Content Marketing: Do You Really Have to Offer All Your Content?

Fresh, high-quality content is a steady source of traffic because of natural sharing. It provides online businesses with qualified leads. The method of Content marketing is easy: give useful information to potential clients when they need it, drawing on your knowledge and business skills. Because of this, they see you as a leading expert in your field. When they require the type of services you provide, they will think of you. if you can also keep them coming back.

This is why you create your own content and strongly encourage sharing it on social media. Each share highlights your skills and gives you more visibility. Thus, the more your articles spread across the vast Internet, the better it is for you.

However, in an Inbound Marketing strategy, should you make all your content available for free with no strings attached for the user? Does it really make sense to provide all this effort? As you can guess, it’s not so straightforward. At times, the best strategy is to keep your top content protected by limiting access to a chosen group. Let me clarify.

The purchasing journey

The purchasing journey, or “purchase funnel”, represents the stage a consumer is in before making a purchase. There are three phases in the path that leads a consumer to purchase:

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• awareness : in this phase the consumer becomes aware of a lack, a need or a problem he encounters. Try to name your problem by looking for its symptoms.
• consideration : his problem is identified, the consumer has been able to give it a name. He is now studying possible solutions.
• the decision : the consumer enters the decision-making phase and will choose a product or service.

A visitor can arrive on your website for the first time and already be in the decision-making phase, because they are well informed. Others will arrive aware of their concerns for the first time, without really knowing how to name them. You’re probably wondering what the purchase funnel is doing in the middle of this article?

Very simply because it must be taken into account to estimate what type of content you will offer and what type of content you will exchange with other information.

Content to attract leads

At the beginning of the journey, it is important that your content is accessible without any restrictions. At this point, your reader is barely aware of a need or concern. If they don’t access content quickly and easilythey will leave your site and look elsewhere. The slightest obstacle could discourage him.

Don’t ask them to click for more information, don’t give them forms to fill out. The only request I would propose at this stage: a sign up for a newsletter offering additional information, promotional codes, etc. We advise you not to contact him, it’s really too early!

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Provide him with useful content, answers to his questions, help him put words to his needs. They need to recognize themselves or their situation in your articles, make sure you offer them value and help them. Don’t talk about yourself, your business and how good you are. Honestly, he doesn’t really care at this point. Share blog posts, videos, infographics, etc.

Content to convert your contacts

However, at some point, it is good practice to offer some type of content in response to filling out a form. This is a content exchange and everyone wins. The Internet user earns content (quality, I emphasize this point) and you earn the email or contact of a potential prospect.

When the consumer is in the consideration phase, and even more so in the decision phase, he is already interested. If your content has done its job and earned their loyalty, they should be attracted to your offer. Also, requiring registration for a module will not be a block at this stage if you offer it rich content for example white papers, case studies, Excel templates, webinars, etc. Producing this type of product requires time and expertise, and your reader will inevitably see several benefits:

• if your visitor is truly interested, he will certainly find it beneficial to be informed about your new articles and productions that are not freely available on your blog.
• when the consumer is in the consideration phase, he needs information to help him in his decision, before taking action. When we have a problem to solve and we are looking for the right product or the right contact, we sometimes browse dozens of sites to make sure we are making the right choice and we are consumers of content and opinions.

If you think about it, we exchange quality content for a business card, the consumer is not a loser! The absolute rule, however, is that your content is unique, rich and noteworthy.

It conducts nourishment

This anglicism designates the fact of Nurture your leads to convert them into customers. The most obvious tool in this regard remains email, which allows you to launch a series of spaced emails (campaigns) after one of your contacts has left their contact details on one of your forms.

Nurturing your contacts consists of regularly provide information on the topic that interests them. Don’t turn into a spam spreader though! If your emails are too close together, you will tire your readers and risk getting an unsubscribe rate that is too high.

In the emails you send, make sure that the «blocked» content, the one you offer in exchange for information to your subscribers, is less numerous than the freely accessible content.

Don’t ask too much

You have valuable content but don’t be too greedy when asking for feedback. You should be satisfied with a simple email address and name when making your first request. In fact, some tend to fill an entire page, and unless your content is completely exceptional, you’ll only discourage even the most willing.

Later in your relationship with the lead, you can ask for the title and company name in exchange for something else. The first time is just a matter ofstart a relationshipestablishing contact.

Don’t underestimate the value of the content you produce. If you put your heart into it and draw on your experience, you can solve worries and headaches for your potential future customers. Most people who download it or view it on your blog are aware of this, so it’s worth filling out a form to take advantage of it.

So continue to produce freely accessible content, attract your contacts, inform them and provide them with answers. Loyalty them through your newsletter and offer them exclusive content to improve your relationship with them. Transform your leads into prospects, then into customers and once this step is completed, you will start another adventure with them: that of enchantment!

If you’re struggling with your content strategyif you have difficulty producing articles, videos or white papers, contact me without further delay. I can support you in creating your strategy and producing your content marketing.