Blogging is no longer just a hobby of young people who write about fashion, cooking and fitness. More and more companies have set up a corporate blog to generate new leads. Below, we explain how this works.
Aside from being a comparably cheap communication tool, a B2B blog can have a positive impact on
- the customer dialogue,
- the brand image,
- the standing of the company in the industry (thought leader),
- website traffic and
- the lead generation process.
Blogs are no longer an insider's tip in B2B. Just setting up a blog and hoping for the best is not going to help you in an increasingly crowded blogging landscape. You have to focus on quality and strategy while keeping your eyes on the long-term effects: B2B companies that regularly blog generate 67 percent more leads than their non-blogging competitors.
How your blog generates more leads
Types of content / strategy
First of all, you have to ask yourself what kind of reader you want to reach and what you want to achieve with it. Is it about image and transparency or about sharing knowledge? Do you want to promote a current campaign with a blog or showcase different solutions from your portfolio? The content of your blog obviously depends on your objective and target group. In any case: people have to recognize the direction of your blog. Your blog cannot be a new site, present company news and feature application stories at the same time. In this case, you would be communicating to a relatively undefined audience, that ultimately cannot know what to expect from the blog on a regular basis. Users who prefer knowledge-based content will look elsewhere as a consequence.
Editorial calendar
An editorial plan determines what you publish and at what intervals. It is important to blog with regularity. You should publish something more than once a month. A daily blog, on the other hand, will quickly exceed your capacity if you want to put out quality content. One to two times a week are good publishing intervals. It is recommended to always publish on the same weekdays so that your readers know when they can expect new content. Some readers might even integrate a weekly visit to your blog in their routine.
Images
A blog without visual elements can be a drag - even more so when it features very theoretical subjects. An image gives users an idea of what the blog post is about and draws them in. In addition, graphics, particularly in the case of technical content, can help to make it more comprehensible. Keep in mind: It is not about simply publishing content but providing value to the readers so they might share the blog on social media and regularly return to the blog. Recurring visitors perceive your company as credible and competent and are more willing to share their contact information with you at some point.
Call to Action
This is the key to your lead generation process: Link to landing pages that feature downloadable content from your blog. To access this special content, users should have to enter some essential contact data in a registration form. After all, lead generation is about making an unknown user a known contact who can be addressed more specifically in further marketing activities such as newsletters.
Distribute your content!
You have to promote your blog. On the one hand, you should ensure search visibility through search engine optimization. In addition, use social media to share individual blog posts. It can also be useful to connect with other bloggers and get backlinks. This, of course, requires a great deal of effort.