Ever happened that you were subscribed to a new service launched by a brand you follow without having any idea what it is all about? Annoying! Even if that feature or service was free, it is quite presumptuous for the brand to think you would enjoy using it.
The best way for this would have been a blog post announcing the launch of the feature or a newsletter landing page including the followers/subscribers in on what is being offered rather than going directly for the kill.
Whether your objective is to generate sales or garner attention for a new product/service or capture leads-you need the right mix of marketing collateral to nudge your target audience to take the intended action. Every marketer has a diverse mash-up of marketing collaterals in their sales arsenal. But knowing which one to deploy to achieve a specific purpose is crucial or else you end up wasting an opportunity.
What are Marketing Collaterals, Exactly?
Marketing collaterals are informative pieces that talk about the company’s products and/or services. These include blog posts, e-magazines, case studies, company brochures, ROI reports, landing pages, white papers, product catalogs, newsletters, members-only branded content, and more. So now you get the idea.
Let’s delve deep into the collaterals and in what stage of the buyer’s journey they should be used for unfailing results.
Blog Posts
The beauty of blog posts is that they can be used to convey your message to target audiences for any stage of the buyer’s journey but they prove especially useful in the awareness stage. They are a great way for creating awareness about your company and its offerings.
Blog posts should be addressing user-specific concerns and not employ a tone that is outright sales-y. A call-to-action at the end directing the reader to a dedicated page is an ideal way of rounding off your blog post and subtly fulfilling your purpose.
Landing Pages
Landing pages serve up specific information to readers, which in turn help marketers gain information about them for future targeted lead generation campaigns. They are a part of a website but talk only about a particular facet of your product/service. By offering an insightful piece of content in return for filling out the form, you are engaging in a give-and-take equation that benefits both the parties involved.
Downloadable Guides
Downloadable guides such as e-books or e-magazines are used by companies to bolster their image as thought leaders. Downloadable guides such as these contain insightful, high-quality content which provides readers with requisite information about a particular topic such as how-to guides.
Case Studies
Case studies are a go-to push that marketers use to help clients arrive at a decision (the one that ultimately results in shaking hands). The purpose of case studies is to essentially present an in-depth, start to finish approach undertaken by a company to serve its clients. It begins with a problem, followed by the solutions offered, results achieved and supported by client testimonials.
White papers
White papers are a no-nonsense, to-the-point, technical content material that is intended to educate readers in addition to building your reputation as an expert in the industry. White papers, if done correctly, (by this we mean no tooting your own trumpet or using flowery language) are a surefire way of convincing clients of your credibility and warming them up towards your products or services.
Proposals & Presentations
Proposals and presentations are the collaterals that focus on the value that partnering with your company, can provide. While the traditional PPT and PDF formats are still used by companies, for an engaging experience-interactive presentations are becoming a popular choice for sparking interests. Proposals and presentations help clients weigh in on their options at the decision stage.
If you are looking for an experienced agency specializing in creating effective marketing collaterals, get in touch with us here TODAY!