Creating targeted content for a specific audience makes a huge difference in marketing results.
Last week, an Acumatica partner asked me why they’re not attracting Acumatica leads. They hired a marketing agency to write weekly blog posts and promote them via social media. But the traffic to the partner’s site is still low, and the blog isn’t converting visitors into leads.
I took a look at their blog. Most of the posts address general business problems. For example, they have articles on how to work remotely, why cloud ERP enables growth, and how to operate a business during a pandemic. The content is interesting and well-written. So why isn’t it working?
Because the content is not targeted for a specific audience. It tries to be relevant to all types of businesses, so it’s useful to no one.
Target Common Pain Points and Business Needs
To be effective, your marketing content needs to be created for a very specific target audience. The audience should share common pain points and common needs — needs that your business helps address. When you know your audience, you can craft messaging that speaks directly to them. You can create blog articles that address their specific needs. The more specificity you incorporate, the more likely your marketing will start generating qualified leads.
Here’s an Example of How to Create Targeted Content
For example, I have a client that sells software to a small target market of about 300 financial firms. This client is consistently doing extensive research on their market. They regularly interview buyers. They hold annual round tables to discuss their audience’s business pains. They read anything they can find to learn about their target market’s business needs.
The understanding they’re developing shows up brilliantly in their marketing content. Every blog addresses a specific customer need or handles a common objection. They’ve developed content to address each stage in the customer’s buying journey. They answer common questions and objections that come up in sales meetings. They introduce issues that the customer should consider during each step in the evaluation process. They’ve even developed a sample RFP to provide to prospects.
Every article they publish is targeted. It focuses on the specific business needs of their very specific audience. So the content is immediately relevant and important to their targets. This has improved the firm’s SEO. They are ranking on the first page of search results for many of their target keywords. Because they’re so findable, they attract the right traffic to their website. And as a result, the website generates several very well-qualified sales opportunities every week. The marketing department currently contributes roughly 70% of the firm’s pipeline. Their marketing is working, because they have DEEP knowledge of their target audience’s business needs, and they translate that knowledge into relevant and useful content.
You can see the impact of this strategy with accounts they win. Qualified leads spend extensive time on their website. For example, a recent new customer spent several hours on the website, visiting 30 pages and downloading 4 premium assets before requesting their first demo.
Targeted Content Marketing Works
This kind of focus in marketing works. But to achieve it, you have to understand your customer. The only way to develop this depth of understanding is to focus on a niche. Then you build knowledge about the niche by interviewing individuals in your target audience, reading everything you can about them, and then translating that knowledge into rich, useful content.
Learn More
Want to learn more about how to apply this strategy to your business?
- Here is a resource center with loads of free content to help market your Acumatica practice.
- If you’d like to discuss how to apply these strategies to your business, please reach out, and we can schedule time to talk.
