Of course, your ultimate goal when content marketing is attracting leads that convert into loyal customers. But now that so many businesses recognize the value of producing content, lead generation through blogging is more competitive than ever.
Therefore, you need to know all of the ways that you can convert someone into a lead through your blog and keep up with any new techniques. Fortunately, we’ve worked with hundreds of brands here at Marketing Insider Group and have the know-how to show you what delivers.
Check out this practical guide on how to succeed at lead generation through blogging.
Key Takeaways:
- Blogging is still one of the most effective ways to generate leads.
- Lead generation through blogging will get conversion rates from 2 to 5%.
- The top methods for lead generation through blogging involve using effective CTAs, valuable lead magnets, and staying consistent with your posting schedule.
- Even pop-ups and chat widgets can be great lead generators if you use them correctly.
Why You Should Be Focusing on Lead Generation Through Blogging
It’s no longer enough to simply get lots of page views on your website or to pay lip service to lead generation. You have to give close consideration to pulling in leads and keep fighting for their attention.
Companies are spending billions yearly on content for lead generation, so you’re not going to go viral by accident. Consistent efforts at content marketing are a vital step to generating leads.
Blogging also helps you:
- Build a relationship with your target audience
- Establish your brand as an authority
- Maintain a loyal client base
- Stay visible in the market
Lead generation through blogging is one of the best ways to get high-quality leads that become prospects and customers. Organic search still has the highest ROI at the lowest costs.
Solid Conversion Rates for Corporate Blog Lead Generation
Surely, you’re curious about what are acceptable conversion rates for corporate blog lead generation. The answer is: It depends. 
(Sorry!)
Recent numbers from various sites, including Mailchimp and Adoric, list the range from 2 to 5%. That spread can mean a huge difference in the number of qualified leads you bring in.
Also, industries vary in their average results. For example, B2B tends to have better number than B2C because those buyers do less window shopping and have specific intent.
Adoic’s chart below gives you an idea of what to expect:
In any case, the point is that you need to put genuine effort into your lead generation through blogging if you want to be a top performer. As a low-cost, high-return effort, it doesn’t make sense not to, but you need to be ready to compete to get the benefits.
21 Suggestions for Successful Lead Generation Through Blogging
Are you ready to start? Dig into the best tips we’ve found for blogs that successfully generate leads.
1. Insert Effective CTAs
Don’t think that just because people are on your blog they’ll be clamoring to contact you. Also, don’t imagine that every reader will reach the end of your blog post and see the final call to action.
People skim more than read nowadays, and you should be writing blogs with short punchy copy where readers find it easy to find what they need and gloss over the rest. With that in mind, put CTAs throughout your blog pages so a reader can easily find them and take the next step.
Beyond CTAs in text, toss a few attractive buttons throughout your blog for effective lead generation through blogging. You should also generously link back to other resources on your blog where a reader can find additional pertinent information and see your header and logo again.
2. Promote Valuable Lead Magnets
Naturally, you should rely on lead magnets to attract qualified buyers. You provide an exclusive piece of content, such as an ebook, white paper, case study, or tool, in exchange for a reader’s contact details.
The key here is to make sure your lead magnets have real value. Do your research to make sure the item really touches on a pain point the reader wants to dig into. Then, pull out all of the stops, with glossy formatting and high-quality illustrations.
We use this method here at MIG, providing free ebooks to interested readers. Other successful companies do the same, including the Agency Management Institute.
Focus on the Funnel for Effectiveness
Lead magnets give you a better idea of where buyers are in the funnel. This makes them an essential part of your lead generation through blogging.
A request for entry-level info shows that they need more nurturing, but deeper subject matter indicates someone who knows they need a solution. Invest more time and money in materials for qualified leads further down the funnel.
Furthermore, make sure the piece relates directly to your blog so readers see the connection and continue to use you as a trusted resources. Creating these longer pieces shouldn’t be too difficult if you’re creating high-value blog posts rich for repurposing.
Offer Content Upgrades and Perks
Another effective magnet for lead generation through blogging can be content upgrades that go into more detail on what the article is talking about. A video demonstration or explanation is a great idea for this.
On the flip side, other brands find offering summaries of longer articles gets a lot of clicks. You prove thought leadership with a long piece, but still have something for the TL;DR crowd.
In the B2C space, these CTAs can come in the form of perks. Entice readers to not miss out on future promotions and discounts.
3. Concentrate on Providing Value Through Your Blog Posts
Don’t fall prey to the idea that you can easily game the SEO system to get high traffic and leads. Those days are over.
People want to see proof that you know what you’re talking about and get something they can use. Your posts should address real challenges to guide your audience through each phase of the buyer funnel.
Instead of pushing for the hard sell, your lead generation through blogging comes about when you give readers a practical answer to a problem they care about. As a result, they will also soon realize the need for your services if they want the best ROI.
Don’t forget to look to your sales department for help with this. They’ll have clear intel on the top pain points of leads who aren’t biting during pitches. Use that data to create buyer personas that help you tailor content that converts to each audience segment.
4. Write on Fresh Topics in an Evergreen Style
Repurposing and recycling are great ways to save time in lead generation through blogging. However, you also need to stay on the lookout for new subjects that your audience is curious about.
Keep up with trending topics and touch on how they relate to the subjects you write about. A great way to do this is by searching for the latest popular long-tail keywords, allowing you to rank higher in organic search and catch more leads.
Still, don’t make your blog a news feed that only talks about the latest goings-on. Touch on current topics in a way that someone can read your posts months or even years later and still get value.
5. Test and Measure the Metrics That Count
Before we get any further into the things you can do, remember that you don’t need to do everything. You decide which marketing tactics you should use, including lead generation through blogging, by seeing which efforts get results.
To that end, not all metrics are equal, and what is effective for one company may not be for another. Determine what’s getting conversions to leads and continue to use those numbers and strategies.
Valuable KPIs could include click-throughs, conversions, and acquisition costs. Test these in campaigns, reiterate them, and repeat.
6. Add a Hello Bar
Try using a header (or Hello Bar) that remains at the top while readers scroll down. Remember to put a CTA within the header so that the reader can click to reach out to you at any point.
Some sites find that this floating bar has a much higher conversion rate than CTAs at the bottom of the post. Here, you’ll use something that has wide appeal for anyone across your audience and gets to the heart of what you can do for them.
You could also find success with a sidebar or one that stays at the bottom. Other brands use a combination for lead generation through blogging, like Databox here.
7. Use Keywords Correctly
Always do keyword research to help you pick the right blog topics. Check out the articles competitors are writing to discover what’s ranking and the search intent of users.
You should also figure out which keyword research and SEO tools work best for you. We find SEMrush to be an outstanding all-around tool for lead generation through blogging.
Never go too broad or too narrow with keywords. Too small of an audience can lead to great conversion rates but leave out viable prospects. Too broad of a focus means you’re facing too much competition and won’t rank.
8. Deploy a Chat Widget
Despite your best efforts to make info easy to find, you can count on someone having a hard time navigating your site and not getting the answers they want. A chat widget can be a helpful way to answer a reader’s concerns immediately.
Plus, AI-powered chatbots are better than ever for more personalized conversations. Program the software to ask natural follow-up questions that lead to you getting more contact information or offers another effective CTA.
9. Include Interactive Content
A quick way to get mental engagement is with physical action. Get your audience in the flow of clicking and entering data with interactive content, such as quizzes, surveys, polls, and games.
These pieces easily accomplish lead generation through blogging because you can offer the results, answers, or further information in exchange for an email or other contact info. These elements are also wonderful for determining buyer intent.
10. Add a Lead Form to Appropriate Blog Posts
It can be a good idea to put an unobtrusive lead form right on your blog page, depending on the subject. Just make sure you’re reaching out to the segment of your audience that would be at that point of the funnel and not view this tactic as pushy.
11. Share Your Content on Social Media
You’ve got to get an audience to your site first for lead generation through blogging, and everyone’s on social media. Figure out which platforms your target audience is on and promote your articles with attention-grabbing posts.
Even on the B2B-focused LinkedIn, images, videos, and GIFs are a smart move. Try to stand out with a personality or humor that sparks curiosity and gets likes and shares that a greater audience will view.
12. Sponsor Contests
People love prizes or winning anything. If it fits your industry and doesn’t cheapen what you do, use giveaways and contests to gather lead data. Just be sure to follow applicable laws.
13. Leverage Quora To Grow Your Blog
This tactic is likely best for B2C companies that have an audience of Millennials and Gen Zers as they’re the top group on Quora. Either you, your team members, partners, or influencers can answer a popular question and link to your blog.
The reason this strategy can be productive lead generation through blogging is because Quora often hits high on Google search results. Don’t get overly promotional in the Quora post, but link to one of your articles that has more detailed answers and proves that you’re a valuable resource.
14. Stay Consistent With Posting To Create a Library of Resources
We’re super proud of the hundreds of articles we’ve published here at MIG. You can find companies that have been around much longer but only have a fraction of the posts.
This strategy has led us to getting millions of site views for ourselves and our clients and tons of leads. Still, you only get there one post at a time, so you have to be consistent.
Start blogging weekly at a bare minimum but daily for the best results. If you need to add some rocket fuel to your content production, schedule a consultation to find out how we can help with your lead generation through blogging.
15. Use Strategic Pop-Ups
Pop-ups have earned their bad rep, but if you use them strategically, your audience won’t hate you for them. Consider using:
- Time-delay pop-ups that do just what the name says and appear shortly after a person opens a web page
- Exit pop-ups that show up when someone is about to leave the blog and presents a compelling offer or CTA
- Slide-in pop-ups that are often smaller and let the viewer keep reading, like Wishpond’s example below to join its newsletter
As with other strategies, you need to test which of these or other pop-ups get the best response and use what works.
16. Retarget Site Visitors
Leads probably won’t fill out a form the first, second, or third time they visit. Still, you can keep your site top-of-mind with retargeting tactics.
Pick one of the many software options that use cookies to continue to show ads to people who have visited your site. Retargeting and remarketing are especially important to finally convert shoppers who abandoned their carts.
17. Insert Helpful Tools Into Your Blogs
Another potent method for lead generation through blogging that demonstrates your value is with tools you integrate right into your blogs. For example, a calorie calculator could show the value of a meal service, or a basic editing tool might show how design software works.
18. Get an Influencer Endorsement
An endorsement doesn’t have to be only for your product. Imagine the bump in interest and leads you would receive if George Clooney or Scarlett Johanssen said they read your blog.
Actually, even micro-influencers can have a tangible impact on attracting interest from your niche audience. Find and engage with influencers that your ideal buyer persona would follow.
Get on the influencer’s radar by liking and interacting with their posts in a meaningful way. Next, look for organic ways to get them to engage with you in return.
You might request a guest post or another mutually beneficial activity. The extra promotion can quickly create an uptick in attention and additional lead generation through blogging.
19. Write a Strong Opening
You have to grab readers’ attention from the get-go to keep them on the page and convert them into leads. Your meta description or title was enough to get them to click, but an uninspiring or too-long introduction will lose them.
Keep your introductory sentences short and snappy. Promptly describe why your reader needs the information and why you’re the source to turn to for answers.
You can do this with the PPB formula: Preview, Proof, Benefit. Your intro should:
- Preview what you’re going to talk about with a brief description
- Give proof that you’re a qualified person to talk about the topic with either a personal experience or reference to credible stats and facts
- Show the tangible benefits of reading the information
This methodology has become our go-to for articles at MIG and helps us keep our traffic and conversions high for our blogs and those of our clients.
20. Use Lots of Visuals
Like other tips for lead generation through blogging, a lot of it comes down to great writing and content creation. If people aren’t finding what you’re publishing interesting, you can’t get clicks.
One of the best ways to keep people interested in your articles is to make things visual. Hopefully, as you can see in this very article, we use various images, infographics, and links to videos to make points.
Your audience will learn more and be more apt to share your articles. As a result, more of them will convert to leads.
21. Don’t Forget the Technical Stuff
If your site is running poorly, you’ll get fewer conversions. Make sure your pages load properly and quickly.
Eradicate all broken links, especially those CTAs. Then, you won’t unintentionally run off high-quality leads.
Master Lead Generation Through Blogging With Help From MIG
Putting these tips into practice takes a lot of hard work, but it’s worth the effort when you see the results. However, you might not have the requisite time and energy at the moment.
Get help with lead generation through blogging by talking to us about our Content Builder Services. We’ll help you start seeing rapid ROI with your content process.
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