Before you create a piece of content, it’s absolutely vital you know who you’re writing for. If you do, you’re more likely to produce content that catches their attention- an increasingly difficult proposition when you’re vying with social media and news channels, not to mention your competitors. This is crucial if you want to build relationships and move prospects towards becoming customers (the whole purpose of content marketing). With that in mind, here are five questions you should ask yourself to help understand your audience and increase the chances of your brand rising above the noise.
What’s your audience’s pain point?
This is a key issue as it’s one of the fundamental reasons any of us buy something- to make our lives easier. The Fintech sector is a perfect example. Savers wanted to put their money to work due to historically low interest rates, but they were intimidated by the traditional financial institutions, or they didn’t meet the minimum investment requirements. So robo- advisers were developed to make the markets more accessible.
Knowing your customer’s pain point should drive all your marketing efforts. In the case of content marketing, it’s the core message you build your strategy around.
What obstacles do they face?
There are certain obstacles that prospects must overcome before choosing you ahead of your competition. They differ depending on whether your business is B2C or B2B, although price is a common factor. For consumers, one of the biggest obstacles facing the industry is trust. The financial crisis scarred a lot of people, so they’re going to carefully choose who they hand over their money to. They may also feel nervous about adopting new technologies, making things even harder for Fintech startups. If you sell to other businesses, they might take into account the level of customer support or the quality of the onboarding experience before buying.
Either way, understanding these obstacles and integrating them into your strategy helps make your content marketing more effective.
What are their metrics for success?
You also need to know what represents a good return on investment (excuse the pun) for your audience. In you’re selling to corporate clients, the chances are they’re looking for a solution which boosts profits, cuts costs or saves time. You have to prove your offering meets those needs better than your competitors.
Understanding success metrics can help craft effective case studies- useful for converting leads into customers- as they show (instead of just telling) how your offering solved a problem for others.
Where are they in the buying cycle?
Customers go through different stages when making a purchase. They start with awareness of your products before figuring out whether it meets their needs. Eventually, they favour a particular product or service ahead of the others and then commit to buying. In some cases, there may also be follow up purchases.
You need to know where your audience is in this journey, because it guides your choice of the most effective type of content. For example, blog posts are good for generating awareness and building trust, whereas a white paper or ebook helps prospects decide if your offering solves their problem.
Who do they already trust?
When I say trust, I mean where does your audience go for information already? What publications or blogs do they read and who do they follow on social media? This helps content marketers in two respects. Firstly, it highlights the issues that are most relevant to your audience. And secondly, it informs your brand’s tone of voice. For example, traditional publications such as the Financial Times or the Wall Street Journal are typically formal while blogs tend to be conversational.