First To The Ball…
Be relevant. I use this phrase in all of my talks when discussing B2b or b2c client campaigns, but it’s easy to say but when you sit down and start to think about content development and placement, it can be daunting.
I hear marketing people say, “make a video or write a blog” but I’ve seen some videos that just create, what I call, the “…. off” effect. You can insert your own word in front , but mine is “Switch”.
I smile when I hear the word native advertising which is now a trending topic in the World of content marketing, but in reality it’s been a strong tactic that’s been used for years in traditional media platforms, including broadcast, and print.
What we do know, and it’s a proven tactic, is great content drive sales.
Let’s go back to basics, just for a moment.
Where does your brand get its best impact?
- Think about your product or service.
- Who is your customer, and where are they?
- How do they reach you?
I like to look at a clients sales cycle, and ask what does a typical “great” sale look like. Take a snapshot and answer the following questions;
- How did you find that great client? ( Lead development)
- What was the feature or benefit that caught the clients attention? ( The interest )
- What made the client ask for the proposal? (Call to Action)
Let’s stop with these three components of the sales cycle, I will talk about the next set of elements of the sales process in a future post.
Today I want to focus on these first three elements, to help you to decide how to create content or align your brand with existing content that has been produced by a third party and drives the desired outcome: SALES
Before you decide to go off and make your epic feature film on your company staring you as the leading role… Which works but we can talk about that later too, think about the first part of the sales cycle,
1). lead development.
Using the data you identified when analyzing your “Great Sale” think about where your customers live, congregate, network – this is where your “audience” is.
My thought is, if you are going to spend time and budget on creating or aligning your brand with content, I want ensure people turn up and enjoy the show.
That’s the Actor coming out of me, there is nothing worse than putting so much effort into learning your lines, the costumes look great and the set design is realistic, and NOBODY turns up.
So planning is crucial, and choosing the right content platform and topic will increase your success rate.
List out the places you think your audience like to congregate, then move on to component
2). The interest
What is going capture your audience and have them engage with your message, i.e. What feature or benefit helped your existing successful customers with a problem they have.
How you highlight these is extremely important, because your audience are educated individuals, and how you set the tone and present your message will determine if people will bother to watch, read or listen.
IMPORTANT: Please, really think about the above very carefully as it does effect the results of your efforts.
The third element is getting the audience to ask for more information.
3). Call to Action
There are various ways you can do this, and it all depends on the style or format of the content.
- Advertising – direct call to action. Phone number, website etc.
- Blog – tease the topic and link to more information
- Unique landing pages – educate and collect data
- Video – set up the problem, showcase a solution, and present a location to continue the conversation i.e. a unique landing page
- In-Show product placement/ in show interviews – present yourself as a subject matter expert and encourage viewers/ listeners to go to an online destination ( see unique landing page )
It may sound obvious, but in summary, relevant content to an audience that cares about your message is the road to success.
Plan your approach, structure your message with your desired tone , and craft your call to action to maximize your campaign.
If you want to know more about our campaign ideas and content solutions, you can get more information by booking a demo.
ABOUT kNEXTis LLC
The kNEXTis Team is focused on delivering results through a blend of traditional sales techniques, media and digital campaigns.
Interactive, integration and idea driven elements are always key modules of any sales generation campaign they put together.
Selling products and services with all the digital options at a business’s fingertips can be a challenge, and with a suite of digital, broadcast and online options kNEXTis can put together comprehensive sales & marketing packages for small and medium sized businesses.
kNEXTis also offers small and medium sized businesses a low cost one-on-one coaching service to help plan and execute your marketing plan, allowing you to run your business and we help grow it.
