Content marketing is usually thought of as a way to attract new leads and fill the sales funnel. However, its usefulness does not stop there. Content marketing can also help you move people through that funnel and shorten your sales cycle. 
This is because content can often be used to provide information and answers that would otherwise have to be communicated by the sales team. With content marketing, it is estimated that 60 percent of the sales cycle is already taken care of before the average lead ever speaks with a salesperson. And content can continue to be used by the salesperson, or by the prospect, to move the sales process along.
Content Tips
So how can you best use content marketing to shorten your sales cycle? Below are some tips and some types of content to include.
- Use lead nurturing. A lead nurturing program allows you to strategically use content to move leads closer to making a purchase decision. Research shows that lead nurturing results in a 23 percent shorter sales cycle, on average.
- Educate leads through eBooks or white papers. Besides the fact that such content can be used to convert visitors into leads, in-depth eBooks or white papers can help people understand both the problem they face and the solution you provide.
- Include frequently asked questions. You know that people will have questions about your company and products. Including the answers on an FAQ page will save time for both the salesperson and the sales lead.
- Let them know what to expect. Have content on your site which explains what your company does and describes the process of how you work with customers. People generally don't like surprises, and this removes that risk from the prospect's mind.
- Provide details about your products or services. Let people know what you offer, so they know whether you have what they are looking for. Include pricing, if possible. This will help weed out uninterested or unqualified leads, allowing you to focus your time on those who are most likely to buy.
- Post testimonials. You can overcome a lot of objections and reservations by providing real evidence in the form of testimonials. Experiment with different ways to use testimonials; it may be more effective to include them on every page, or at least a number of key pages, throughout the site. This is particularly true if the testimonial refers to an individual product or a specific step in the process; by including the testimonials on those relevant pages, you ensure that the right people will see them at the right time.
- Show your work. Similarly, if you create custom products or services, show some examples of your work through photos, videos or case studies.
- Analyze and improve. The use of content marketing allows you to track the marketing and sales process through web analytics, marketing automation software and closed-loop reporting. By observing and analyzing traffic patterns and content consumption, you may be able to identify steps in the process which can be eliminated or improved upon.
By creating the right content and leveraging it properly, you can more easily and effectively turn leads into customers, and do so in record time.
*Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
