George B. Thomas
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In B2B marketing, content is crucial in attracting potential clients and driving sales. However, many businesses need help to create content that provides value and leads to direct sales.
Does that sound like where you’re at in your content journey? Then this article is for you.
In this article, we'll dive head first into the insights shared by Martin and Lyndsay Huntbach, founders of a successful marketing agency, Jammy Digital, as they discussed the critical elements of crafting compelling content that sells on the Marketing Smarts Podcast.
Martin and Lyndsay shed light on the importance of being transparent, empathetic, and unbiased in creating content that resonates with your target audience and compels them to take action.
"Content can allow you to attract your dream clients and help you repel the clients you don't want to work with. Lots of people don't know that, and that keeps us up at night. That's why we do what we do and talk about what we talk about," says Martin Huntbach.
Dispelling the Myth of Hard Sales Tactics:
In the marketing world, the image of a pushy salesperson aggressively promoting products or services is a stereotype that has been prevalent for years.
This notion has spilled over into content creation, leading to a common misconception that crafting content that sells requires adopting such aggressive sales tactics.
Martin and Lyndsay Huntbach, successful marketing entrepreneurs, firmly believe that this notion is flawed.
According to Martin and Lyndsay, content that sells doesn't involve bombarding potential clients with constant promotional messages or forcing products down their throats. Instead, it is about building genuine connections and establishing trust with the audience.
This approach is essential for cultivating a loyal customer base and fostering long-term business relationships.
To understand why aggressive sales tactics are not effective in content marketing, one must first recognize the evolving nature of consumer behavior.
Modern consumers are more informed, discerning, and skeptical than ever before. By the way, that’s you we’re talking about here. 😅
They have access to vast amounts of information and resources online, allowing them to thoroughly research products and services before making a purchasing decision.
The Power of Unbiased Content:
Unbiased content is a game-changer when it comes to creating content that sells. Addressing objections and frequently asked questions about your products or services can help potential clients understand your offerings better and trust your brand.
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what Lyndsay had to say:
"It's typically content that is only about your products or services. That sounds very scary on the face of it because we're constantly told that you shouldn't be talking about yourself, you should be delivering only value to your customers. But there is kind of a problem with that phrase, that you shouldn't be talking about yourself because that's actually not what your customers are interested in," explains Lyndsay.
Getting Started with Content that Sells:
Transitioning to creating content that sells doesn't require a complete overhaul of your existing content strategy, as Martin and Lyndsay Huntbach suggested.
Instead, they recommend adopting a gradual and strategic approach by incorporating sales-focused content alongside your regular marketing content.
By integrating such content gradually, businesses can avoid overwhelming their audience with sales pitches and maintain a balanced approach that resonates with their target market.
The first step in this transition is to identify the key elements of your content strategy that align with sales objectives. Rather than relegating sales-focused content to a separate category, it should seamlessly fit within your overall content marketing efforts.
This means leveraging your existing content pillars and identifying opportunities to naturally introduce sales-related topics.
For instance, if you already produce educational blog posts or videos, consider incorporating content that answers common customer questions about your products or services.
This approach ensures that your audience receives valuable information while also being exposed to the benefits of your offerings. Additionally, taking an empathetic and customer-centric approach in your sales-focused content can be highly effective.
Instead of bombarding your audience with promotional messages, address their pain points and challenges. Explain how your products or services can provide solutions and add value to their lives.
Martin and Lyndsay emphasize that transparency is crucial in sales-focused content.
Feel free to share pricing, features, and other details that potential clients may want to know. Being open and honest about what you offer builds trust and credibility, which are essential factors in driving sales.
Embrace the Power of "Lurkers" and Set Boundaries
Content that sells often resonates with those "lurkers" who have been observing your brand silently.
By being honest about who your ideal clients are and who you may not be the right fit for, you create a velvet rope policy that attracts the right clients and sets boundaries.
"We find it an absolute travesty when there are so many people I love on LinkedIn and I follow them because their content is amazing, and then Martin will say, 'What do they do,' and I actually don't know because they've never talked about it. I don't actually know specifically what it is they do, they just produce amazing content," says Lyndsay.
Are you ready to craft compelling content?
Crafting compelling content that sells is not about using hard sales tactics but about being empathetic, transparent, and unbiased. By addressing objections and frequently asked questions, businesses can build trust and credibility with their audience, increasing sales.
"Whenever you make any change to your product or service, anything different, you add something, you raise your prices, you start using AI, whatever it might be, just create content around it, even if you start with something simple on social media. I bet you'll be really surprised at how many people engage with that content," advises Lyndsay.
Embrace the power of content to attract your dream clients while repelling those who may need to be the right fit. By being honest about your offerings and setting boundaries, you'll create a loyal client base and pave the way for long-term success in the B2B marketing world.
So want to learn more? Listen to the full podcast here!
