From tofu to bofu: here's how to start writing Endless Customers content

You've just been appointed as a content manager and you're expected to start writing your content according to the Endless Customers (formerly They Ask, You Answer) philosophy.

If you already have experience with content writing, it can be quite a transition. You're used to doing (or having done) keyword research and determining which topics to pick up first, based on that research. But now you have to write primarily for sales, not SEO.

So it's quite understandable that you might wonder how you determine what to write about if you don't start with keyword research.

As a coach and content trainer at Buzzlytics, I understand what you're up against. I've already helped several content managers like you write their first Endless Customers article, and I know how big of a transition it can be from writing for SEO to writing for sales.

In this article, I explain:

• What I often see go wrong with new Endless Customers content managers
• What makes Endless Customers content different from SEO content
• what steps you need to go through before you can write your first article

So by the end of this article, you'll know where to start when writing Endless Customers content.

Most content managers just starting out have no idea what Endless Customers is all about.

As a result, they underestimate the differences from how they are used to writing and what the implications of the Endless Customers framework are for how they write and for how they determine what they write about.

They often think at first that Endless Customers is nothing but some blog writing meant for SEO. But Endless Customers is not primarily about generating search traffic, but about generating sales. You do this by answering your customers' questions as transparently and reliably as possible in your content.

Moreover, Endless Customers requires a different mindset. The goal is not to sell as much as possible, but to inform a potential buyer as completely and transparently as possible so that he can decide for himself what would be the best option for him. For this, you need to position yourself in your content as a guide and a teacher, rather than as the hero who necessarily has the best solution for the customer

So the implications of the Endless Customers framework are much bigger than often thought.

Also read: Can every senior content manager become an Endless Customers content manager?

Endless Customers is not primarily about generating search traffic; it's about generating sales.

The difference between Endless Customers content and content generated for search engines is in what you start with: tofu (top-of-funnel) or bofu (bottom-of-funnel) content

Many content managers focus primarily on creating tofu content. This means they start with keyword research, write articles that should attract traffic, and hope this eventually leads to conversions. While this can work in some cases, more traffic does not necessarily lead to more sales.

When you start with bofu content, as we do within Endless Customers, you first focus on the customer questions that express a buying intent. As a result, content has a more direct impact on sales results.

Within Endless Customers, we distinguish five categories of blog topics that we see time and again contribute to more sales.

They are:

• costs and prices
• Content in which you discuss the problems, shortcomings and drawbacks of your product
• comparisons between different products or services
• 'best' reviews (the best X, the most sustainable Y, the cheapest Z, and so on)
• reviews

We call these topics the Big 5 blog topics. These topics are an excellent starting point if you want to get started with Endless Customers.

Within Endless Customers, you first focus on the customer questions that reveal a buying intent.

So when you get started with Endless Customers, you follow a different approach than is common in content marketing.

Instead of doing keyword research and deciding what to write about based on that, let the questions your customers have guide you.

The process of arriving at your first article then looks like this.

The very first step is a brainstorming session, in which you gather as many questions as possible that your customers have. These can be questions that often come up during sales calls, but also questions from the customer service or development teams.

During an Endless Customers workshop , we use a content matrix to create a list of 100 questions.

In this matrix, we combine the previously mentioned Big 5 blog topics with the most frequently asked what and how questions. Then, for each product or service, we list all the questions asked about it.

After the brainstorming phase, you map out the buyer's journey. This involves looking at the process a customer goes through from initial contact to purchase.

• Through what channels do people come to you?
• What pages do they land on?
• What actions do they take on those pages?
• And what steps come after that?

We don't distinguish between marketing and sales within Endless Customers, so the buyer's journey in this case includes the sales process.

Once you have mapped out the buyer's journey, look at all the questions, resistances and objections people may have at each stage. You can often add to the list you created in the first step, and then you can link each question or objection to a specific stage in the buyer's journey.

That way you can tailor an article very specifically to the stage the reader is likely to be in at the time of reading.

After mapping the buyer's journey, determine which questions are most pressing. These are the questions you will answer first in your content.

When doing this, focus primarily on the bottom-of-funnel questions. After all, these will have the fastest impact on the sales process. To do this, however, it is important that you not only put the articles on your website, but also share them with sales so that they in turn can share your articles with potential customers.

But how do you decide what to write about first when the company you work for sells many different products?

I often recommend starting with one product or service (or one product or service group) and that is the product or service that generates the most revenue and thus can have the greatest impact on sales.

Sometimes you can deviate from this if the management team makes a strategic decision to want to grow a particular product or service that year. In that case, you start writing about that product or service.

Also read: How do you write a blog that generates traffic, leads and sales?

Start by writing about the product or service that creates the most sales.

Writing Endless Customers content can be challenging at first, especially if you're used to traditional SEO-focused content. But with the right approach and mindset, you can soon produce effective articles that contribute directly to sales.

The most important thing to remember is that the core of Endless Customers is answering the questions your potential customers have, with an emphasis on bottom-of-funnel content. By focusing on the Big 5 blog topics and the questions closest to the buying decision, you create content that is truly valuable to your readers and sales colleagues.

At Buzzlytics, we see daily how content managers struggle with this transition, but also how they grow and achieve success with Endless Customers. We'd love to help you make this transition smoothly and write your first articles that have real impact.

Want to learn more about how to write effective Endless Customers content?

Then also read these blogs:

• Business blogging: 5 blog topics that drive traffic and sales
• How do you write a blog that generates traffic, leads and sales?