Just because someone visits your website doesn’t mean they are ready to buy. Your sales life cycle will vary depending upon the nature of your business. However, one thing is evident in the recent times; the old style of advertising is just not working anymore. Customers now-a-days do their research before they buy. It is no longer about ‘bombarding people with heaps of advertising and they will buy’ idea. There are just too many options out there and customers are becoming an expert in ignoring you. Simply put, the old style sales model is broken.
So, what’s the alternative? You now need to build relationship with your potential customers long before they buy from you. You need to nurture your leads over a period of time and add value to their lives. Customers are now much more aware of their needs. You need to personalise your message to cut through all the noise. Thanks to the advancement in technology, you can now do this with ease via using your website. Welcome to engagement based content marketing.
This has been around from a long time, but in the last one year there has been a significant growth. The idea is simple; connect with your target market based on what they do or what they like, personalise your messages accordingly, add value to their lives, build relationship over a period and when the time comes to make a purchase decision, be there to help them make a decision. Personalisation is the key.
Firstly, define your target audience. Be specific, go for the niche. Don’t treat your website as a loud speaker for anyone and everyone passing by. Your website will function best if you customise the message for each target group using landing pages. Spend some time to think through the entire end to end experience for each customer type.
Secondly, create content that is remarkable enough to get through the clutter. Aim at creating value-packed digital assets that you can use over and over again. Don’t be afraid to give it away for free. Many customers like to try before they buy. Think long term. Build relationship with the right target market.
Thirdly, when customers are ready to buy, they will exhibit certain behaviours e.g. they may click through your social media post and visit the pricing page, or they may spend more time on your website. The system can identify these behaviours and send an automated notification to remind you to contact the customer.
The possibilities are limitless. This is the time to sketch out your digital strategy for the next year. Let me know if I can be of any help.
Have a joyful Christmas and a fantabulous new year!
