As a Marbella based online marketing company we know that the traditional marketing model known as the funnel, but if not, perhaps you should. Ideally a funnel wouldn’t even be necessary because if things went the way we wanted them to, everybody who came across your products would make a purchase; unfortunately it doesn’t often work like that – well, not without exceptional, niche products combined with sustained effort and flawless marketing – so it makes sense to consider this more realistic model.

The funnel is a pretty self-explanatory model in some regards; the idea is simply that you filter the most interested potential customers through to the sale.  The top of the funnel is all about brand awareness, and can be considered to be stage one of the conversion process. The middle part is more narrow, because those that are actually prepared to part with their money in reality are fewer.

The bottom part of the funnel is naturally going to be even narrower than the middle, as the less decisive of your potential customers back out of the process at the last minute. The marketer’s task is to widen the funnel as much as possible, bringing potential customers smoothly through a quick process and into the final purchase.

 

 

Stage One: Awareness

If you’re marketing on the costa del sol then content marketing is brilliant because it allows you to connect with customers at any stage of the process through the funnel, and the more you communicate with them, the wider the funnel becomes. There are four main stages to consider. Let’s call stage one the awareness stage. Your prospective customer is just becoming aware of your brand, and the kind of content that will bring them to stage two are things like blog posts, webinars, guides, videos and email newsletters.

 

Stage Two: Consideration

At this point – the middle of the funnel – you are going to have to work harder to convert the window shoppers into customers. It is solutions based for the most part. The consumer may associate you with a potential solution, so it is good to be sure that you are offering the kind of information that clearly demonstrates your brand and your products. They want to know that you are trustworthy and that your product can be relied upon to provide the solution they require.

You already know what the customer needs so now is the time to communicate this to them. The hard sell doesn’t always work at this stage, so making sure that all information is clear, concise and easily accessible is key. It is the perfect opportunity to showcase your USPs, and your content should include such information as case studies, how-to videos or demonstrations as well as detailed product descriptions and specs, if required. Showing how you have previously solved other customers’ problems is a very effective tactic.

 

 

Stage Three: Transaction

The consumer is now teetering on the brink of pressing the right buttons – they’re almost ready to hit the bottom of the funnel, making the transition to customer. You’ve managed to convince them that you’re worth buying from and that they can trust you. Most of the hard work is done at this point, but you shouldn’t breathe out just yet; you may need to make a direct pitch to secure your sale.

So you know and they know they’re ready to be converted, but there is a lot of competition out there and they know that too. We need to prove to them that we are the one, so it’s time to pull out all the stops. How? With fantastic reviews, testimonials and a simple but effective sales process.

The content you need to create for conversion is a lot simpler and should mainly be centred around your brand and products uniqueness and value. For example, clear product descriptions that clearly demonstrate the value you are offering. Comparison charts (whether it is your own products or competitors’) are popular, customers love to be able to see all the information in one place so that they know they’ve made the best selection; this is more in line with the hard sell aspect we mentioned earlier.

 

Stage Four: Retention

There’s a stage four? Absolutely. Great – you’ve got the sale. It’s easy to think it’s time to kick back and relax, but the customer wants to know that there is after care. They’ll be watching you closely at this point to make sure you’re still trustworthy once the money is in the bag, so now is your chance to demonstrate that you’ll be there ongoing. Content marketing can be used equally well for retention purposes.

You want the customer to come back again, and you don’t want them returning products or canceling services. Show them you care through help and support content (FAQ page, help documents, forums), special offers, and email follow-ups.

Each of the stages warrants slightly different tactics, but the main thing to keep in mind is who your customer is and what they want to hear. These basic stages are important to understand for maximizing sales, but of course there is always a lot more detail to be considered, and time is the main thing that many business owners struggle to find.

Optimasit, striving to be the best marketing company in Marbella are happy to offer a helping hand. We can walk you through the process, or we can take the whole thing off your hands. The choice is yours.