How to create content that generates leads -- not just traffic.pptx

Editor's Notes

• #2 Who here is a content writer? Or does content writing?
• #3 Who here is a content writer? Or does content writing? A bit about me: I run a content marketing agency called Mint Studios I started out as an in-house writer, then freelance writer and then freelance content marketer. I set up the agency and changed the way we work for one simple reason: I was tired of writing content I knew no one was reading and wasn’t moving the needle for clients Does anyone relate? In this talk, I will break down the framework we use to create content that brings in enough leads sometimes worth hundreds of thousands, and enough that they pay for our services
• #4 Now, raise your hand if you’ve written this type of content.
• #8 Now raise your hand if, in an ideal world, you could help your clients or the company you work for to generate qualified leads via content. Wouldn’t it be great if you could generate enough leads that content would be the number one lead generator for your company?
• #9 Now, raise your hand if you think that this kind of content brings in qualified leads.
• #10 I believe there is a disconnect in the content marketing industry. A lot of people in the SEO and content world want to help their clients or their company get customers, but the kind of content they create does not do that at all.
• #11 As SEO or content people, too many times are we set aside in the “marketing” bucket, and seen as an expense. We are seen as “bloggers” (not there’s anything wrong with being a blogger), or a nice to have that’s fun and looks good. Often, we’re not taken very seriously Raise your hand if you relate. But we have one big advantage in the content world, compared to other marketing functions: we can track, and we can prove that we bring value to the bottom line. That means: It’s easier to sell your servies To get buy in from the leadership team We do more than just create blog content with a catchy headlines that's cool to share on social media but no one reads.
• #12 I believe there is a lot of focus on pageviews, backlinks and domain authority, that we’ve lost focus on what really matters: conversions. Conversions from traffic to leads to paying customers. And what does the leadership team care about? What do companies care about? Customers.
• #13 And yes, I can already hear your objections: Blog content is not supposed to generate leads, it’s for brand awareness People don’t make purchase decisions based on blogs You can’t track how many leads your content creates I hear this all the time. Not true: you can create blog content that brings in leads, and you can track leads
• #14 Would you really say no to bringing in leads via the blog? Wouldn’t things be so much easier if you could demonstrate the number of leads you were bringing in?
• #18 Most content strategies don’t focus on conversions Don’t worry, I get it: in the content and SEO world, we’ve been taught to focus on traffic and links. The higher the traffic, the better - right? If you’re a publisher or blogger, then sure. But if you’re a company – then traffic doesn’t really matter. Why? Because an increase in traffic does not automatically equal an increase in conversions. What does a company need? What is the lifeblood of a company? [ask audience]. It’s customers. What a company really needs is customers. And yet, most content strategies will focus on metrics that ultimately, a business leader doesn’t care about.
• #19 Most content is written for the wrong audience Check this screenshot – who do you think they’re targeting? The company writing this is a payment orchestration company that helps companies set up payment methods across countries – pretty technical stuff. Do you think a CTO or product manager would read this? No. And this is the other problem: if you’re writing this type of content, then you won’t be getting any customers as you’re targeting the wrong audience.
• #20 A generalist writer can’t always write on an advanced topic Instead, CTOs and product managers might read something like in this screenshot. But honestly, I could never write on this topic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most generalist writers couldn’t. That’s because it requires expertise, which you can’t get by just researching on Google. But it’s hard to write this! So how do you do it?
• #21 Most people don’t track conversions There are a couple of reasons why conversions are not tracked: People might not think it’s important or relevant to track them – since content is for brand awareness, not conversions People think they are impossible to track Well – for companies, it is important to see how many customers you’re getting. And as regards to the second point. Check that screenshot. It’s from Google Analytics 3. So yes – there are ways to track conversions. What people won’t say, is that it can be a pain to set up. You need to know how to use Google Analytics, and often Google Tag Manager. But there are ways to set it up. I have added resources at the end with more information on how to learn how to do this.
• #22 I believe there is a lot of focus on pageviews, backlinks and domain authority, that we’ve lost focus on what really matters: conversions. Conversions from traffic to leads to paying customers. Revenue. Revenue derives from clients. Clients derive from leads. Leads derive from pipeline. Therefore, pipeline is a major artery for every business’ health.
• #24 This is where we bring in a solution: targeting people who are at the bottom of the funnel. Essentially, create content that targets your customers’ pain points, and then find keywords that are associated with that pain point. First: find pain points of your customers Second: only then, do keyword research Later on I’m going to use a case study of a real client of ours to walk you through the process.
• #25 Raise your hand if you know this funnel, if you’ve seen it before?
• #26 So, instead of creating top of the funnel content, we created bottom of the funnel content that targets people who are ready to convert. Essentially, you want to understand what triggers your target market to search for a solution online. What are their pain points? Who are they comparing you to? What are the use cases? Only then, do you do keyword research, and look for the specific keywords that your audience would be searching for when ready to buy. Don’t worry, we’ll use an example later to help you understand this.
• #30 We’ve already argued that it makes sense to start with BOFU content. BOFU content is often product, or pricing or use case content. Highly specific. Create advanced content. That is the answer. How? Next slide…
• #32 People are mostly either writers or experts. Those who are both: you are amazing, and you should be charging a lot. But when working with clients, we’ve all faced the challenge of not knowing the subject matter. The solution? Basing your content on interviews with experts. Make it part of your service: the client has to agree to be interviewed, or else they are not a good fit. By interviewing experts, we’ve been able to create content like the following.
• #33 With this approach, we’ve been able to write this type of content.
• #35 Simple: start tracking conversions. Convince your team it’s important. Keep trying and trying. Track form submissions Track accounts created If all else fails, track clicks. You’re doing this for you: not them. By tracking conversions, you can prove that content is working. If you want to take this to another level, ask them how much a customer is worth. Then ask the lead to close rate. With those two numbers you can calculate how many leads you need to generate per month to break even from costs. You can find the resources on this at the end.
• #36 These four pillars are the framework we use to generate leads via the blog.Create content that focuses on conversions Set up tracking so you know how many conversions you get from the blog Write for the level of your audience Create content based on interviews with experts
• #37 And get these results for clients.
• #40 Let’s go through that with a real client of ours so you see how it works in practice. End result: their blog content was more cost effective at generating leads than ads.
• #41 Parpera is a bank account for freelancers. Think of Monzo or Starling, but for sole traders, specifically freelancers. The first step to uncover pain points, was in-depth interviews with the founder. Now we do in-depth interviews with other people on their team, like salespeople, product people, growth people, etc. After recording these interviews, we made a list of pain points. Very simple, in a spreadsheet.
• #42 We then went to Google, and did some research. What were the specific pain points that freelancers had and what were the phrases they were using? We came up with a list of keywords, related to product, use cases, etc.
• #43 We then put together a content calendar, prioritising the articles that we thought might bring in the highest number of qualified leads.
• #44 Since our content was based on interviews with the founder and other experts, we were able to write in-depth about the product, about customers and about topics we didn’t know about. For example, we were able to interview a tax accountant and write a genuinely useful article for freelancers on how to manage their taxes in Australia.
• #45 Since our content was based on interviews with the founder and other experts, we were able to write in-depth about the product, about customers and about topics we didn’t know about. For example, we were able to interview a tax accountant and write a genuinely useful article for freelancers on how to manage their taxes in Australia.
• #46 Some of the content we created that focused on pain points were these. Who are we targeting in this article?
• #47 Some of the content we created that focused on pain points were these. Ask audience: what do you think the pain point here?
• #48 Imagine if we had created a “top budgeting tips as a freelancer”, it would not be so targeted. It’s going to get more traffic, but it won’t generating traffic. Hitting a pain point: we’re helping them get paid. We’re helping them, and we’re also touching on a pain point. We’re working hard and smart. Just picking the ripe leads when they ready yo.
• #49 The result? Here’s how many clicks we were able to bring in through a 6 month period. Oh and the search console looked like this. Yes, it took a long time. And organic traffic was low. But we were focused on what matters: conversions.
• #51 Summary. With this framework, you can track the ROI of your content. You can prove that your content brings in customers, and affects the bottom line of your client or the company you work for. As a content marketer, that means: If in-house, you can prove your ROI to the leadership team and get a bigger marketing budget If agency or freelancer, you can prove your ROI to clients, making it a lot easier to hire you We think content has a long way to go, and we really believe in turning your content into a customer acquisition channel. I believe content is integral to each business, and that it can play a fundamental role in customer acquisition, and therefore growth. With this approach, you can now prove it. Thank you, we’re hiring
• #52 Prioritise content that drives conversions. Your blog will help you get customers, and it’ll be easier for you to get investment for the blog from the leadership team Do customer research to understand pain points, use cases and triggers. Then do keyword research based on those conversations. Create advanced content for an advanced audience. Don’t write beginner content. Write content focused on the product, competitors, etc. Base your content on interviews with experts. This will allow you to include details about the product, be ultra specific about use cases and use examples Key takeaway: yes, you can create content that drives customers and can be taken seriously by the leadership team.