10 Ways to Generate Qualified Leads with Content Marketing Services
Creating a robust B2B content marketing strategy requires multiple steps and multiple content marketing services.
Using the different types of content available, a business can successfully create a strategy that generates qualified leads that ultimately result in conversions.
To improve ROI, you need a good mixture of content types that build authority and customer trust. Here are 10 ways to generate more leads with content.
1. Extensive Market Research
Performing extensive market research is the first step in deciding what content marketing services are most appropriate for your business.
To do that, businesses need to understand their target audience. This allows them to tailor content and language to target specific pain points and needs that competitors aren’t currently fulfilling.
Seeing what else is out there, and how users respond shapes the core of your content marketing strategy. Show people you’re listening and they’ll respond, establishing trust and loyalty to your brand
How to undertake market research
Search engines and open data are your friends. A lot of information on competitors can be found via simple online searches. Perform a complete competitor analysis using an SEO tool for further insights into keyword gaps, strategies, and missed opportunities that you can capitalise on. Then, carry out a SWOT analysis to see where your business stacks up comparatively.
You should also establish user personas by carrying out intensive research on the users who will buy your product. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, including surveys using programs like Customer Thermometer, interviews, online polls, online user behaviour analysis, and social listening by participating in online communities.
Don’t forget analytics
Qualitative efforts carried out alongside more traditional data analysis of metrics like search trends, engagement, and content performance allow businesses to create a highly tailored marketing strategy. They can then offer the appropriate content marketing services based on this information, resulting in a higher chance of engagement.
2. Create Attractive Lead Magnets
Lead magnets are free offerings available on your site or social media that are irresistible to users. In other words, content they feel is worth exchanging their email address and other contact information for.
Lead magnets are an essential part of the funnel process. They’re at a pivotal point in the user journey, directing them toward more tailored, personalised messaging that nurtures the relationship, and eventually results in a sale.
There are different content marketing services that can be used as lead magnets.
Lead magnet examples
eBooks: One of the most popular examples of lead magnets is eBooks. If you’ve been on the internet for more than five minutes, you’ll have seen at least one example of this. Website pop-ups frequently feature such phrasing as “download our free guide to SEO in 2024 today!” These in-depth guides typically offer more information than a standard webpage, encouraging people to sign-up and download.
Whitepapers: Intensive analysis and reporting of a case study or key element in the industry that impacts its consumers. These demonstrate a business’s expert industry knowledge and provide insights to customers.
Webinars: Informational webinars, like whitepapers, demonstrate expert knowledge on behalf of the business, enhancing trust and legitimacy. You are also creating a feeling of goodwill by sharing helpful, educational content that supports users in your industry.
Templates: Particularly useful in B2B content marketing, free templates that are directly relative to your industry support potential customers. Answering a pain point before a user even converts, by offering an SEO report template, for example, creates a real incentive for them to provide more of their own information in return.
How to optimise lead magnet delivery
There are multiple ways you can advertise lead magnets to potential customers; whether it’s via a pop-up, landing page, simple form, free trial, etc. However, they need to be compelling and simplistic to encourage users to sign-up.
Some simple optimisations make the process smooth and streamlined, so you don’t lose potential leads through frustration with a finicky system. Check your:
- Overall messaging: keep it simple, clear, and concise.
- CTAs: do they speak clearly to the user and offer a worthy incentive to sign up?
- Mobile responsiveness: if you use landing pages, are they loading quickly and easily?
- Information requests: keep the requested information to a minimum, just a name and email normally suffices.
- Follow-up: Make sure you’re sending the requested lead magnet promptly after sign-up.
3. Content Creation
An essential part of offering content marketing services… the content creation itself! Content needs to be high-quality, authoritative, and informative. Use a content strategist or agency to develop a solid SEO-based strategy that resonates with your audience, and positions your business higher in search rankings.
This establishes trust and authority, displaying your industry knowledge and positioning the business as an expert on the subject.
A good strategy includes content for each stage of the funnel, and a variety of it, such as:
- Informational blog posts
- Webinars
- Infographics
- Podcasts
- Case studies
Build trust with your audience by creating a content calendar and posting consistently and regularly. That way you’ll become their go-to site for information about the industry.
4. Guest Blogging
Guest blogging on reputable sites strengthens authority and expands your reach. It also provides a strong backlink to your site, thus raising its own search engine profile.
When pitching topics look at what resonates strongly with your target audience. Choose blogs that have a strong reputation and significant traffic in your niche to ensure a wider readership.
With a good call-to-action and strategically placed links to your own site, visibility, traffic, and your thought leadership profile are all increased.
5. Webinars
Webinars are a great way of providing your audience with meaningful content and a chance to engage directly with your brand. They allow you to display your expertise, answer questions, and build a rapport with potential customers.
How to host a webinar
When deciding to host a webinar, consider your audience’s needs, pain points in the industry, and actionable tips for addressing them.
You want to create a content marketing service that provides answers to these points, rather than just discusses them. Don’t be afraid to engage directly with webinar attendees and provide insight and help when asked questions.
Promotion & follow-up
Promote the webinar online, via email, social and your site to reach a broader audience and increase attendance. Post-webinar, you should send out a “thank you for attending” email that reminds them to check out the website and provides helpful links to additional resources. They can then move into the sales funnel for further contact.
By targeting the audience directly with their own email sequence and personalised content, you keep them aware of your business and more
likely to convert in the future.
6. Quizzes and Surveys
Interactive content marketing services appeal to the part of us that wants to be involved and have our thoughts heard. Creating targeted surveys that address specific subjects allows your audience to share their experiences and current industry challenges.
They also provide a valuable opportunity for lead generation. You can ask respondents to share some small personal information to participate; while also using their responses to refine your content marketing strategy.
Quiz Topic Examples for B2B SaaS:
- Which HR Software Is Right For You?
- Test Your Knowledge: Analytics & Actionable Insights
- What Type of SaaS Marketer Are You?
Survey Topic Examples for B2B SaaS:
- How Much Is Too Much? Budgeting For SEO
- Customer Satisfaction Surveys
- What Features Do You Want To See In Our Next Update?
Look at the patterns and trends in answers to identify common themes and areas for improvement. This will allow you to further optimise campaigns and speak directly to your audience’s needs.
7. Long-tail SEO
Often, businesses will choose highly competitive keywords they struggle to rank for. The trick is to identify niche keywords with a smaller search volume and keyword difficulty, where there’s a much higher chance of ranking.
For example:
The keyword “HR software” has a 2.4k-search volume and 59% keyword difficulty, making it hard to rank for.
But “HR software for small business” has a 210-search volume and 26% keyword difficulty, making it far more likely that your business will appear higher in search rankings.
Using SEO tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs, you can get inspiration for long-tail keyword alternatives. Just type in the primary keyword (HR software) and check the related and broad match tabs for long-tail alternatives.
Targeting these keywords also increases relevance by being more closely matched to the user search intent. That means those who engage are more likely to eventually convert, making them more valuable leads.
Incorporating long-tail keywords into content
Once the long-tail keywords have been chosen, they should be naturally integrated into the chosen content marketing service. Include it a few times through the text, in H2s, and in the meta title and description.
This tells search engines that your page answers the query behind the keyword search in detail, improving rankings.
Localisation
If you also want to improve local SEO, long-tail keywords can be a great way to do that. Simply adding the name of the chosen locale to the keyword chain targets that specific region and further hones in on your target market.
When Riverbank IT wanted to shift its focus from London to Oxford, it did just that, using long-tail keywords that resulted in a 42.36% increase in organic traffic.
8. Spice Up Your Landing Pages
A well-designed landing page is an essential content marketing service for generating leads and obtaining conversions. Coupled with a marketing campaign on social or via email, for example, it can be a powerful tool for capturing the attention of users who are actively looking for solutions.
Effective landing pages should contain the following:
- Strong CTAs (call-to-actions), that clearly state what the visitor will receive if they engage further. Try and vary their size, layout, and placing throughout the landing page.
- Attractive visuals: Humans like to read short paragraphs, broken up with visuals for a more dynamic formatting that’s pleasing to the eye. This will keep their attention, encouraging them to continue down the page
- Powerful copy: Keep copy concise and clear. Our attention spans like short, manageable chunks of text that are easily digestible. Make your content easy to read, and users are more likely to engage.
Landing pages are not a one-and-done job. They take time and continual adjustment to really refine. Don’t be afraid to A/B test visuals, copy, and CTAs to see which combination resonates best with your audience.
By incorporating feedback and data insights from the success of your landing page, you can maximise the page’s user-friendliness and its effectiveness; leading to more qualified leads obtained through content marketing services.
9. Publish High-Quality Content on LinkedIn and Other Socials
Expand awareness and company reach by consistently providing valuable content via social posts on LinkedIn and other channels.
For B2B SaaS content marketing, LinkedIn is particularly effective as you can connect with a dedicated audience of industry leaders and decision-makers. Sharing content puts you in front of them, showcases industry knowledge, and builds trust, therefore attracting more potential leads.
Did you know you only have 1.7 seconds to make an impression?
That’s why when posting, remember to:
- Keep it short and snappy. LinkedIn typically has longer posts than the average social media site, but you still don’t want to write an essay
- Discuss major pain points or shifts in the industry to raise awareness and visibility
- Use visuals, the algorithm, and readers both like having a relevant visual to enhance the content
- Get people’s attention fast with a catchy first sentence or headline
Sharing content is only one part of building a rapport via social media, however. It also offers an invaluable opportunity to connect and engage with potential leads via comments and shares. You position yourself as an approachable, friendly expert in the field, meaning they’re more likely to come to you for their next renewal.
10. Expand Beyond Written SEO Into Video
Video content has become a crucial and highly effective form of content marketing, even in B2B.
Videos capture attention, simplify the explanation of difficult concepts, and provide a different way to absorb information. By incorporating them into your overall content strategy, you are enhancing your visibility and reach, and showcasing your business in a modern, exciting way.
The types of videos B2B SaaS companies could use include:
- Tutorials for existing users
- Product demonstrations
- Customer testimonials
- General thought pieces about the industry niche
To do this, however, you need to embrace SEO. Video-based SEO works similarly to traditional SEO. It requires keyword research, detailed descriptions, and optimised titles that directly target specialised users.
By including videos as part of your content strategy you can engage a wider audience, leading to a wider lead generation pool.
Conclusion: Implementing Content Marketing Services for Lead Generation
A good content marketing strategy embraces a diverse range of content services to reach a wide audience, target specialised niches, and improve reach and brand authority.
Through blog posts, surveys, webinars, and videos, to name a few, your business can clearly demonstrate its expertise, increasing the likelihood of attracting potential leads.
A careful mix of content writing and persuasive CTAs, that adapt to the evolving industry trends, put you at the forefront of customers’ minds.
However, creating a broad, in-depth content strategy is time-consuming, as is creating the content itself. That’s why many businesses outsource these tasks to a trusted agency, like Common Ground, that already has plenty of experience creating content that converts.