Today, there is a serious disconnect in companies. There is no more "us", no more link between one department and another.
Yes, you could have the best forum for team management and have task-setting and communication in-work down to an art. But is every member of your team working with all you've given, regardless of department, to get the best possible results? Sales and web marketing have the largest difference. The two would go together like peanut butter and jelly, but they don't. Nothing can arm the content marketing team better than engaging with people who speak to the viewer directly on a regular basis. Here are four ways in which you can build better content by encouraging sales team collaboration.
1. Build a FAQ section
Your sales staff (as well as your customer support team) will probably respond by phone and email to hundreds of questions every day. Make sure that all the questions you receive are properly recorded (via your sales management platform or other tools) and given to your content marketing strategist to form the basis of your content plan.
These questions and more importantly, their responses can be a gold mine when published on your website for content marketing, since they:
Receive special treatment on search engine results pages – For example, Google features a site that best responds to the searcher's question in a separate quick answer box on top of the search results.
Turn the site into a tool- By increasing the number of return visits, subscribers, etc., they create reader loyalty.
Become a strong ground for expanded content marketing strategy– Webinars, podcasts, video interviews, visual tools (think flow charts and infographics) can provide answers, etc.
2. Build a Glossary on site
It is easy to identify terms that often puzzle your leads and compile a detailed terms glossary. This way you can share a URL with your contacts if they have questions. A glossary also implies additional incentives for organic rankings (thus, new leads inevitably come in). Using keyword analysis software, you can extend your list of words. This move also improves the chance for many of these words to rank high, because the more phrases you have in your glossary, the greater the number of keywords you rank for. Google evaluates the vocabulary of your page to determine the quality of the content. Have synonyms and similar words to improve word variety.
3. Creating Lead Magnet
Most sales teams have specific content assets that are produced year after year— case studies, white papers illustrating the state of affairs in the industry, PowerPoint presentations outlining the company or highlighting the product's benefits, etc. These can all be strong lead magnets. Not only does this section help us grow our email list, it also generates the most qualified leads: for services, people who download our case studies are more likely to contact us. They arrive well prepared and almost certain of the service's efficiency.
4. Buy people into your web
The clients already have a clear idea of what they want. They've got a list of things they need. Such facts make up the buyer’s image and while that used to be a term taught in sales to all people, it is of equal importance to the marketer of content. By understanding a consumer base's desires, expectations and even demographic details, content marketers can tailor their efforts better. And with your sales team at the forefront of customer service, there is no better department to launch your professional development from. This guide to the development of individuals offers two questions critical to the formation of a persona:
What makes you draw your current customers to your sales pitch?
What makes you buy your goods and services from current customers?
No one in the business will answer all the questions better than the salespeople as they deal with sales pitches and conversions every day.
Have the content writers sit through the sales calls daily, taking notes on what the potential consumers want or need.
Empower the marketing department on content.
The sales team is probably the most important department in our company. Why not use it to motivate our marketing team? Why do we treat marketing material as its own island? The two departments should work together to improve outcomes on a broader scale through each individual sale.