I can almost hear you now: “Plan ahead? It seems like we've been planning ahead for over 130 pages already!”
And you're right, we have. I'm glad you're sensing that pattern at this point.
But there's still a little more planning needed here.
Remember, at this point, we're not planning your strategy, or any other macro element of what you're trying to accomplish. This is part of the content creation process.
We're planning ahead for the next content piece.
Before you start hammering out a headline and lead paragraph, before you start scripting that killer video intro, you need to take some time to plan it out.
Ask yourself these important questions:
What is the position in the buying cycle/sales funnel?
Never divorce your marketing messages from the sales or buying cycle you're working with.
While many people have jumped on the content marketing bandwagon when it comes to lead generation – feeding leads into the top of the funnel through search optimized content – there are dozens of content marketing tactics that work exceptionally well for all other points in the funnel too.
In an excellent article created by LEBSEO Design{15}, the correlation between content and the different stages of the buying cycle was explained this way:
1. Interest/Awareness – At this stage of the cycle, you’re aiming to earn permission to pitch yourself later on. Content Format Ideas: Blog posts, memes, entertaining video, guides, whitepapers, podcasts.
2. Consideration / Establishing Preference – In the consideration stage, customers have identified a need and are actively seeking out potential solutions. Content Format Ideas: Targeted landing pages (with competitor comparisons), spec sheets, demo videos, tutorials, case studies, “about us” page/brand stories, testimonials, reviews, whitepapers, eBooks, informational events.
3. Purchase / Decision – Having evaluated their options, the lead is ready to make a purchase decision. Content Format Ideas: Spec sheets, competitor analysis, demonstrations and tutorials, ROI calculators, direct response e-mails and landing pages, pricing information, reviews & testimonials, coupons and special offers.
4. Evaluation and Repurchase – Your audience began as strangers, but at this stage they’ve become paying customers. The goal from here is to turn those customers into loyal customers and advocates. Content Format Ideas: Feedback forms and surveys, special offers, promotional deals, newsletters, blog posts, members-only events.
By effectively mapping your next piece of content to the stage of the buying cycle you're hoping to cover, you can make your content creation faster and easier by narrowing your choices, and you can be sure to approach the piece in the right way.
What information does the audience need to move forward?
See, you're leading the audience somewhere. You need to be a good guide and feed them the information they need to get where you want them to go.
If that's heading toward a sale, then there's a lot of information they're going to need. You'll need to establish credibility, explain all the reasons why your product or service is the best, and why it's worth the price you're asking, then you'll need to ask for the sale.
If the content you're creating is just intended as a small step (for instance, an educational piece intended to establish credibility) then the information requirement isn't as high.
Always include every bit of information your audience needs to accomplish your purpose, and not a word more.
Why should they care what you say?
As with all advertising or marketing messages, you absolutely must take a step back from your own zeal and look at what you're creating from the customer's perspective.
Generally speaking, the average audience member approaches every one of the thousands of messages that comes at them throughout every day with the same basic attitude: “so what?”
If you don't have a really good, well thought out answer to that question that you can provide within the first 3-5 seconds they're previewing your content, you've lost them.
Here's how Alyson Cravens of eCoast Sales{16} explains it:
What’s in it for me? The content you create will speak to your potential prospects by answering that single question. If your content is egocentric, few people will be interested in learning more about your services, your brand or anything you want to promote.
Losing an otherwise qualified prospect over something so fixable... that's just wrong.
What is the logical next step?
As noted above, you're leading your audience somewhere. So what is it you want them to do next?
This is where you develop your call to action. And how important is a call to action?
Pratik Kanada at The App Entrepreneur{17} explained it this way:
Once on your page, and after reading through your content, visitors are looking for somewhere to go next. Many a times, the website visitors leave the site only because they do not know the next step; there is lack of a clear call to action. They may be looking for more information, or maybe to subscribe to your newsletter or maybe even make a purchase! There are a number of possibilities and call to action buttons give the users a direction in which to proceed, a variety of options that they can pick from.
If you don't include a direct request for the audience to do something, they're going to consume your content, then move right along to the next message zooming toward their eyeballs and you'll be forgotten within seconds.
So while you have them, make sure you tell them what to do next.
Exercise #18 – Planning Ahead for the Next Content Piece
1. Review your customer persona(s) from Exercise #17, and the overarching conversion funnel you've already created.
2. Answer the four questions from this chapter with your next content piece in mind.
3. Read the next chapter.