One of my favourite scenes in recent cinema comes from Leonardo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wall Street (and no, it doesn’t involve nudity or drug use). It’s the scene, towards the beginning of the movie, where DiCaprio’s character – Jordan Belfort – asks his motley crew of investors to, “sell me this pen.” Aside from one, they all fail to secure the sale. Why? The answer lies in poor communication. Poor communication and failing to connect the product to a purchaser’s needs. Sound familiar?
Content marketing is this communication; it’s that link between product and purchaser. It’s what influences the sales you need to make and how to boost new business. Are you able to sell the pen? Or are you left simply holding it? We take a look at how content helps boost new business and helps you:
- Find new leads
- Close sales
- Generate higher income
1. Content drives awareness
To sell your product (or even your service or expertise), you need an audience – someone to target. Without a particular target in mind, you’re wasting your time. And, even if you know the target audience, you need to raise enough awareness of your brand to capture attention. The earliest stage of the customer buying cycle is awareness, so investing in content and publishing in the right places can help raise the profile of your organisation. Of course, this is only the first step in the customer journey but, if done right, it can be the launch point for bigger successes further down the line.
2. Content refines your business
Did you know that, through clever use of content marketing, you can refine the success of your business? Good content engages with an audience, and it prompts a response. If you’re active on social media channels – regularly posting content that asks the opinions of your customers – you can use the information collected to help gather feedback on those products that sell best, or how customer service can be improved. Put a little thought behind the statuses and blogs you post, and you could find your audience soon helping tailor your offering for the better.
3. Content converts
As we’ve already touched upon, content is essential to raising awareness of your brand and its products. But, of course, it does much, much more than just attract interest. Positioning content in the right place, at the right time, with the right message can help transform speculators into leads, and leads into sales. Remember the “sell me this pen” scenario from earlier? This is the moment you need to sell. Don’t simply tell your audience what’s great about the product. Tell them how it helps and empowers them. Don’t make them just want the product, make them need it. It’s your content and your communication that will push through this sale.
4. Content creates relationships
How many businesses can truly get away of selling to a customer just once? You’d be hard pressed to find any industry that can survive on one sale per customer alone. So, generating a lasting relationship is essential to continued success. With effective, structured content marketing, maintaining a relationship with your target audience is significantly easier. Think about how companies such as Amazon keep in touch with you once you’ve bought. You most likely receive regular emails or targeted advertising. These techniques are nothing new, but they serve to keep you engaged with your audience when it’s time to buy once more.
5. Content is king
I know. We recently declared the death of the saying ‘content is king‘ but, in this context, it will always remain the most vital part of any marketing or advertising process. People remember the content that is served to them; otherwise, how else did they know about the company/product/service? Content is – and always will be – key to your business success, so embrace content marketing today and make sure you’re able to “sell me this pen.”
