How Content Marketing Drives Sales for Your Mental Wellness Business

Jessica Thiefels on Wednesday, January 25, 2023

how content marketing drives sales

You’ve probably wondered how content marketing drives sales. How does it actually support the bottom line and lead to conversion? This a great (and common) question with an answer that is multi-faceted. 

First and foremost, the data shows that content marketing can be a valuable sales tool for both B2B and B2C organizations. CMI’s 2023 report found that 67 percent of B2B marketers and 63 percent of B2C marketers report that content marketing generates demand and leads.

We know it works, but here’s where it gets a little complicated. It only works when it’s done right

Creating content, sharing on social, or sending emails without a strategy or intention is not going to positively impact your bottom line. Here’s what you need to know to get it right and how content marketing drives sales when you do.

How to Do Content Marketing RIGHT

Not all content marketing is created equal. If you want to know how content marketing drives sales you first have to know how to do it correctly. I love how Brafton talks about the value of successful content: 

“​​Modern buyers know an advertisement when they see one, and more often than not, they’re not interested in hearing a sales pitch. Content solves this problem by creating value for buyers before they make a purchase—sometimes before they’ve even considered making a purchase. Content that answers questions, addresses pain points, or provides relevant information is content that buyers want to read. Brands that can provide helpful and insightful content are more likely to appeal to people who are ready to make a purchase.”

If you’re ready to translate your content marketing into sales, here’s what you need to do.

Have a Strategy

CMI also found that 64 percent of B2B marketing top performers have a documented strategy. This is necessary if you’re creating content. Your strategy needs to include why you’re doing it, who you’re speaking to, and a clear integrated content strategy so you can clearly see how it all works together and execute properly.

Be Data-Driven

Without the data, you’ll never know how content marketing drives sales for your business. Tracking important metrics on a monthly basis is critical to seeing success. Some of those important metrics, other than sales and conversions, include: organic traffic, time on page, and top-visited content.

Maintain Consistency

Consistency matters, whether you’re sending emails, writing blog content, or posting on social media. Listen to this Thrive Through Marketing episode on why consistency is the missing ingredient in your organic strategy.

Optimize for SEO

Any and all blog content needs to be optimized for SEO. If you’re not doing this, you’re missing out on one of the greatest benefits: ranking higher in Google. When you rank higher, you get in front of potential customers and clients who are looking for what you have to offer but don’t know you exist yet. You create a new and sustainable stream of customers and traffic. 

It’s also important to remember that, if you run an app, app store SEO isn’t enough. Learn about app SEO versus website SEO to find out why.

Optimize for Sales

If sales are the end goal, all content needs to be created with this in mind. This means adding in-text ads to your blog posts, clear CTAs in your social media posts, and sales opportunities within emails, on podcast guest spots, and more. If you’re not asking for the sale, you’re going to have a hard time getting it. 

Provide Value at Every Stage

Your potential customers can come to your website at a variety of buying stages. This “buyer’s journey” includes:

  • Awareness
  • Consideration
  • Decision

You have to build content that caters to each of these stages to create opportunities for sales.

How Content Marketing Drives Sales

We still haven’t covered how content marketing drives sales. Because content is created and distributed among so many mediums and channels, there are many ways you can use it to increase conversions. Here are a few to keep in mind.

Enables Your Sales Team

Create content with the client or customer in mind and then empower your sales team. The best way to do this is to meet with your sales and customer teams quarterly to find out what common questions, issues, and challenges leads and customers are facing. Create content to address those issues (blog posts, videos, etc.), and then make that your sales and customer teams are sharing the content with potential leads and customers.

Learn about how to create a content strategy to drive sales to better understand how you can do this.

Connects With Your Audience 

If you’re speaking the language of your client or customer, they’re more likely to connect with it. This is so important in the mental wellness space because mental health is personal. Your content should be treated with the same care and thought as you would treat the person reading it. 

As you write and edit content, consider these questions to make sure it will connect:

  • Are we using words and phrases our audience uses?
  • Will the reader feel heard and seen?
  • Are we maintaining our brand voice to build trust?
  • Does this feel authentic and genuine?

Keeps Potential Customers Engaged 

Content marketing keeps potential customers engaged, whether you’re sending emails weekly, posting on social media daily, or publishing blog posts monthly and this translates to sales. In fact, 2022 consumer trends data shows that 35 percent of surveyed consumers report making a purchase after watching a social media brand’s live stream.

By keeping your audience engaged, you’re also keeping your brand top of mind. When it comes time to find the solution you have to offer, they’re more likely to remember the brand they’ve been hearing from regularly (you) versus a competitor.

Highlights Your Values

Sharing about your brand values matters more now than ever before. This is especially true when talking about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. McKinsey found that more than two-thirds of younger survey respondents report that at least one of these areas is “very important” to them. Make your values known through your content marketing to drive sales.

Increases Overall Website Traffic

Ultimately, your website is your digital storefront. The more traffic you can bring through your website, the more likely you are to drive sales. Great content marketing increases traffic through proper SEO (ranking in search engines) and pointing people back to your website from other platforms. The more streams of traffic you can create, the more likely you are to maintain that steady flow of ideal clients and customers.

Use Content Marketing to Grow Your Mental Wellness Business

Content marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have—in our modern world, it’s absolutely necessary. Great content connects with your audience, creates value, and ultimately, drives sales. Now that you know how content marketing drives sales, the next step is to get it right.

If you don’t have the resources or knowledge to do that in-house, let’s talk. Check out how my team and I helped clients like Lionel University and Paperless Agent increase traffic, connect with more clients, and drive more sales.

We Can Turn Your Content Marketing Into a Sales Tool