Marketing Content During the Customer Life Cycle
We’ve established the value of content marketing here through many uncommon posts. Most of the focus has been on making value from content at the top of the funnel in a buying cycle. That’s where a lot of marketing dollars are focused and it’s an area of focus for the consulting offered by many online marketing agencies.
Content is the source of why search engines exist and therefore, essential for any discussion of SEO. Content is also the means through which brands engage customers on the social web through helpful information, resources, advertorial and even entertainment.
Another perspective to consider is that when brands and individuals share information on social networks and media sharing sites the outcome is content. There are many ways to be more effective with social content creation, sharing and engagement that marketers are not taking advantage of.
From an overall marketing and customer engagement perspective, all content is not made equal. Any kind of content isn’t appropriate in any kind of situation despite what recent content advocates would have you believe. Since much of the focus of online marketing is on customer acquisition, many SEO efforts emphasize transaction or lead generation outcomes. That’s what they’re held accountable for. Unfortunately, search to buy or social to buy are not the only ways people interact with information online. Research before buy as well as education and support afterwards are also vital.
Being in the “brand as publisher” business is better than not making any content at all, but it’s a much more effective business to be purposeful in content creation & marketing according to the full customer experience. Seeing content engagement opportunities holistically can provide a company more ways to initiate, maintain and enhance customer relationships.
For example, in the context of online marketing, there are many uncommon touch points during the customer relationship. By the Buying Cycle model of: Awareness, Consideration, Buy, Service and Constancy, marketers can best plot what kind of content may be most appropriate to engage customers according to their needs.
For a holistic editorial plot, here are a few types of content and methods of communication to consider:
Awareness:
- Public Relations
- Publicity
- Word of Mouth
- Social Media
Consideration:
- Search Marketing
- Publicity
- Social Media
- Webinars
- Product/Service Reviews
- Blogs
- Direct Response
Buy:
- Website
- Social Commerce
Service:
- Social Media (ASB Virtual Branch is a fantastic example)
- Social CRM
- Online Messaging (LivePerson)
- Search – After the sale queries on FAQ, Knowledge-base content
Constancy:
- Email Newsletter
- Webinars
- Blog
- Social Network, Forum – community
In the development of a content marketing strategy, there are numerous opportunities to be more relevant and effective. Plotting content that’s meaningful to the customers you’re trying to engage according to where they are in the buying cycle and overall customer relationship provides for more efficiency in content creation as well as the repurposing of content.
Holistic content marketing and editorial plotting also helps make better use of tactics that transcend the relationship timeline like SEO and Social Media. It’s especially the case with holistic SEO that content producers can extend their reach and visibility to customers that are looking – not just to buy, but to engage with brands in other ways.
By considering the content needs across the customer lifecycle, not just acquisition or conversion, companies can become significantly more effective and efficient in their ability to connect relevant messages and tales with customers that are interested. The result: shorter sales cycles, better customer relationships and more word of mouth.
How is your company leveraging content throughout the customer relationship? Are you coordinating a content marketing strategy that integrates SEO and social media? Does it make sense that the business of content strategy and promotion of content extends beyond marketing?
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