9 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads with Content Marketing

9 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads with Content Marketing

Insert content upgrades Convert more leads by adding content upgrades to your blog posts or transcript pages. If you don’t want to write blog posts, share a content upgrade in your show notes. Lead magnets are how you’ll directly get leads. To build a great lead magnet, it has to be “highly relevant to the content of your guest post and the overall theme of your target blog.” I highly recommend that you share a link to the lead magnet’s landing page in your guest writer’s bio. That’s what Michael Ofei did when guest blogging for Bidsketch: Ask the blog’s editor if you can insert content upgrades into your article like this: So when a reader clicks on the link to the lead magnet, they get directed to a landing page where they can offer their email address. Here’s the PDF article he used as a lead-magnet: He added a popup form and a lead box (for content upgrades) to capture emails. He had to convert these leads into email subscribers. Here’s the original page: Karon looked over it and saw these mistakes: Too many CTAs Complex design and bad copy Form asked for too much information The land page’s copy was focusing too much on who VividBoard was instead of how their book could help leads. When you click on the annotation, you’re directed to this landing page: When it was published, the video had almost 800,000 views with 140,000 leads generated. Then publish a YouTube video with links to your lead magnet.

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lead gen

Many business owners and marketers fail because they don’t know how to grow enough leads or potential clients.

It’s because they’re not following the online sales funnel:

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They’re failing to move web visitors from the awareness stage into the consideration stage.

They think that, by just telling someone to buy from them, they’ll make a sale.

But they’re wrong.

Here’s the dirty truth about human psychology: People aren’t going to buy from you unless you offer something beneficial.

You must attract leads with valuable and informative content.

Then move them down the funnel by directing them to your email form.

When they become email subscribers, you’ll have a better opportunity to introduce yourself and explain how you can help them.

But how can they become leads with they don’t know how to sign up?

It’s by removing barriers and offering the best content you can offer.

Here are the nine ways you can generate qualified leads with content marketing.

1. Offer lead magnets with Facebook Ads

Facebook’s advanced technology has made targeting qualified leads much easier.

They use their ocean of data to discover and predict the buying habits of their users.

They know your preferences, hobbies, and personal information.

But most importantly, they know the preferences of your target leads.

Take advantage of Facebook Insights by running ad campaigns.

But be mindful when using Facebook Ads. Most marketers fail because they use them incorrectly.

Unlike AdWords, Facebook Ads target people who are looking for your business or content.

Facebook practices passive advertising. They try to make ads look as natural as possible so they don’t interrupt users.

The more overt you are, the less likely people will convert.

To win at Facebook advertising, you need to make selling soft and easy.

You want your leads to take the easiest step possible: Sign up for your email list.

This way, you can build strong relationships outside of the platform.

But people aren’t going to sign up just because you have an email newsletter.

Incentivize leads to click by offering a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is a valuable piece(s) of content related to your target audience.

Here’s a list of potential lead magnets:

Whatever content you chose, it must be valuable enough for them to give you their information.

How Brennan Dunn uses Facebook Ads

Brennan Dunn of Double Your Freelancing uses an email course to convert aspiring freelancers. Here’s his ad:

When you click on the ad, you’re directed to a landing page that further describes the email course.

When you click on the blue button, a popup asks for your name and email address.

Brennan is winning at Facebook marketing because he knows that people aren’t going to buy from your first attempt.

After the setup of your lead magnet or landing page, write a welcome email thanking leads for signing up.

2. Insert content upgrades

Convert more leads by adding content upgrades to your blog posts or transcript pages.

A content upgrade is a less-intense lead magnet that’s proven to double email opt-in rates.

They’re easier to create and share.

A visitor who’s consuming your content will be nicely interrupted by a box (usually yellow) offering more valuable information.

When they click the link, they get a pop-up asking for their email address.

Sleeknote added some more:

To get the most leads, your upgrades should be relevant to the content you’re discussing.

And they have to be obvious. Embed your lead boxes repeatedly into your content page.

If you don’t want to write blog posts, share a content upgrade in your show notes. Like Mariah Coz and Megan Minns’s podcast:

Here’s the content upgrade in the show notes:

How Wishpond 16x their email conversions

Wishpond needed to increase more leads.

Usually, they would promote e-books at the end of every blog post.

But it wasn’t that effective. It only converted visitors at .62%.

So they had to try something else.

They pivoted and started adding content upgrades to a more popular blog post.

They collected data and realized that this strategy converted 575% better!

Here’s a content upgrade they used:

And the pop-up:

They tried the experiment again and got similar results.

Here’s the analytics for a typical blog post with no content upgrades. The conversion rate is 0.28%.

The content upgrade in “The Complete Guide to the Psychology of Conversion Optimization” is converting at 3.05%

The content upgrade in “17 Knockout Growth Hacks to Nurture Leads into Customers” is converting at 6.19%.

Wishpond averaged the conversion rates of these two articles and recorded a 1,650% conversion increase from their usual blogging strategy!

Crazy right?

But it works. I use it on my blog all the time. Here’s an example:

3. Guest blogging

Another way to get qualified leads is to guest write for blogs that are popular in their niche or industry.

Guest blogging is effective because you’re collaborating with sites that have succeeded in capturing your target audience’s attention.

It’s attention that you need.

But before you start pitching, you must do this first:

  1. Research popular blogs (or podcasts) in your target leads’ niche.
  2. Brainstorm evergreen ideas that will benefit your audience.
  3. Create a lead magnet connected to your email marketing service.

The last task is super important!

Lead magnets are how you’ll directly get leads.

To build a great lead magnet, it has to be “highly relevant to the content of your guest post and the overall theme of your target blog.”

I highly recommend that you share a link to the lead magnet’s landing page in your guest writer’s bio. Don’t share your website!

That’s what Michael Ofei did when guest blogging for Bidsketch:

Ask the blog’s editor if you can insert content upgrades into your article like this:

So when a reader clicks on the link to the lead magnet, they get directed to a landing page where they can offer their email address.

How Brad Hussy did everything right

Freelancing expert Brad Hussy grew his email list when he guest blogged for Convert Kit.

In his article, he explained how he used the software to sell his online course.

He wrote an epic blog post with screenshots of email analytics, insights from his automation sequences, and proof that his campaigns converted into sales.

At the end of the article, he provided a link to his email course.

Click on the link, and you’ll get directed to his landing page:

Click on the “Lesson #1” button. This lead-capture popup will appear:

4. Webinar collaborations

A strategy that’s even more effective than guest blogging is hosting a webinar.

A webinar is a live video session where you present content or teach viewers something new.

You can host a webinar yourself and offer it as a lead magnet. Or you can promote it to existing email subscribers.

But it’s more effective to partner with an Influencer or brand as a joint webinar.

You’ll be exposed a new list of qualified leads. Here’s an email Mariah Coz sent to her email list to promote her collaboration with Jen Carrington.

Mariah explains everything you need to know about these partnerships.

Webinars are harder to setup than a blog post. But…

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