How to Align Content Down the Sales Funnel

By Nora Leary On May 3, 2019

How to Align Content Down the Sales Funnel

Marketers working with sales teams often have better results. In fact, when these two teams are aligned, they are 67% better at closing deals. One reason for this is that consumers don’t always want an overly salesy approach; 75% of buyers want content that curbs the sales-speak. Marketers can help write content that appeals to the target market rather than a tone that sounds too pushy.

Content is vital along the sales funnel. 95% of buyers end up choosing a solution provider that “provided them with ample content to help navigate through each stage of the buying process.” Different types of content work better during different parts of the sales funnel, mostly because the buyer is in a different stage and mindset.

Here are content types that work well during each phase of the sales funnel.

Top-of-the-funnel content

At this stage, often called “awareness,” the prospect is just becoming aware of their problem, so now is not the time for a hard sell. Companies should use content that addresses the prospect’s pain points and directs them to their website. Content such as blog and social media posts work really well here. Additionally, businesses can consider writing bylines on industry topics and placing them in top-tier publications. This builds trust in the potential buyer and showcases the founder or CEO as an industry expert.

Of course, it’s also important to have a strong website copy with strategically placed calls to action that help the prospect move down the funnel. Companies can measure success here by the number of marketing qualified leads (MQLs) that come to the website.

Middle-of-the-funnel content

At this point in the sales funnel the prospect knows their problem and is interested in your company as the solution. Many people think that marketers have no role in this part of the funnel, but they can help nurture leads and increase conversions at this point. Marketers can write long-form content, infographics, fact sheets, and educational material that informs the prospect of the company.

Consumers at this stage may still have questions about the problem they are trying to solve, and content is an excellent way to answer and inform the prospect. Companies should measure conversions in the funnel to see how well content performs. Furthermore, if salespeople find there are gaps where buyers are not converting in the sales funnel, they can try a piece of content to help better nurture the leads.

Bottom-of-the-funnel content

Now the prospect is weighing his or her options and deciding between companies. Again, marketers can help turn this lead into a sale. Content such as case studies, competitor analysis documents, eBooks, email follow-ups, and customer testimonials can all help secure the sale. It’s vital that content helps give the company more credibility so that the customer will ultimately choose that solution. Businesses can measure success here by how many sales they attain.

Monitor analytics to measure success

In order to figure out where to place content along the sales funnel, teams should first assess where conversions stagnate. Where do potential buyers drop off?

At that point along the funnel, content marketing might be able to keep the prospect interested and convert them into a sale. Analytics are crucial to measuring whether or not content works along the sales funnel or if certain copy needs tweaking. Companies that combine sales efforts with marketing talent will be to convert more leads and close more deals.