Let’s start at the end.  You want your efforts to pay off in a new client or a sale of your product or service.  But  each of those “new clients” started off as “prospective clients,” learning about what you have to offer.  Identifying the different stages of a buyer’s steps to choosing you can be a great aid in creating content.

Rather than using a “shotgun approach” to writing, where all of your information is geared to all of your readers (which, by the way, is very, very difficult – as demonstrated by the number of people who sit staring glossy-eyed at a blank screen!), why not break your writing responsibilities down into smaller categories, with specific stages of the sales cycle in mind.  Believe me, with this laser-focus, you will find writing much, much easier.

The types of content you create for each stage will be very different from each other.  So to get the ball rolling, here are the four basic stages, and the types of content that work best in each stage:

1. Awareness Stage
This is the stage in which your prospect first realizes that they need your product or service.  They begin to become acquainted with you, and start to recognize your brand.
Best Content for this Stage:
Blog Posts
Social Media Updates

2.  Research/Education Stage
This is the stage where your prospect begins to identify their particular problem, and then starts the research for solutions.  They begin to associate your solution with their problem.
Best Content for this Stage:
E-Books
Webinars
Industry Reports

3.  Comparison Stage
This is the stage where the prospect takes a look at all of the options they have run across and begins to narrow their list.  They begin to see how your product or solution is unique compared to your competitors.
Best Content for this Stage:
Case Studies
Demos
Customer Testimonials

4. Purchase Stage
This is the stage where your prospect decides from whom to buy.  Ideally, that decision includes you!  Don’t be lax now – give them enough of the right information to guarantee a lasting relationship with you.
Best Content for this Stage:
Analyst Reports
Detailed Product Info