While creating content comes with numerous challenges, there is often a wealth of content hidden within your company. Two of those places include your sales and your support teams. Sales and support can provide unique perspectives as they are already interacting with potential buyers and current customers. Often they have already created content to assist them in the sales or support process. Leverage this information to create content with the goal of educating buyers. Extending the life and use of this content benefits not only potential customers, but also helps sales qualify leads and those in support assist customers. Take advantage of the knowledge and experience of those on your sales and support teams to focus and add meaningful depth to your content.
When creating content that is intended to reach those who are in the awareness or discovery stage, your content is most useful if it educates. Reach your buyers where they are and be helpful. In doing so, you will reap the benefit of familiarity, credibility and trust. As they move along the buyer’s journey, they will already have answers to their most fundamental questions. Should they proceed and contact your company, you know this is an interested lead, one that you can then help move along the path to purchase with even more detailed content. And you will already have saved your company time and money having provided them with answers to their most basic questions.
Over 60% of the sales cycle is over before a buyer talks to a salesperson.
One source for introductory questions can typically be found in pieces such as an FAQ. Additional sources include presentations from sales – what types of information resides at the beginning of the conversation? Use the information from support (FAQs) and sales, and repurpose it into a:
- blog
- fact sheet
- how-to guide
- an infographic
Keep your content focused on the solution to the problem, rather than providing and promoting features.
80% of business decision-makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement.
Therefore, when creating and distributing content, follow the content GOLDEN RULE: 80% of your content should be focused on those in the awareness and consideration stages, 20% for the decision stage – sales focused. Share helpful, relevant content. By providing useful information, you are enabling people to make their own decisions.
"Just be useful." - Jay Baer
Talk to your sales team. Sit in on a support call. Take advantage of the information already available – solid questions that need answers. Educate your buyers, help your sales and support staff, and save your company money with content.