Converting prospects isn’t always possible the first time they land on a page. SEO copywriting needs to be combined with engagement strategies in order to make sure that you lead prospects through the sales funnel from initial contact to customer.
Engagement Strategies
What are engagement strategies? They are techniques that communicate with prospects, encourage a conversation and participation. With engagement, it is important to create stages so that the conversations that take place are appropriate for the level the prospect is at when they reach the website.
For example, a person who is just starting to learn about your organization will want to learn different information than those who understand the basics and are looking for more details. Customers who have been with the organization for several years will want different content than those who are first-time buyers.
Ask Questions
No matter where a contact is along the sales funnel, they will have questions. It is important that SEO copywriting addresses the questions for the first-time referral to the person who is ready to buy.
Take a look at the vital statistics of people at each stage of the buying process. What specific questions do they have at that time? What needs are they looking to address? Beyond finding a company for a product or service, there are other needs a contact at different levels will have regarding the company.
These questions can include the reputation of the company or how knowledgeable they are in the specific field. Do they take care of their customers or do they only care about the sale?
Offer Solutions
Once you have identified the questions, you want to offer detailed solutions. Don’t just tease the reader expecting them to contact your company for answers, or buy the product to get the solutions they want. You can encourage contacts to take the next step without using this type of underhanded tactic.
Instead, offer a realistic solution to their problem. This will encourage them to find out more about your company, not less. In fact, if you offer them bare bones answers, the individual will leave your site for a competitor’s faster than they would if you offer real solutions to their problem.
Court Your Contacts
Think of the sales funnel as a way to build a relationship. Whether you are looking for a romantic relationship or a deep and meaningful friendship, there are stages to building a solid foundation. It is the same when you first engage with a contact.
It is a slow process, with many steps in between, but the results pay off in the long run. What steps would you take in finding and cultivating your best friend? Determine how this relates to the sales process and how you can create copy to emulate this. You will find that the customer relationship will be stronger and your return on investment will be greater when you court your contacts.
Downloadables
One of the key elements of an engagement strategy is to create downloadables suitable for each contact level. These downloadables can include e-books, reports, whitepapers and case studies. They encourage people to leave their email address, and provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision about their next step.
These downloadables should be free. If you charge for them you will lose the power this content has on prospects. While this may seem like eliminating an avenue for sales, you are actually helping the sales process. Contacts often need more information than a website can provide. They also want the reassurance of supporting documentation that your products and services do what you say they do. They also want to know that customers achieve the results you claim.
Quality Email List
SEO copywriting includes using efforts to expand your company’s email list. Marketing experts tout the value of an email list and that your website can’t gain rankings without one. However, not many gurus discuss the quality of an email list.
Just as the quality of leads matter when it comes to conversions, so does the quality of your email list. You want people that will read the information you send them and have an active interest in your company or its offerings. While they may not buy from you today or tomorrow, you want to know that they meet the qualifications of your target market and are willing to consider buying if you answer their questions and solve their problems.
What Do They Want?
What do your prospects want? Market research will often supply this answer for you. Other times, however, there may be gaps in the results and areas where you don’t have an adequate picture of the needs of your market.
The best way to find out what your contacts want is to ask them. Social media sites are a great resource for learning about your market. Email subscriptions and blog posts are another important way to learn more about contacts. Constantly ask how you are doing and how you can improve to hone your offerings and your marketing strategies.
Don’t Ignore Comments
When it comes to social media and blogs, many businesses see them as only a way to advertise their business. They turn off comments on blog posts and they don’t respond to questions to social sites.
This is a big mistake for businesses and you will lose all the momentum you may have gained with your SEO copywriting efforts. Not only should you answer comments, you should encourage contacts to initiate conversations. These conversations can help prospects answer any questions they may have, see the personality of the people who work for the conversation, and encourage readers to see that your business is concerned about their customers and will take care of them.
Engagement marketing strategies have become prevalent for inbound marketing efforts. SEO copywriting that is supported with engagement techniques will help pinpoint the needs of a contact at each level of the sales process. If you court your contacts, engage them in conversation and offer them downloadable information that supports what is on your website, you will be able to increase conversions and sales.