5 Persuasive Ways to Generate More Leads from Content Marketing

“Why should my company generate leads from content?” a prospect asked me one day. “After all, we’re a global leader in our industry,” she added.

Here’s why. Today’s disruptive business environment has knocked even the world’s largest companies back, as a Deloitte study points out.

That’s nothing new. Look at the history of today’s industrial giants.

Look at Amazon.

In 1994, it was a smallish startup whose sole revenue came from selling books online. Not only did it capture the lion’s share of the bookselling business, but it morphed into a company that leads the world in online commerce for all kinds of products and services, including web services.

And, in so doing, it left a ton of former “global leaders” in their wake.

One of the factors that drove – and continues to drive – Amazon’s success is its superb content strategy. From personalized product recommendations to compelling product descriptions and everything in between, Amazon’s content has wooed the world.

Generating leads from well-crafted, targeted content is essential to keep large companies leading the pack. Just ask IBM.

Content marketing has kept this legacy tech company at the head of its industry, even though it’s over a century old. There’s always someone nipping at your heels.

Providing your prospects with content that helps them conquer their challenges can position your company as the go-to authority in your space. Keep ahead of tomorrow’s Amazons with persuasive content. Here are some tips for maintaining your position as an industry leader – and even expanding your reach even further.

Know Your Prospects

Start with your customer data, as digital marketing guru Neil Patel advises. Your social media analytics can provide a treasure trove of information about your followers’ interests, demographics, and pain points.

Then turn to your content analytics. Does your highest-performing content meet your prospects’ needs? Are your lower-performing pieces missing the mark by not providing your audience with the information they need?

If so, revise your underperforming content to satisfy their needs. Personalization is essential to success in today’s data-driven content marketing.

Try repurposing your best-performing content in different formats. Although videos are hugely popular, others will likely want to get their information in a different format.

Some people prefer to read your content and even print it out for future reference. Others, especially those with visual challenges or long commutes, prefer audio content, such as podcasts.

Using the right language to reach your prospects is essential to grab their attention. And, there’s a bonus. Using relevant keywords can help Google and other search engines guide your prospects to your content rather than your competitors.

Google’s Keyword Planner is a great place to start. It’s free – so, if your company is just starting its content marketing program and your C-suite is a bit stingy, it will only cost you your time.

Later on, when your content begins to boost your leads – and ultimately, your ROI, your budget might expand to include some paid tools, such as Semrush, Moz, or Ahrefs.

Solve Prospects’ Problems Through Informative Blog and Social Media Posts

When prospects first encounter your brand, they’re likely searching for information about your industry, products, or services. Provide content that answers their questions, satisfies their curiosity, and positions you as an authority in your field.

As they move along in their customer journeys, the trust you’ve worked so hard to earn will play a central role in nudging them toward a sale. Identify their main challenges and create content that will help them solve any problems that stand in their way.

Use social media posts as a tease to get your prospects to explore a more detailed version on your blog. As Brock Stechman points out, social posts are great for getting your prospects’ attention since they’re the most popular distribution channel for major brands.

However, always link them back to your blog or other website content. There, they’ll have an opportunity to connect more deeply with your brand and explore what you have to offer.

Encourage your prospects to subscribe to your email list. At that point, you can segment your audience by needs and interests so that you can send them more relevant content.

Use calls to action that drive them to a landing page – one that addresses their specific needs. Showing them that you’re in their corner as they face the kinds of problems that keep them up at night will endear them even more to your brand.

Use Targeted Landing Pages to Point the Way to a Solution

As Patel points out, landing pages need exceptional technical SEO, especially page loading speed. Nothing is as frustrating as a page that promises a solution but fails to recognize the time-sensitive nature of the problems your prospects face.

Make information easy to find. Partner with your web design team to create a page that gets your prospects what they need to solve their problems – at warp speed.

Testimonials can help build trust, while graphs and infographics can help illustrate your points through the power of visuals. People who want to bottom-line what differentiates your solution from your competitors can digest data faster in a visual form.

Don’t forget to pull your readers’ heartstrings. Even though your prospects might want to evaluate the data, they’re more likely to convert when you include an emotional component in your messaging.

Image via GloriaRand.com

For your landing page’s call to action, use a high-interest content asset to flesh out that solution. Depending on your industry and your prospects’ needs, that asset could be an informative white paper, an ebook, a case study, or a video that demonstrates how well your solution works and how easy it is to use.

Partner with Your Sales Teams to Drive Sales

So, you’ve generated and qualified your leads with authoritative content. Chances are, your sales teams have some key information that can help you convince your prospects to buy.

Partner with your sales team in a content collaboration session to learn what these prospects are saying. Your prospects’ objections and questions can serve as a springboard for content that addresses those concerns and makes them comfortable with purchasing your product.

Don’t Let Your Lead Generation Stop at the Sale

Lead-generating content shouldn’t dry up after you’ve converted a prospect into a paying customer.

• Create videos that get them up to speed in operating your product from the get-go.
• Help them troubleshoot any difficulties they have in using your product.
• Provide them with content that helps them get the most benefits from your product.

Also, encourage your customers to write testimonials that will entice others to explore your brand’s offerings. Since prospects are 2.4 times more likely to consider existing users’ content more credible than your carefully crafted marketing content, it’s well worth the effort to get that extra boost in brand trust – and eventually, leads.

Finally, content that emphasizes outstanding support after the sale will likely inspire your new customers to share your blog posts with colleagues and friends, post links to them on their social media, and even include them as sources of reliable information on their own blog posts.

Having a content marketing platform that covers all phases of content production, distribution, and analysis makes it easier to coordinate all the phases of lead generation from your content. From ideation to collaboration and publication and beyond, DivvyHQ makes the whole process easier.

It’s the one content marketing tool you can’t live without. Try it free for 14 days today!