Learn How You Can Generate Quality Leads With Your Blog

According to HubSpot, the top priority for marketers is generating leads. Blogging is an ideal tool for successful lead generation – but while a blog may be simple, it isn’t necessarily easy. Here’s how you can turn your blog into an effective lead generation tool.

First things, first

For a blog to be an effective lead generation tool it needs to be easily found on both desktop and mobile devices and accessible for screen readers and other assistive programs. Make sure that your audience can find your content and consume it with ease to gain their trust and brand loyalty.

Blog posts remain the most effective form of content over email, ebooks, and white papers. (Semrush)

Once you have your website ready and have considered your campaign strategies, researched the best SEO keywords and planned your content strategy, copywriting can begin for your blog.

While you may have increased traffic to your site with a successful SEO strategy, those pageviews are meaningless if they do not result in leads.

Marketing strategies that deliver value

Simply having a blog is not enough – the content on the blog must be noteworthy enough for people to find and share. You want your blog to be the first place customers visit when they research a problem.

Businesses that use their blog for marketing purposes see 13 times the ROI of those that don’t. (HubSpot)

Each published piece should identify a specific pain point that you know your intended readers are challenged with. They are looking for a specific solution and have found you – so now you need to provide that solution with a clear next step and a relevant Call to Action (CTA).

Think, “What is the question that a potential customer is asking – and how do we solve it?”

Then, find a gap in the available content and fill it.

Set up clear categories for your blog in order to observe the interests of your audience. This helps with retargeting ads and other personalized content planning.

While lead generation is the ultimate goal, don’t hyper-focus on that right away – your copywriting and offered resources should provide real, actionable information. Ensure that the consumer is delighted to have found an answer to their problem and they will happily give their information for further nurturing.

Keep them engaged

Your intended audience is on your site – now keep them there! There are a variety of methods to keep your blog readers engaged with CTAs and interactive content. Readers will start with your blog, follow a link to a landing page that offers additional relevant and valuable content, and will readily provide contact information on your lead generation form to receive more unique and helpful information from your business.

Use a variety of lead magnets to engage, such as:

• Interactive content like quizzes, polls, and slide decks
• Host giveaways
• Offer exclusive content and sales or discounts for subscribers
• Provide freebies like downloadable guides, eBooks, checklists, etc.
• Promote registration or sign-ups for webinars, podcasts or joining an online community
• Implement live chatbots

Be intentional with the placement of your CTAs to capture readers while they are actively engaged in your content. Try using a sidebar, links within the post, pop-ups or promotional header images. You want to be mindful that you are offering value – and not scaring away or annoying your potential customers.

Keep design and readability in mind

Even with unique content and offers, blogs have a lot of competition. You want to provide valuable information in a visually appealing and readable format. Use headers, bold text, bulleted lists, whitespace and high-quality images for a professional look.

Over 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages each month. (WordPress)

Utilize keywords and refrain from using jargon, check for typos and grammatical errors while also ensuring the layout and formatting of your blog is easy for readers to comprehend, retain, and enjoy. The audience will quickly scan and form an opinion about your brand from the look and voice of your content.

Mobile devices represent 52 percent of overall web traffic worldwide – so it is important to keep your content mobile-friendly with clear and concise text and appropriate formatting.

Blog checklist before you publish:

• Title is short (less than 55 characters)
• Keyword(s) in the title
• No more than one topic is covered
• All images have alt text
• Copy and formatting is clear, concise and mobile-friendly
• Meta description is less than 140 characters

Generate more leads

Soon, you will have enough data and content to produce more valuable content and generate more leads. Create downloadable, branded PDF versions of your blog pieces. Combine blog pieces into an eBook or eGuide, or even a course or webinar. Readers appreciate the value of the content and will gladly provide their contact information to receive it.

You’ll soon have enough data and content to nurture those leads and convert them into delighted customers. But you should not stop there – you need to continue blogging consistently with new or updated pieces on a regular basis to maintain your most effective lead generation tool.

A blog is like a garden. The seeds you plant need the right conditions and consistent nurturing to grow. When you start a blog, the content you create needs to provide what your audience is hungry for and with what they need to keep coming back for more.