The rule of seven, one of the oldest marketing concepts, claims that prospects should hear or see your message at least seven times before buying your product or service. But how can you repeat it so many times without irritating your prospects and turning them off your brand? The answer is content selling.
This article explains how content selling influences buying decisions and provides advice on creating a content selling strategy that converts.
Table of Contents
What is Content Selling?
Content selling is a marketing strategy that uses content throughout the buyer’s journey to encourage prospects who have interacted with your brand to close a sale.
For example, a user has interacted with your brand for the first time by requesting a free demo of your services. This means the user has entered your sales funnel. Following this first interaction, you must contact the user between seven to 12 additional times to get them to convert.
During this lengthy period, your sales team must keep your prospects engaged with your brand, so they remember your product or service and eventually choose to convert. You can use different content to lead users on an exciting buyer journey, from offering guidance and highlighting the value of your product or service to presenting similar products or services they might be interested in.
Content Selling vs. Content Marketing
Content marketing is directed at a broader audience of your target groups and random website visitors or social media followers. Content selling is aimed at specific buyer personas who have already taken action to enter your sales funnel. Acting may also refer to:
In addition to the scenario discussed above, taking an action may also refer to:
- Joining an email list
- Sending a request for more information
- Subscribing to company news
- Listening to a webinar
Simply put, content marketing targets cold audiences, while content selling targets warm leads.
Pro tip: If you want to explore the topic of content marketing further, check our article about content marketing vs. advertising!
How To Create A Content Selling Strategy & Sell Content
- Identify Your Target Audiences
- Identify the Number of Touchpoints Needed to Close a Sale
- Create Content
- Automate Content
We've put together a step-by-step guide on how to create a content selling strategy:
Step #1: Identify Your Target Audiences
- Research your target audiences
- Create buyer personas based on demographics, interests, pain points, career level, and the types of content they prefer to consume
Step #2: Identify the Number of Touchpoints Needed to Close a Sale
- Analyze data from previous sales to define the usual number of contacts needed to close a sale
- Determine the frequency of sending out your content, whether emails, newsletters, or ads
- Identify the most effective channels to contact your users.
Step #3: Create Content
- Decide on the type of content you will use. Follow your brand’s content style guide to ensure consistent voice and tone, grammar and punctuation, and personalization in content that provides greater user engagement.
- Create a content schedule to plan and send your content in logical order. For example, if you have sent an email with common Q&As, you can follow up by sending a video with instructions on how to use a product or service.
Step #4: Automate Content
- Implement a customer relationship management (CRM) software solution to automate sending content to prospects.
- Set intervals to send your content after a user has interacted with your brand for the first time.
- Track analytics to measure the results of your content selling.
- Make changes to the frequency of content selling, if needed. For example, increase the frequency of sending content to prospects if you see no reaction on their part.
The Importance of Content Selling
- Reminds Your Users of Your Products or Services
- Promotes Your Brand
- Builds Trust
- Helps You Educate Prospects About Your Offering
- Increases Engagement
- Boosts Conversion
- Upsells Existing Customers
Reasons why content selling is important for your brand, include:
1. Reminds Your Users of Your Products or Services
Content selling helps you regularly reach your prospects to remind them of your brand. Reminding them ensures you stay on their radar in a highly competitive market with alternative offers.
2. Promotes Your Brand
Content selling helps increase brand recognition by sending recognizable content characterized by branded design and targeted messaging.
3. Builds Trust
Content selling builds trust by creating content that focuses on the needs of your users and shows care for your target audiences. Building trust establishes an emotional connection between your brand and your prospects.
4. Helps You Educate Prospects About Your Offering
By showing leads you know what questions they might have during various stages of the consideration process, content selling helps you build a professional image. By sending them content focused on different angles of your product or service, you present it and educate your target audience on your offerings.
5. Increases Engagement
Content selling helps you keep your users engaged by interacting with them regularly.
By watching a video or receiving information about other products or services you sell, prospects can maintain interest in your brand and take the next step toward conversion.
6. Boosts Conversion
Content selling helps you provide your users with additional information on the value of your products or services that may motivate them to convert. Regularly reminding prospects of your brand, you can encourage leads to choose your offering.
7. Upsells Existing Customers
Content selling helps you remind your existing customers of your brand and upsell your products or services. For example, you might send prospects a discount on an item they have viewed before. Or send an email or ad about accessories or services that complement their previous purchase.
Top Five Content Marketing Agencies To Boost Your Content Selling
A content marketing agency can help you achieve your content marketing goals — create content that influences your prospects' buying decisions and turns them into your customers.
Here are our top five picks:
1. Pearl Lemon
Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Pearl Lemon employs top global talent to deliver outstanding digital marketing services.
Pearl Lemon offers:
- Content marketing
- SEO
- Inbound marketing
- Digital marketing
- eCommerce marketing
Pearl Lemon’s notable clients include OAL Group, Pulse Pixel, Elevano, Inspire Lifestyle and Carved.
2. Visualwebz LLC
Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Visualwebz LLC provides value-added web services across industries, from law offices to elderly care homes.
Visualwebz LLC offers:
- Content marketing
- Market research
- PPC
- SEO
- Digital marketing
Visualwebz LLC has partnered with numerous clients, including TimeXtender, PGTAA, Montessori Kirkland and enePath.
3. ADINDEX
Headquartered in Dnipro, Ukraine, ADINDEX specializes in marketing solutions for B2B and eCommerce businesses.
ADINDEX offers:
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Integrated marketing
- Inbound marketing
ADINDEX’s clients include Concord Bank, Holz, Aromateque, Meest China and VISSBON.
4. Digital Silk
Headquartered in New York City, Digital Silk creates solutions that drive engagement and brand exposure for top brands in B2B and B2C.
Digital Silk offers:
- Content marketing
- Digital marketing
- Branding
- Social media marketing
- 360° Digital Agency Services
Digital Silk has worked on projects for well-known brands such as IBM, NASA, XEROX, Sony and Microsoft.
5. Moloko Creative Agency
Headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, Moloko Creative Agency specializes in effective communication, creating advertising campaigns, videos and animation.
Moloko Creative Agency offers:
- Content marketing
- Branding
- Logo design
- Video production
- Creative design
Moloko Creative Agency has partnered with renowned companies and organizations such as UNICEF, Jameson, Lillet, Cadillac and John Dory.
Bonus Content Selling Tips
Now that you have explored the benefits of content selling and how to use it in your marketing strategy, here are some additional tips that can help turn you into a pro:
- Explore and understand how the conversion funnel functions
- Use clear statements highlighting the benefits of your products or services for potential customers
- Avoid sending similar or repeating content to keep your users engaged
- Provide additional information in case the user is not the decision maker—for example, on how your product or service can benefit the brand they represent.
- Use emotion-backed call-to-actions (CTAs) such as “Join the fun,” “Indulge in,” “Commit to,” and “Customize it your way.”
- Use specific naming for buttons, tabs, and fields so that your prospect understands them.
- Follow the latest trends to adjust your content to drive results
Content Selling: Final Thoughts
Content selling is a tactic for engaging prospects with content after entering the sales funnel. Sending content to prospects promotes your brand, builds trust, establishes expertise, increases engagement, boosts conversion, and upsells existing customers. To develop a content selling strategy, identify your target audiences and the number of interactions needed to close a sale. Create engaging content and let it do the rest.
If you need help, contact experts. Professional content marketing agencies will research your industry, target market, and competitive landscape to ensure you send out valuable content that encourages your users to convert.
Our team ranks agencies worldwide to help you find a qualified agency partner. Visit our Agency Directory for the top Content Marketing Agencies, as well as:
- Top Copywriting Agencies
- Top AI Companies
- Top WordPress Companies
- Top Digital Marketing Agencies
- Top Content Creation Agencies
