How to generate leads using content marketing
Based on our own experience of generating leads, using content marketing, for the ICIS sales team, we would like to share a few tips with you about how we do it.
1. Identify the right content: Knowing your target audience will help you to identify the content that they are likely to find compelling. Choosing content that is not overtly promotional but is rather useful, helpful or educational and positions you or your organisation as an expert is a good strategy. Such content-of-value might include:
- reports
- white papers
- articles
- how to guides
- webinars/podcasts
2. Share the content: Once you’ve got your content your audience needs to be able to find it and engage with it. It therefore needs to be distributed and promoted through various channels including:
- search engine optimisation (SEO)
- search engine marketing (SEM)
- social media
- online advertising
Advertising on publisher websites such as icis.com or in ICIS e-newsletters such as ICIS Reporter allows you to access the audiences attracted by their highly-valued editorial content.
3. Collect the leads: In exchange for the right, high value content readers are generally willing to provide you with their details. You will need to have a data collection form ready to collect their information.
Design your data collection form so that you collect only the information you need. Ask for too much, and you can put prospects off completing it. A good strategy can be to collect one or two key pieces of information – contact data, for instance – at the outset, and build up your information profile later on in the relationship by providing more content in exchange for more information.
4. Follow up: Once you’ve started to generate leads, you’ll need to determine whether they are ready to be passed to sales, or whether they need further nurturing. This is best done using a lead nurturing program.
If you are interested in running a lead generation advertorial in ICIS Reporter e-newsletter or would like help in creating content for a content marketing campaign contact us today.
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