Olivia Atkinson
Led by Marcus Sheridan, the web marketing guru, reveals 7 secrets to content that generates the greatest results.
Named 1 of 20 speakers you don’t want to miss by Forbes, Marcus will be sharing elements of what he calls ‘magical content’. A formula that’s been derived after analysing hundreds of the most successful case studies in the inbound space, and what they did to achieve such results.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesaleslion
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcussheridan/
Website: www.marcussheridan.com
Marcus promises from the session:
- To discover what ‘transparent’ content should look like and how to use it to become a trusted voice in your space.
- See ‘what’s next’ in terms of what consumers and buyers want to see, hear and read.
- How your business can stay ahead of the curve for lasting results.
- Learn about the specific types of content that generate the highest financial ROI.
They ask you answer is a true obsession of how your customers think. Marcus discusses 7 secrets to content that generates great results.
1. It Starts With Sales (Marketing is Always Secondary)
Stop seeing content as a marketing tool primarily, start seeing it as a sales tool. Stop thinking about content as just SEO, ranking, increasing traffic. Start seeing it as a sales tool, receiving higher quality leads, closing more deals.
Your sales team can become more aligned with the customers pain points and road blockers simply by answering the questions as clearly as possible.
It’s likely your sales team get asked the same questions day in day out from your prospects and customers. By answering these questions through content you provide a consistent in detail answer that provides the customer is looking for.
Not only does it answer their question but it can answer it when you can’t.
2. It Answers a Buyers Most Basic Questions
The big five: the subjects that move every buying decision, in every industry. Many companies hold back on discussing the below points in their content, whether it be on a blog or anywhere on the website.
- Cost
- Problems
- Vs/Comparisons
- Reviews
- Best
As buyers were obsessed with it and as sellers we don’t want to talk about it. The big five align with the questions your sales team receive every day.
Everyone who researches a high risk or expensive product wants to know the price. If you were to go to a restaurant and the prices weren’t on show you’d instantly have doubts. Trust is a vital part of the relationship you build with customers.
Withholding information causes friction and allows prospects to put barriers up.
3. It Never Tries To Sound Smart
When we try to start to sound smart we will start to scare the reader away, be real and put it into terms people understand so it resonates.
Especially in the building products industry, there can be a lot of terminology and vocabulary that some people understand but others don't. With building products your audience can be other businesses or the general public.
4. It Always Feels Unbiased
The most effective way to immediately show you’re unbiased is by discussing who your product or service is NOT for.
Knowing who your audience are is a vital part of being able to successfully market your product. It allows you to talk about who your product or service isn’t right for. Not everyone is your audience, so to cut out the leads that time wasters make it clear.
5. It Addresses Their Obvious Fears And Reservations
When somebody fills out a form on a website they are have fears and reservations about a number of things.
One is what you are going to do with their information, when are you going to get back to them and how will they get back to you.
To address this issue, tell the prospect what they want to know. Let them know you will receive an email confirming you’ve received their information. Tell them how and when you will get in touch, for example by phone in the next working day.
6. It Takes Them On A Journey (starting with the problem)
Think about adverts on the TV, they all tell a story and take the audience through a journey.
It starts with the pain the customer experiences and what frustrates them, it then takes them through a journey of how the company can provide the solution.
You can mimic this in your marketing strategy by understanding the customers struggles.
7. It Has a Singular Obsession with the Customer
When it comes to comparing your own products many businesses fall at the first hurdle. This is due to companies worrying about what their vendors will say when they’re comparing their product to other suppliers.
You will only see a real change in your marketing strategy when you’re obsessed with the customer. When your customer is your priority you will answer the questions they’re asking openly without any concern for your suppliers.
Conclusion
Marcus's discussion touches on his book 'They Ask, You Answer'. By being transparent with your customers, you become a trusted source. Simply answering the questions your customers ask makes you seen as an expert leader within your sector.
In the building materials sector there are so many unique and niche products. It's likely there aren't many competitors in your sector that are creating content consistently. By simply answering the questions your competitors won't, you'll be seen as the expert.