Like pastrami and rye or Sundays and football, content and email marketing lists are natural pairs. A business blog enhances the lead gen value of your email list, which in turn guides the content of your blog as your analytics tell you which posts got the most buzz. Overall, nurtured leads tend to convert more often and make larger buys than those who are left to their own devices, so it’s well worth investing in content as part of your larger lead gen strategy.
Everyone Loves a FAQ
Do your prospects ask certain questions again and again? If so, you have the perfect opportunity to write a blog post or two about them in FAQ format and answer multiple needs at once. Even if your leads aren’t forthcoming with their questions, you can still write up a brief FAQ as a blog post and get their attention that way. A simple bulleted list can work wonders when you’re pressed for time; combine your brief list with an offer to learn more from a white paper or webinar and watch the contact information flow in.
Industry News
Authoritative content helps build your reputation as a leader in your industry. Break important news – or just be one of the first to pass it along to your readers – and you’ve given them another reason to sign up for your newsletter. Who would want to miss the next big story, especially if subscription is free? Showcase your industry knowledge and help your leads stay in the know. It’s also an excellent opportunity to solicit feedback from your leads about what they’ve just read, so don’t forget to ask for comments or thoughts via social media.
Top to Bottom Coverage
When blogging, mix in content from every level of your marketing funnel. Now that leads do considerable research on their own, they can enter your funnel at any stage of knowledge. As you see which blog posts your leads read, you can sort leads into segments based on their interests and level of engagement. It’s especially important to tag posts accurately so interested leads can learn more. By linking content you’ve already published with new posts, you create a library for leads that compels them to read more.
Segmentation
Don’t stop at separating content streams by depth of coverage. Different subjects also merit their own tags so you can get a clearer idea of what each of your prospects wants to explore. From there, you can lead them to the appropriate nurture streams to guide them along their buying journey. Combined with site analytics, varied blog post topics and tags reveal a lot about your leads; use the knowledge wisely and tie your email marketing and direct mail programs to what you’ve learned.
Share and Be Shareable
Blog posts aren’t for serving up a dry hash of reconstituted ideas or an endless stream of ads. They’re for everything from promoting your latest e-book to sharing holiday wishes from your team to spotlighting product demonstration videos. Variety makes you shareable, so aim for a mix of topics and media on your blog. Spotlighting guest bloggers is another excellent way of making your blog shareable and welcoming new readers to share posts too.
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