use them as lead magnets.
Content for the decision stage
The decision stage is when prospects are ready to buy. This is your chance to make an offer and get them to convert.
Types of content to create for the decision stage include:
- Free trials
- Discount coupons
Here’s a look at each one.
1. Free trials
Prospects may still be hesitant to make a purchase because they’re not ready to commit to a paid plan. One way to handle those objections is to offer a free trial.
For example, Shopify offers a free 14-day trial for its eCommerce platform that can be accessed with just an email address.
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Free trials give your prospects an opportunity to see if your products or services are a good fit. Then, once the trial is over, your sales team can reach out to close the deal.
2. Discount coupons
Sometimes prospects want to make a purchase, but the only thing holding them back is the price. By offering a discount, you can provide prospects with the extra nudge they need to make a purchase.
Be wary here as discounts don’t always work. They can actually lower LTV (lifetime value) by 30% for SaaS (software as a service) companies.
However, it’s important to do your own tests. Consider offering limited promotions or making them only available during certain times of the year.
Conclusion
The sales funnel represents the stages that prospects go through from the time they hear about your business to when they finally convert.
Understanding each stage allows you to identify and fill potential content gaps. This informs your overall content marketing strategy and helps you move more prospects down the funnel.
