Let's face it: AI is getting better at cranking out informational content. And it’s not as if the internet wasn’t at saturation point with “top-of-funnel” content already. These days, if your prospects want the basics on a topic, chances are they’re by-passing a frustrating search experience and firing up an AI powered tool to get an overview. 

In previous articles, we’ve talked about this as an opportunity to sharpen your content strategy on serving transactional and commercial search intent. There’s a lot to gain by focusing on connecting with prospects who are further along the customer journey. More than not wasting resources on competing with the bots and mass-produced content, you set your sights on buyers who are more serious about making a purchase.

Content for people at this point in their journey has to go beyond simply providing interesting and useful information. These B2B prospects don't just want to read something — they need to do something.

Whether they’re building a budget, comparing their options, estimating ROI, or getting buy-in from other stakeholders, you need to help these high-intent prospects get the job done.

The key question is are you giving them what they need to at this pivotal point in their journey?

Failing to guide these motivated leads towards conversion with actionable paths forward means risking lost opportunities and wasted marketing spend. Making prospects work too hard to figure out what to do next leads to frustration with irrelevant messaging and they simply move on to more action-oriented vendors.

The solution is not just about creating intent-focused content but enabling intent-focused action. By providing more valuable experiences perfectly timed to meet buyer needs, and frictionless conversion paths that align with commercial intents, you can guide prospects to take the next step at their moment of highest motivation..

This guide will walk you through the practical steps you can take to make it easier for buyers to take the next step with your company.

How to Implement an Intent-Focused Content Strategy

Centering your content marketing efforts around intent is a multistep and ongoing process. It requires research and planning, as well as a willingness to adapt as you go. 

1 - Identify Customer Intent

At the heart of an intent-focused content strategy is an understanding of what people hope to accomplish when they type a query into a search engine. What specific "jobs" are prospects trying to accomplish when exhibiting commercial and transactional behaviour. What tasks are they seeking to complete? What questions need answering?

Broadly speaking, there are two types of search intentions that should be the focus:

Commercial Intent

Commercial intent indicates a prospect who is actively researching and comparing products and services to decide on a purchase. They are looking for content that helps them evaluate options by explaining features, showcasing customer success stories, and outlining pricing details.

Examples of commercial intent searches:

• "CRM software comparison"

• "Marketing automation tools for small businesses"

• "Best project management software 2023"

Transactional Intent 

With transactional intent, the searcher demonstrates they are at the final stage before executing a transaction. They are hunting for the most direct path to conversion, whether that's making an actual purchase, subscribing to a service, or booking a consultation.

Examples of transactional intent searches:

• "Schedule a demo with [Product Name]"

• "Get a quote for [Service Name]"

• "Buy [Product Name] online"

While meeting informational intent may still have a place for early stage awareness, the key to driving maximum conversions is doubling down on content aligned with commercial and transactional intentions. By focusing content efforts on these types of high-intent search behaviours, marketers can ensure they are reaching in-market prospects at their point-of-purchase consideration.

2 - Develop Intent-Focused Content

With intent defined and clarified, you can develop a content plan to deliver the right information in buyers’ search results to meet their needs. This includes mapping out content types, topics, and calls-to-action that will resonate with each intent stage.

To effectively match content to customer needs, deeply understand your target audience's pain points and the tasks they're trying to accomplish. These insights enable you to create content that both informs and prompts action.

For consideration-stage prospects exhibiting commercial intent:

• Focus on content that helps them evaluate options and make informed comparisons

• Provide detailed product/service information, feature breakdowns, and pricing guides

• Showcase customer success stories, case studies, and testimonials to build trust and credibility 

For transaction-stage prospects with high purchase intent:

• Prioritise content that directly facilitates conversions and reduces barriers to action

• Create landing pages optimised for specific transactional keywords and search queries

• Offer easy access to purchase/signup flows, quote request forms, and instant chat support

• Leverage social proof and exclusive offers to motivate immediate action

When crafting an intent-matched content calendar align your content formats and messaging with the specific needs and preferences of your target audience. Use a mix of long-form guides, short-form posts, visuals, and interactive elements to cater to different learning styles and engagement levels.

Collaborate with your sales team to ensure your content aligns with their strategies and supports a smooth hand-off from marketing to sales. When sales and marketing are fully aligned, it builds trust and ensures that prospects feel consistently valued from the beginning to the end of their journey. This is especially crucial for high-value services where personal interaction is key to closing the deal.

The key is to provide value and relevance at each intent stage while seamlessly guiding prospects towards the next step in their journey.

3 - Pair Content with Actionable Next Steps

To make it easy for prospects to progress, every piece of content should feature a specific prompt that tells the reader what they should do next. Including a clear, relevant call to action (CTA) that feels like a natural next step for the reader is motivating without being overly aggressive.

Whether it's downloading a whitepaper, scheduling a consultation, or using a tool, the CTA needs to align with the user's intent and the content's message. 

The data you gather about your audience also allows you to personalise content for different audience segments. Dynamic emails and landing pages can display information that is relevant to each individual buyer based on what you know about their interests, firmographics, and journey stage. 

That might mean presenting them with specific CTAs, images, or copy to make your marketing more relevant. For instance, an enterprise company with a large budget might be ready for a product overview and a prompt for a one-on-one consultation, whereas a small start-up might need a list of features and product demo to see the value of your offering. 

The user experience (UX) of your site also plays a critical role in conversion. A well-structured site with clear navigation and fast load times makes it intuitive for ready-to-act visitors to proceed.

You can also implement actionable tools and technologies to enable and encourage user actions:

• Chatbots can provide immediate assistance, answering questions, guiding next steps, and routing customers with more complex enquiries to the right human assistant.

• Interactive content (calculators, assessments, quizzes) engage users, gather vital information about their requirements, and provide personalised recommendations.

• Self-service portals offer the buyer opportunities for self-paced task completion, direct service access, and informed decision-making.

Just remember these tools should supplement, not replace, the human connections that strengthen prospect relationships.

Creating Content for High-Conversion Actions

Understanding your buyers’ “Jobs-to-be-Done” offers an effective way to drill down on user needs and helps you to position your content and CTAs for the next action they need to take. 

These are some of the jobs that B2B customers are trying to complete as they navigate the messy middle of the B2B buyers’ journey, and the types of content you can create to meet them where they are.

Job to Be Done: Learn and Network
Action to Enable: Register for a Webinar or Event

Educational events open customers' eyes to the broader context of a solution, its implementation, and success stories of current customers, while also benefiting your brand awareness and lead generation. In addition, they play well to the 61% of B2B cu how to solve a problem independently rather than have someone else solve it for them. 

To capitalise on that desire to learn, share insightful industry reports and promote deeper discussion in an upcoming webinar. CTAs should encourage users to register and attend. Send invitations to webinars or industry events that promise to deliver valuable insights and networking opportunities and cater to the desire to learn and connect. 

Job to Be Done: Stay Informed
Action to Enable: Subscribe to a Newsletter or Industry Report

When prospective customers are informed about industry trends, insights, and product updates, it can influence their decision-making over time. Help them stay in the know and make sense of their world by sharing teasers of exclusive insights available only through your newsletter or report, prompting them to subscribe and learn more.

Job to Be Done: Engage With Peers
Action to Enable: Participate in a Community or Forum

Prospects are often more open to information from their peers or other members of the industry. Getting them to engage with a community offers you the opportunity to provide real-world insights and testimonials that influence commercial decisions. 

One way to encourage their participation is by creating highlight reels or summaries from community discussions or forums that showcase the value of joining the conversation and underscore the value of peer-to-peer learning and support.  

Job to Be Done: Budget Planning
Action to Enable: Access Price Information

Transparent and easily accessible pricing information helps in budget planning and is a key factor in the decision-making process. Make this information readily available with detailed and interactive pricing guides that explain different packages and options and allow businesses to estimate costs based on their requirements. 

To make an even stronger case, consider sharing this information alongside case studies that demonstrate the value they'll get for their money. 

Job to Be Done: Gather Product Information
Action to Enable: Download a Brochure or Product Specification

Help potential customers move through the evaluation process by providing detailed product information, specifications, and benefits. Take them to an educational landing page that links to high-quality downloadable brochures, product guides, or product spec sheets. This opens the door for decision-makers to fully evaluate what you're offering. 

Job to Be Done: Evaluate Solutions
Action to Enable: Request a Demo

Interested customers often want to see a product or service in action to understand how it can address their specific needs. Make it easy for them by providing a video walk-through on your service or product page paired with a clear CTA that invites them to book a live demo for a deeper dive. Interactive demos have strong conversion rates, averaging as of 2023. 

Another option is to provide detailed case studies that show the impact of your solution in a real-world scenario. Couple this content with an invitation to request a demo for a closer look at how it can work for them. 

Job to Be Done: Tailor Solutions to Needs
Action to Enable: Customise a Product or Service Package

Your ability to tailor a solution to fit customers' specific needs can be a key driver of transactional intent. To show them what's possible, share interactive tools or configurators that allow them to customise their package or solution online. This demonstrates your flexibility and adaptability to their needs.

Provide an option to generate a summary or detailed report of their customised solution, including the specific features, pricing, and benefits. This enables them to share the information with other decision-makers and stakeholders, facilitating internal discussions and approval processes.

In addition, integrate an interactive chatbot or a prominently displayed contact option within the tool. This allows customers to get immediate answers to any questions that arise during the customisation process. 

Job to Be Done: Compare Vendors
Action to Enable: Submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Quote

When potential customers need custom solutions or are comparing vendors, they often search for information to help them evaluate their options. To connect with these prospects and encourage them to submit a request for proposal (RFP) or quote, create content that simplifies the evaluation process and highlights the value of a tailored approach.

You might develop comparison guides or checklists that outline key features, benefits, and considerations for evaluating solutions in your category. You can also provide expert advice and buying guides that walk prospects through the decision-making process and emphasise the importance of getting a personalised proposal. Offering checklists or templates with your guidance also encourages direct contact through a simple contact form.

Job to Be Done: Get Questions Answered
Action to Enable: Access Customer Support or Live Chat

When customers have specific questions or need assistance navigating options and services, it benefits everyone to guide them to connect with you. Post FAQ sections or knowledge base articles that include an option to chat live with a representative to get answers to more complex questions.  

Job to Be Done: Seek Expertise
Action to Enable: Schedule a Consultation

A one-on-one consultation is an excellent opportunity to provide personalised advice and insights that help customers make informed decisions. Offer a free consultation at the end of an expert blog post or thought leadership piece that highlights your expertise in the industry. This shows the reader that yours isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and that you have what it takes to help address their unique challenges. 

A consultation also gives you a chance to set expectations for the level of service you’ll provide after closing a deal. Show them that you’re responsive, eager to help, and in-tune with their needs and interests.

Job to Be Done: Justify the Purchase
Action to Enable: Use an ROI Calculator or Assessment Tools

When making a purchase decision, buyers need to justify the investment to themselves and to other stakeholders in their organisation. To help them build a strong case, create interactive assessment tools or value calculators that go beyond ROI. These tools should capture the full range of benefits your solution provides, such as increased efficiency or enhanced customer satisfaction.

By equipping buyers with robust, data-driven justification, you empower them to advocate for your solution internally, streamlining the decision-making process and increasing the likelihood of a successful sale. Provide visual aids and shareable versions of the reports to help buyers effectively communicate the value proposition to their buying committee.

Job to Be Done: Execute Purchase
Action to Enable: Place an Order or Complete a Purchase

The ultimate goal is to facilitate a smooth and straightforward purchase. By providing clear guidance and support throughout the purchasing process, you can increase conversions, reduce cart abandonment, and create a positive customer experience. 

One of the best ways to do that is by providing step-by-step guides on how to make a purchase. For even greater clarity, include videos or infographics that simplify the process.

Offer resources that address last minute questions or concerns customers may have during completion, such as FAQs, live chat support, or a helpline. By anticipating and proactively addressing their issues, you demonstrate your commitment to customer service and make the buying process as stress-free as possible.

Job to Be Done: Continue the Service
Action to Enable: Renew a Subscription or Service

Once customers have committed to an ongoing service, provide them with a straightforward way to manage and renew their subscriptions. Frustration with the renewal process could result in cancelations or damaged relationships. 

Send reminder emails or articles on the benefits of continued service, and share updates or improvements that you've made during the subscription period. Finally, give them clear instructions for a seamless renewal process, complete with direct links to renew or upgrade their services. 

Bring Intent and Action Together With 1827 Marketing

Commercial and transactional intent revolves around actions that move the customer closer to making a purchase decision or engaging more deeply with a service provider. Understanding these intents is crucial for creating content and designing experiences that align with the customer's expectations and needs at this stage. Tailoring content, CTAs, and user experiences to address that intent and facilitate high-conversion actions is essential to converting interest into engagement and transactions.

However, generating consistently great content that compels customers to act and matches their intent isn't easy. With 1827 Marketing, you don't have to do it alone. Book a demo to learn more about how we can help you enhance your intent-focused content strategy to achieve more conversions and grow your business.