The inbound marketing formula has one simple equation at the center of it, which is vitally important: visitors view your content as strong and worthwhile, which leads them to download content offers to get more of it. But that download actually causes the visitor to become a lead, and that’s great for us: leads can be called, emailed and sold to. But what if your content offers aren’t getting downloaded?
That’s simply not a recipe for success, so if that describes you, we’d better get it fixed immediately. Check out these three possible reasons your content offers aren’t being downloaded:
Your buyer personas are out of whack
Simply put, a buyer persona describes your ideal customer. We want to identify your ideal customer so we can go after that type of person with our content. But what if your buyer personas are incorrect?
That would definitely cause your content offers to be unpopular, and we need to rectify that. So let’s evaluate your products/services. Who can they help the most? Or alternatively, what kind of problems do your products/services solve? These answers will help you identify the best personas for your company. Ideally, you should have 2-3 different buyer personas, which will also help you come up with a wide variety of blog topics.
Your content offers don’t intrigue your visitors
A content offer has to be something that a visitor doesn’t see every day – hence why it can’t be a blog article. They get blog articles for free all the time, so why would they agree to provide contact info in exchange for it? So for starters, be sure that all content offers are a bit more complicated than a blog article. Opt for other formats such as eBooks, white papers and infographics.
As for the content offer’s actual substance, this is another area where you have to consider your buyer personas. What would they like to get more information about? What kind of in-depth topics exist in your field/market? Again, think of it as a cost-benefit analysis. Savvy visitors will know that providing contact info will subject them to marketing emails – so ensure your content offers are worth it.
Your value propositions aren’t effective
I hate to start using marketing jargon on you, but value propositions are important. Essentially, your value prop is a sales pitch that explains why your content offer is so valuable. It tells the visitor what they stand to gain from your product.
So what could cause a value prop to be ineffective? Lack of excitement or inherent value. In order for a visitor to download a content offer, they have to either be excited about the product or certain that it will be beneficial to their life. That might sound heavy for a simple marketing statement, but it can be done. Use words like “transform” “elevate” and “evolve” to describe your product’s benefits – words that inspire excitement as well as confidence. Don’t be shy about the content’s benefits either.
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