17 August 2012

Social Media

Conversion Content Marketing

In the dog-eat-dog world we live in, it becomes all too easy for businesses to become sucked up by the standard ‘buy now’ call-to-action methods which offer the consumer very little chance to build relationships and trust with the provider. These traditional marketing methods are used excessively - all the customer sees is that the business is hungry for money, and anything else is irrelevant…not really an ideal starting point!

What if a company was to offer something unique - something which inspires confidence within the minds of consumers and gives THEM something back for simply taking an interest in the brand? This is where conversion content marketing can be delivered with effect…

Think like a customer

I’m not suggesting completely charitable gestures - After all, the goal of a business is to make a profit. Take a few moments to place yourself in the bewildered shoes of the consumer. He’s being hit from every possible angle with claims that each brand sells the best product or provides the greatest experience, yet none of them are backing this with any personable substance to make him feel unique, important and valued as a person. This is what people want, and if you can give it to them, brand reputation, loyalty and sales will inevitably follow.

Give your audience the option, indirectly

There are numerous ways in which faith can be planted and nurtured. An email campaign launched by a sports car dealer could for instance, consist entirely of a blog-style post (such as this one), which informs of the 10 fastest 0-60mph road cars in the world, including exciting pictures and fun facts. At the end of the e-shot, a link with the option to subscribe to bonus content or regular factual newsletters will entice interest, while still giving the audience something ‘for free’. Click-throughs should point to relevant landing pages such as articles on the main website and a few other subtle links within the content should be included. All in all, each one of these indirect proposals will subconsciously encourage the audience to buy from the car dealer.

Testing

As with anything, testing is required to optimise the process of achieving the best conversions through the most qualitative means. This can only be accomplished by split testing and research, followed up by analysis and comparison. After a few trials have been launched, a clear picture of what your customers want will become visible.

Humanisation

After distilling your business approach, your brand will become popularly considered as an attractive and quality-led organisation rather than a money monster which people are all too weary of.

By Sam Hurley