If you want to turn your website into a lead generation machine, then it’s time to invest in content marketing.​​ And it’s not as difficult as you might think. 

Businesses of every size should consider taking proactive content marketing steps to generate leads and increase sales. To make your content stand out from that of your competitors and drive traffic to your website, you need to identify and use the right topics and the right words.

Some businesses are already using content marketing very effectively. However, for most small businesses, it remains an afterthought — something to do if you have the time. After years of refusing to take a smart approach to it, you might be wondering why content marketing is even necessary. 

What is content marketing, and why does content matters for lead generation?

Content marketing is the technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience. It is a highly effective way to build trust with your target audience, establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and increase your conversions. 

Content marketing creates three times as many leads as other forms of marketing. However, its success depends on the quality of your content. No matter how good your strategy is, if your content is not well written, it won’t convert many prospects. Always ensure you are creating quality content that is search engine friendly. Consider getting help from a professional writer or team of writers if you are not confident in your own writing skills or do not have the capacity to create content for your blog. 

The content you’re producing today is probably the most critical component of your marketing strategy, one that determines how efficiently you will generate leads tomorrow. In fact, research from the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs found that 78% of B2B marketers use content marketing as a key tactic to support lead generation.

What type of content works best for lead generation?

The first criterion of content development success is that it must be appealing to your target audience. You might not get any leads at all if you create content that doesn’t aim to reach your ideal audience. Instead, you might end up with unqualified leads that don’t convert into sales, which is even worse than getting no leads at all because you’ll be wasting important resources to convert low-potential prospects.

The main question is how to generate leads with content marketing? When it comes to B2B marketing and content, remember that different contexts and scenarios dictate which types of content will work best for lead generation. The long and short of it is this: Your audience is far more likely to respond to the types of content that answer their specific questions. 

Different types of prospects may have different questions, and they are looking for different answers on each step of their buyer’s journey. Let’s consider what they might be searching for at each stage.

Awareness stage

At the awareness stage, the target audience should be aware of your product or service prior to making a buying decision. 

Any resources spent on awareness-stage prospects should  seek to advance them to the consideration stage and increase their trust in your brand so they are more likely to purchase later. Content created for the awareness stage should provide as much value as possible right away, with no commitment or sales pressure. These are some effective mediums for raising awareness:

• Social media. Social media has been a useful tool for businesses, especially those using digital marketing channels. It has proven effective at driving high levels of brand awareness and lead generation. 
• Email marketing. Email marketing helps you generate leads and close deals faster. If you are looking for a quick way to expand your customer base, this is the most efficient method.
• Infographics. They can be used to give readers information they may not have known before visiting the site, often at a glance. You can also use them to display graphs, charts and data to share more information about the company.  Many organizations use infographics to communicate with their audiences in a more visually.
• Video. The main benefit of video is that it allows you to humanize your brand. The best videos for lead generation are customized to show company culture, product information and expertise in a conversational way. Video marketers are said to generate 66% more leads and enjoy a 54% boost in brand awareness each year.

Consideration stage

At this point in their journey, prospects aren’t ready to buy yet. They still need help to find the course of action that will resolve their problem. Use these types of content to educate your audience about what you do and how you can bring value to them:

• E-books. By creating an e-book, you have the opportunity to explain something in detail, show different types of uses for your product or service, and describe why someone would choose to use your product over a competitor’s product. 
• Blog posts. Your blog is an important tool for generating new consumers and drawing traffic to your website. It gives you a chance to showcase your expertise and establish your authority in your industry. 
• Webinars. The most important thing is that attendees have a personal connection with your business. You want them to get to know you, associate a voice with a face, and eventually personalize your company and build a relationship.

Decision stage 

When buyers are ready to make a purchase decision, they should have all the information they need to buy with confidence. That’s why you should use all your marketing tactics to ensure that buyers know your company and what it offers at this stage of the buying cycle. 

Prospect at this point are the most qualified buyers because they are well informed about their problem, fully comprehend their requirements and know all about the solutions available to meet it. These are some content types you can create to give buyers deep, detailed information:

• Whitepapers. The right words can inspire a person to purchase a product or service. They can even lead someone to advocate for your brand or product without any form of compensation. The key to using white papers as a marketing tool is to make sure they are targeted toward the right individuals.
• Testimonials and case studies.  Marketers use testimonials and case studies to attract leads into the sales funnel. This is a perfect way to show your expertise with real examples and help prospects see the value of your product or service, based on others’ feedback.
• Email marketing. Email marketing has become one of the most popular lead generation methods at almost all the buyer stages. The service is cost effective, time efficient, easy to learn and simple to set up. If you still don’t know how to write an effective email for your lead generation campaign, Tempesta Media is here to help.

In Summary 

By generating leads with content marketing, you can put yourself at the top of the business game. Content is king, but you have to know what type of content to use to achieve your main goals. By following our recommendations, you can not only increase your lead generation efforts but also ensure your overall marketing strategy produces the best possible results. At Tempesta Media, we offer various types of services to meet your needs. Contact us today, and we will prepare a plan to increase your leads with our content marketing expertise.