A key feature of account-based marketing is ensuring your prospects receive the right message at each stage of the buyers’ journey. But what should that content look like?
Here are some insights into the topics that we at 6sense like to deliver to different channels to help ensure our prospects get useful, persuasive information no matter where they are in their buying journey.
Use these tips to begin mapping out an ABX strategy for your organization, which will give you a huge leg up when you’re ready to layer in the insights 6sense can provide.
First, Some Buying Funnel Fundamentals
Top of Funnel: Customers at this stage realize they have a business problem, and are looking for solutions. Top of funnel content should focus on helping them understand their problem, not on selling a solution. The piece you’re currently reading is an example!
Middle of Funnel: At this stage, customers have identified possible solutions and are weighing their options. Convince them your solution is the right one with messaging that differentiates you from your competitors.
Bottom of Funnel: By this stage of the funnel, customers are getting ready to make their decision. They’re familiar with your brand by now, so content can focus on your unique value proposition and validating the customer’s decision to move forward.
With those stages of the buyers’ journey in mind, here are some tips for creating content specifically for each stage.
Website Content
As the central informational hub for your brand, your website is the most important channel for reaching customers throughout every stage of the funnel. Make sure it meets the needs for all of your prospects with the following:
Top of Funnel
Help customers diagnose their business problem and how to solve it. This can look like:
- High-level blog posts describing common problems and non-neutral solutions
- Downloadable checklists and cheat sheets that can help them identify their needs
- Links to third-party studies and analyst reports that present unbiased insights
Be sure to make your website content SEO-friendly and rich with generic keywords so customers will find your brand during this initial stage.
Middle and Bottom of Funnel
Let your website be a helpful tool during your customers’ decision-making process with content such as:
- Blog posts that cover their problems more in-depth, and position your product or service as a solution
- Downloadable guides that compare pricing options, or compare your solution to that of your competitors
- Case studies, customer reviews, and testimonials — Ideally organized by industry, persona, or other segments
Since potential customers have clearly defined what problem they’re looking to solve, SEO keywords can be more specific at this stage. Middle and bottom of funnel content can also cite KPIs your solution can influence, as well as exciting stats.
Also, help your brand stand apart from the competition with an “About Us” section that highlights your core values. Customers are eager to do business with companies that are passionate about why they do what they do.
Videos
You can find article after article explaining why video is critical to an omnichannel marketing strategy, so we won’t go into it here. But it’s important to mention that since the needs and goals of customers at each stage of the buyers’ journey are different, you should have a library of videos that covers them all.
Top of Funnel
Similar to web content made for early stage customers, videos intended for top of funnel audiences need to be educational, unbiased, and unbranded. In fact, repurposing high-level blog posts for top of funnel video scripts can lead to easy content creation wins.
Since customers in the research stage are consuming a lot of information, it’s important that videos capture and keep their attention. That means keeping them as short as possible, not packing them with too much information, and using graphics that are engaging and relevant to the topic.
Middle and Bottom of Funnel
Videos for later-stage customers can be a bit longer, as long as they respect the viewers’ attention and contain only the information they need to consider their options and make a final decision.
Helpful video content at these stages include:
- How-to’s
- Q&A’s
- Product demonstrations
- Customer interviews and testimonials
Here’s an example:
Other Channels
Once you understand the needs and expectations of your customers at the various stages of the funnel, it’s easier to shape your omnichannel strategy to reach them where they are and deliver the information they’re seeking.
Here are some ways other channels can help you reach customers with the right message at the right time.
Top of Funnel
Social media channels are great for brand awareness, which is critical at this stage. Build up awareness with a regular posting cadence, sharing general educational content from your brand and reputable third-party sources too. Thought-provoking posts can also offer insight into your brand values, and encourage meaningful conversations and engagement.
Middle of Funnel
Targeted SEO keywords aren’t just necessary for your website content. Use them for paid ads as well, and entice customers evaluating their options to take a closer look at what you have to offer.
Review sites are also valuable channels during the consideration stage. Make sure your brand’s profiles are up to date so customers can make a fair assessment of how you stack up compared to your competitors.
Bottom of Funnel
Regardless of the channel, content at this stage should encourage customers to make a decision. Include a clear call-to-action for customers to sign up for a product demo, get a free trial, or request to be contacted by sales.
Post-Purchase
It’s critical to generate content geared toward customers as well. Engaging customers post-purchase helps with satisfaction and retention, which leads to repeat business. It encourages them to be champions of your brand, too.
Keep your brand front of mind with:
- User guides that help customers get the most out of your products and services
- Blog posts, infographics, and other sharable content about best practices
- News announcing product updates, user conferences, and other events
Conclusion
Just like creating content based on your audience’s persona or industry, taking the stages of the buyers’ journey into consideration when you craft omnichannel content can help you deliver a more precise message.
This kind of specificity helps your content feel bespoke by speaking to your customers’ unique needs at the timing they’re ready to hear it on the channels where they’re most likely to be, demonstrating your brand’s position as a thought leader and reliable solution for your customers’ problems.
