Where Does Branded Content Fit in the Marketing Funnel? Everywhere — If You Sell It Right.

If you ask ten advertisers what they need from their marketing, you’ll probably get ten different answers.

More leads. More awareness. More traffic. More customers. Better engagement. More trust. More people walking through the door.

But almost every one of those answers maps back to the same basic customer journey. Someone has to go from not knowing your advertiser exists to becoming aware of them, learning about them, deciding whether they trust them, taking action and, ideally, becoming a loyal customer who comes back again and again.

That’s the marketing funnel in a nutshell. And when salespeople really understand that funnel, branded content becomes a whole lot easier to sell because you stop leading with the tactic and start leading with what the advertiser is actually trying to accomplish.

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past 14 months working with media companies through the Branded Content Project, and one thing I continue to see is that branded content is often treated as just another product on the rate card. We have display. We have social. We have email. We have video. And now we have branded content.

But that’s not really the best way to think about it.

Branded content can play an important role throughout the marketing funnel, and understanding where and how it fits can completely change the conversation you’re having with advertisers.

Start With the Full Customer Journey

Most marketing funnels include some version of five basic stages: awareness, education, consideration, conversion and loyalty. At the top, people are discovering the advertiser. In the middle, they’re learning about the business, understanding their options, comparing solutions and deciding whom they trust. At the bottom, they’re ready to take action. After the sale, the best marketers continue the relationship so that the customer buys again, refers others and becomes an advocate for the business.

Different marketing tactics naturally do different jobs along that journey. Display, video, social media, sponsorships and events can create awareness at scale. Search can capture people who are actively looking for a solution. Offers and landing pages can help drive conversion. Email, social and ongoing content can nurture relationships and create loyalty.

But there’s a really important stretch in the middle of that funnel where people need more than an ad.

They need information. They need perspective. They need answers to their questions. They may need help understanding a complicated decision or recognizing why one solution is different from another. Most importantly, they need a reason to trust the business they’re considering.

That’s what I call the trust gap, and it’s where branded content can be incredibly powerful.

Branded Content Helps Close the Trust Gap

Think about how consumers actually make decisions, particularly when the purchase isn’t simple or inexpensive. Seeing an advertisement may introduce them to a company, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to buy. If you’re choosing a financial advisor, planning a home renovation, considering a medical procedure or evaluating an assisted living community for a parent, you probably need a lot more information before you’re ready to fill out a form or make a phone call.

That’s where helpful content can move the relationship forward.

A financial services company might sponsor a series on the decisions people should consider as they approach retirement. A healthcare provider could create videos answering the questions patients commonly have before a procedure. A home services company might publish a seasonal guide to help homeowners understand which projects they should tackle now and which can wait. An equipment dealer might share customer success stories that demonstrate how other businesses solved a problem.

None of that content has to start with “Buy from us.” In fact, it shouldn’t.

It starts with, “Let us help you.”

That distinction matters because useful content allows the advertiser to demonstrate expertise before asking for the sale. It answers questions, reduces uncertainty and gives the consumer a reason to spend more time with the brand.

Over time, that education builds credibility, and credibility builds trust.

That’s a very different job than simply generating another advertising impression.

Change the Questions You Ask in the Sales Meeting

If you want your sales team to sell more branded content, one of the best things you can do is change the discovery conversation.

Don’t walk into the meeting and ask, “Would you be interested in branded content?” Most advertisers aren’t sitting around wishing someone would sell them a sponsored article or video series. They’re thinking about business problems: how to generate more leads, differentiate themselves from competitors, attract better employees, introduce a new service or get more customers through the door.

Instead, ask questions that help you understand the advertiser’s funnel.

How are new customers finding you today? Once they discover you, what helps them understand why they should choose you? What questions do prospects typically ask before they’re ready to buy? Where do you think you lose people between awareness and the sale?

And here’s one of my favorites:

“What do your best customers understand about your business that your prospects don’t understand yet?”

Listen carefully to the answer because it will often tell you exactly where the content opportunity is.

Maybe people don’t understand what makes the business different from its competitors. Maybe the product requires a lot of education. Maybe customers don’t realize they have the problem until it becomes urgent. Maybe the advertiser is battling a perception that they’re too expensive. Or perhaps trust is simply a huge factor in the buying decision.

Those aren’t necessarily advertising problems. They’re often education and trust problems, which means content may be exactly what’s missing from the funnel.

Then Change the Way You Pitch It

Once you’ve identified the gap, the way you present the recommendation should change, too.

Instead of saying, “I’d like to recommend a four-part branded content series,” connect the recommendation directly to what you uncovered during discovery.

You might say something like:

“You’re doing a great job generating awareness, but what I’m hearing is that people aren’t getting enough information to understand why they should choose you. There’s a gap between discovering your business and feeling confident enough to take the next step. I’d like to help you close that gap with content that answers the questions your prospects are already asking and demonstrates your expertise before we ask them to buy.”

Now you’re not selling four articles.

You’re solving a marketing problem.

From there, you can talk about what that strategy actually looks like. Perhaps you create articles that answer the advertiser’s most common customer questions, produce videos that explain complex concepts, or tell customer stories that demonstrate results. Then you use the media company’s audience and distribution channels to get that content in front of the right people.

That’s when branded content becomes much more than a product on the rate card.

It becomes part of the strategy.

And Don’t Leave Branded Content Sitting by Itself

This is another place where understanding the funnel can create a much bigger opportunity for both the advertiser and the media company.

Branded content doesn’t have to replace the advertising products you’re already selling. In many cases, it can make them work harder.

If an advertiser is running display, social or video advertising, where are those ads sending people? If every campaign sends someone directly to a “Contact Us” page, we’re essentially asking everyone who notices the business to immediately jump from awareness to conversion.

Some people will. A lot of people won’t.

Instead, imagine an ad that introduces the problem and drives the consumer to a helpful piece of content. That content educates them. Retargeting brings interested prospects back. Search captures their intent when they begin actively looking for a solution. Email continues nurturing the relationship, and a strong landing page gives them an easy way to take action when they’re ready.

Now we’re not selling a collection of disconnected tactics.

We’re building a customer journey.

Branded content can also support the very top and bottom of the funnel. Great stories can introduce a brand to new audiences, while ongoing educational content, customer stories and community-focused storytelling can keep existing customers engaged long after the first purchase. That’s why I believe the answer to the question “Where does branded content fit in the marketing funnel?” really is everywhere — if you understand the job the content needs to do at each stage.

Put the Funnel on the Table

Here’s something simple I’d encourage every salesperson reading this to try in their next client meeting.

Draw the funnel.

It doesn’t need to be fancy. Write down Awareness → Education → Consideration → Conversion → Loyalty, and walk through it with the advertiser. Ask what they’re currently doing at each stage, where they feel strongest and where they think the biggest gaps exist.

Then look at the solutions you have available and determine what belongs where.

Maybe the answer is branded content. Maybe it’s branded content combined with display, video, social, search, email or events. In many cases, it probably should be.

The important thing is that you’ve stopped asking, “How can I sell this advertiser branded content?”

You’ve started asking, “What does this advertiser need to move more people through their customer journey?”

That’s the shift from selling products to becoming a trusted marketing advisor. And when you can help an advertiser see their entire funnel, identify where it’s breaking down and recommend the right solutions to fix it, you’re not just selling branded content anymore.

You’re helping them grow their business.

And that is a much more valuable conversation.

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About the Author:

Shannon Kinney is a seasoned startup Founder and Executive with over 30 years of experience in digital marketing. She has been at the forefront of digital transformation for media companies since 1995, and has consulted with and presented to media companies large and small worldwide. She is considered a thought leader in the online space, and is a highly sought after keynote speaker, advisor and consultant. With deep experience in sales, marketing, online product development and leadership, Dream Local Digital is her third nationally-scaled digital marketing solution company. She founded the company in 2009 “to bring the power of online marketing to small and medium sized businesses ”. She has a wide and highly engaged network of leaders in media, technology, and startups worldwide, and has developed Dream Local Digital to be a widely recognized brand as best of breed in online marketing. She has helped more than 75,000 small and medium sized businesses and media companies through her work with Dream Local Digital. She spent many years on the Local Media Foundation and Local Media Association boards and is passionate about their mission to create sustainable business models online. 

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 The Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium, with funding from the Knight Foundation, to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.