Don’t be a marketing robot.
Content marketing doesn’t end once the buyer is engaged with your brand. While it’s tempting to hand those leads off to sales and never think about them again, a true content marketing strategy uses content at every stage of the buyer’s journey (and for that matter, after the deal is done).
So what is late stage content? It’s content for prospects who already know your brand, and have a need for your solution. These buyers need content that will facilitate a buying decision and will help them to understand how your solution can best meet their needs.
Late stage content can be a little tricky. While buyers need more product-centric information as they progress down the sales funnel, this is not the time to put your old-school marketing hat on and start flooding them with a lot of dry marketing copy that no one wants to read. Just like early-stage content, late stage content is about what the buyer needs to hear, not what you want to tell them. Late stage content should always be informative, helpful, and above all, created to address your buyers’ needs.
Let Others Do the Talking
So how do you create content promoting your product without sounding like a marketer? One solution is do less of the talking. While I could write all day about how I think Kapost is a fantastic platform for content marketing, it would be a waste of time because no one cares what I think and I’m not exactly an unbiased source. But what if the CMO of a well-respected organization were to tell you the same thing? Suddenly, you might be interested.
Recommendations and evaluations from third-parties can often be far more persuasive to buyers than the most eloquently written marketing copy. And that makes them a great source of content to help buyers late in their journey. Let’s look at a few types of third-party references you might incorporate into your late stage content strategy:
Testimonials
When a customer who loves your product agrees to provide a testimonial, you have an opportunity to create some great content for late stage buyers. Don’t just grab a quote, why not sit down with them for a few minutes and get their thoughts on how your solution has made their life easier? Ask them what objections they had before purchase and what helped them to overcome them. Use their answers to create content that will meet your next round of buyers’ objections before they know they have them.
If you’re feeling spunky, hire a videographer to tag along and produce a video testimonial. While written testimonials can be powerful tools, sometimes there’s just no replacement for hearing it in their own voice.
Case Studies
Similar to a testimonial, but more in-depth, case studies tend to focus on how your solution works in the real world. They can be a versatile and convincing way to show potential buyers how your solution can work for them.
Case studies work best when you pick a theme or specific accomplishment to focus on, such as completing a particular project or an improvement on key metrics. Just like with testimonials, case studies shouldn’t be tied to any one format. The important part is that you’re showing potential buyers how your solution has worked for others and demonstrating the advantages it can bring them.
Reviews and Vendor Profiles
When it comes to recommendations, you’re not limited to happy customers. Sometimes the best sources for late stage content comes from objective third- party reviews. Try asking thought-leaders in your field to review your solution and share their opinion with your buyers. Many research firms also provide profiles on vendors in their area of expertise. A recommendation from a respected firm can be more persuasive than any content you can create yourself, and it’ll be a huge asset to the sales team when they’re engaging with your late stage buyers.
Third-party content is a great way to sell to your late stage buyers without really selling. By letting others tell your story, you’re more convincing to your buyers and you don’t end up sounding like a marketing robot.