{"id":241,"date":"2020-02-15T16:27:48","date_gmt":"2020-02-15T21:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/?p=220"},"modified":"2024-05-27T03:13:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T07:13:52","slug":"product-led-content-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/blog\/product-led-content-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Product-Led Content: Turn Content into a Growth Channel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Content marketing is often looked at as a \u201cbrand\u201d channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In opposition to a \u201cperformance\u201d channel, brand channels tend to be unmeasurable, emotional, and yet, still perceived as important (especially in larger companies and in consumer spaces).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@kaizenbarry\/is-it-really-brand-vs-performance-marketing-b3945e53b475\">clearly being a false dichotomy<\/a>&nbsp;(why can\u2019t performance channels build the brand, too?), it\u2019s also directionally wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Content can, and should, lead to directly attributable conversion goals as well as building your brand, audience, and thought leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve written about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/openviewpartners.com\/blog\/how-to-acquire-product-users-with-content-marketing\/\">how to make content convert<\/a>&nbsp;before, and while I covered many critical points (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/content-marketing-strategy\/\">creating a content strategy<\/a>&nbsp;that exploits your strengths, building out&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/news-trends\/topic-clusters-seo\">content clusters<\/a>, leaning in on high-intent content, leveraging&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/content-marketing-economics\/\">\u201cexpensive\u201d content to be able to rank<\/a>&nbsp;\u201ccheap\u201d content later,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/capture-email-leads\/\">optimizing your lead magnets<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/ab-testing\/\">A\/B testing conversion points<\/a>, mapping critical behavioral points in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/content-marketing-analytics\/\">your analytics<\/a>, etc.), I left out one incredibly obvious point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Your product or service should play an integral role in your content strategy as well as creation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This sounds so unimaginative that I can already sense your skepticism. It goes straight to the planning and creation stage of content, without even considering optimization points like what lead magnet you use. However, having worked with dozens of brands across many industries, I can tell you it\u2019s not so straightforward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some brands are clunky, and just throw their product out in irrelevant places. It\u2019s awkward, annoying, and ineffective. They\u2019re too pushy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some are on the other end of the spectrum. They tiptoe around their content, afraid their audience is so averse to sales that the mere mention of a product will make them flee to other blogs (probably those that use words like \u2018compelling content\u2019 and \u2018storytelling\u2019 and care more about tone than substance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s a balance, folks, and I\u2019m gonna tell you how to pull it off and massively increase both your <a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/blog\/content-marketing-roi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">content ROI<\/a> and your readers\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is another long article, so let\u2019s do the table of contents thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what\">What is Product Led Content?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#plan\">How does it fit into a holistic content strategy?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how\">How to create Product Led Content across funnel stages<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#audit\">How to do a Product Led Content Audit and optimize what you\u2019ve got<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#examples\">Examples of Product Led Content<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">\u201cProduct Led Content\u201d and how it fits into the traditional funnel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of the traditional buyer\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, we split it into three (or more) discrete stages, each one moving progressively closer to the point of purchase (higher intent) as the volume of people in each stage decreases. The three stages are usually:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Awareness \u2013 has problem, doesn\u2019t know what to do about it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consideration \u2013 problem crystallizes, now heavily researching solutions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decision \u2013 choosing the best solution among those found<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buyers_Journey_with_Explanatory_Text-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Buyers_Journey_with_Explanatory_Text-1.png?resize=690%2C435\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-875 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These map onto the colloquial marketing funnel stages that pretty much everyone uses as a model to discuss high knowledge\/propensity prospects from low ones: top, middle, and bottom funnel content (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Tofu-mofu-bofu.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Tofu-mofu-bofu.png?resize=690%2C307\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-886 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.webascender.com\/blog\/27-tofu-mofu-and-bofu-content-types-for-your-sales-funnel-stages\/\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The whole point of search-driven content is to align the expectations or intent of the reader with the content you produce (perhaps also adding a little wow factor so you actually stand out from the mass of similarly produced&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/overthinkgroup.com\/big-content-comparison\/\">Skyscraper-technique pillar pages<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can best answer their query, not only do you position yourself as a URL for Google to rank, but you usually satisfy the searcher\u2019s curiosity as well. At this point, you can convert the searcher into an email list subscriber, customer, lead, etc. (depending on the query, the content, and your business).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given the goal of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/a-quick-and-easy-guide-to-understanding-search-intent-for-seo-317841\">user intent<\/a>&nbsp;alignment, what I call&nbsp;<strong>\u201cProduct Led Content\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;maps almost perfectly onto the bottom of the funnel and also reaches up towards more introductory topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The name Product Led Content is both&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/openviewpartners.com\/product-led-growth\/\">deliberately derivative<\/a>&nbsp;and earnestly useful; each piece of content you plan and create in the name of this strategy is done so with your actual product in mind. You can ask the question \u201ccan we hinge this piece on our product?\u201d and if the answer is \u201cno,\u201d it\u2019s not product led.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I further segment Product Led Content into three subcategories. I like to visualize it like a bullseye, or a cross section of the TOFU &gt; BOFU funnel if you cut it right about in the middle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/new-plc-model.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/new-plc-model.png?resize=690%2C370\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-881 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the Product Led Content framework, here\u2019s how I think about the subcategories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Awareness \u2013 \u201cWhat is customer churn\u201d or \u201ckettlebell swing benefits\u201d or \u201ccoffee vs tea caffeine\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Action \u2013 \u201chow to collect customer feedback\u201d or \u201ccustomer feedback survey template\u201d or \u201clanding page examples\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Decision \u2013 \u201cbest customer feedback tools\u201d or \u201cHubSpot live chat integrations\u201d or \u201cHubSpot vs Marketo\u201d or \u201cbuy red wine online\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In each of these stages, you can and should drive conversions. Though of course, it gets easier and easier to do that the closer you are to the center of the bullseye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The people in the outer ring probably won\u2019t buy today, but they could in a few months. You should drive awareness of your solution, but hope to convert them to an email list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The middle ring \u2013 action \u2013 knows what kind of problems they have. You can still drive email list or lead conversions, but it\u2019s also highly possible to snap them up as customers if you make it easier to try your solution (here is the stage freemium and low touch models can really excel at).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of the queries \u201clanding page template,\u201d \u2013 if you build out a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wix.com\/website\/templates\/html\/landing-pages\">page with templates<\/a>&nbsp;and make it easy to sign up for your tool with these templates, that\u2019s some product led content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/wix-landing-pages.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/wix-landing-pages.png?resize=690%2C387\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-892 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Decision is the bread and butter of a product led content strategy. If you can\u2019t drive a conversion here, you can at least put a pixel on the page and do some remarketing and audience building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The outer rings of the product led bullseye, however, have much more traffic potential, but lower targeting for purchase propensity\/intent. It\u2019s a broader audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/traffic-intent.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/traffic-intent.png?resize=690%2C478\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-888 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Way more people are searching for \u201cRooibos benefits\u201d than \u201cbest rooibos tea,\u201d though the latter is far more likely to convert than the former. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t throw a mention of your rooibos tea in the former and bring them into your world early on (last touch models won\u2019t capture this, though&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/growandconvert.com\/analytics\/content-marketing-roi-attribution-models\/\">first touch might<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertising requires both reach and frequency, so why would it be any different with <a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/blog\/guide-content-marketing-strategist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">content marketing<\/a>? The more times someone hears about your product, the more likely they are to purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/frequency-nielsen-160817.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/frequency-nielsen-160817.jpg?resize=630%2C630\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-878 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketingprofs.com\/charts\/2017\/32620\/how-digital-ad-frequency-impacts-awareness-and-purchase-intent\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t wait until the bottom of the funnel to start teaching people that, yes, there is indeed a solution to your problem, and we, the authors of this article, do indeed sell one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, what your primary goal is can change based on the intent or the \u2018temperature\u2019 of the query and page, but your product can play a role in any funnel stage of content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Demand gen marketers know this, and again, it feels silly to even write about. That\u2019s where helpful models like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/klientboost.com\/ppc\/ppc-traffic\/\">Johnathan Dane\u2019s PPC Temperature framework<\/a>&nbsp;are helpful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ppc-expert-600x338.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ppc-expert-600x338.jpeg?resize=600%2C338\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-883 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/338;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t start pushing your expensive kettlebells on an article titled \u201c6 tips to lose weight in 2019.\u201d You should still offer your ebook or weight loss program checklist or whatever and convert and nurture that lead from the top of the funnel on down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/weightlossarticle.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/weightlossarticle.png?resize=690%2C385\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-889 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But! Why not throw in an example of a kettlebell workout you can do on point #3 on that list? Well, that wouldn\u2019t be too pushy would it? Might even add some value to the reader\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re already writing about \u201chow to collect customer feedback,\u201d for example and you sell a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/service\/customer-feedback\">customer feedback tool<\/a>, why not use your tool to demonstrate how to do it? Would it help the reader any more to use a competitive tool, just to avoid appearing biased or salesy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/customer-feedback-article.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/customer-feedback-article.png?resize=690%2C389\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-877 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is obvious: the reader just wants their problem solved, and they probably understand that you, as a business, exist to sell products. They\u2019re probably quite forgiving if you try to do that in a helpful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"plan\">Where does Product Led Content Fit in a holistic content marketing plan?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t think product led content should be the entirety of <a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/services\/content-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">your strat<\/a>Discover how Product-Led Content transforms content into a powerful growth channel, blending brand building with direct conversions.<a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/services\/content-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">egy<\/a>, because that would be quite boring, and the bullseye above only represents a tiny fraction of what could be your total addressable audience. That\u2019s why I build out content strategy using the <a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/blog\/barbell-content-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">barbell approach<\/a> (taken from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nassim_Nicholas_Taleb\">NN Taleb<\/a>&nbsp;and the finance world):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/20191026_the_barbell_strategy.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/20191026_the_barbell_strategy.png?resize=600%2C546\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-869 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/toc.net\/2019\/10\/27\/nassim-talebs-barbell-investment-strategy\/\">Image Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of content, that means I allocate about 65-85% of my portfolio to low volatility, predictable wins like the product led content keywords. I know with a degree of certainty that as long as I execute the proper playbook, I can bring in traffic and conversions with this part of the portfolio, but it probably won\u2019t exceed a certain threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Derek Gleason wrote, we probably won\u2019t build a brand based on the topics in this bucket, but we can still cover them in an interesting way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derek_gleason\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/1110988464009478144\/hdQ2w54N_bigger.jpg\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derek_gleason\"><strong>Derek Gleason<\/strong>@derek_gleason<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derek_gleason\/status\/1184897200263970816\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you rely on search for content distribution, you probably won&#8217;t build a brand with *what* you cover.<br><br>But that doesn&#8217;t mean you can&#8217;t build a brand with search-focused content.<br><br>A consistent, unique approach to *how* you cover topics\u2014design, tone, etc.\u2014can differentiate.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/like?tweet_id=1184897200263970816\">8<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derek_gleason\/status\/1184897200263970816\">1:21 PM &#8211; Oct 17, 2019<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/support.twitter.com\/articles\/20175256\">Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/derek_gleason\">See Derek Gleason&#8217;s other Tweets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The remaining part of the portfolio is there to capture the upside. It\u2019s the thought leadership, opinion pieces, and the experimental content. It\u2019s the stuff that general wins the hearts as opposed to the minds of readers (which usually wins backlinks, too), yet has almost no predictable business output. The meta-point in the barbell approach is that every piece of content is mindfully produced with a clear intention in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/barbell-content.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/barbell-content.png?resize=690%2C394\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-871 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Someday I\u2019ll take these graphics more seriously probably<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the dichotomy I\u2019m setting up here, you can also add some flavor to your low-volatility (read: keyword and conversion driven content). HubSpot, for example, is almost entirely search-driven strategically, but we also have a strong editorial voice and guidelines that make it obvious you\u2019re reading a HubSpot article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossHudgens\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/893161855203516417\/g88-aPUQ_bigger.jpg\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossHudgens\"><strong>Ross Hudgens<\/strong>@RossHudgens<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossHudgens\/status\/1196821021896192000\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Used to think a site that was 100% focused on quality SEO content was smart. Efficient use of link equity, no content waste\/dilution.<br><br>Today, it feels more and more the case that if all your content is SEO content, you&#8217;re doing it wrong.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/like?tweet_id=1196821021896192000\">52<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossHudgens\/status\/1196821021896192000\">11:02 AM &#8211; Nov 19, 2019<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/support.twitter.com\/articles\/20175256\">Twitter Ads info and privacy<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RossHudgens\">See Ross Hudgens&#8217;s other Tweets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How to Do Product Led Content at Each Stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re selling&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bouncex.com\/products\/\">behavioral email software<\/a>, and you write an article on the \u201cbest behavioral email software in 2019,\u201d it should be obvious that it\u2019s entirely okay to sell your own product via that list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If not, you should take a step back and think about why you\u2019re doing content marketing and what your goals are (crudely, are you trying to get rich&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/brand-awareness\/\">or just famous<\/a>?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, move up the funnel and things become less obvious. It really would feel strange for HiSmile to plug their teeth whitening kit in an article about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/us.hismileteeth.com\/blogs\/the-hub\/teeth-sensitivity-causes-treatment-prevention\">teeth sensitivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/white-teeth.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/white-teeth.png?resize=690%2C400\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-891 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That is, it would be strange if they plugged it clumsily and like a pushy salesman. But why is that necessary? Why can\u2019t we both mention our product AND help out the reader?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this case, it\u2019s clearly the case that one common cause of sensitive teeth is whitening kits (normally the poorly made ones, but it\u2019s a common complaint of Crest 3D white strips, too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This would be the perfect case to mention that, explain why that occurs, and then in turn, explain why their kit doesn\u2019t succumb to that problem. That\u2019d be genuinely educational, and it would help create a seed of wonder in the reader\u2019s brain \u2013 \u201cI wonder if I should look into HiSmile instead of my current whitening kit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/white-teeth-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/white-teeth-2.png?resize=690%2C397\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-890 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It needn\u2019t be cumbersome, pushy, or obvious, but if you can find a way to weave your product into the narrative in your blog posts, you should do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s possible that the reader, in these cases, will simply check out your product and buy it or signup. That\u2019s unlikely though. More likely is that, through repeated exposure and more research, your product will rise to a position of salience in the buyer\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re writing a \u201chow to\u2026\u201d article, for instance \u201chow to build an email list,\u201d and you sell a SaaS tool that helps collect email leads, it only helps the reader to know to build an email list using your tool. Especially if you have a freemium solution, why not explain how to create a form using your own solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/create-a-form.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/create-a-form.png?resize=690%2C362\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-876 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But won\u2019t that look \u201csalesy\u201d or \u201cpushy?\u201d No, and if your content isn\u2019t terrible, people won\u2019t mind if a business tries to tell them about their product in a free blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just make the content is not horrible and it won\u2019t be a problem at all, I promise you. In fact, aim to make the content fucking epic, and not just acceptable to publish, and you might even make some fans as well as customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"audit\">How to Do Product-Led Content in 4 Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways to do Product Led Content. You can either go back and update old posts, or you can proactively make new content Product Led.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proactively Planning Product Led Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is wildly easy. Four steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ideate content based on customer pain points<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Map it to buyer\u2019s journey stages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wherever possible, use your own product as a demonstration in the content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Continue using whatever CTAs and lead magnets work the best for conversion (no need to change these)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use a document or editorial calendar to communicate the plan with a team of writers or freelancers, just make a notes column or section where you explain which product to use in the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Auditing and Optimizing Existing Content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Or, just go back and audit and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/content-optimization\/\">optimize<\/a>&nbsp;all of your current content that ranks and brings in consistent traffic and see if you can add a small section demonstrating the topic through your own product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are several ways to do this, but here\u2019s how I run a PLC audit. First, scrape your website for all pages with Product Led keywords in the title. This will depend on your industry and approach, but for HubSpot, these tend to be things like \u2018how to,\u2019 \u2018examples,\u2019 \u2018what is,\u2019 and \u2018templates\u2019:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-10.54.57-AM-1.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-30-at-10.54.57-AM-1.png?resize=690%2C50\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-858 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/title.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/title.png?resize=690%2C134\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-893 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Scrape \u2018em all with a tool like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.seoquake.com\/index.html\">SEOQuake<\/a>, then take the list of URLs and upload to Ahrefs\u2019 batch analysis feature:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/batch-analysis.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/batch-analysis.png?resize=690%2C272\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-872 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now pull this data over to a Google Sheet, using a new tab for each different keyword (\u201chow to,\u201d \u201cexamples,\u201d etc.). I delete all data columns except the URL, total keywords, and total traffic, and then I organize by traffic (high to low):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/google-sheet.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/google-sheet.png?resize=690%2C524\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-879 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Create a new column next to \u201cTarget\u201d and write =concatenate(\u201chttps:\/\/\u201d,[target cell])to build out the full URL, and then create another column to pull in the page title using this formula =ImportXML([new URl cell], \u201c\/\/title\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like such:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/sheet-2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/sheet-2.png?resize=690%2C355\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-884 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now manually go through, from top to bottom, and see if there is an opportunity to update the post with a product mention \u2013 whether that\u2019s a fully developed content section explaining your tool or product or just an internal link.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a smaller website, you can also just look at your \u201ctop pages\u201d report in Ahrefs to see the most valuable pages (they combine CPC and traffic volume metrics, which makes a pretty good proxy for business value).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/top-pages.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/top-pages.png?resize=690%2C354\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-887 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like, I\u2019m totally going to go back and show people&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/marketing\/forms\">how to create a signup form<\/a>&nbsp;using&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hubspot.com\/products\/marketing\/forms\">HubSpot\u2019s own free forms tool<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/signup-form.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/signup-form.png?resize=690%2C409\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-885 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Big old side benefit here: the internal linking involved in this type of approach will undoubtedly help your product pages rank. That\u2019s ROI positive enough on its own to think about doing Product Led Content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s escape the theoretical abyss and look at some examples in the wild\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"examples\">4 Example of Product-Led Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Ahrefs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/\">Ahrefs<\/a>&nbsp;is the king of Product-Led Content. Actually, you know that whole Product-Led Growth trend that is buzzy right now? Where a bunch of marketing-first SaaS companies changed nothing about their strategy or go-to-market and suddenly called themselves \u201cProduct-Led?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Ahrefs truly is one of those rare creatures who I truly consider product-first, and not simply because they have employees who want to be thought leaders and ride an emerging wave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s absolutely no surprise, then, that their blog perfectly intertwines product education with topic education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s their most recent post, \u201c9 Reasons Your Website Isn\u2019t Showing Up On Google (and How to Fix It).\u201d It\u2019s long-form, super detailed, and about halfway through it, they should you how to use Ahrefs when talking about analyzing your backlink data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ahrefs.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ahrefs.png?resize=690%2C422\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-870 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Logic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You might not have enough backlinks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ahrefs has a tool that can help you determine that<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Why tf wouldn\u2019t you demonstrate how to find your backlink data using your tool? It helps the reader, and now, voila, a problem aware searcher is suddenly now solution aware as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. HubSpot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re in the midst of an audit, but HubSpot has begun carving out a space in our content strategy for Product Led Content. A great example, recently published, is this post on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/order-confirmation\">\u201corder confirmation email templates.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s 100% educational, but towards the end of the post, mentions that we have a free tool with free templates to help you accomplish this feat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/hubs.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/hubs.png?resize=690%2C414\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-880 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We have a handful of posts like this now, and I can tell you that they convert quite well. Not as high as the massive amount of product listicles we publish (e.g. \u201cbest live chat software\u201d), but almost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Bulletproof<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The B2B world is slowly warming up to Product Led Content \u2013 and in my opinion, is generally better at content marketing as an acquisition channel. The consumer marketing world still largely looks at content as a brand channel, and because of that, primarily creates lifestyle content for its current customer base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering how&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnavigator.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/24\/am-navigator-owns-sleep-niche-in-affiliate-marketing\/\">lucrative affiliate is for the sleep space<\/a>, I\u2019d imagine&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/casper.com\/\">Casper<\/a>&nbsp;could take their content a bit more seriously as an acquisition channel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bp.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bp.png?resize=690%2C395\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-873 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/\">Bulletproof<\/a>&nbsp;is one of the best consumer companies at content marketing (and conversion optimization, too, but that\u2019s another article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They definitely use a version of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/growandconvert.com\/content-marketing\/seo-content-conversions\/\">\u201cpain point\u201d SEO<\/a>&nbsp;to both hit upon problem areas their potential customers are experiencing and to make sure there is some level of search volume for the term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, they write an article that is well-written and backed by a ton of studies, but they also always mention their products where applicable. And you know what? I think it\u2019s actually helpful for the reader to do that. If I\u2019m looking for ways to get over a cold, why wouldn\u2019t I want to know that they make an immunity elixir?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bp2.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/bp2.png?resize=690%2C409\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-874 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Onnit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.onnit.com\/academy\/\">Onnit\u2019s Academy<\/a>&nbsp;is generally a great example of content marketing for a consumer brand. They have tons of lifestyle content (AKA non-search driven content), such as interviews with health and fitness celebrities and recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They also have tons of search-driven content that helps visitors solve a specific health\/wellness problem in their lives. For example, this article is about the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.onnit.com\/academy\/what-is-the-best-kettlebell-weight-to-start-with\/\">best kettlebell weight<\/a>&nbsp;to start with. Why in the world wouldn\u2019t they weave their own kettlebells through the piece?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/onnit.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.alexbirkett.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/onnit.png?resize=690%2C403\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-882 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s done artfully. Now, thankfully, I know what weight to start with and, if I were so inclined, I could check out the products Onnit has (or continue shopping on another site \u2013 it\u2019s not like they\u2019re overly pushy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many times in life, there are tradeoffs. However, any time someone tells you it\u2019s necessary to choose between this or that \u2013 in this case, brand vs performance content \u2013 it\u2019s time to step back and reflect. In actuality, you can have the best of both worlds. Content can both convert and build a brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article covered the planning and content creation portions of creating content that converts, but there\u2019s a whole lot more you can do when it comes to lead generation strategy, lead magnet creation, CRO for your conversion points, and even personalization for your readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, when it comes to Product Led Content, know this: your blog readers aren\u2019t all going to bounce if you mention that you have a product. And if you use your product to show, demonstrate, or explain the topic of the article (particularly with \u201chow to\u201d content), well that\u2019s just better for everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This post was originally published at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexbirkett.com\/product-led-content\/\">AlexBirkett.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/content-strategy-course\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"535\" data-src=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-1024x535.png\" alt=\"Content Strategy\" class=\"wp-image-4448 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-1024x535.png 1024w, https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-768x401.png 768w, https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-1536x803.png 1536w, https:\/\/beomniscient.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Content-Strategy-framework-2048x1070.png 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/535;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Content marketing is often looked at as a \u201cbrand\u201d channel&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":488,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-content-strategy"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Product-Led Content: Turn Content into a Growth Channel - Omniscient Digital<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how Product-Led Content transforms content into a powerful growth channel, blending brand building with direct conversions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Product-Led Content: Turn Content into a Growth Channel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Content marketing is often looked at as a \u201cbrand\u201d channel. 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