How To Turn Your Blog Into A Lead Generation Machine – 5 Simple Strategies
{Guest Post by Leesa Klich, Health Writer & Content Strategist}
Ohhh “lead generation.” It’s the coveted buzzword that spells s-u-c-c-e-s-s for online business. Amirite?
But, what does “lead generation” mean? And why is it so important for your blog?
That’s exactly what we’re talking about today! But…
There are a few key strategies that can make a BIG difference to turn your blog into a lead generation machine.
Before we dive in, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.
What does lead generation mean?
Lead generation is getting in front of people who may be interested in your products or services and giving them a GREAT reason to give you their email address. It’s that simple!
If you want a more “official” definition, the Content Marketing Institute says:
“lead-generation campaigns are focused on getting contact information. Successful lead-generation campaigns exchange useful, relevant, and compelling content for permission to contact a qualified individual.”
Essentially, it’s using your blog to build a targeted email list.
How do you generate leads online?
In other words, “How do you attract interested people to your website and entice them to give you their email address?”
It’s all about content marketing! And your blog can be your biggest asset for generating leads.
5 simple strategies to turn your blog into a lead generation machine:
Your website (and your blog) is your online home that’s accessible 24/7 for people to find and read — it should generate leads for you on auto-pilot. Here’s how!
1. Don’t just publish blog posts. Consistently publish high-quality niche-specific blog posts.
Simple? Yes.
Easy? Maybe.
This is the critical first step!
To attract people interested in your products and services, you need to show them why they should “know,” “like,” and “trust” you.
FUN FACT: The wellness industry is now worth $3.7 trillion? That’s trillion with a “t.”
So, why would people know, like, and trust YOU to help them?
Here’s why!
- Blogging consistently means they can trust you to be there for them when they need you;
- Having high-quality blog posts means you care about the people who read them and want to provide the best information for them (and stand out from the crowd); and,
- Niche-specific blog posts prove your expertise in your area.
Make sure each blog post is written with your “lead” in mind. Be of value. Help them solve a problem, learn something new, or be entertained. Your blog posts should give them reasons to know, like, and trust YOU. Click To Tweet
PRO TIP: If you have to choose between quality posts and the quantity of posts, I would always recommend quality. You don’t have to blog several times each week – you can create a consistent schedule that works for you. Just make sure the first time a “lead” lands on any of your blog posts – you impress them.
2. Create awesome headlines & images
Now that you have an amazing blog post, let’s get it read!
Blog headlines and images have ONE MAIN PURPOSE: To attract people to read your post.
When done right, these two simple things can attract loads of the right people (a.k.a. “leads”) to read your new awesome blog post.
Think of compelling and interesting ways to title your blog post. Think of what types of images your target reader loves and responds to. You can even test out sample headlines and images with your social media followers to see which seem to resonate the most.
BLOG WRITER PRO TIP: When you find a winning headline/image strategy, don’t be afraid to update older blog posts - just don’t change the link! Click To Tweet
3. Have several opt-in incentives
Once a person comes to your blog to read your post, will they be back? How will they know when you publish another awesome blog post? Or what products and services you have that can help them?
By following you on social media? Maybe.
But the BEST way to “capture leads” (a common term, not my words) is by email. Have you heard: The money’s in the (email) list?
Give your readers a reason to give you their email address by offering them an incentive (a.k.a. “Lead magnet”). Your incentive can help them take the first step to solving their problem. Something that will further establish you as their trusted expert in your niche.
Ideas for opt-in incentives:
- Special report
- Checklist or worksheet
- Ebook (maybe based on a series of blog posts you’ve created)
- Video or audio
- Tip or Inspiration of the week (for subscribers only)
- Spot in your upcoming webinar
- Get on the waitlist for early bird pricing for your soon-to-be-launched product or service
- A case study
- A content upgrade
Out of all these, my personal favourite opt-in incentive is the “content upgrade.” This nails a lot of the lead generation because once someone finds or reads a blog post, you can email them the “upgrade” to that exact post.
I’ve turned several of my most popular posts into downloadable checklists for readers interested in the topic. You can even include additional information or a how-to video – something with even more value that can help them find success on the topic you blogged about.
You don’t have to create a content upgrade with every new blog post – instead, have one that relates to each type of product or service you have. Think of it as a bridge. You have a blog post, and you have products/services – your opt-in incentive should somehow link the post to an offering.
BLOG WRITER PRO TIP: Make sure that every opt-in incentive you offer is branded, has links to your website, and ends with your bio and/or a promo for one of your products or services! Click To Tweet
4. Promote your opt-in incentives (a lot!)
Make sure every single blog post has a way for readers to opt-in to your email list.
In each blog post, you should include at least 2 of:
- Welcome mat when the reader first opens your post;
- Opt-in form in the sidebar of your blog;
- Opt-in form or box at the end of your post (If you created a content upgrade, then you get bonus points for adding an opt-in form near the beginning of your post for people who don’t have time to read it right away, or who prefer downloading or reading printed versions);
- A “pop-up” form that appears after they’ve read for several seconds, scrolled down a certain amount, or when they intend to exit.
Make sure you’re asking for your readers’ email addresses often!
#leadgenerationSpeaking of opt-in incentives – here’s Leesa’s example of how to create a valuable resource that is a must-have to her target audience –> SEE FOR YO’ SELF!
5. Experiment with it
There is only one way to be sure what your readers like and respond to – and that is to put on your “scientist hat” (or lab coat and goggles) and experiment with it.
First, decide what you want to test. Do you want to test:
- Images – Two different images on your opt-in forms?
- Copy – The same image, but different copy on those forms?
- Placement – Whether people are more likely to opt-into the form at the beginning of your post or at the end?
Let’s run through a quick example. Say you want to test the image on your pop-up.
Create two versions of that pop-up. One is version A, the other is version B.
Next, make them both available for your readers. This can be done two ways. If your opt-in form plugin can do A/B testing, then use that capability for two weeks. If not, then have one available one week and the other in the second week.
After two weeks, see if you have a clear winner. You’re looking for which one has a better “conversion rate,” not just the higher number of conversions. This means you see how many people opted-in to that pop-up (conversions), and divide that by the number of people who saw it (conversion rate).
PRO TIP: Don’t test more than two versions of something at a time. This way you can narrow down what your readers are responding to – is it the image, copy, or placement?
Conclusions on Using Your Blog for Lead Generation
Lead generation is such an important strategy for online business success. The more people who know you, like you, and trust you enough to give you their email address, the more people you have to make offers to.
And the more people you make offers to, the more that will sell. It’s a numbers game, and that’s why “the money’s in the list”.
Optimize your blog to generate leads for you 24/7.
But first, make sure you consistently publish high-quality niche-specific blog posts. Then, optimize your headline and images to entice the right leads to click on your post.
Offer a great incentive for people to opt-into your email list and promote those incentives often. Don’t forget to have fun with it by using different words and images to see which ones are more successful.
Don’t let your blog be just a blog – turn it into a lead generation machine!
About the Guest Author – Leesa Klich
Leesa Klich, MSc, R.H.N. is content & credibility specialist for wellness professionals (otherwise known as a health blogging nerd).
Strategically planned, high quality, science-based content to help grow your business is her jam.
She helps with all things health blogging, from research to writing to strategizing, all with the goal of elevating the wellness industry and improving public health on an epic scale.
* Be sure to grab her list of 60+ wellness blog topics you can create in 60 minutes! *