Do you want to know what’s turning off your customers?
Your insistence on selling to them at every given opportunity.
You might think that as a marketer that’s your job. Well, you’re wrong – at least not to overtly sell.
This theory is backed up with some research carried out by Neilsen that identified that less than 50% of customers trust any form of advertising.
There you go, as I said earlier, the best and most efficient content marketing doesn’t push or overtly promote your products, services or brand.
How is that possible? I hear you ask.
It takes skill, savvy and a good understanding of what your customers want (what they really, really want).
Or, you could just continue reading for the low down on how you can produce content that doesn’t shove selling down your customers’ throat.
As you’re about to discover, great content is all about offering advice, information and tips.
- What are the facts?
Before anyone buys from you, they want to be in full possession of all the facts.
You do that by providing detailed product information offering them everything they need to know because if you don’t tell them, they’ll wander off to another company that does.
This is enhanced by offering ‘how to’ and advice on the best way to use your product so they can see for themselves the benefits it will bring.
- Pre-empt their questions
You have lots of customers. Believe it or not, they don’t know each other and therefore will ask you the same questions again and again. This will give you a valuable insight into what they want to know.
Make the most of this knowledge by getting all your departments (customer service, sales team etc.) to make a note of the questions so you can provide a comprehensive FAQ section on your website, or create ideas for blog posts and ‘how to’ guides.
This will help improve the service you offer your customers and reduce the number of calls you get. But it’s essential to still offer a variety of ways your customers can get in touch with you too.
- Don’t always tell them, who them too
Guess what? Your content doesn’t always have to be written.
Using a mixture of video, images and social media, such as Instagram and Pinterest to show your products in action will add a new dimension. Plus, how about setting up your own YouTube channel for videos to offer ‘how to’ guides and useful or unusual ways your products can be used?
- Tips add value
I’ve already mentioned ‘how to’ guides, but it’s time to think bigger. Your customers will love you if you provide ideas around your products. You’re not selling them directly, merely planting a seed as to how they could be used.
You could provide recipes, checklists, and information about styling tips or even research around your area of expertise in reports.
Each of these won’t be a sales tool per se, but they are food for thought about how your product can be used.
- Reviews
Customer reviews and case studies are fantastic below the radar marketing tools. They give your customers real-life stories about how a product can be used and the benefits it offers.
There’s no hard sell, just simple facts outlining how someone benefited from what you offer.
How else can you produce content that doesn’t sell?
Well, how about simple things like linking your content back to your product page under the guise of a ‘to learn more’ call to action rather than ‘buy now’. It’s also a good idea to enable social sharing and printing of your webpage and offering a regular email or newsletter to capture email addresses from potential customers to grow your marketing list.
It really is possible to produce content that isn’t all about sales. It’s what your customers want, so isn’t it about time you gave it to them?
Author: Sally Ormond, freelance copywriter at Briar Copywriting Ltd – cyclist, mum, gym nut and yoga addict.