The Good Marketing Guide 2019

purchase options, or undertaking due diligence. Your brand has moved up a notch in the decision making process, and is now a subject of research to see if it’s a solid fit. That means the user has specific questions they want answered. Doing so is an opportunity to increase move them on to the next stage. Content that works best at engagement stage is advice-based – best practice sharing or even top tips that demonstrate your brand’s expertise in a subject or problem solving area. KPIs at Engagement Stage The number of qualified leads you can gather is the key success metric. It’s normal practice to gate content at this stage to capture more data before granting access to the asset. CONVERSION At the very narrow end of the funnel, your content should be measured on how effectively it helps qualified leads make the final leap to purchase. The prospect’s customer journey has changed again, so the content that addresses their current mindset needs to change too. To facilitate conversions at this end stage you need to provide proof points that will help qualified leads decide between your brand and your competitors. Typical content would include case studies, testimonials, success stories, product demos, comparison sheets, and webinars. KPIs at Conversion Stage The aim here is simple: turn qualified leads into paying customers. Track the number of conversions generated against each asset, with the content generating the most conversions ranked highest. When you know what’s really ticking the buy box for prospects, you can find other ways to leverage the topic or asset. Congratulations: you’ve completed the funnel And that will set you apart from a lot of your competitors. Many companies start – and unintentionally stop – their content marketing programmes by only building assets for the attraction stage. It’s good to cast your net widely: create quality thought leadership and branded content, or blog posts on long tail subjects that capture traffic from non-commercial searches. But you can’t ignore stages 2 and 3. Otherwise you’ll have an incomplete strategy on your hands – and missed opportunities to make a sale.