[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Menu – global” fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#fce1c1″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” next_background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”3.8″ global_module=”549″][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title admin_label=”How Lead Generation Fits Into a Larger Engagement Content Marketing Strategy” global_parent=”549″ _builder_version=”3.17.2″ meta=”off” date=”off” background_image=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/bigstock-Coloured-Explosion-66434.jpg” text_orientation=”center” text_shadow_vertical_length=”0.1em” text_shadow_color=”rgba(201,211,178,0.4)” title_font=”Aclonica|700|||||||” title_text_align=”center” title_font_size=”79px” title_letter_spacing=”17px” title_line_height=”1.2em” title_text_color=”#fdf3e7″ meta_font_size=”6″ text_shadow_blur_strength=”0.1em” /][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#fce1c1″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” prev_background_color=”#000000″ custom_padding_tablet=”50px|0|50px|0″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text text_font=”Trebuchet||||” text_text_color=”#1f041e” background_color=”#fce1c1″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” _builder_version=”3.17.2″]
We are closing in on 2018, and you might be asking yourself what we should expect from 2019 when it comes to content marketing. It doesn’t matter what your business model is – the same rule applies for all, and it is the one thing that hasn’t changed over the years – content is your most powerful marketing tool. The content on your website is your lead generating machine. But are you using your machine properly or have you left it there to rust? The difference between engaging content and just content is what you get out of it, and if you are not getting leads, then it means that your content can’t be labeled as appealing to customers.
If you are looking to generate more leads, turn around and look at your content marketing strategy. Are you giving it enough attention or are you just throwing the keywords around hoping for miraculous results?
When done right, content marketing can work miracles. In fact, content marketing can can generate three times more leads than paid advertising and outbound marketing. If you are still struggling to get the leads, stick around because we have some tips on how to improve your lead generation in 2019.
Find the Type of Content that Works for Your Customers
In order to boost your lead generation in 2019, you need to ask yourself the question if your existing content is the right type of content for your audience. To determine the right type of content that your customers want to see, you need to do extensive market research and more importantly, establish the purpose of the content itself.
What’s the purpose of your latest article? To inform or to sell a product?
There are several types of keywords that you can target through your content depending on the purpose. For example, for content such as handy guides, DIYs or tutorials, you need to be targeting informational keywords. For cases when the content is made with the sole intention of selling, you need commercial keywords.
When searching for something, customers have a certain goal in mind. If they are determined to make a purchase of a product they will not be interested in reading informative articles because they have already done their research and they are ready to go deeper into the sales funnel. However, when they were initially doing their research of the product, they were looking for information.
Do you see the connection?
An informational keyword would be a phrase such as “content writing guide”. On the other hand, a commercial long-tail keyword would be “content writing agency”. The latter clearly shows that the customer already did a research on content writing, yet determined they would rather hire someone to do the writing for them.
By choosing the right type of keywords for the purpose of your content you are reaching out to people at different stages of their customer journey. Still, whatever the purpose of your content is, one thing is for sure – your content needs to engage customers in order to move them deeper into the sales funnel.
Landing Pages Don’t Have to Be Annoying
Yes, landing pages together with pop-ups can be the most annoying things you can find on a website from a customer’s perspective. However, the reason they are annoying is because they are not appealing to customers for whatever reason.
High-converting landing pages can be what bring you the largest portion of lead generation in 2019 by engaging with customer and encouraging them to take a certain action. However, there are a number of elements that make the perfect landing page: a compelling headline, a descriptive subhead, appealing picture, powerful CTA and much more. And truth be told, landing pages are hard to nail. That’s why if you don’t get it right the first time, you need to keep on trying. Your best bet is to learn from your mistakes and involve and AB split testing to determine which elements of your landing page work best for lead generation and conversion.
In reality, yes, people might find landing pages annoying, but a landing page with good content which supports your overall content marketing strategy will not be overlooked. In fact, it was a good landing page that brought Moz $1 million!
Forget the Salespeople – Your Content Can Do That
Ask any person and they will tell you that they don’t like an uninvited pushy salesperson. Salespeople are usually perceived as annoying, and according to a study by Sales For Life, only 18% of people trust and respect salespeople.
If you still think that traditional sale strategies will work more efficiently than content, welcome to the 21st century where the Internet is our loyal companion. Sure, traditional sales techniques may still work, but when it comes to cost-efficiency and ROI, they can’t even closely match the results that content can bring you if you equip it with all of those elements that will make it a lead generation beast.
The reason why content can be the thing that provides leads generation in 2019 for your business is our general purchasing habits. People nowadays do their research online before making a purchasing decision. Remember the informational keywords we mentioned earlier? They are the secret behind turning your content into your main salesperson through customer engagement. That’s why creating high-quality content can’t be overstated enough.
Lead Generation or Customer Engagement? – Why Not Both?
Some may argue that lead generation and customer engagement don’t go hand in hand and prefer one over the other. However, doing both is what you should be aiming for.
You might engage thousands of potential customers, but if that stays only at the engagement level you are wasting your time. Engagement on its own won’t bring the money in the bank. Lead generation in 2019 should work together with your content marketing strategy.
To simplify matters, engaged customers are usually loyal customers. But they are already customers. To move your business forward, you need the potential customers to become leads and then you need to maintain a positive relationship to turn them into buyers.
A successful lead generation strategy should fit inside your overall content marketing strategy and the reason is obvious – your content is a tool that helps you boost your chances of increasing the profit and leads are a step along the line towards striking a sale. Don’t try to separate these two elements since they work well in harmony. Adjust the strategies to complement each other and get ready for lead generation in 2019!
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When it comes time to pick a content provider, a bargain isn’t always the best way to go. Content is more than filler; it’s what draws visitors to your site, but inspired content keeps them there. It keeps them coming back. Content is a relationship. It’s your brand. We get it. Furthermore, we can deliver it. Contact us today for a quote.
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