Every time Google mentions SEO recently they talk about content. They continue to repeat that the best way to increase rankings is to produce quality content. The content will generate shares, +1s, and visitors. It will generate backlinks and engagement.
The reaction in the last 12 months or so has been excited. Marketers are practically jumping up and down on their keyboards in an attempt to impress the omnipotent Google with their content genius.
But, amidst all this content formation haste, there is another thing marketers often overlook: in fact generating leads from the blog posts they write. Considering that a marketer’s main job is to generate leads, this is a rather unfortunate. This article will discuss a foolproof plan to make leads with your blog.
1) Write helpful Content
Most marketing content isn’t all that helpful. Most of it, in fact, is pretty self-serving and common.
But, here’s the big question: what constitutes helpful content?
Content needs to authorize the reader. It needs to teach them how to do something. It wants to solve a problem for the reader, allay a fear, or improve their position in some way.
2) Write A Lot of helpful Content
Writing 1 blog post a week won’t cut it. And surely writing a blog post a month won’t cut it either.
If you want to move the SEO spine—that is, get people to your blog purely—and then generate leads from that content, you have to write frequently.
One of the main problems is that some marketers simply don’t write enough content. They guess that one well-written blog will spark a deluge of traffic.
Marketers have to write regularly and constantly for an extended period of time.If you don’t have anyone on your team that has the ability to write every day, day after day, then find someone that can help. Creating content quickly is critical. Writing a blog shouldn’t take 5 hours. Get content formed quickly.
Each blog post won’t win a Pulitzer. Now, that does NOT mean that you should create terrible blog posts, but it does mean that 47 managers don’t need to read through each post to determine if it’s good enough for publication on your blog.
You don’t need a Congressional mistake panel to approve your blogs. Don’t let bureaucracy get in the way of good content.
Hire someone who can do the job rapidly and well, and then let them do it.
Hire someone who can do the job rapidly and well, and then let them do it.
3) Include CTAs on EVERY blog post
Encourage your readers to do something at the wrapping up of every blog. We had a 212% increase in leads per blog when we started creating CTAs and posting them at the bottom of the blog. We factually put CTA buttons on the bottom of every blog.
And other companies do it better than us. KISSmetrics essentially puts several short forms on the sides of the blogs and several CTAs.
4) Include Authorship and Share
When Matt Cutts says he is eager about rel=”author”. And when Cutts says he is excited about something, everyone should be excited about it.
“I think we’ll keep on to look at it as far as seeing how to use rel=”author” in ways that can improve the search experience.”
5) Do this for Several Months
Blogging to make leads is a marathon, not a sprint. It is hard. It is time-consuming. It takes inspiration and someone who can write quickly and well.
Even if you follow this 5 step formula with accuracy, your blog still probably won’t make leads for 1-3 months. But, slowly that will change. Finally you’ll notice a trickle of leads. You’ll notice an occasional click on your CTA button. You’ll notice a special White Paper download. Then you’ll start to notice an occasional phone call generated by your blog.
Finally you’ll be able to track traffic, leads, and eventually customers from your blog.
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