How to Choose Content for Your Conversion Funnels in B2B-Marketing

Nurturing a website visitor into a happy customer is no easy task. Conversion funnels look to support a buyer's journey in the B2B environment, moving from the awareness to the decision-making stage. A core issue a marketer must address is choosing the right content for each stage. 

Where do I begin?

Start by defining the core milestones by creating conversion opportunities for your funnel, incorporating high-value content (how-tos, ebooks, infographics, subscriptions, trials, etc.) at the end of each stage. As a critical element in the Inbound Marketing approach, you create opportunities for your audience to engage, generate leads and nurture them through the sales process, further enhancing your site's visibility. 

Creating content that answers buyers' questions through every stage of their journey is important. Offer informative materials that address their pain points. Look for blog articles covering a similar topic and understand their metrics; the more relevant and educational content you can provide, the better. 

Good quality content will have a huge impact on a buyer's decision-making process. How many visitors are coming to your website? Do they stay or leave quickly? Focus on the average time readers spend with your content, a core indicator of actually reading and engaging with your content. Once you understand readers' behaviors, you can create more optimized content.

Content Ideas for Each Stage of the Conversion Funnel

Not everyone enters the conversion funnel at the very top. Buyers will approach you at all different stages depending on where they are in the buyer's journey.  Your goal is to create the right conversions for your engagement process so that, no matter where they enter, you'll have quality content to engage prospects at every stage. 

When building a conversion funnel, ask:

• How will buyers at this particular stage find my business?

• What type of content do I need to help them advance in the process?

• How will I know if they have moved within my funnel?

Stage 1 - Awareness

This is where you identify a buyer persona's pain points and showcase that you speak their language; visitors inform themselves about a problem they may be experiencing. You can establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, as a go-to person businesses reach out to when facing issues. Your website content will attract visitors who are looking for educational information. 

Content Ideas:

• Blog Content- Cover industry issues and trends and convey an understanding of your buyers' industry. 

• Articles- Offer curated content to help buyers find relevant material covering their issues as a business or the industry and environment they are in.

• Initial Advertisements- Sharing of industry trends and analyst coverage. 

How will you know if your customer has moved from the awareness stage to the consideration stage?

Example: The buyer saw your initial social media post, clicked it, and landed on your pillar page. From here, they can explore your business, what it offers, and, most importantly, how it can help a buyer. 

Stage 2 - Consideration

The buyer now knows their main problem and seeks information to solve it. During this stage, informing buyers of how your solution can solve their problem is critical. This stage is the evaluation stage, your customer is looking at options. Your solution is not the only one a buyer is considering; they're examining each alternative's pros and cons. Take advantage of this opportunity to describe your solution's key benefits and differentiators. 

Showcase your top-performing content. How many people visited your site? How long was a buyer viewing your content? You may be more focused on raising awareness of your brand rather than converting your visitors into buyers. If that's the case, focus on metrics like social shares and engagement. 

Content Ideas:

• Blog Post- Cover specific business problems and how your solution addresses them.

• Google and Social Media- Offer demo sessions or trials and invites to attend informational webinars. 

• Guest Blog Posts- Invite expert resources to share unbiased industry information.

• White Papers- Establish yourself as a top industry leader by publishing primary research. 

• Ebooks- Offer free downloads that include solution information and competitive differentiators.

• Customer Reviews- Create reviews that show past customers' success with your solution.

How will you know if a customer has moved from the consideration stage to the decision-making stage?

Example: The buyer is interested in your product or service, so they request a free demo. Buyers often do this for multiple companies. 

Stage 4- Decision Making

The final stage in the buyer's journey is about their actions to proceed with a purchase. At this stage, a buyer has contacted your sales rep, and they have prices, FAQs, and an understanding of what working with your business will look like. In this stage, it's important to make the purchasing process as easy as possible, with no headaches. 

Content Ideas:

• E-learning- Give your buyer an option to learn online and see your product or service being used. 

• Case Studies- Create trust with buyers by showcasing your results and the ease of implementation of your solution. 

• Testimonials- Show why past customers enjoyed working with your company. Write about their satisfaction with your performance, quality, and value of your business. 

Always consider the buyer's journey when choosing the right content for your conversion funnel. Know what stage your potential buyer is currently at. Understand the buyer persona you are interacting with.  Provide them with materials and tools to further push them along your conversion funnel. Remember, you are the solution to their problem. So be sure to give your audience all the information they need to make a final buying decision.

Do you want to learn more about optimizing your conversion funnel?