Once you have an online presence you will be leaving a trail of digital breadcrumbs, even if it is not something you have planned. You only need to look at Donald Trump’s tweets to see the effects.
The trail you leave is saying something about you. The question then is, how do you control and channel it for marketing purposes?
David Lomas, CEO of M3 Media Publishing explains, “By creating dynamic and intriguing content, you can leave a trail specifically aimed at your target audience. What you can create is a customer corridor, down which you draw people.”
This was the theme of a recent Business Connections event, held in Manchester City Centre.
At the event, David spoke to his audience of entrepreneurs, business leaders and influencers about how to use digital breadcrumbs strategically to attract the perfect prospect.
A Corridor Not a Funnel
A core business concept is the sales funnel, where you filter your audience through stages towards the point where they become prospects and act to buy from you.
David explains, however, why he favours the customer corridor over the sales funnel.
“We want people to focus very much on the customer experience, and on how the digital breadcrumbs they generate adds to this”
“The funnel suggests to me a kind of industrial process where you squeeze people through and out the other end. It feels less empathic towards the audience.”
Instead, the customer corridor is about generating curiosity and a subtle build-up of knowledge through content.
“Central to it is storytelling,” David states. “Stories can attract and engage, and address the customer’s pain points, needs and interests.”
The Importance of Content
Core to the M3 Media Publishing approach to content marketing is to put yourself in your target audience’s shoes. Make your content about them, not you, but in doing so, reveal something about yourself.
“If you feature consistently as an expert in third-party content, the comments are attributable to you, but they’re about what your audience is interested in”
This is what helps, ultimately, to pre-qualify your prospects.
“You can measure people’s interest in your content online, and you can engage and discuss it with them through social media,” explains David.
“Use your content to draw out your audience and start focusing on the detail,” concludes David. “It’s a strategic, scientific process, but it’s expressed in very human terms.”
To take control of your trail of digital breadcrumbs, contact M3 Media Publishing on 0161 922 8571 or visit m3publishing.co.uk.
For additional reading, please visit Are There Hidden Benefits to Content Marketing?
