Buyers want information from the marketing content they're being exposed to. They want to know about specific product benefits, how a product can solve their problems, and what exactly makes one product better than another.
In today’s multi-channel advertising universe, prospective consumers are being continually inundated with marketing messages from a variety of sources. But, is the content of any real value?
When online marketers strive to get prospects to choose their product over another, targeted, valuable and actionable content marketing is the best way to get buyers to respond.
Actionable Marketing Defined
In short, actionable marketing is marketing communication that encourages consumers to take a specific, desired action. That action may be to request more information, to call a 1-800 telephone number or, to make an actual product purchase.
Through a series of compelling initiatives, marketers focus on getting the prospective buyer to engage with the product, or brand.
This is also known as "pull marketing," and it is very closely aligned with actionable content marketing methods. By using the right message to entice a prospect into reaching out to the brand, and by disseminating that message across highly-targeted media platforms, marketers create value for both the company and for the potential consumer. And, in so doing, engage the consumer to the point of action.
The Role of Content in Marketing
More and more, consumers are actively seeking pre-purchase information on the products they want and need. Using media ranging from blogs, social networks, corporate websites, and product review sites, potential customers connect with brands in direct ways before they buy.
Brands, in turn, tailor marketing campaigns around user patterns and behaviors. They target messages and brand stories to attract audience emotions and interests.
When the message has value and speaks directly to the prospect's concerns, that message has a much-improved chance of converting that prospect into a buyer.
Turning Content into Actionable Marketing Content
If presented in a compelling and informative fashion, a brand’s story may go viral and reach a level of engagement that can influence opinion and, ultimately, purchasing decisions.
Below are seven tips to turn web-based marketing content into truly actionable content.
- Offer content that clearly helps customers/prospects to understand product benefits in very specific ways.
- Provide a strong call to action (CTA) and make it easy for site visitors to buy online
- Create content that is written naturally, similar to how customers actually talk.
- Update FAQs with relevant questions from actual, potential customers. Do not name names, of course.
- Link product description web pages to complementary and supportive articles.
- Add informative and visually appealing product-specific videos to content pages.
- Don’t be afraid of forums. Let customers share experiences, and let them openly discuss the product with each other. Moderated forums allow the brand to control which comments appear online.
Make it simple, make it accessible, make it interesting and make it relevant. Provide just enough of the right information, and prospects will quickly convert from passive shopping to active buying!
Roxanne Blanford - Roxanne Blanford is a professional writer and marketing communications specialist with a B.A. in Communications.
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