Quick quiz...Which one of these cold email subject lines is the most effective?
- "Hey!"
- "Important message!"
- "Buy our product!"
- "Opportunity of a lifetime!"
- "You won't believe what we're offering!"
- "URGENT: Last chance to save!"
- "Quick question!"
- "Free stuff inside!"
- "Make money fast!"
- "Don't miss out on this amazing deal!"
Answer: Of course, absolutely none of them!
Good B2B Marketers and sales people understand that their job is to help, educate and facilitate the buying process. Your content is a vital part of your persuasion toolkit, however it must be aligned to where your buyer is in their buying journey. The wrong message at the wrong time won't work or worse, might even alienate a prospect.
The buying process consists of four stages:
Develop trigger content:
Trigger content describes the content used to generate that all-important first conversation to convert a stranger to your organisation into a lead.
Triggering a buying journey
Businesses should use both internal and external triggers to target decision-makers. Time invested in understanding the internal, more emotional triggers as well as the external factors that drive decision-making, means your business can develop much more effective content to use in marketing campaigns and to start sales conversations with your target buyers.
Internal triggers usually come from the emotional state of the buyer. Negative emotions, pain if you like, create a greater sense of urgency than the drive to achieve a greater good or goal, though often, of course, one begets the other.
Here are some examples of internal triggers a buyer might have:
- I feel overwhelmed by the volume of work and want to find a solution to streamline processes and increase efficiency.
- I'm frustrated with the current vendor or supplier and want to explore alternative options.
- Due to <x> having just happened, I have a new sense of urgency to address this particular problem or issue; it's negatively affecting the business.
- I feel overwhelmed by the complexity of a particular project or task, and I'm seeking out tools or resources to simplify or automate the process.
- I'm dissatisfied with the performance of a particular team member or department, and I'm seeking out training or support to address the issue.
- I feel uncertain about the effectiveness or ROI of a particular business strategy, and I'm looking for data or case studies to inform future decisions.
- I have a sense of urgency to meet a deadline or achieve a particular goal, and I'm looking for ways to help with the task.
- I'm dissatisfied with the current customer service or support level, and I'm exploring alternative suppliers.
- I'm frustrated with the complexity or inefficiency of a particular process or system, and I'm looking for a simpler solution.
As for writing content using external triggers, you will notice as you read the list below how many of them rely on someone or something that is within the buyer's community or ecosystem. External influence often relies on a trusted and authentic source. Don't underestimate the power of creating your own compelling thought leadership and becoming a trusted and authentic source yourself.
- I keep hearing positive feedback or recommendations about a particular vendor or supplier from colleagues or industry peers.
- I've been reading an industry report or news article highlighting the benefits of a particular product or service for businesses in the same industry or sector.
- I've received a referral or recommendation from a trusted business partner or industry expert.
- I keep seeing a competitor using a particular product or service, and I want to explore it as an option for us.
- I attended a conference or trade show where a particular product or service was being showcased and became interested in it.
- I saw a compelling case study from a company in a similar industry or sector that showcased the benefits they'd received from deploying a particular product or service.
- I received a targeted advertisement or email promoting a particular product or service that addresses my business needs at the right time.
How much more powerful will your email, blogs, social posts and other communications become if you and your team sit down and brainstorm what some of these internal and external triggers look like for your buyers...
...and then use these conversations when you write your marketing content calendar or your sales outreach emails.
Interested in learning more about building a compelling content strategy for your sales and marketing teams to use? Let's have an initial discussion.
