Sales Enablement Content: The Secret Weapon to Boosting Your Sales and Customer Service

In sales, content is king. Your business can close more deals and increase customer satisfaction by creating and leveraging the right sales enablement content. But what is sales enablement content, and how can it benefit your business?

TDLR:

• If you’re a small business, start slowly with sales enablement to maximize your resources.
• Target your content to the right audiences in the proper channels and measure gains.

What is sales enablement content?

Sales Enablement content refers to any content created by a company to help leads and clients understand how solutions can benefit them. Additionally, this content enables the sales and client service teams to follow every step of the buying journey. Sales enablement content is essential for both your sales and client services teams, as well as your leads and clients.

Sales enablement is essential for every company. That’s why 92% of large companies in the USA use sales enablement.ⁱ But it’s equally, if not more, important for small to medium-sized businesses like yours. About 40% of companies with sales teams under 25 people also use sales enablement – Your business should, too!ⁱⁱ

Smaller businesses typically have limited resources and budgets, so maximizing your investment is essential. Using sales enablement content can help your SMB to:

• Generate qualified leads.
• Nurture leads every step of the way.
• Provide the content to help close more deals.
• Become a thought leader.
• Build trust by becoming a trusted advisor.

According to a study by the Sales Enablement Society, 74% of sales leaders say that sales enablement significantly impacts their team's performance.ⁱⁱⁱ

Ways you can get started with sales enablement content.

We recommend starting small and then expanding your content. Find your teams, products, or services that need improvement the most, then work outwards. Here are a few tips:

1. Pick your targets - What market(s) are you trying to reach, and what solutions will work best for them? Identify your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and Buyer Persona(s).

2. Select your content format - Some content is better for generating leads, such as blog posts, while others are better for nurturing leads. Other content is better for closing leads. *Don’t forget to have content for your internal teams, too.

3. Ensure your content is engaging - You need to create high-quality content that engages your audience and drives them to the next step in the sequence.

4. Let everyone know - Content in a closet doesn’t do anything. Ensure your content is shown on your social media, newsletters, website, etc.

5. Keep track - Develop and use metrics to track website and social media traffic, lead generation, and conversion rates. Remember your sales growth, pipeline, and customer interactions that lead to increased satisfaction.

What are the types of sales enablement content?

There are many ways you can be creative with your sales content and many different types of content you can produce. Remember that you may have to repeat the same or similar messages on different platforms to reach your ideal audience(s). Here are some of the most popular types of sales enablement content:

1. Social Media - You can produce a single post or multiple posts to your followers or purchase a campaign to nurture or convert leads. Combine this with more in-depth content methods such as blogs or eBooks.

2. Case Studies - By demonstrating success in a particular business or in a challenged area, you can show your leads that your company has the right solution.

3. eBooks - eBooks are a powerful way to nurture leads and explain conceptual or complex solutions. One of our eBooks from TigerLRM may have led you to our website. There is a high perceived value in industry-targeted eBooks. Your eBook should be targeted to a general audience.

4. Whitepapers - Whitepapers take your information in eBooks to the next level; they educate and position your company and staff as experts instead of simply generating leads. Whitepapers are generally more technical than eBooks, but you still want to consider the needs of your audience, who aren’t as technically savvy as you might expect them to be.

5. Webinars - Live webinars and seminars are a fantastic way to engage with leads and customers. You can educate them live virtually or in person. The advantage of this type of “content” is that you get immediate feedback and can adjust your message to the audience.

6. Infographics - Infographics have a unique role; they can be shared easily on social media and can melt down complex ideas into easy-to-understand visuals.

7. Videos - Videos, especially on YouTube, where they can easily be shared, or Vimeo, can be a powerful way to engage your potential customers and use your expertise to become a trusted product knowledge expert.

8. Podcasts - Podcasts can go a long way to form a community, drive engagement, and drive audience growth. Like videos, podcasting can help establish your voice as a trusted expert.

How can you create effective sales enablement content?

Now that you know the different ways you can distribute your sales enablement content, here are a few techniques and tips for creating that content as you write and plan:

1. Who is your audience - For each unique piece of content, determine whom you are trying to reach, the solutions they need, and where they are in their buyer's journey. You’ll also need to make associated content for your teams so they can match those journeys.

2. Where is your audience - You need relevant content that adds value, but you have to place that content where your audience will be. Pursuing just one outlet is not advisable, choose many outlets and be sure that the outlets you choose are where your audience “lives.”

3. Keep it simple - Make your content easy to understand and have it offer relevant solutions early on. Remember that even if your audience is highly technical, the decision-makers might not be.

4. Include a call to action - Tell your audience what to do next, make a purchase, contact you, get more information, or whatever relevant step you need them to take.

Measurement of your sales enablement content is crucial.

Use your Metrics, including your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), to follow how well your content performs, and remember to update regularly. You can do A/B testing by changing content slightly to see which version does better, then do another A/B test on the better version.

Don’t get overwhelmed when starting in sales enablement content.

If you are a small to medium-sized company, don’t get overwhelmed by feeling you must do it all at once. Start with just a few pieces of content to help the departments that need it most. Remember to stay relevant to your target audience. You can also repurpose some material. A blog can become an eBook, and so on. Be sure to use multiple targeted channels and continuously track your results.

In closing

Sales enablement content is a highly effective tool for your small and medium-sized business to generate more leads, nurture them more efficiently, and ultimately close more deals. By developing and sharing top-notch sales enablement content, your company can establish itself as an industry thought leader, building credibility and trust with potential customers.