{"id":70146,"date":"2017-02-06T09:02:27","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T09:02:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/insight\/content-funnel-target-customers-right-content-right-time\/"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:21:52","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:21:52","slug":"content-funnel-target-customers-right-content-right-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/content-funnel-target-customers-right-content-right-time\/","title":{"rendered":"The Content Funnel: How to target customers with the right content at the right time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nIn 2015, the Content Marketing Institute<\/a> discovered that despite 76% of B2C marketers reporting that they used content marketing<\/a>, only 37% said their strategy was effective. And the story was no different for B2B marketers, with less than half (44%) claiming they had no clarity in what effective content marketing looks like. This was not ideal, considering successful content marketing is the gateway to high levels of consumer engagement; something which the Content Marketing Institute claim was cited the most (91%) by businesses talking about their goals<\/a>.
\nWith this in mind, this blog post focuses on the effectiveness of the Content Funnel; a five-stage concept which will help you to deliver the right level of content at the right time to prospective customers, who, if all goes to plan, will turn into loyal customers. Here\u2019s how it works\u2026 (and for the purpose of demonstration, let\u2019s call our prospective customer Dave.)
\nStep one: getting potential customers \u2018on the radar\u2019<\/strong>
\nStep one is all about AWARENESS.
\nDave is interested in buying a brand-new TV. Having gained a general idea about the features he wants, he\u2019s landed on your website. Determined not to miss out on your latest deals, Dave subscribes to your mailing list and likes your Facebook page.
\nThat\u2019s it, you\u2019ve got him \u2013 stage one is complete.
\nStep one content:
\nOnce a prospective customer is on your radar, it\u2019s time to create content that feeds the spark and continues to engage the customer without forcing a sale (that\u2019ll come naturally later).
\nWarm welcome emails work well if they include lots of calls to actions, or perhaps you could extend a special offer across social media.
\nStep two: The \u2018toying with the idea\u2019 phase<\/strong>
\nStep two is the CONSIDERATION stage.
\nDave has found the perfect TV on your website but it\u2019s expensive; can he justify exceeding his budget for a few extra features and screen inches?
\nLuckily for you, Dave has been actively trying to learn more about your business and has concluded that you are a trustworthy brand which clearly knows its stuff.
\nStep two content:
\nThe reason Dave concludes you\u2019re clued up about the TV industry is because of your Q&A pages, blog posts, product highlight videos and detailed product descriptions.
\nWhen your customer hits step two, this is the ideal time to consider voucher codes and offers, as long as you\u2019re not overdoing it and coming across too forceful. It\u2019s also a really good time to think about customer reviews and how best to use them \u2013 in many cases it\u2019s simply about giving potential customers access to all customer reviews, and making sure you\u2019re responding to them in a manner that\u2019s on brand.
\nStep three: \u2018The moment of truth\u2019<\/strong>
\nStep three is the DECISION.
\nDave has used the information he\u2019s gathered in the first two stages of his journey to decide that, indeed, it is the TV he\u2019d like to purchase.
\nHooray!
\nStep three content:
\nAlthough you\u2019ve successfully gained a new customer, your content shouldn\u2019t stop providing value after the purchase is made.
\nInstead, you should use content to help your new customer get the most out of their new product\/service e.g. through case studies, \u2018how-to\u2019 videos, testimonials and best practice guides etc.
\nStep four: \u2018Make it or break it\u2019<\/strong>
\nStep four is known as the POST-PURCHASE stage.
\nIt\u2019s been a few weeks since Dave\u2019s purchase but he still regularly checks your social media pages and reads your email newsletters. When he was reading through your latest posts, he spotted a DVD player which he would like to purchase.
\nThanks to engaging in regular content, Dave isn\u2019t considered a \u2018one-time purchaser\u2019, he\u2019s in fact turned into a frequent customer or repeat buyer.
\nStep four content:
\nThe post-purchase stage is the vital opportunity to connect with your audience and keep them interested in your brand. It\u2019s all about becoming a resource in your marketplace through leadership pieces, newsletters, webinars and frequent social media posts, so that consumers stay engaged and in turn make more purchases from your brand.
\nStep five: Rekindle!<\/strong>
\nStep five is when the dreaded DORMANCY occurs.
\nTime has passed and Dave has lost touch with your brand. The emails are no longer of interest and have sometimes made their way into Dave\u2019s spam folder. You\u2019re no longer top of Dave\u2019s mind when it comes to electronic goods.
\nThis situation is far from ideal \u2013 especially since you were so successful in engaging with Dave in the right ways throughout the previous four stages; it\u2019s time to win him back!
\nStep five content:
\nTo rekindle with previous customers, you need to examine your buyers\u2019 preferences and purchasing behaviours to review any changes. It\u2019s then time to reword, restructure or revitalise your content to ensure you\u2019re offering new value.
\nMake sure your content is current and relatable and then it\u2019s time to begin the whole cycle again with brand-new prospective customers. Now you now the steps, getting cracking on your content planning<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2015, the Content Marketing Institute discovered that despite 76% of B2C marketers reporting that they used content marketing, only 37% said their strategy was effective. And the story was no different for B2B marketers, with less than half (44%) claiming they had no clarity in what effective content marketing looks like. This was not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[305,314,448,312],"tags":[573,574,575],"class_list":["post-70146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-strategy-us","category-copywriting-us","category-digital-copywriting-us","category-social-media-copywriting-us","tag-content-for-sales-us","tag-sales-content-us","tag-sales-funnel-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nContent funnels: How to target customers - the right content, right time<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The effectiveness of the Content Funnel; a five-stage concept which will help you to deliver the right level of content at the right time to prospective customers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.strattoncraig.com\/us\/insight\/content-funnel-target-customers-right-content-right-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Content funnels: How to target customers - the right content, right time\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The effectiveness of the Content Funnel; 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