What happens if people are NOT in a position to buy when they first hear about your business?

– Maybe they see your advertisement in a local newspaper
– Maybe they receive your flyer in their letterbox
– Maybe they see your product on TV
– Maybe they see your paid ad on Google

The problem is that each of the 3 promotional methods above lose their visibility very quickly. They expire, get thrown in the bin or are simply forgotten because the viewer is not interested at that moment in time. Your message is therefore wasted on the overwhelming majority who are not ready to buy. Only a tiny percentage of people who see your advertisement can possibly respond.

However, if you offer a message that encourages people to submit their contact information, even when they are not in a position to buy, you will be able to regularly communicate with them and build up a relationship. Then when they are ready to buy, your product or service will be an obvious choice. If you provide a garden maintentance business it may take 2 weeks before someone needs their hedges trimmed and if you’re a real estate agent it may take 5 years until they are ready to buy or sell a house.

One way of encouraging people to hand over their details or subscribe to your online channels is by offering valuable web content. Think about types of content that you can provide that will appeal to your desired audience. For instance, a real estate agent who wants to gather details of future buyers/sellers could provide videos that offer investment tips and local market updates like Raine and Horne.

If the content is incredibly valuable to your audience they are likely to sign up to receive more tips that could help them in the future.

Another benefit of helpful online content is that it doesn’t just disappear. If optimised correctly it will be searched and found for many years to come. When people look to buy (applies especially to big ticket items) they search for terms and phrases to find out more information and answer their questions. If your content is both valuable and relevant it is more likely you are to pop up in Google’s search results and be clicked on by a potential buyer.

Think of your content as an asset. It’s a lead generating machine that attract people who are ready to buy now and people who will buy in the future.