Every day, nearly 2 million times, the “Publish” or “Share” button gets clicked to post a blog.
However, based on various research, nearly 75% of articles either receive zero traction or zero results on social media platforms. Studies have also shown that on average, it takes around 3 hours to design a post.
If you do the math for yourself, you get to know that more than hundreds or even thousands of millions of hours are being wasted on content marketing. Now, that is too many minutes, seconds, and milliseconds wasted, isn’t it?
What’s more, all of this sums up to nearly 7.7 lifetimes which is wasted on a daily basis to write posts that gain zero traction – now, that’s what we call a Tragedy!
But (you see, there’s always a “BUT”), you do have some fool-proof ways that can help you gain some value for all your future posts. It’s not just automatic, but also effective; so much so that it’s termed “Zero-Waste Marketing”.
The entire concept behind this form of marketing is to narrow down the focus on a specific target audience and write only for them.
Say, for instance, if you are into custom beer mat printing, then your potential clients would be restaurants, pubs, bars, etc. That said, you will have to aim your content solely towards these people in order to achieve quick results and improve your conversion rates.
Through this piece, you get to learn the following:
- Writing content for the audience who are currently a part of the sales pipeline
- Collaborating with potential partners and prospects
- Using the blog as a means of widening your network
- Warming up cold leads
Are you wondering as to why you should be doing this? Because hey, posting a blog and praying for results doesn’t really work…
So without further ado, let’s get started!
Top Ways to Perform Zero-Waster Marketing
1- Writing Content Particularly for the Current Audience Base
You need to constantly be on the lookout for the next customer, as he/she is one of the most crucial target audiences.
So keep digging your business’ sales pipeline for potential prospects, create content targeted towards them, and send it directly. This content is not for marketing purposes, rather for improving your sales support.
Keep tabs not just on the current leads in your sales funnels, but also on their interests. Ask yourself questions like:
- What do these prospects have in common?
- What types of questions/information are they looking for?
- What types of articles can support your current sales conversations?
Once you have figured out these questions and relevant answers for the same, the next step is to:
- Create content (mostly ‘how-to’ blogs) that provides your customers with the answers they have been searching for.
- Write an example or story (more like case studies) that is in line with your prospects’ concerns.
Additionally, make sure you are spending enough time to write the article and also to edit, format, and add images to it.
Within a couple of days, you will be ready to hit the “publish” button. After reaching this stage, contact your client and let them know that you’ve got something to share with them.
2- Writing a Series of Content that is Relevant to Your New Customers
Only you know your most valuable customers – they really appreciate your assistance, can afford your products and receive a lot of value from the services offered. But it is important to keep in touch with them.
A great way to do that would be by using your blog as a networking tool.
Here’s what you can do:
- Create a specific format for your blog and ensure it puts your customers in the limelight and your digital agency on the forefront.
- You could also interview one of your clients for the post.
If you are really looking forward to impressing your potential customers, then you, as a creative marketing agency, need to go beyond the normal text.
You need to:
- Create events that put the spotlight on the customer
- Create podcasts and add their series of interviews
- Create videos featuring your customers
This approach can work wonders for a production business since the content will be displaying their skills and talents.
3- Warming Up Your Cold Leads With an Interview
Let’s imagine this –
The client showed their interest. You started your conversation. You got to know a little about their objectives and challenges but never really heard back from them. You drop an email. And then another one. Now, it’s been more than a couple of months that you haven’t heard back.
So does this mean you stop trying and instead focus on other customers? Well, not yet!
Your upcoming blog post could be an excellent excuse to contact them once again. Just make sure this isn’t a sales call. When we say ‘No Sales Call’, we mean not even in disguise. This is because networking is all about staying in touch.
So rather contact them with a collaborative post. This is because it helps you stay on the radar of clients who have previously considered working with you.
Moreover, nobody is interested in a sales call. But all of them would love to be a part of an interview.
4- Collaborating with Potential Partners and Increasing Conversion Rates
You may have come across a lot of clients say, “We do not need marketing to gain leads. Rather we get the majority of them through referrals.” Now although that’s the craziest thing one could say since marketing adds to the lead flow, we can ignore that for a while.
Here’s how you can leverage content marketing to gain more referrals by reinforcing your relationship with the existing ones –
Often people refer to a lead since they recently met an individual who requires help and you were the first person who came to their mind. In order to make that happen for your business, you need to stay on top of your client’s mind and a great way to do that is through your content.
During this process, you need to consider certain important questions, such as:
- What do your potential prospects know more about your business?
- What type of content can highlight their expertise on a particular topic?
- Do you already have a concept for the next blog post?
Once you’ve figured out all these questions, it’s time to reach out to your partners. In the content, make sure you add their name, company link, and face. After the content is live, share a ‘Thank You” note for their collaboration.
5- Connecting with Potential Referrals Through Interviews
Content can really help you develop your network by creating new relationships. Just look for people who are not your competitors but work with your potential audience and mention them in your upcoming blog post.
You can use different social media channels to search and connect with various people.
That way, when the article is live, you can share it on these platforms and while mentioning the potential referral. Finally, make sure you are continuing the conversation. Let them know about your products and services and how you can help them. Maybe slide in a subtle hint that asks them to remember you.
Conclusion
It feels good to rank higher on the search engines, receive more traffic, and get the post shared multiple times. However, there’s more to your content than simply getting more traffic.
Certain customer relationships can go beyond numbers and sometimes, sales are better as compared to marketing.
So ensure you’re leveraging your content as your primary network-building tool. Also, take advantage of collaborative marketing. When you make building a solid network your key objective, results are guaranteed and success becomes automatic!