Content ideas are useless unless they align with your buyer’s needs. Successful content does more than fill web pages to rank high on search engines. As part of your digital marketing strategy, you must consider how to create lead generation content to improve conversion rates.
What is lead-generating in content marketing?
Lead generation refers to the collection of customer contact information. Quality leads are most likely to engage with your business, i.e., convert into customers.
Lead generating content is a marketing strategy that focuses on creating and promoting engaging and relevant content. The aim is to attract and develop leads from a predefined buyer persona. Also known as lead magnets, content planning is high-stakes. When you generate leads with content, you risk making or breaking your relationship with the page visitor.
Google’s algorithms mean businesses can strategically improve their organic search traffic with lead-generating content marketing by targeting ranking factors. Alternatively, they might promote content through social media or other distribution channels.
Why is lead generation important?
Marketing and digital PR continually fight against the competition, algorithm updates, and relevancy. A company without lead generation content may fade into obscurity. You’ll have no leads to direct towards your sales funnel. Therefore, your revenue and growth rely on the whims of a target audience unaware of your existence.
Source: Business2Community
Without leads, you have few potential customers. You’ll find it challenging to grow your business. Lead generating builds visibility, credibility, trust, and engagement from paid and organic traffic. Successful content will attract quality leads who become loyal customers.
Create content that is worth reading
Generating more leads means creating quality content that is worth reading. You can use as many targeted keywords and on-page SEO as you like. Without exciting and relevant content creation, your business might struggle to generate leads.
How can I generate leads through content marketing?
Your blog may rank high on Google, but your target market will quickly click away unless your content is worth reading. As the search engine notices your bounce rates increase, you’ll lose high rankings.
Content marketing and SEO must work together to provide valuable information for your target audience. Here are some tips your business can use to generate leads through content marketing.
1. Understand your target audience
Your customers are the backbone of your business. You must understand the fundamentals of their needs to create relevant and compelling content. Create a buyer persona to represent your target audience. Direct each of your pieces of content toward this ideal customer.
How do you create your buyer persona?
- Conduct customer research.
- Talk to customers.
- Ask them their search intent.
- Work out pain points.
- Understand search queries.
Source: WP Swings
Look at competitors; how are they trying to solve customers’ needs? The better you understand your audience, the more your content marketing strategies will succeed.
2. High-converting landing pages
Landing page web design is an untapped resource for lead generation. Optimise your landing pages with onsite SEO, internal links, and title tags to drive traffic to your site and create an irresistible lead magnet.
Source: Online Marketing Institute
Understand the value or purpose behind each landing page. With this in mind, creating the perfect landing page website design is time. It would help if you had a compelling headline, captivating opening, and compelling copy. Use keyword research to ensure it is search engine optimisation SEO friendly.
Key elements to improve landing page lead generation and conversion rates:
- Easy to navigate.
- Aesthetically attractive and on-brand.
- An attention-grabbing headline.
- Strong bullet points.
- A compelling call to action.
- Visual appeal.
3. Content promotion
You need to promote your content with your strong landing pages, blog posts, and SEO strategy. There are several ways to attract an audience, from search marketing to social media.
- Organic traffic: Use search engine optimised content to boost rankings on search engine results.
- Search marketing: Use paid Google ads (PPC management) to ensure consistent traffic.
- Social media advertising: Share your content through social media channels.
- Link sharing: Promote your content through other pages on your site.
4. Choose the right channels
Choosing the proper content distribution channels for your audience would be best. Some channels offer valuable information, such as Facebook audience insights.
Source: iCreativeSOL
For instance, if your target market primarily uses LinkedIn, focus your energies on that social media channel. The better you understand your audience’s psyche, the better the results.
What is the best use of your budget and energy? Also, consider your paid distribution channels. This includes everything from paying for a Facebook ad to paying for higher content rankings and search results.
5. Data-backed content
You must back your content up with accurate, proven data. This means two things. Firstly, you should include objective, fact-checked information within your content to gain your audience’s trust.
Back up your content strategies with data; for instance, use market research, SEO metrics, Google analytics, and AB tests to ensure your existing content performs well.
To improve your local SEO, use longtail keyword optimisation. People are searching using longer phrases to get more accurate results. Brands can capitalise on their longtail local search terms to improve their ranking.
6. Personalised content marketing
With so much fresh content all over the internet, you must set yours apart. With the data from your buyer persona, tailor your content strategy to a specific customer experience.
For instance, if you work primarily with other businesses, ensure your B2B marketing content considers business interests rather than those of the general public.
Use link building to target featured snippets and improve the personalisation of your content. Personalised content marketing lets you connect the customer with relevant information while keeping them on your website.
7. Visual content
Remember that there are many competitive content types beyond blogs and articles. Consider using visual or video content to draw traffic to your website. Ensure you understand your target audience; different media might attract different demographics. Moreover, visual content is best for social media marketing, resulting in more social shares.
8. Include a CTA
Your CTA button is curial. You must ensure it is clear and visible, grabbing the site visitor’s attention. It could be a click-to-tweet CTA or opt-in form for your email list. You should also include a clear and concise CTA at the end of your content to improve conversion rate optimisation.
Lead generation content examples
Here are some examples of ways to generate leads with content marketing:
- Guest blogging with link building.
- High converting blog posts.
- Ebooks.
- Courses and tutorials.
- Product trials and demos.
- Contests.
- Newsletters.
- Guides and kits.
Your SEO and content marketing strategy should include various media appropriate for your ideal customers.
What are some mistakes to avoid?
Here are some red flags should that you may want to consider not including in your marketing campaigns:
- Avoid using broken links.
- Underestimating the importance of mobile SEO optimisation.
- Disregarding SEO basics.
- Utilise different types of content.
- Underpromoting content.
Summing up
Creating, promoting, and choosing content for your online marketing strategy takes time. You won’t see results immediately. You’ll need a wide variety of content and access to SEO tools to generate leads and optimise conversions.
Consider working with a marketing agency to kickstart the process. Need help with content marketing? Then, get in touch with BlindSeer today.
David Schneider is the owner & founder of BlindSeer. He has over 8 years of experience in SEO. In addition he offers a unique viewpoint on the way SEO works with over six years previously working in Human Intelligence understanding how people think & act and how to drive people to take action.