Your Blog Content Doesn’t Matter—Unless You Want To Generate Leads

Today more and more businesses are enhancing their online presence with a blog. Marketers are discovering that a blog is great way to keep their websites fresh, continually attract new visitors, and generate new sales leads. However, you probably won’t see a significant and sustained increase in traffic by just adding a blog to your website. And even if you do, the visitors that you attract may not necessarily be ideal prospects for your business. Blogging, in and of itself, is not the solution to all your marketing objectives. An effective blog requires a well-thought-out content strategy and disciplined execution. The subject matter of the content that you write and publish does matter. It’s the content that dictates the success of your blog. 

Success Depends On Targeted Content

Don’t take your blog content lightly. Develop a content calendar that outlines future blog topics, assigns authors for each article, and establishes firm deadlines. The first step in developing your content calendar is getting your Sales and Marketing teams together to brainstorm blog topic ideas. Share the following 11 recommendations with your team to kick-start the discussion and establishes boundaries for the brainstorm. 

1. Know your audience. Who do you want to attract? Who do you want to read your blog? Who is a good lead for your business?
2. What are the keywords your prospects use to search for answers related to your business?
3. Answer the common questions prospects have about your business and your solutions.
4. Address the common objections your sales team typically hears in the sales process.
5. Educate your prospects about what’s new in your industry.
6. Share your unique perspective about topics that are impacting your prospect’s industry. 
7. Leverage different points-of-view. Look at subjects from an operational, financial and customer service perspective.
8. Share your best practices. You don’t have to give away your “secret sauce”, but you can give your prospects a glimpse into your expertise.
9. Break each topic into “bite size” pieces. You don’t want to overwhelm you audience with too much information. It should be a quick read that whets the prospect’s appetite.  
10. Read the content from the perspective of your audience and answer these questions: “What’s in it for me?” and “Why do I care?”  
11. Limit the fluff. Pictures and stories about your team’s awards, community service projects, and holiday parties are nice, but does your prospect really care?

Answering these questions and following these guidelines will help your blog stay relevant to your desired audience. You will see increased traffic and more leads converted from your blog.