Are You In the Content Marketing Friend Zone? You Gotta Leave It Fast!

What’s the friend zone? Oh, nothing serious. It’s only one of people’s biggest fears when falling in love with someone. You know the story: boy meets girl, boy loves girl, a girl sees the boy as a friend. It’s sad. It’s devastating. It can happen in all aspects of life, too.

If you were wondering what the friend zone had to do with content marketing, think of it this way. You’re in the friend zone when you’re trying to be the best content marketer and only getting average results.

You’re trying to flirt with all new trends. You’re doing your best to do what successful competitors do. You even try to infuse some new practices to spice up your approach. You’re still getting favourable results, and that’s because you’re in that friend zone.

You gotta get out of it, and you gotta do it quickly!

We’ll share a few tips to help you develop an effective relationship with content marketing.

Your Good Intentions Are Not Good Enough

When you genuinely like someone but are in the friend zone, you have only the best intentions with this person. You’re trying to make them happy and always there when they need you. You’re the shoulder they cry on. That’s enough for this person to see you as a best friend but not enough to get their total commitment.

The same thing happens with content marketing. It won’t be enough if you’re just playing nice and simply expressing the benefits of the brand you promote. You have to make that extra move to convince people to choose your brand over all other options they have.

Let’s see how you can do that:

Develop a Sales MindsetSo you don’t want to be intrusive. You want to deliver your message, but you also want people to make their own decisions. Oh, you’re so lovely! You’re too deep into the content marketing friend zone!

You have to change that “nice guy” mindset ASAP. As a content marketer, you must understand that your message can control people’s decisions. You must create a sales funnel to guide people towards a purchase.

Yes, we’re talking about that dreadful sales funnel. These are the phases it goes through:

Becoming aware – You’re doing your best to get your brand noticed when people use Google to search for the same or similar products or services. In other words, you’re trying to get more people towards your website. They might not understand their issue, so you must make them aware of the problem and the solution you can provide.

Consideration – When people understand the problem and have at least one solution to consider, they come to the review. At this point, you can nurture them as leads through email marketing and social media marketing. You’ll keep reminding them about your solution.

Decision – At this stage, people decide to become customers. They already know their problem, and they are evaluating the available solutions. You have to present yours as the best option.

Purchase – People who purchase from you expect to get the best value for their money. At this point, the role of a content marketer is to explain how the product or service works. You can sell more items during this process only if you get out of the friend zone.

Marissa Roberts, a content developer for Resumes Planet, explains how the sales mindset makes a difference: “Before you start creating your content, you have to understand the audience you’re selling to. You need to be aware of the funnel phases, so you’ll know how your leads think and be able to guide them towards the decision you want them to make.”

Was this too abstract for you? Here’s an example of how the sales funnel works in practice:

Let’s assume you’re selling magnetic knee braces. This person has pain in their knee, and they don’t know where it’s coming from.

During the awareness stage, they will conduct Google research to search for the symptoms and guess the condition. You’ll write articles on knee conditions and symptoms to drive these people towards your website. Then, you’ll suggest potential solutions for each problem you analyze.

During the consideration stage, this person knows their problem and expects further explanations. At this point, they will research more about the solutions, so your content marketing efforts will be focused on that aspect.

When deciding, the lead will compare your solution to other potential options. You have to convince them that your offer is the best one on the market.

When this person makes the purchase, you must provide content that helps them get the best value. You’ll tell them how to use the brace and accompany the magnet therapy with a proper diet and exercise regimen.

Pay Attention to the Evolving Needs of Your Customers

You don’t bother thinking about someone’s intentions when you’re in the friend zone. You assume this person is good and always wants to be there for them. The reality is harsh. This person may find someone else… someone who will meet their needs in a better way. The same thing happens in content marketing.

That’s why you have to be aware of the evolution of your buyer persona. Once you lead someone through the sales funnel, you can’t assume their needs will stay the same forever.

As your customers’ needs evolve, your content marketing strategy will grow, too. But how do you figure out the changes? Here are a few suggestions:

Ask! Don’t worry; that won’t make you seem pushy. You just want to know how your customers are dealing with the issues and how they used the solution you provided. You can do this through simple face-to-face communication and surveys via email, social media, or phone.

Analyze the competition! You have to be better, so keep improving your solutions and offering content that explains what makes your brand the best choice.

Keep providing attractive offers. Your content marketing strategy has to include calls to action, which will attract new customers and bring back new ones. Otherwise, you’ll stay in the friend zone forever. You’ll be that brand that people like but don’t use.

Turn Visitors into Leads

In content marketing, lead magnets are essential for exit from the friend zone. These are luring offers that promise great value in exchange for contact information.

Let’s return to that example with a business selling knee braces. When you attract new visitors to your website, you can turn them into a lead. You can do that by offering an eBook that explains all symptoms in detail. This will be information that’s hard to find online, and you’ll promote that eBook through proper content marketing.

This visitor must provide their name and email address to get the free eBook. From that point on, you have a lead. You can send emails to remind them about your products and send special offers that would lead them to purchase.

So how do you create a lead magnet? These are the main elements to pay attention to:

A clear call to action leads the visitor to subscribe to your newsletter.

An opt-in form asks for the visitor’s name and email and their consent to receive email messages from you.

A payoff proves that the visitor made the right decision when subscribing to your content. You have to keep offering premium content regularly. Otherwise, you’ll simply stay in the friend zone.

Nurture Your Leads And Take Them Further Down the Funnel

When people want to buy a specific product or service, they choose the one they know most. In other words, they opt for a brand that mastered the art of content marketing.

If you want your leads to buy your products or services, you must nurture them. You’ll do that by delivering relevant and helpful content long-term. Each email you send and blog post you publish will contain a call for action that leads to a purchase.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you nurture your leads in a way that gets your brand out of the friend zone:

Send special promo codes, sneak peeks, and discount offers for your leads. You want to make them feel special for being your fans.

Send emails whenever you publish new case studies or blog posts, so you’ll take your leads towards the website.

Offer answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Promote positive testimonials and reviews that present your brand in the best light.

Share your opinions about significant industry trends.

Email marketing is the standard tool for nurturing leads. The main question is: how much of it is too much? It’s a good question! You’re in the friend zone when you’re not sending enough emails. When you send too much, you’re in the danger zone of a pushy stalker. So you have to find the perfect balance. It’s different for everyone, but one promotional email per week should be enough for most brands.

Here are a few ideas on how to conduct a good content marketing campaign for nurturing leads:

Send a welcome email to introduce your brand and say thanks for subscribing.

Send a compilation of the most popular content on your website, so your new subscribers can check it out.

Send a welcome discount to encourage the lead to make a quick purchasing decision.

Get Out of That Friend Zone Now!

No one likes the friend zone. It’s a devastating position to be in when you’re aiming for a precise goal. You must get out of the content marketing friend zone ASAP to be attractive to your target audience.

Our tips will definitely help you out!