Can Content Marketing Help Increase Sales? Find Out How

Julia McCoy

Julia McCoy

Creator and Co-founder

can content marketing help increase sales

Can content marketing help increase sales?

This is a question that many entrepreneurs, business owners, and marketers often ponder.

Good news: IT CAN. 🎉

In the digital age, it’s essential to construct a robust online presence and interact with potential customers by offering them value through content.

This builds trust and affinity with your audience, which can translate to sales.

Throughout this post, you’ll discover how quality content can boost organic rankings on Google, generate leads, and cater to different stages of the buyer’s journey:

  • From building awareness with top-of-funnel (ToFu) content…
  • To nurturing prospects using middle-of-funnel (MoFu) content…
  • And ultimately driving conversions via bottom-of-funnel (BoFu) offerings.

Ultimately, you’ll understand why we can answer the question “Can content marketing help increase sales?” with a resounding YES.

Table of Contents: Can Content Marketing Help Increase Sales?

Why Can Content Marketing Help Increase Sales?

The question “Can content marketing increase sales?” has a definite answer.

Yes x 1,000,000,000.

Content marketing has proven to be a powerful tool for businesses looking to increase sales and drive growth.

In fact, content marketing generates 67% more leads than traditional marketing methods and improves search engine rankings, which leads to increased traffic, sales, and ROI.

companies with blogs get 67% more leads

By creating high-quality content that aligns with search algorithms and your audience’s needs, you can significantly boost your sales.

How does content marketing drive sales?

Let’s talk about it.

It Generates Leads

The main reason content marketing drives sales?

It’s a nurturing marketing strategy.

The content you publish essentially provides a service to your potential customers. It should help them, educate them, inform them, or give them value in some fashion.

For example, by reading your content, your prospect might learn something they never knew before. Or, they might get a much-needed answer to a pressing question they’re facing in their life. (And, if your content is optimized for SEO, that potential customer probably searched Google for the answer and found your content waiting for them.)

Helpful, useful, valuable content has the power to connect with your people on a level that traditional marketing just can’t match.

This connection is what turns them from random traffic browsing websites, or casual visitors, into potential customers with a real interest in your expertise, your brand, and what you offer.

That’s why, to make the most out of your content marketing strategy, it’s super important to focus on providing valuable information that addresses your potential customer’s pain points or interests.

This approach not only helps you attract traffic but also establishes trust among your audience by demonstrating expertise in your field.

Moreover, offering solutions through informative blog posts or engaging social media posts encourages readers to share the content within their networks, further expanding your reach and driving new leads into your sales cycle.

It Boosts Organic Rankings on Google

By creating keyword-rich content, you’ll help search engine crawlers effectively crawl your website, index it, and rank it. And ranking highly boosts your visibility on Google. (That’s a great reason to do SEO.)

In fact, the #1 result on an average SERP (search engine results page) earns 39.8% of all clicks for that page.

click-through rate for top organic result on google

In comparison, the first ad result on a SERP only earns 1.2 – 2.1% of the clicks. (Dismal. 😓)

Creating high-quality content gives you a better chance of ranking, and a better chance of nabbing that visibility. Naturally, that also leads to more traffic coming in, more leads, and more sales.

How do you create content that wins and ranks? Some good strategies include:

  • Evergreen content: Creating evergreen content is an effective way of maintaining relevance over time. This content type continues attracting visitors long after it has been published due to its timeless nature (e.g., how-to guides).
  • Pillar pages & topic clusters: Organizing related articles around central pillar pages allows for a better internal linking structure. This improves your overall site architecture and boosts SEO performance.
  • Backlinks: Earning high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources in your industry helps improve domain authority and search engine rankings. Producing valuable, shareable content is a surefire way to attract these coveted links.

pillar content strategy

Content marketing is a powerful tool for increasing sales, as it allows your business to reach more potential customers through the boost of organic rankings on Google.

However, you can take it further if you create content tailored to different stages of the buyer’s journey, which we’ll discuss next. ➡️

Content Marketing Caters to Different Stages of the Buyer’s Journey

To drive conversions through content marketing, focus on creating content for each stage of the buyer’s journey: top-of-funnel (ToFu), middle-of-funnel (MoFu), and bottom-of-funnel (BoFu).

tornado funnel

Offering a mix of general information alongside specific solutions helps build trust with your target audience. By understanding their needs at every step, you can create content that resonates with them and ultimately leads to increased sales.

Top-of-Funnel (ToFu) Content for Awareness Building

At this stage, potential customers are just becoming aware of their problems or needs. To capture their attention, create informative and engaging content focusing on pain points, industry trends, or educational resources. Some effective ToFu content types include:

  • Blog posts.
  • Social media posts.
  • E-books.
  • Infographics.
  • Videos.

Middle-of-Funnel (MoFu) Content for Nurturing Prospects

In the MoFu stage, prospects have identified their problem and are actively seeking solutions. Your goal is to position your brand as an authority in solving these issues by providing valuable insights that help them make informed decisions. Consider creating more in-depth content like:

  • Case studies.
  • Email newsletters.
  • Tutorials.
  • Webinars.

This type of content should showcase your expertise and demonstrate how your products or services can address their needs effectively.

Bottom-of-Funnel (BoFu) Content for Driving Conversions

The BoFu stage is where prospects are ready to make a purchase decision. Your content should focus on convincing them that your solution is the best choice among competitors. Some effective BoFu content types include:

  • Product demos.
  • Customer testimonials.
  • Pricing comparisons.
  • Free trials or consultations.

Tip: Create compelling calls-to-action within this content, urging potential customers to take the next step in their buyer’s journey — whether that means signing up for a free trial, requesting more information, or making a purchase.

Creating content tailored to each stage of your customer’s journey can give you a huge boost in visibility. You’ll also nurture them more effectively by addressing their needs throughout their whole path to purchasing. Ultimately, that can give your sales (and bottom line) a big lift.

How on earth do you plan to create all of these types of content? You need a process. Get it in my Content Process Blueprint. This is THE guide you need to plan, create, publish, and promote content (with a touch of AI strategy)!

content process blueprint

4 Content Marketing Strategies That Can Help Increase Sales

Can content marketing help increase sales in more than one way?

Yes. Let’s look at some great strategies to use to nurture your audience, generate leads, and increase sales through content.

As you’ll see, if you diversify your content channels, you’ll reach a wider range of potential customers.

1. Create Content Tailored to Your Audience

Understanding how different types of content assets fit into your overall strategy is essential if you want to increase sales through content.

Create Blog Articles Targeting Multiple Buyer Personas

To effectively target various segments of your audience, it’s crucial to create buyer personas. These fictional representations help identify the needs and preferences of potential customers, allowing you to craft content that resonates with them.

Once you’ve established some brand personas, you can use them to create content. (Read our long-form content guide to learn exactly how to create pieces that get results.)

Here are some key steps for creating engaging blog articles:

  • Identify key topics: Determine which subjects or themes will interest your target audience based on their pain points and desires.
  • Create compelling headlines: Write attention-grabbing titles that encourage readers to click through and read the full article.
  • Incorporate relevant keywords: Use SEO best practices by including targeted keywords throughout your blog content. This helps improve search engine rankings and visibility.
  • Add visuals: Improve reader engagement by adding images, infographics, or videos to the post where it makes sense.
  • Promote sharing: Encourage social media sharing by adding share buttons for popular platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. This makes it easy for readers to spread the word about your content.

To create content faster without losing quality, consider using an AI tool like Content at Scale. This is the ONLY long-form AI writing tool I use and recommend to streamline and improve your content process.

content at scale

Develop White Papers Offering Deep-Dive Analysis

Apart from blog articles, white papers are another powerful content marketing tool. They provide in-depth analysis and insights on specific topics, showcasing your expertise and thought leadership.

White papers can help generate leads by offering valuable information that readers may not find elsewhere. Here’s how to create an effective white paper:

  1. Select a relevant topic: Choose a subject that addresses the needs of your target audience while demonstrating your industry knowledge.
  2. Conduct thorough research: Gather data from various sources such as surveys, interviews, or case studies to support your claims and arguments within the white paper.
  3. Create a clear structure: Organize the content into sections with headings and subheadings for easy navigation and readability.
  4. Design professionally: Ensure that your white paper has a visually appealing layout, making it easier for readers to digest complex information.

Need some inspiration? Here’s a great example of a white paper by Vimeo:

white paper example by vimeo

You’ll find more white paper examples in this CoSchedule guide.

Incorporating both blog articles targeting multiple buyer personas and developing comprehensive white papers allows you to cater effectively to different segments of your audience.

By tailoring your content to your different personas, you‘re more likely to see increased engagement, conversions, and ultimately sales growth for your business.

2. Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool that can help you increase sales through your content marketing strategy.

By encouraging customers to share their experiences with your products or services, and by participating in relevant conversations within your niche, you can build trust while driving organic traffic to your website.

3. Encourage Customers’ Testimonials and Reviews

Testimonials and reviews from customers can provide valuable insights into their needs while also organically building brand awareness across multiple channels.

Here’s how you can encourage this type of consumer-generated content:

  • Email campaigns: Reach out to existing customers asking them for feedback on their recent purchases or interactions with your company.
  • Social media posts: Share positive reviews on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram. This will not only showcase the quality of your product/service but also prompt other users to share their own experiences.
  • Incentives: Offer incentives such as discounts or exclusive offers in exchange for honest feedback from customers.

4. Engage in Relevant Discussion Forums

Beyond user-generated content, another way to increase sales through content marketing is by actively participating in industry-related forums.

These online communities allow professionals like you to engage with potential clients without coming off as overly promotional. This helps build your credibility and gets your brand name more airtime.

To make the most of these opportunities:

  1. Identify relevant forums: Find online communities where your target audience is active, such as Reddit, Quora, or niche-specific discussion boards.
  2. Create a professional profile: Set up an account that reflects your expertise and includes links to your website and social media profiles.
  3. Share valuable insights: Answer questions, provide advice, and share resources related to the topics being discussed. Avoid direct promotion of your products/services; instead, focus on establishing yourself as a knowledgeable resource within the community.

Can Content Marketing Help Increase Sales? You Bet.

Content marketing can be a potent way to increase sales in your business.

It helps you reach the right audience, target them at different stages of their buyer’s journey, and ultimately nurture them so they’ll be more likely to eventually convert and make a purchase.

With the right implementation and optimization techniques, it’s possible for any business to reap the rewards that come from effective content marketing.

The answer then is yes: Can content marketing help increase sales? Absolutely.

BUT — if your content marketing is on life support, kiss those dreams of sales goodbye.

You can still turn it around, though! You just need the right strategy.

That’s what I teach in my coaching program, the Content Transformation System. ✅✅

Get the strategy, systems, and skills you need to grow your business through rock-solid content marketing. (These are the exact ones I used to grow my first business to over $5 million in revenue.)

Let’s build your strategy together! Apply today to get inside the program.

content transformation system

Become a Content Hacker

Collaborate with other growth-minded, savvy Content Hackers – plus a host of experts. The price of two coffees/month gets you in.