{"id":1178,"date":"2017-05-02T15:55:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-02T15:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commarts.pleather.us\/2017\/05\/02\/how-to-bridge-marketing-and-sales-in-your-buyers-journey\/"},"modified":"2017-05-02T15:55:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-02T15:55:00","slug":"how-to-bridge-marketing-and-sales-in-your-buyers-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/2017\/05\/02\/how-to-bridge-marketing-and-sales-in-your-buyers-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO BRIDGE MARKETING AND SALES IN YOUR BUYER\u2019S JOURNEY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>This article originally appered on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/bridge-marketing-sales-buyers-journey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Column Five<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Content marketing isn\u2019t a nice-to-have these days; it\u2019s an incredibly effective and necessary tool. Whether it\u2019s increasing brand recall with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/crush-content-marketing-invest-online-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">online video<\/a>, generating more exposure through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/publication-tailored-content-earned-media-strategy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">earned media<\/a>, or delivering higher social engagement via microcontent, it is essential to your operation. That\u2019s why 89% of marketers pursue content marketing, according to the Content Marketing Institute\u2019s <a class=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2016\/09\/content-marketing-research-b2b\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\">2017 B2B Content Marketing Report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>But just creating content doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re doing content marketing well. The best success comes when it\u2019s executed correctly. Great execution entails many things:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Building a solid content strategy<\/li>\n<li>Crafting<a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/how-to-create-a-brand-identity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"> a strong brand identity<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Creating content that connects with your customers on an emotional level<\/li>\n<li>Publishing consistently to maintain that connection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But even if you do all of these things, there is one thing that may be sabotaging your content marketing: approaching content with an advertising mentality.<\/p>\n<p>Advertising is interruption marketing. It wedges itself into a buyer\u2019s experience. True content marketing is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/why-engagement-marketing-matters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">engagement marketing<\/a>. It participates in the buyer\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n<p>For many marketers, the advertising mentality is colliding with the content marketing mentality.<\/p>\n<p>Many brands are approaching content marketing as a way to sell a product or service. As a result, their approach to content marketing is overly salesy. And they wonder why their efforts aren\u2019t converting friends into customers.<\/p>\n<h3>MARKETING AND SALES: A FINE LINE<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes it\u2019s hard to know when marketing stops and selling begins. Because of that, there\u2019s a tendency to create content with themes and ideas that are more appropriate in a sales setting.<\/p>\n<p>When this happens, marketers end up doing sales\u2014and that\u2019s not their job. Their job is to attract people to your brand, to get them interested in learning about your perspective, what you have to say, and what you stand for. It\u2019s hard for marketers to do this successfully if they are also aggressively trying to get people to buy stuff.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, content serves different purposes at each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey. As people become familiar with your brand and begin to express an interest in your offers, it is important to have those sales conversations with them\u2014but only once they get to that point. (Unfortunately, the Content Marketing Institute found that only 53% of marketers craft content based on specific points of the buyer\u2019s journey.)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-146124\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/visualnews-wp-media-prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/02011029\/bj.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"635\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So, how do you ensure that content marketing and sales collaborate instead of cannibalize each other? And how do you make sure nothing falls through the cracks along the way? By developing a killer buying experience that lets marketers deliver potential customers to the sales door and lets sales make sure they get through that door safely. Here\u2019s the two-part process to help you do that.<\/p>\n<h3>PART 1: LET CONTENT MARKETERS CREATE CONNECTION<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-146126\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/visualnews-wp-media-prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/02011105\/how-to-map-content-to-buyer-s-journey-2-1-1024x380.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"380\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The first step and the biggest priority for content marketers is to develop a rapport between your brand and your would-be customers. You want to develop true \u201cfriendships\u201d with your audience. The end goal is to develop some sense of interest, excitement, and attachment in the buyer.<\/p>\n<p>The best way to do this? By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/visual-content-helps-marketers-tell-stories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">telling brand stories<\/a> that communicate what your brand stands for and what its values are. This helps your audience connect at a relationship level\u2014it\u2019s not a transactional experience.<\/p>\n<p>There are many definitions of \u201cstory.\u201d Ask 100 people and you\u2019ll get 100 different answers. The stories I\u2019m referring to are those that communicate your perspective and understanding of your customers\u2019 experience. This content provides your audience value. It increases their knowledge, enhances their live, or relates to their experience.<\/p>\n<p>Within a marketing context, you can tell your powerful stories by sharing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What has worked for you and what hasn\u2019t worked<\/li>\n<li>What you\u2019ve learned from your failures<\/li>\n<li>The secrets that have helped you grow<\/li>\n<li>What matters to you and your organization<\/li>\n<li>How you help your employees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your audience relationship relies on transparency and understanding. Content that lets you show your human side, that demonstrates your willingness to help is key. To keep things simple, create content that is interesting and useful to other human beings.<\/p>\n<h3>PART 2: CARRY THAT CONNECTION INTO SALES<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-146127\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/visualnews-wp-media-prod\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/02011123\/how-to-map-content-to-buyer-s-journey-2-1024x380.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"380\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>A SOLID BUYER\u2019S JOURNEY IS A COHESIVE, COMPLETE EXPERIENCE. AS CONTENT MARKETERS CREATE THAT CONNECTION AND MOVE BUYERS TO SALES, THERE SHOULD BE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION. IF YOUR MARKETING GOAL IS TO CREATE AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH YOUR CUSTOMER, COMING IN WITH A HARD SELL WILL DISMANTLE ALL THE WORK CONTENT MARKETING HAS DONE.<\/h3>\n<p>Selling well against the backdrop of content marketing requires you to carry the same mentality in your sales as in your marketing: Put the customer first. The same friendly, helpful positioning should infuse your sales conversations. Make your customers a priority and ensure your customers\u2019 goals are understood and addressed.<\/p>\n<p>At the sales level, carrying over a content marketing mentality includes taking every opportunity to connect and engage. This may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Having proper calls to action<\/li>\n<li>Keeping in touch regularly so they have an easy way to buy from you<\/li>\n<li>Being responsive<\/li>\n<li>Asking for feedback (so valuable!)<\/li>\n<li>Finding opportunities to meet and talk with your customers<\/li>\n<li>Offering exclusive deals<\/li>\n<li>Providing gifts (or other signs of appreciation)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Additionally, the goodwill fostered during the buyer\u2019s journey should continue after the sale is complete. In this sense, content can come full circle. After you close a sale, sending a buyer a relevant blog post or interesting piece of data helps reinforce that relationship, making them feel genuinely cared for.<\/p>\n<p>The goal is to marry your sales and content marketing to create a solid ecosystem.<\/p>\n<h3>SALES AND CONTENT MARKETING TEAMS MUST BE ALIGNED<\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest barriers to creating a cohesive buyer\u2019s journey is internal siloing. Many companies have separate leadership teams and use different playbooks for marketing and sales. This isn\u2019t inherently wrong, but if these teams and these leaders aren\u2019t talking, strategies won\u2019t be as effective and your customers may suffer for it. (Learning how to build a solid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/work-items\/infographic-a-proven-framework-for-inside-sales-success\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">inside sales team<\/a> is key to helping create a cohesive operation.)<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t dictate the timeline of when or if anyone becomes a customer; it\u2019s up to them to decide when they\u2019re ready to buy. But if you design your content marketing process well and thoughtfully, the end result will feel invisible to the buyer. And that\u2019s how you turn friends into customers\u2014without selling stuff.<\/p>\n<p><i>For more tips on marketing, learn about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/how-marketing-strategy-increased-our-leads-78-in-6-months\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow external noopener noreferrer\">the strategy we used to\u00a0<\/a><\/i><i>increase our leads 78% in 6 months<\/i><i>, find out what\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/7-traits-every-great-content-marketer-must\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><i>7 traits will make you a better marketer<\/i><\/a><i>, and learn\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.columnfivemedia.com\/7-ways-create-content-marketing-that-provides-true-value\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><i>how to create content that provides true value to your audience<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Source: Visual News<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article originally appered on\u00a0Column Five. Content marketing isn\u2019t a nice-to-have these days; it\u2019s an incredibly effective and necessary tool. Whether&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":1179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[45],"class_list":["post-1178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-careering"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/107\/2017\/05\/bj.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paqOTj-j0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1178"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.valdosta.edu\/m2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}