Spice Up Your Content Marketing Strategy with a Dash of Pain or a Pinch of Pleasure

Your business exists to solve a problem, and the success of your business depends on your ability to show potential customers how you can help them.

Most businesses overcomplicate the content creation process by wasting precious time and money creating content assets that no one really cares about. “How To” blog posts, social media posts about national donut day, and TikTok videos of your team dancing out the latest trends are fine, but should not be the only types of content you’re pumping out of the idea factory.

Unless you have unlimited resources, which you don’t, then it’s imperative that you hone in on what your potential customers really care about.

How Content Can Turn a Lead into a Customer

There are two key triggers that cause a consumer to make a purchase.

1. Avoiding Pain
2. Seeking Pleasure

Yes, it is that simple.

Imagine this scenario: A storm passes through with high winds causing that half-dead tree to topple over, blocking the majority of your driveway and trapping your vehicles in the garage. You have no choice but to take care of this immediately since you need your cars to get to work and take the kiddos to practice after school. Suddenly, everything you had planned is put on hold to find a service that can remove the tree from your yard to get you back on schedule. You will hire the first reputable company that is available asap.

Or how you’d approach this plan: Your daughter is expecting her first child in a couple of months which will also be your first grandchild. Everything has to be perfect for the arrival of this new little addition. The baby shower is next week and you want to get her the perfect gift. Your mother bought a beautiful crib and dresser for your first baby’s nursery, and you’ve set your heart on doing the same. You will seek out the store who can deliver what you envision.

The content you create to attract and convert new customers to your business NEEDS to speak to the pain it helps people avoid (or a problem they have that needs fixed) OR the pleasure it can provide.

They make the decision to part ways with their hard-earned money for your product or service because of the result it will provide them.

Focus On: What’s in it For Your Buyer

Show them how you are the very best solution for helping them avoid their pain or achieve the pleasure they seek.

This is not done by talking about the features. People do not buy a product for its features.

They buy products for the value it provides which aligns with the problem they face.

Think about the last time you bought sheets.

There’s a wide range of options from the very inexpensive 100 thread count sheets under $20 to 1000 thread count sheets for over $100. No one is dropping over $100 on bed sheets because of a thread count unless they understand what that difference can do for them.

The thread count is a feature that does not hold up on its own.

The benefit of higher thread count sheets is that they are softer and more comfortable. Comfort is definitely high on most people’s list when choosing their bedding, but is that enough?

What’s the real value here? The value is where the consumer is sold.

Softer sheets that are more comfortable can provide a better night’s sleep. A great night’s sleep lets you wake up fully energized, more productive at work, and in a better mood to interact with your family and friends.

You are not buying a thread count. You’re buying a great night’s sleep that leads to performing your best.

Let Your Value Drive Your Content Creation Process

Outline the features, benefits, and value of your products and services. Determine how they align with your buyer persona’s desire to avoid pain or seek pleasure.

THAT is how the content you create can turn readers into leads and leads into customers.

Pain and pleasure are both powerful motivators that can be harnessed to create content that resonates with your target audience and drives them to take action. By identifying your audience’s pain points, highlighting the benefits of your product or services, and allowing your content to create emotional connections with potential customers, you can create content that drives business growth.

Neon Goldfish has a knack for turning your value into content that converts.

Let us help you bridge the gap between what you want to say and what your audience hears. Contact Neon Goldfish to learn more about how we can create and implement an effective content marketing strategy for your small business.

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By Ken Franzen

President / Co-Founder of Neon Goldfish