Your potential client's or current customer's reasoning is far from being entirely objective or procedural. It's hardly ever "I want to solve this problem or need, so I'll just do X to address it."

Before choosing a product or service, people go through a multistage process often identified as "the buyer's journey." And even though a robust marketing strategy will have you developing content for all the stages of the journey, the bulk of your efforts will often be tied to the consideration stage.

Whether you are catering to individual buyers or appealing to company decision-makers, this is the stage. It's when all the options for possible solutions are on the table, and, of course, it's when you want them to find and select your company as the strongest candidate.

This article will go over a few remarkably effective types of marketing content—like e-books, podcasts, and whiteboard animations—that your brand can use to showcase expertise and extend reach at this crucial stage of the process.

Understanding People at the Consideration Stage

Once they've passed the initial, awareness stage of their journey, potential clients become well aware of their problem or pain point. They know they need to take care of it, but they haven't yet decided the best way to do so.

They are now flipping into research mode and searching for good alternatives. And that, right there? That's why you want to put a lot of effort into your consideration-stage content.

It's where your product, service, or message competes most directly with others for people's attention. So you'll want to focus on communicating how and why your brand is one of the stronger alternatives around.

The best way to go about it? Create high-quality, compelling marketing content that tips the scales in your favor. Such content has some key characteristics; it should be...

• Direct. Avoid information that leads nowhere and can come across as a waste of time. Keep the focus on your solution, and convey to your would-be customers that your company understands the source of their need and how to satisfy it.
• Engaging. Proactively seek to capture people's attention from the get-go with eye-catching media or content that stands out in some way. The days when drawn-out, boring marketing copy was enough are long behind us, so you'll want to try different kinds of media to captivate a wider array of audiences.
• Educational. Offer informative and data-driven takes that help potential customers better understand their situation and how you are uniquely positioned to help them. Often, educating them regarding industry trends, best-practices, and possible solutions can position your brand as a trusted source they'll want to do business with.
• Customer-centric. The more you understand your audience, the more accurately you will be able to tailor your content to appeal to them. Generic content is forgettable content. So, creating pieces that speak to your potential client's challenges while bringing them closer to your solution goes a long way.
• Honest and accurate. Few things can hurt your brand's reputation worse than bad publicity from a disappointed client or a poor piece of content. Be honest and accurate about your company and the solutions it offers. Be precise and sincere. Otherwise, you will likely alienate a portion of your audience who might then also share their disappointment with others.
• And it should highlight your key value proposition. Stand out through value! Provide solutions, answer questions, and deliver critical information. Have customers appreciate your content and how it already helps them. That will color their perception of your product and brand, and their appreciation will carry over to the decision stage.

Five Standout Types of Marketing Content for the Consideration Stage

More than anything else, potential clients at this stage are looking for information that presents them with choices to solve a problem or address a need while triggering a move toward decision-making. They want to know more about their situation and the products or services that fit their requirements.

Your marketing content therefore needs to deliver on those expectations to effectively move them further down the marketing funnel.

Let's go through some types of marketing content that excel at doing exactly that!

1. Live Demos

Live demos are an excellent vehicle to boost awareness around your product or service. They appeal to people's desire to get informed or solve a need, .

If the content provided during the previous stage is compelling enough to wake customers' interest, then it's time to let demos do their job and showcase how much your company can do, highlighting how your solution works and even how it can outperform the competition in practical scenarios.

Demos not only increase potential customers' familiarity with what you are offering but also allow them to experience—directly or indirectly—its benefits.

2. Whiteboard Animations

By now, it is well-established that video marketing content is a powerful vehicle for generating engagement and getting people to pay attention. And that's doubly true for whiteboard videos, which excel at delivering information in compelling and easy-to-follow ways—making them a perfect match for the consideration stage.

These animations combine narrative storytelling and didactic visual communication elements to not only hook viewers but also help you convey complex messages effectively.

It's worth noting that, as most animated video companies will emphasize, the key to using whiteboard videos as effective marketing tools lies in developing them as platforms to communicate not only how your solution works but also how it squarely fits their unique situational needs.

Best of all, you get to do so through charming, viewer-friendly animations that further your overall branding!

3. Whitepapers, E-Books, and Similar Downloadable Written Material

Downloadable content marketing resources allow companies to go into the nitty-gritty details of their solution's advantages and key differentiators.