If your content consists of generic blog posts about the same old topics that exist all over the internet, it’s time to rethink your content marketing strategy. Re-energize your strategy by publishing new types of content that will excite and engage your readers. Even though certain tactics may currently be working well for you, don’t underestimate the power of trying new types of content. If you want to convert more leads into customers, ramp up your content marketing strategy with these 4 tactics.
Tell a Story
One of the greatest sources of content comes from your customers. But I’m not talking user generated content (UGC). While UGC is a strategy that might work for some, it can be difficult to execute. Instead of relying on users to create the content, consider focusing on what I’m calling UGCI or user generated content ideas. In other words, let your customers’ stories serve as inspiration for the content that you create.
Using a video or text-based approach, tell the story of a customer who is using your product or service in a new and inspiring way. This goes beyond a typical case study, which is focused on results, but instead centers on your customer and their story. This adds life to an otherwise analytical case study and draws people in emotionally.
So how do you find a customer with a story worth telling? Talk to your sales team. As the employees on the front line, your sales team, media managers, and customer service reps are the closest to customers. They know your customers well and can help you find that one customer who has an inspiring story that others will want to hear.
Let’s take a look at an example from Airbnb. This customer story, one of many from Airbnb, features a user who is using Airbnb for more than just making a little extra money. Her inspiring story demonstrates how Airbnb can have a huge impact on a user’s life. As you can see, this is more than just a case study – it tells a story.
Focus on Quality AND Quantity
If your goal is to publish at least one blog post a day, you may be forgoing quality to stay on schedule. On the flip side, maybe you are spending too much time creating high quality content and thus producing a much smaller quantity. While both situations are common, there is a way to create longer content with a large amount of great information – enter the ebook.
Not only does an ebook provide a large quantity of high quality content, but it also allows you to collect a lead’s information for future communication. After creating your ebook, require that users submit their contact information in order to download it. Then, you can follow up with the qualified leads who have already read your content and trust you as an industry expert.
Because creating an ebook will take more time than creating a blog post, it’s not a tactic you can use often. However, supplementing your existing content with an ebook will prove worthwhile. While it certainly takes more effort to focus on quality and quantity in regards to your content, it can result in more (and potentially better quality) leads.
For example, take a look at this ebook from Civic Science, a market research company. While they publish frequent blog posts, they choose to supplement their content (less frequently) with ebooks. By requiring the user to submit their information before downloading the ebook, they are not only supplying users with high quality content but are also generating leads in the process.
State the Facts
Most content, especially blog posts, tends to be opinion-based. To incorporate a new type of content into your strategy, try creating data-driven content. Instead of using statistics to back up your views, make those statistics the main focus. Better yet, conduct and present your own research.
By creating content using your own research, you accomplish two things. First, you are establishing your brand as an authoritative figure within the industry. By presenting users with new research, you are demonstrating that you are a trusted resource for information.
The second purpose of publishing content featuring your own research is that you can guarantee that it’s unique. No one else has the same data as you, so you are supplying your audience with exclusive content that they can’t find anywhere else.
In this example from Trust Pilot, a company that specializes in gathering customer feedback, they share their findings from research they conducted internally. Not only are they sharing proprietary data that no one else has, they are also analyzing this data for readers to better understand.
Address the Needs of Your Customers’ Customers
This last strategy is geared towards B2B companies. In order to provide your customers with relevant content, address the needs of their customers. By offering insight into how your customers’ customers feel, this can ultimately help your customers to improve their business. Additionally, it once again establishes you as a trusted resource for your customers.
Before you can effectively utilize this tactic, you need to have a good understanding of your target market. What do they offer? What are the benefits? Who are their customers? Once you answer these questions, you can dive a little deeper into some of the issues that their customers are facing.
Let’s take a look at one last example from SmartMove, a division of TransUnion that works with landlords. SmartMove offers its customers (landlords) information on their customers (tenants) in this blog post. By supplying valuable information about tenants, SmartMove is helping its direct users better serve their own customers.
Conclusion
It’s time to take your content to the next level. Re-energize your content marketing strategy by utilizing one (or more) of these creative tactics. Not only will you provide your readers with exciting, new content, but you will likely convert more leads as well. When it comes to content marketing, tried and true will keep you where you are, but new and different will propel you to the next level.
