Lead generation is a complex skill that requires patience. To add to that, blogging can be time-consuming and expensive if not done right. With that said, blogging is one of the best ways to get quality leads. With blogging, you can get leads in a variety of ways, meaning you need to make the content ‘work’ for you. This is especially true if you are doing Local Lead Generation, where competition can be fierce, and the market size is often small.
First, you need to decide if you are going to market your blog organically or through Paid Per Click ads such as Google Ads. Regardless of how you market your blog, there are methods you can use to help you optimize your lead-generating process.
- Do Proper Keyword Research: You can write the best content on a topic, but it is all for not if no one views and reads it. Therefore before you start creating any blog, do proper keyword research first. This way, you will know what your potential leads are looking for and gear your content towards this. Proper research will also help you immerse more knowledge in the niche and, therefore, create better content about it.
- Create Well-Written and Informative Content: The quality of your content plays a vital role in the quality of leads you get. Well-written informative content gives the perception that you are an expert in the niche. When a reader learns something new, they can easily have that aha! moment, making it easier for you to convert them.
- Unique Topics: While the aim is to create well-written and informative content, blog posts on unique topics and subjects can make you look like an even bigger expert in the niche. The reader will learn something new and identify you as the go-to blog when looking for information on the topic, meaning they are more likely to revisit your blog and, in essence, more likely to be a quality lead.
- Create Content For Different Stages of Your Funnel: A lead-generating funnel often has four stages; awareness, consideration, conversion, and loyalty. A good blog should have content for all these stages. Content for the Awareness stage should be broad to draw in as many people as possible and should not be so niche-specific. As you get deeper into the other stages, content should be more specific and answer more direct questions geared to make a potential client more amenable to making a purchase.
- Create Valuable Lead Magnets: Blog lead magnets are downloaded content placed on the page. You can offer your readers a free ebook, a PDF document, or any other type of content that you feel would be beneficial to them. The key here is offering value; you need to offer downloadable content that your reader will not feel conned once they download it. This is because this transaction involves them giving you their contact details in exchange for the downloadable content. If your downloadable content is shallow and does not offer value, odds are you’ve lost that potential lead even if they offered you their contact information.
- Content Upgrades: Content upgrades go hand in hand with lead magnets. The only difference with content upgrades is that it feels more exclusive and thus makes the potential lead feel more valued. Content upgrades include videos, infographics, and other types of content that will dive deep into a specific topic. The key to content upgrades is to make it feel exclusive, giving the reader the drive to act fast.
- Interlink Your Content: Internal linking does not only help you rank better on Google but is a great way to help your reader find more of your content on your site. However, you should only interlink related content on your website, this way; you help your reader create a train of thought on the topic in a simple, precise way. With proper interlinking, a reader will stay on your page longer and be more familiar with you and your content. Familiarity breeds trust, making it easier to convert.
- Add Internal Banners: Banners were once one of the most overused advertising tools. But sadly, many readers get infuriated by banners and quickly leave your site. But their success is not without merit because they work and ensure the reader remembers your blog and products better due to the visual representation. Internal banners and indeed all banners should be used sparingly. Use internal banners to highlight your services better. Picking the right text copy on the banners can go a long way to establishing a connection with the reader.
- Use Visual Aids: As we have just mentioned, banners help the reader connect to your content visually. However, having visual aids in your content such as videos, images, and gifs helps break the monotony text brings. It is a fun approach that keeps your content interactive. They also add another dimension and layer to your content, keeping your blog top of mind when your reader thinks of the subject.
- Use Interactive Content: Just like videos and images, interactive content like quizzes, polls, surveys, and giveaways helps keep your readers engaged. The more engaged a reader is, the more interested they are likely to be in your blog, hence more likely to convert.
- A Call To Action: One of the most important and overlooked aspects of a good blog is a call to action. Without a CTA, your reader is more likely just to read the post and leave. By directing them on the next step, such as “call us,” they are more likely to take this next step.
Even though lead-generating techniques are many and diverse today, blogging still stands tall as one of the best methods. It is easy, and if done right, you can create a community and a solid following leading to even more leads and a higher conversion rate.