4 Ways Businesses Can Use Informational Content To Boost Sales

If you have read the title of this piece carefully, you may have found yourself facing quite a bit of a dilemma.

What do you mean – using informational content to boost sales? Aren’t the two mutually exclusive?

While you are certainly correct – and a sales-based copy is what we usually associate with boosting the bottom line – informational content can certainly play a part in your sales strategy. And an important one, too.

In this post, we’ll look at how providing information can lead to more sales.

4 Ways To Use Informational Content

Let’s first touch upon using informational content to your advantage.

1. Select The Right Format

There is more to informational content than blog posts. Sure, longer posts are one of the ways to go, but you can choose other formats as well.

Videos are an easy way to digest information in a more relaxed way, especially if they are made really well. You can post them on YouTube or Instagram, or you can host them on your blog – either way will work well.

You can also do audio content, specifically in the form of podcasts, which are becoming increasingly popular. People love to enjoy them during their commute or just while driving, which is your chance to attract their attention.

Then, there are e-books, presentations, courses – your options are limitless.

2. Choose The Right Subjects To Cover

The key to informational content is choosing the right topic to cover.

You want to discuss subjects that are of supreme interest to your target audience at different stages of the sales funnel.

To do this, you first need to identify the characteristics of different segments of your audience and determine whether they are looking for information, looking to make a purchase, or just browsing.

Once you have that, define the topics that would help someone out. Remember, you are still focusing on providing information, and not necessarily looking to make a sale.

You also want to rank well if you can, so identifying keywords that are not too competitive can give you that advantage. This might not be available to you, though, so don’t waste too much time looking for keywords that may not be there, if several hours of research have not yielded any.

3. Establish Your Authority & Expertise

The key to informational content is turning yourself into a trustworthy authority on the subject you are covering. And that’s what actually ends up boosting your sales.

You need to establish yourself as an expert as soon as possible. If this means providing some credentials in the intro or explaining your methodology in a paragraph or two, don’t refrain from adding it in.

Some readers and viewers won’t need you to prove your expertise, while others will want to know why they should take your advice before they read another word. Those who don’t need the proof can easily skip ahead, and those who want to know more about you will be satisfied by the option.

4. Consider The End Goal

The point of informational content is to educate – and you don’t want to sneak a sales pitch in there somewhere. Don’t even mention your product or service. Focus on providing value, and trust that your helping hand will inspire your readers to browse.

What you can do is link to your other pieces of content that may be more promotional in nature. Or, you can place a call to action (CTA) at the end of the article, inviting readers to learn more about you.

It may seem a bit unnatural not to push your agenda – but in order for the strategy to work, that is what you need to be doing.

And now, let’s take a look at three examples worth emulating:

3 Examples Of Informational Content

Here are three different ways to set about composing informational content:

A Guide

Here is Zoma’s guide on soft mattresses – it goes into extensive detail about everything you might want to know about a mattress before you buy it, and it also features a couple of recommendations for you to consider.

The main advantage of this kind of article is the sheer value that covers all the most important questions a customer may have, making this guide very linkable and shareable, too.

A How-To Guide

Another great way to do informational content is a how-to guide. Here is a post from Aura on seller feedback removal – it has a very detailed introduction explaining what the issue is, and then it goes into a step-by-step explanation of tackling the issue.

The topic is perfectly in line with the brand’s product (an Amazon repricer), and it will certainly answer a question that many Amazon sellers had. They’re clearly sporting value, and without pushing their own agenda.

A Compilation

You can create what is essentially a compilation page – a best-of, if you will. This one from Runner’s Athletics details running terms that might be interesting to both new and experienced runners alike.

The post pushes no agenda, and it is interesting to read. It is highly informative, not to mention targeting the brand’s core audience.

Final Thoughts

The purpose of informational content is to establish yourself as an authority and to offer a genuine helping hand to your audience. There is no sales pitch involved.

However, if you do your research and content production right, you’ll notice that your sales go up as well. Having answered some of the questions your target audience is faced with, you’ll undoubtedly reach new audiences and expand your word.

 

 

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