Getting customers into the top of the funnel is the easy part. Blog posts, good SEO and social media content can all make potential buyers aware of your products. A customer that has arrived at the bottom of the funnel is easy as well. They don't need to be told why to buy, they just need you to make the "how" easy for them.

But, when a customer knows about your product or services, but hasn't yet made the jump to buying, it can be tricky to figure out how to move them through the marketing funnel. It is important not to neglect customers in this valuable space. By including those prospects who are in between awareness and decision in your marketing plan and sales budget, you can increase your sales and bring back more repeat customers. These customers respond to different content than those at other stages. Speaking to their specific needs can help build the relationship that you want.

You have their attention. Now your job is to show them the way that your product is the best one to solve their current dilemma. Identify competitors and show why your company is best. Describe the ways that your product is the most beneficial option. Include well-written content in your sales budget to influence these highly qualified prospects.

A few ideas for content that converts to sales:

• Put some of your content behind a landing page with a conversion form. This allows you to continue communication after they have visited your page.
• Write personalized emails that address your customer based on where they are in their marketing funnel. It can often take several interactions with your site and content for a prospect to be ready to make a buying decision.
• Create comparison charts. A simple check-list that shows what you have that the other guy doesn't can be a big motivator.
• Offer ROI calculators. By letting customers come to your site and decide on their own whether your product is worthwhile, you can show value without a hard sell that can scare a potential customer off.
• Webinars and how-to slide shows can not only give customers ideas about how well your products work. They can show your potential customers additional ways to use your products and services and even result in upsells and peripheral purchases.
• Write or commission case studies. By showing how your product has helped other customers, you can demonstrate your value to your new prospects.
• Create detailed buying guides that show, in detail, what features your product has that can be of value to your prospective clients.
• Shoot explainer videos that show ways to use your product. By demonstrating the quality and ease of use, you can help your prospect decide if your product is for them.
• If you sell a service, offer videos of your experts at speaking engagements or shoot how-to videos. This shows that your team has the knowledge and skills that your prospective customer needs.

By working to keep customers engaged and interested once they have entered the marketing, you can build a much stronger relationship. You build a stronger case for why your product is the best. This leads to more sales, higher satisfaction and customers who are more likely to return to buy from you again. By including this sort of marketing content in your sales budget, you build better sales now and more sustainable profits over time.