You need to provide content to your potential customers in the same language that they use. If you use similar style and language that they do, then your message will resonate with them even more. Every single thing you write, from blog posts, to emails, to press releases, to your website’s content, it all needs to take this into consideration.
Well-written materials will help your buyers understand how you can help them, why you’re the Trusted Expert they should go to when they are finally ready to make a purchase. I can’t overstate the importance of this. The content that you write for your potential customers will have a much greater influence over their opinion of you and your company than any piece of advertising that you will ever do.
But how do you know how to talk to them? How do you make them believe that you’re a Trusted Expert? Refer back to your buyer personas. They will tell you exactly how to talk to your audience. Avoid jargon; it’s the language that people turn to when they don’t have anything of use to say. It doesn’t make you sound smarter, and it’s the same stupid buzzword phrases that everyone else (meaning your competitors) is using. You will stand out from the competition by using superior content.
Understand your audience. You’ll need to consider what market problems your buyer personas are faced with and develop topics that appeal to them. Then, you need to write for that audience. If you use examples and stories, the content will resonate with them much more than just dry facts. Remember, you’re trying to build a relationship with these people. Make it interesting, and make them want to come back for more. Choose a great title that grabs attention and then use a subtitle to describe what the content will deliver. People are more likely to download, click, or sign up to get more if they have a clear understanding about what they’re getting.
Promote the effort like crazy. Offer the content on your site with easy-to-find links. Add a link to employees (if you have them) email signatures, and get partners to offer the links as well. To drive viral marketing efforts, alert the appropriate reporters, bloggers, and analysts in your category or niche that the content is available and send them a download link. Tweet it, post it on Faceook – get your information out there. Don’t rely only on your website to get info out there – use articles, comments on other blogs. This will help to drive traffic to your site as well as put you on the map with the authorities within your niche. Make yourself a Trusted Expert in their eyes, and they’ll tell the world.
People in the early stages of the buying cycle need basic information, people further along in the process want to compare products and services, both from what you offer and among your competitors, and they then need detailed information about the benefit of your products vs. someone else’s, or even one of your products vs. another one of your products. When the buyers are at the end of the buying process, it is crucial that you have an easy-to-use checkout system linked directly from your content so you can make the conversion as easy as possible for them.
Don’t forget about your communications after the sale, either. Make sure to continue the dialog with the customer, either through an opt-in email newsletter or by directing them to your forums – anywhere where you can continue the two-way conversation. You should also provide them with a tool in which to provide feedback on the sale itself.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Decide that form of content best suits your buyer personas. White paper? Ebook? Webinar? YouTube Video? All depends on what your personas like best.
- Decide how you’re going to talk to each persona. Based on their needs, wants, and preferred methods of communication, each message should have subtle differences in tone that will make your message resonate more with each persona.
- Start writing your Trusted Expert content.
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