Using content marketing tactics to generate leads is a tried and tested lead generation method. Typically inbound marketing agencies attempting to do this follow some form of the following steps;
1) identify customer use cases
2) identify perspective personas
3) attach a use case and persona to a search driven action
4) identify broader topics related to the search (wide net terms) or customer interest (affinity audiences) or related searches.
Content created for the express purpose of generating leads is typically optimized for conversion and user experience. Providing highly relevant content, clear calls to action and a media rich and clean interface are a few ways demand generation agencies are able to increase on page conversion rates.
Increasingly it is becoming critical to provide not only a compelling user experience but to add value. When it comes to content marketing the most common strategy is by providing educational or value added content.
The major benefit of educational content is that it indexes well and accordingly often amplifies a companies search and social reach.
While creating and optimizing a users on page experience critically one must always consider the steps that lead customers to your site and the ways you re-engage existing customers.
At Click Shift we address this by breaking down the Lead generation content marketing approach into three customer stages;
1) Customer Targeting
2) Customer Acquisition
3) and Customer Retention
A content driven approach to each of these life cycle stages is critical to ensuring you are able to connect with a prospect. In the early stages customers need to be introduced to key concepts, in the middle stage they require differentiators and in the final stage they require being reminded. Put more simple
1) target and introduce
2) differentiate to acquire
3) remind to retain
I often find content fails to convert becouse content marketers fail to take the time to find out what customers know about thier topic, their solution and their brand. In most cases acquisition efforts fail for instance it is typically h result of perspective customers simply not understanding what is being offered or what makes it different.
If you are selling into an existing category you don’t have to tell customers what your doing or offering – you have to tell them why you are different. If you are creating a category you really have to break it down to basics and explain simply what you offer.
Not sure what to make of all this? Give our team a call today at Click Shift Inbound Marketing and Lead Generation. We are based in Prince Edward County and service Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, Ottawa and Belleville.
