As you’ve likely heard before, content matters, and it enables the sales team to better perform their duties. It creates leads and provides the sales team with additional resources to share with their clients and prospects.
However, it is easy to drift from the content creation goals you’ve set in favor of advertisements and self-promotion. It happens to all of us… So, let’s re-focus on staying on track with your content plan and refresh on what content can enable sales day after day.
Content Formats
Content formats vary in text length, video length, and document types. A few examples include:
- Short videos: 30 seconds to a minute to tease a topic or downloadable resource
- Long videos: over one minute in length that explain a concept that may be complicated
- Blog articles: usually around 500 words, with a downloadable resource
- Social media posts: Graphics and a few lines of content with a CTA
- Buyer Guides: a long-form article that explains a challenge and what considerations to make before purchasing a solution
- Case Studies: an example of a solution for a specific customer and how that solution achieved the desired results.
- Use Cases: an example of how a solution solves a problem in a specific vertical or situation.
- Checklists: a one-page list of things to do for a project or site visit
- Infographics: a one or two page visual document that displays stats , graphs or numbers that tell a story
Now, what requires creativity and strategic planning is the content topic. Deciding what matters to your ideal prospects and current clients is the trick and should involve all stakeholders at your company (marketing, sales, and service teams).
Content Topics
Delivering the content your customers want in an appropriate format is where the art of content creation comes front and center. Consider these four overarching topics when brainstorming with your sales, marketing, and service teams:
- Price: is price a factor in your sales process? How can price be addressed? Perhaps a Buyer’s Guide to Security Solutions would help set pricing goals based on system capabilities or size?
- Problems: Customer problems with the solutions you deliver. A hospital challenge - asset tracking - with your possible solution, RTLS (real-time locating systems) technology.
- Comparisons: When considering a comparison topic, it’s important to consider why your solution IS NOT the best or only option. Create a chart that compares cameras or video surveillance systems to showcase your knowledge about the topic.
- Process: consider a checklist that outlines the process of vetting, designing, installing, maintaining, and recommending your solution. This will help customers with expectation setting and will encourage them to ask more questions about how your company can solve their challenge.
- Testimonials: Reading what others have to say about your company and systems solutions used to be and still is conveyed in writing.
PRO TIP: see if you can get a customer testimonial on video, or maybe an audio recording!
Content Strategy Development
Continue strong through 2022 by reviewing your content strategy from formats to topics. Focus on solving problems and not self-promotion and your customers will appreciate the value you add to their business.
Some of the concepts we highlighted in this article may require both creativity and technical competence. Vector Firm is here to support both of those requirements. Our team can assist with content ideation, development, and implementation on an ongoing basis.
Contact Vector Firm to discuss your content production and sales enablement needs.
