Solutions
Building Block 3: Lead Generation
Challenge
If you're in the business of selling cloud services, one of the most important questions you must answer is this: How do you attract customers to your store and get them to buy?
The Advantages of Pull Marketing
One approach to lead generation is “pull” marketing. Pull marketing gives you the opportunity to “pull” buyers to your website or social presence by offering content—such as eBooks, white papers, blog posts, and other content—about the topic they want to know more about.
Pull marketing is often more effective in the early buying stage. It can also deliver a higher level of engagement because the prospect shows an interest and takes action without prompting from you.
Pull Marketing Across the Buying Process
For a better understanding of pull marketing, let’s take a look at how it works across every stage of the buying process, from awareness, to consideration, to validation, and finally to purchase. Each stage has a different objective and should deliver content with a different focus to your prospects with the goal of moving them to the next stage.
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Awareness
Objective:
Earn the interest of businesses with targeted digital content
Focus:
- Explore industry trends and explain new challenges
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Consideration
Objective:
Convince businesses that you can help solve their problem(s)
Focus:
- Match specific business needs or pain points to relevant solutions that you offer
- Promote customer stories to establish trust
- Provide access to gated content or expert consultation
- Match specific business needs or pain points to relevant solutions that you offer
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Validation
Objective:
Give businesses all the necessary elements to make a purchase decision
Focus:
- Articulate compelling value proposition Address key concerns and potential objections
- Present clear terms of service, plans, and pricing
- Share customer reviews and ratings
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Purchase
Objective:
Create frictionless buying experience
Focus:
- Allow for quick, painless checkout
- Capture customer details and consent
- Provide adequate payment options
- Reassure the buyer by including messaging that communicates “you’ve made the right choice!”
- Set expectations on next steps, such as activation and onboarding
The Effects of Pull Marketing
The pull marketing approach does a good job helping you deliver meaningful information to your target prospects. Acting as an educator and advisor, instead of just a salesperson, can help you get in touch with prospects when the customer is ready to buy.
The chart above shows how it all comes together. Putting up a billboard may seem a lot easier than creating content for each stage of the buying process, but taking the time to target specific prospects with the right messages will end up delivering better results in the end.
