With so much emphasis on reaching the top, brand marketers often lose sight of an equally important destination – the bottom. The location in question is the bottom of the marketing funnel. This is where all the conversions happen. It’s the must-go zone where prospects begin to slaver over your brand. They’ve been tantalized and treated by content galore. They’ve followed the path you’ve so invitingly laid at their feet. And now they’re poised to buy – or at least connect with your sales team.
Just a little nudge will do the trick at this stage. But that nudge is not so easy to come by. The nudge must be touched with finesse and proper timing. One misdirected or poorly timed-move can send those hard-won prospects fleeing, perhaps to another brand, and stopping any chance of converting. All of which gains nothing but shame for the marketing squad.
Nudging people into the buy zone requires the implementation of sound principles. Leading the list is the use of incontrovertible proof. Brands build substantial momentum by providing solid evidence to your bottom funnel prospects (a.k.a. sales qualified leads or SQLs.). the more evidence you can add to the bottom of the funnel, the better your chance of conversion is. One of planet earth’s most persuasive forms of evidence is the perennial case study. The big advantage of this documentation is its statistical soundness. For instance, if implemented software has reduced data errors in a series of well-supervised trials, then certainly history will repeat itself. “If it works for others,” prospects often conclude, “it will do the trick for me”. It’s nearly impossible to argue with the vivid numbers and hard facts revealed in a thorough case study.
Another important bottom funnel principle is that dealing with specialized content. The more specialized, the higher the conversions. Prospects planted in this funnel zone often hunger for expertise and authority. Demonstrable knowledge in a particular field or set of fields often provides a hearty nudge in the right direction — whether that direction leads to a direct buy or an interaction with sales personnel.
Satisfying a lead’s thirst for knowledge requires authoritative content duly published and easily accessed. Familiarity with your customer segments is crucial. A software brand, for example, might benefit a variety of disciplines ranging from finance to home supplies. Each of these fields should be catered to with articles and content tailored to its specified segment. Generalization typically makes a feeble impact at this stage. Focus on specialization, create authority, and convert more prospects.
If you have any questions or comments about bottom of the funnel marketing, or about any other brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way.