1. PR, Content Marketing
& the Sales Funnel

2. A typical sales funnel
consists of:
 Awareness
 Generation of leads
 Conversion into an
opportunity
 Evaluation of the
product or service
 Retention of the
resulting customers
Awareness
Leads
Opportunity
Evaluate
Customer

3. There is a common assumption that leads
are the responsibility of marketing,
conversion is a sales role & retention is the
job of customer service…

4. This is wrong!

5. Marketing should be involved throughout the
entire sales process, delivering targeted &
insightful content that meets the needs of
individuals at each stage.

6. Stimulate Interest to Capture Contact Details

7. Offer valuable
content in exchange
for a registration on
the website

8. Provide different materials to
meet needs at each stage of
the sales funnel

9. Generate leads
through the use of
scenario-setting
content, for instance
materials that discuss
the prospects
situation & challenges

10. Once a customer is
aware of the solution,
the use of relevant case
studies can help to
validate the product or
service, and
demonstrate the
tangible benefits that
can be achieved!

11. Once an individual
considers a product or
service, they will move
to the evaluation stage

12. In a B2B technology environment,
evaluation will involve detailed
research & assessment, with
analyst reports and technical
information used to support
benchmarking

13. Approaches will differ when it comes to retention of customers

14. The best approach depends on the
industry, product or service

15. For fast moving technology, communicate
information about upgrades & improvements

16. Software companies
should continually
communicate the benefits
of improvements made

17. Word of Mouth (WoM) referrals are
the most effective way to attract new
leads & influence their buying decision

18. Create a brand story that’s talkable & shareable

19. Social media amplifies word of mouth

20. Understand how the different types of
content can be effective when used at
different stages of the sales funnel

21. Content marketing can significantly increase
Lead Generation
Conversion Rates
Customer Retention