Product-led content shouldn't feel like marketing

I've noticed that most marketers and founders are afraid to sell through their content because it would feel too much like marketing.

That’s because they don’t know how to create high-quality product-led content that helps, educates, and differentiates you from the sea of bad content.

In this article (https://chillital.com/product-led-content-should-not-feel-like-marketing/), I covered 👇

• What product-led content is;
• Why people hate bad marketing, and how you can avoid that;
• Why product-led content is useful for your startup;
• Ways to prioritize and create product-led content

So here's a breakdown!

1️⃣ WHAT IT IS
Unlike most advertisements, product-led content is not explicitly trying to get you to buy something. It generally isn’t even trying to make money by directly asking for it (though some companies do that). Instead, product-led content is trying to solve a problem for the person who reads it, hopefully through your product. It is written in a way that answers the question: “What can this product do for me?”

At best, product-led content can be leveraged to create a better customer experience. At worst, it’s a crutch for lazy writers and lazy marketers.

2️⃣ THE PROBLEM
There’s a common misconception that writing about your product means direct sales, and of course – we, as marketers, want to be the least obvious when trying to make a sale.

Because people hate marketers.

Because people hate marketing.

Because people hate being sold to.

You’ve been told wrong.

People don’t hate marketing. They hate bad marketing.

3️⃣ THE SOLUTION
So, how do you write about your product without being over-salesy?

⭐ What is your audience’s most significant pain point?

There are three primary purposes for writing good product-led content: building your brand, communicating the benefits of your product, and improving engagement and retention with customers. To do this well, you need to know how to write about your product in a way that isn’t just selling for the sake of it – because selling isn’t selling if the reader doesn’t want it.

To achieve that, you need to understand and know your audience’s pain points. Why would they use your product? Why is your product the best choice for them?

The best way to find out the answer to these questions is to ask your customers.

⭐Pain-agitate-solution framework

This framework works well because most people don’t know or care that something is a problem until they have already made up their minds about it.

Before you solve a problem, you have to realize that it exists, and then you have to decide whether it’s a problem worth solving. That’s the agitate part.

Next comes the solution: once you’ve decided that the problem is worth solving, the rest follows naturally.

Keep this framework in mind when crafting your content draft.

⭐Highlight your product

Your product needs to flow naturally into the narrative of your content. The easiest way to do this is to show readers how your product works and let them experience the benefits of using it first hand.

When you show the reader how your software works, the first step is to establish trust. So the goal of this phase is to:

• Make the reader comfortable with your software (by showing them lots of screenshots and videos).
• Make clear that you understand what they’re trying to do.
• Show them exactly how it works (through GIFs and illustrations).

⭐Show your readers the next steps

Start with a goal. It could be as simple as “I want people to sign up for my newsletter.” Then decide what the reader must do to reach that goal. If you want them to sign up for your newsletter, will they need to click a link? Will they need to fill out a form?

Whatever it is, make sure it’s easy for the reader to do. Make it obvious and attractive. If you can, use an image or a button with an action-oriented caption like “Sign Up” or “Buy Now.”

Now don’t stop there. A single CTA probably isn’t enough to seal the deal if your readers aren’t already convinced. You’ll need more content — blog posts, articles, e-books, videos, etc. — to build trust and prove that you’re worth signing up for. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle CTAs throughout this content too!

The power of a CTA is undeniable, but the best ones have certain traits in common:

• Focus on what you want customers to do; not what you want them to think or feel
• Create urgency by including words like “now” or “today”
• Use active verbs like “join” or “register.”

🏁

And remember...

When you’re watching movies, two types of “product-led content” can be emphasized:

1. A random product placement, such as General Motors in “Transformers”;
2. A plot that revolves around the product, such as the blue crystals cooked by Heisenberg.

A good product-led strategy breaks bad. It highlights your product as the best solution to a problem.

It’s a means of differentiating your content and approach from your competitors.

Check out my full article if you've enjoyed this - https://chillital.com/product-led-content-should-not-feel-like-marketing/