Your blog is one of your most powerful tools for lead generation. It helps you build relationships with readers interested in your business, and improves brand awareness. A good blog post takes on a life of its own. Readers share it on social media; new customers discover it on Google. When blogging for leads, you do more than inform and entertain; you connect the public to your business.
Three Easy Steps to Blogging for Leads
If you’re new to the world of blogging but want to take advantage of this opportunity to generate leads, have no fear. You can get started in three easy steps.
Step One: Hook Your Readers.
What does the “favorites” section of your web browser look like? I’ll bet there are a few pages saved that you visit again and again. Blogs that you visit so often that your computer knows to suggest them to you. We come back to our favorite sites because they’re valuable to us. You want your blog to be a valuable part of your readers' internet experience, too.
Blogs that people love to come back to again and again have two traits in common:
- They’re trustworthy
- They’re entertaining
Providing readers with content that engages their interest and shows that you’re an expert in your field should be the foundation of your blog.
Be the answer to their questions.
When potential customers find your blog through a search engine, they will show up with specific questions in mind - Do I need insurance? How often does my car need maintenance? How do you design a website? The best content answers readers' questions. Find out what questions people typically ask in your industry to make sure you’re meeting your customers' needs. Start with the questions your sales team and customer service reps answer regularly. By using your blog to accurately addresses the issues that are most important to your readers, you establish yourself as a trusted voice.
Shake it up- offer a variety of experiences.
Part of creating an entertaining experience is offering variety. Lists and how-to articles like the one you’re reading are always popular, but also consider infographics, quizzes and videos. Different industries lend themselves better to different forms of media. How could you best present the information you’re sharing? If you sell make-up, your readers may be thrilled with a video tutorial. If you sell insurance, an infographic offering information on different plans could answer their questions.
Step Two: Convert Readers to Leads.
Outstanding blog posts that meet your readers' needs will draw in your audience, but to keep them you have to inspire action. The most effective way to do this is to incorporate anchor text calls-to-action in your posts. For example, you could incorporate a link to a study your company has done in the body of your post. These calls-to-action lead readers to your landing page, which invites them to share their contact information or answer a survey in exchange for the content you hooked them with.
Drive your call-to-action with eye-catching content.The incentive behind the-call-to action could come in the form of a variety of content: the results to a survey, a quiz, or an e-book. For you, the results are the same: you now have an email address and a strong lead.
Step Three: Stay Relevant.
Posting regularly keeps your name in your customer’s minds, and makes you a more reliable source of information. Studies have shown that posting eleven or more times a month brings in the most traffic. Establishing a regular presence includes posting across multiple platforms- when you make a new post, don’t forget to share it on your social media accounts and interact with the customers who respond to the post.
Sending a newsletter or suggesting relevant posts to the readers on your mailing list is another great way to keep them engaged.
A good blog forms a relationship between writer and reader. Build readers' loyalty with accurate, entertaining information and then hook them with a call-to-action. When crafted well, your blog will bring your ideal customers to you.
