Content Marketing Strategies That Convert Into Leads

Your website or blog has only seconds to capture interest. So people either stick around or leave right away. And this refers to any content, whether it's a blog post, a YouTube video or an email newsletter.

The quality of content determines everything. And with so many businesses competing for attention online, it's more important than ever to create content that stands out and resonates with your target audience.

In this article, we'll talk about effective content strategies that are guaranteed to convert into leads.

As mentioned earlier  your website or blog has only seconds to capture interest. The initial exposure helps people determine whether they want to spend more time reading, listening or viewing. So you simply can not expect that people will invest their valuable time trying to figure out what you are trying to convey. 

Your goal is to capture their interest right from the beginning so they consume the content you have created and take the expected steps afterward. Whether it's to make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter or anything else. And the reason we speak so often about producing high-quality content well that's because content marketing is one of the most effective, cost-efficient, and generally, one of the best marketing strategies to drive leads and sales. 

Here are important steps to produce well-performing content:

1. The first and most important step is to Identify your goal

Ultimately when you create content you expect certain actions and  results, right? Before sharing anything ask yourself

•  What am I trying to achieve with this piece of content?

•  Is it maybe to get more subscriptions?  Generate more traffic? Increase brand awareness?

•  What is my content targeting?
  

Don't post unless you know the reason why this piece of content is worth sharing and what results you are expecting from it. Something to remember is that you can not just put together general one-size-fits-all content. It's a good practice to assign a goal to each piece of content as it helps it to be more targeted and also helps you track your progress. This means that the goal for your Instagram post might be different from your promotional email or a blog post.

When you assign a goal to each piece of content then your content starts serving its purpose. Each piece of content that you create will be a part of your entire content strategy. So you'll have an organized system where you can track and measure your progress.

To sum up this point because it's important:

• You need to identify your goal.

• Then you need to create a content plan.

•  And in turn, you'll need to assign a goal to each piece of content that you create so your entire content plan will be revolving around your goal.
  

2. Focus on your target audience

An important step in creating effective content is to understand who you are creating it for. This means taking the time to research and define your target audience and understand their needs, wants, interests and pain points.

Make it about the customer, not yourself. This is a key element in developing effective content that drives results! It's easy to get carried away and even unintentionally focus on yourself but you need to pause and think about "how is my audience benefiting from this information."

 If they don't see any benefit they will stop following.

In other words, show how you solve their problems instead of just telling them how great you are. Highlight the benefits for your customers like how their life improves, what new skills they learn, how they start saving more, or how they become healthier. These are just different examples for different scenarios. When you create content that speaks directly to your audience, you'll be more likely to convert them into leads.

3.  Keyword research

Because you wanna produce SEO-optimized content to rank on Google as you need your content to be found. Keyword research helps you ensure that there is a search demand for whatever you want to write about. There are different tools available for it.

4.Use of visual content

Visual content, such as videos, and images, is highly shareable and can be very effective in capturing attention. Many studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information presented in visual form, making it a great way to get your message across and convert leads.

Get creative with reels and tiktok videos. Also don't underestimate the power of Instangram stories. So many great tools to take advantage of!

5. Keep it simple, concise, and to the point

If your content is too long and requires efforts to figure out what it is about the customers will more likely get bored and leave your website or email you sent them even if you offer the most outstanding product or service. So focus on the main topic you want to convey and stick to it without adding unnecessary details. It happens to all of us we get excited about certain details and want to include them at any cost but ask yourself is it really necessary to include this piece of information or it's going to divert attention from my goal?

6. Now let's talk about the subheadings

Your subheading should be self-descriptive and catch interest. And this refers to anything like an email newsletter, blog article and etc. If the headline is boring and bland, that post might never get read and there will be no conversion into lead.

Depending on what's your goal in order to get people's interest your subheading should either trigger curiosity, offer value or contain a call to action.

Let's illustrate this with an example: Suppose you need to create a landing page on a website to get more newsletter subscribers or calls to get consultation requests. For the sake of the argument let's assume you run a dental clinic.

Which subheading  for the landing page you are creating do you feel will perform better?

"Serving our community since 1985 and providing excellent service."

or

"Get the smile you deserve!

 Call us today for your free consultation."

The first subheading is focused on you and therefore isn't of much value to your customers. Whereas the second one focuses on your clients and you provide value!

Get the smile you deserve! - value

Call us today for your free consultation. - call to action

These simple tweaks make a huge difference!

7. Be natural

Whether it's a video or blog article make sure you don't sound bookish or robotic. Speak with your natural voice, but sound respectful. This might seem easy but it needs some practice so you can establish your style and sound natural. What can you do to reach this goal?

• Use short sentences as it improves understanding.

• Break sentences up and split the text into small paragraphs. It makes it easier to read and understand.

• Avoid using fancy words to sound sophisticated or smart - use simple and easily understandable words. Your goal isn't to impress with your vocabulary but connect with your audience.

• Have a few friends read the copy you drafted and share honest feedback with you. You can learn a lot from an honest critique and improve your content development style.
  

8. Do a thorough research on the topic you're working on

This will help you understand what people already know about the given subject and what their concerns are. This is a great way to stand out from your competition as your content won't be repetitive. Good research will help you identify what's missing and what needs to be covered. So you'll come up with improved and valuable content instead of repeating what already has been said. Filling in the gaps gives you a competitive advantage. You offer more, you provide value!

Here are several questions to guide you:

• What do people know about this subject?

• How is it being perceived?

• What piece of information is missing?

• How can I fill in the gaps?

9. Offer something of value

Lastly, don't be afraid to give something of value to your audience in exchange for their contact information. This could be a free trial, an e-book, or a webinar. By offering something of value, you'll be more likely to convert leads into paying customers. You can build up your email list and send out special offers and promotions.

In conclusion, by focusing on your target audience, using visual content, creating valuable and informative content, and offering something of value, you'll b able to create a successful content marketing strategy that drives results.