9 tips to generate more leads from your blog

No matter what industry you are in, blogs can be used as a lead generation tool. Unless you have an e-commerce store, there is no reason for a potential customer to visit your website multiple times. But, if your website has a blog, it gives people a reason to come back. Even if these visitors do not necessarily buy, there are some ways to turn a blog reader into a customer. Focus first on generating traffic to your blog. Depending on the length, the article in an average blog should only take you a few hours to write.

Your blog should be part of your marketing strategy because it costs nothing, except your time. You can even ask your staff, with excellent writing skills, to write a few articles a week. Regardless of how you plan to delegate these tasks, blogging should be a top priority if you want to generate new leads without spending a lot of money. Here’s what you need to do to write blog articles that convert.

1- Offer exclusive content

Why should someone read your blogs and not those of your competitors? In a saturated blogger market, your messages must differ from those of your competitors. Studies tell us that 55% of readers spend only 15 seconds or less reading an article. But if you offer exclusive content, it will give them a reason to spend more time reading, which increases your chances of converting them. Here’s an excellent example from Conversion XL:

This message is distinguished by the exclusive sensation of the title. Where else can you find 11 experts voicing their opinions and reviewing software in one place? When people search for this topic on Google, they’re more likely to click on this post than on other results. But what if you do not have access to a dozen experts in a particular industry? In these cases, use your own expertise to offer exclusive advice to your readers. Master the art of narration and tell a personal story that has generated results for your business. Once you are known as an expert in a particular area via your blog, it will be much easier to get leads.

2- Add more subscribers to your mailing list

If you’re looking for new ways to get more email subscribers, your blog is a great way to accomplish that. Let’s say someone falls on one of your blog posts, they browse and like the content, but what happens next? This will not necessarily require them to buy something, sign up for a subscription or pay for another service you offer. However, they may be interested in reading more of your posts in the future. Rather than hoping that they come back on their own, you can encourage them to join your mailing list so that the content is sent directly to their inbox. This is what Jeff Bullas does on his blog:

Jeff is promoting his mailing list on the sidebar of his blog’s homepage as well as on each article. Once you have the visitor’s email address, you can do a lot more than just send them new blog posts. If you have an e-commerce store, send discount coupons for example.

3- Promote your blog on other marketing channels

Some companies have trouble managing their social networks regularly. They recognize the importance of publishing regularly, but they do not know what to write. Your blog gives you excellent material to stay active on social media every day. When your fans and subscribers see your brand on their newsfeed, it helps to create awareness. Even if they are not yet customers, seeing your brand often can lead to a sale. For example, say your company sells niche products such as camping gear. The consumer may not need what you sell the first time they see your business online. But maybe six months later they’ll decide to plan a camping trip. If you’ve flooded their social media in the past few months, your business will be fresh in their minds as they take action. We also use this strategy, especially on Twitter:

Twitter is a great way to get new readers interested in your blog. After seeing a catchy title on your Facebook or Twitter page, they will be more likely to join your mailing list.

4- Use the comments section to animate a discussion

You make a big mistake if you do not allow comments on your blog posts. Once someone has read your content, give them the opportunity to contribute to the conversation. They may have other ideas to share, a personal story to tell or a question to ask yourself. It is possible that they do not agree with some of your views and opinions on a subject, it is almost even better. One of the best ways to encourage comments is to put a question at the end of your article. Always make sure the question is related to the subject. You can offer a solution to these questions by suggesting some products or services offered by your company. Readers can have a discussion with each other in, that’s encouraging,

5- Be consistent

How often do you post a new blog post on your website? When you started, you may have tried publishing articles every day. But over the weeks, you may have been discouraged and slowed down your pace of publication. You will not see a drastic increase in your traffic or sales overnight, the most important thing is to stay consistent. For example, say that you post a new article every day for a month, which brings you, loyal readers. But all of a sudden, you change your model and publish only once a week, your usual audience will be disappointed if they do not see new content more regularly. A recent study suggests that the more bloggers posts frequently, the more they get “strong results”:

You must always write good content, do not write just to write otherwise no one will read you. Publishing 20 articles a day means nothing if not all articles have added value. If you’re just starting out, it’s reasonable to aim, on average, for a blog post a day.

6- Write guest articles

You make a mistake if you refuse “guest posting” opportunities. It is true that it is quite difficult to publish content on your own website, so why should you write for someone else for free? The guest posting gives your brand great visibility. Your content will be exposed to a new audience that may never have heard of you or your company otherwise. You will also be able to present your content and services throughout your article. Websites usually allow you to include information about you and your brand before or after the article, a new way of promoting. Here is the example of CrazyEgg :

Daniel Threlfall, the author of this article, is one of the co-founders of Launch Your Copy. Contributing to Crazy Egg gave his company visibility and generated more traffic on his website.

7- Hypertext links can generate traffic to your highest conversion pages

Throughout the content of your blog, you have the possibility to add hyperlinks. If you are writing guest articles, you can have several links to your website in each article. You can also apply this same strategy to posts within your site. Use hypertext links to cite all sources, but also internal hyperlinks to drive traffic to other blog posts and landing pages on your site. The internal connection between pages is ideal for your Google search ranking, which will increase your traffic, and therefore your chances of conversion.

8- Let other bloggers contribute to your website

In addition to writing articles for other websites, you can also let other writers contribute to your blog. Having guest posts on your own site can give you a little respite while continuing to publish once a day. When someone else writes a post for your blog, they can promote it to their own readers and share the post on their platforms. They may first come just to read the post of their favorite author, but there is a high probability that they will also read your content. Watch how HubSpot encourages people to contribute to its website:

You can use a similar strategy on your blog. In addition, it could help you to develop a relationship with other writers, who will perhaps return the favor and let you write on their blog. Just make sure that their posts are approved before publication to stay in your theme.

9- Encourage readers to share your content

If you are a good copywriter, people will want to share your messages with their friends. You should make this as easy as possible for them by including social sharing icons on each item.

Once again, this exposes your brand to a new audience. Getting your readers promoting your content for free is a huge win for your business. People are much more likely to share a recent, relevant and informative blog article than just a random link to your website.

Conclusion

Every website needs a blog. Offer exclusive content in your messages so readers are hooked and stay committed. Try using your blog as a platform to get more subscribers to your email list. Stay in touch with your readers by continuing the discussion in the comments section. Write articles for other websites and allow other writers to contribute to your site. Use hyperlinks to drive traffic to your best performing landing pages. Provide social sharing options on your blog to encourage readers to share your content with their friends. These tips will help you write better posts, generating more leads for your website. And you, what are your publishing habits? Do you have any other tips to share with us? Feel free to leave us a comment below.