Content Marketing Funnel: Pulling Ahead In The New World
Finally, small businesses have a way to outcompete the big brand names. And they have been slaying it!
It is called a Content Marketing Funnel.
What Changed?
COVID-19 changed everything. It changed the way we interact and the way we shop – which is good news for small businesses.
More importantly, it leveled the playing field.
Big brands can no longer rely on customer habits or brand loyalty.
When people could not go out and pick up what they have used for years, they had to look elsewhere. So the habit of picking up the same razor or shampoo at the local supermarket could not happen.
The buying behavior changed. Customers went online to find alternatives. When a consumer looked online for shampoo or razor (for example), suddenly, more options showed up. Awesome brands now had a chance to compete. They provide awesome products, competitive prices, education, and, more importantly, options the general public did not know existed.
Guess what?
It was not the brand names that showed up high on the results page. The smaller businesses dedicated their money, marketing efforts, SEO research, and technology to build an online presence topped the search results.
The smaller businesses implemented a “Full Funnel” content marketing strategy to earn their way to the top of the search results. These smaller brands earned their way there – via organic search versus on-shelf presence.
Big Brands rely on foot traffic in big box stores. Their marketing reflects that focus. So when the time came, and we could not get to the stores, that foot traffic dried up. Big Brands now have to pivot and begin to build an online presence to compete. They have to change their entire marketing strategy to compete.
BAM! Playing field – Leveled!
Everyone knows that the first one on top of the search results gets the lion’s share of the traffic – not the ads. These places are earned and have greater value.
Content Marketing Funnel Tactics
Smaller businesses now use a variety of content to provide full-funnel content marketing support. If there is a way to support the buyers through their journey through the sales funnel, smaller brands are doing it. This includes:
- Blogs
- Templates
- Product comparisons (internal product vs. an internal product, your product vs. your competitor – one per competitor)
- Cheatsheets & mind maps
- Ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Linked in
- Free “how to” videos
- Product demonstrations
- Product descriptions
- Support pages & FAQ’s
- Much much more
In order to compete for rank on Google, small businesses leverage content that satisfies the intent of each level of the sales funnel. From blogs that inform and product comparison pages to FAQs and support pages, small businesses have spent their marketing dollars on content. Marketing dollars spent here mean more qualified traffic, more leads, and more sales.
The Google Ads Factor
Small businesses add strategic Google Ads management to reinforce rank positioning. A Google Ads campaign managed correctly can create returns of $2 in sales to every $1 of ad spend. However, this does take time to dial in the campaign to get to that number. Savvy small businesses run their Google Ads campaigns for at least one year to support and expand their product reach.
In stark contrast, Big Brands spend most of their marketing on print ads and store displays. To catch up, they must pivot and do it fast or risk losing relevancy. In a lot of cases, this means asking an elephant to dance. Elephants are not known for their flexibility and agility. For the big brands to survive or at the very least remain profitable, they will now have to invest in content marketing and do it well. They are playing catch-up. However, do not underestimate their resolve. They will catch up.
Here is a sample Content Marketing Business Funnel based on the Buyer’s Journey:
Time to cash in on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity NOW! Don’t wait. It won’t take long for these giants to pivot.
Call us today to get a Full Content Market Sales Funnel Review!
Let us help you get in front of an awakened audience!
