Growth Marketer Academy: Episode 10 – Content Marketing For Lead Generation

Content marketing can be tough.

When it comes to using content to generate leads in a business to business environment, it requires a very specific approach.

It’s just like Field of Dreams, right? If you write it, they will come…

I wish! It requires a magic blend of great writing, engaging, helpful content, and timely promotion.

And we’re here to tell you how to craft this “magic” blend of content marketing that generates leads in today’s saturated online environment.

Write Content to Speak to Your Lead

How do you know what they’re interested in?

These aren’t long-form ads, but you need to use your ads & keyword knowledge to decide on your topic.
By now you’ve been stalking your leads on Facebook, right?

Consider the details you’ve learned

What are your specific leads talking about?

Example:
Let’s say that you sell business liability insurance.
Potential lead = a CFO
He’s focused on cost-related issues

Some potential topics would be:

Position Yourself As the Expert Helper With Your Content

Content Writer

Drive traffic to content instead of the product page

Be the provider of information.

Don’t try to sell your product or service.
Think of skincare and makeup companies like Sephora

They provide a library of how-to tutorials.

If you’re constantly going to their site to learn

You’re going to grow to trust their product recommendations

You’ll go to their store/associates for advice

You’ll likely buy your next lipstick from them with their assistance.

Build this trust with your potential customer.

Make them comfortable with you being helpful, not a perpetual salesman

You’ll be the expert they think of when that relevant pain point strikes.

Example:

Andrea was looking for an attorney to file some trademark paperwork.

She first searched online for things like:

“File national service trademark renewal”

Identified those firms that had written easy to follow tips or provided relevant information

That info showed her she didn’t have time to do it herself

She contacted the attorney that she felt had given her the most pertinent and helpful information

That attorney seemed most likely to be able to effectively communicate throughout the process.

Tips to determine trending topics in your vertical:

  1. Use Buzzsumo
    Type in your keyword
    It will show you # of shares socially for most popular content
    Paid service will let you see links, estimated traffic, other important data
  2. Go to the forums, chat pages and industry Facebook groups that your leads are frequenting
    Look at what topics are trending
    What questions are your potential customers looking for answers to?
  3. Is there an industry-specific newsletter or site that your lead goes to for industry-specific news and information?

Create lead magnets tied to the content


Value adds like checklists, tools lists or expanded guides

Make sure it’s interesting (not just a long narrative)

Mix it up with visuals (relevant images)

Graphs & charts

Write to Your Platform/Reader

Instagram and Pinterest posts need to be image heavy

Mirror style of other posted content.

Don’t babble on about your loves/interests/personal anecdotes. This isn’t your personal blog

What if you aren’t a writer? – Finding a copywriter

Go to ProBlogger

Look at the bloggers currently writing in your vertical

Get an idea of what people are paying for work in your vertical

Payment is typically calculated by word

Don’t be the cheapest job out there.

Aim to pay at least mid to high range for your vertical to attract decent candidates.

  1. Post an ad on Problogger’s Job Board 

https://problogger.com/jobs/

Free to post a job.

You can pay to make it a “featured” job.

ProBlogger

 

  1. Candidates will apply
  2. Review samples of their work

Look for those with a style similar to the site you’re creating content for

Note their “voice” and how they layout their work

Ask the ones you like to:

  1. Provide 10 topics (ideally with headlines) on the subject or vertical you provide.

If you aren’t sure:

Give them a site to model content on

A site you’d live yours to be like

Give them a couple of sample articles you like

For those that gave you the best topics/headlines:

  1. Choose your favorite topic that they supplied and have them write you an intro and conclusion paragraph

*this lets you weed out the “I don’t work for free” people

They’re likely to be harder to work with.

Identify those candidates willing to go to the effort to really apply for the job.

You should now have 2-3 top candidates.

  1. Pay them $20-30 each to write out a detailed outline for the whole piece.

If images are important, have them provide several sample images

Have them place them in the piece

*so you can see where they’d include them

Also, note how they source them.

Promotion

Once the content is written, you will need to promote the piece

  1. You can look for ProBlogger candidates that know how to promote content

You COULD make that one of your requirements for your candidate.

  1. You could go to Buzzsumo

Pay to see who is linking to similar content

Try to promote your content organically.

  1. Easiest: run ads to the content.
    You’ll most likely use PPC through Facebook and Google
    If your target lead frequents a different forum or site, look for opportunities to place ads to the content there.

Conclusion

Content  marketing isn’t about direct sales. It’s a long game.

Present yourself as the expert in your field, share helpful information. You’re selling your skills without selling anything at all.

Exactly. When they figure out they need your product or service, you won’t have to sell them – they’ll come to you

No cold calls. No salesman tactics.

Just leads that are ready to buy.