One of the most effective marketing tactics is to create content to address your customers’ pain points (problems). But how do you know what your audience is struggling with, and why does it matter?

This post was written by my Course Creator’s Inner Circle co-instructor Kim Garnett. You can read all of her blog posts on her site Brainy Girl. Just tell her Lynne sent you 😁

One of the most effective marketing tactics is to create content to address your customers’ pain points (problems).

Pain points are problems that keep them awake at night; fears that they have; feelings they want to run from.

For instance, you may be an expert in the art of couples massage. Your audience’s pain points may be:

• “How can I give better massages to my partner?”
• “How can I get my husband to enjoy giving me a massage?”
• “Will couples massage bring us closer together?”

But how do you know what your audience is struggling with, and why does it matter?

Knowing what your customers’, and prospective customers’, pain points are, will allow you to attract a new audience (by creating free content that they can easily find), connect more deeply with your audience (by specifically addressing their pain points), convert more web visitors to email subscribers (by offering a freebie that they actually want), and convert more of your audience to paying customers (by creating a course that addresses their pain points and running paid ads).

People don’t search Google for a course, a lead magnet, or a blog post. They search for answers to their problems.

If you can provide a solution to their problems, by tapping into their pain points, you’ll create loyal fans, followers, and customers.

FIND A PROBLEM / SOLVE A PROBLEM

In order to solve a problem, you first need to know what their pain points are.

Not only do you need to know what their pain points are, but you need to be able to describe that pain point in THEIR language.

Whether you’re creating a course, video training series, a lead magnet, hosting a webinar or writing a blog post, the goal should be to solve a problem that your target audience and customers have.

When you help solve a problem (pain point) they have, you create a bond with them.

They begin to trust you to help them.

And when they trust you enough they’ll buy what you have, and become loyal fans.

So how do you find out what their pain points are?

PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS

Prospective customers (who’ve not yet purchased from you) will give you invaluable feedback.

This is your warm audience – those who are already on your email list, those who’ve interacted with you, those who you’ve had phone consultations with.

You can send out a survey to them, or even just a one line email, “We’ve found that our customers/clients struggle with __________________. Is this something you struggle with as well?” or “What’s your biggest struggle right now in regards to [your topic]?”.

This is also something that you could post on your social channels.

The feedback that they provide should guide the content you create. Your job is to gain their trust and you do that by helping them solve their problems.

CURRENT CUSTOMERS

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you have some real customers or clients.

Perhaps you’re a coach, and could tap into your coaching clients.

Perhaps you’re an online educator and can tap into your course participants.

Start by examining the questions that your current customers ask repeatedly.

Get them on the phone or on a video call if possible. Ask open-ended questions like, “What challenges did you face…” (before you became my customer) or “What underlying issues…” (caused you to seek a solution).

Assess the results then compile a list of your customer’s pain points.

COMPETITORS

Visit a few competitors websites to find out what they’re blogging and vlogging about – what problems they’re addressing or providing information and education on.

Visit their social media channels. Which of their videos and posts have received the highest number of views and comments? What questions are their audience asking?

Once you’ve done your research and compiled all of the information you should have an extensive list of customer problems and pain points that you can address in your blog posts, videos, social media posts, emails, lead magnets, and your online course.

Are you creating content based on your customers’ pain points?

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