How can you create a content upgrade that drives leads and conversions?

When it comes to SEO, we need to analyze users' intents deeply to create a single piece of content for each intent which answers their intent better than our competitors. If they find what they are searching for on our website better than what our competitors are offering, they will be more likely to convert into customers.

Don’t just identify your audience’s pain points. *Actually use them.* If you’re going to create fictional personas and checking that box off, you may as well not bother with the research part. Once you understand their pains and why they are the way they are, and how you help them solve their problem, that’s the gold.

There are a number of ways to identify your audience's pain points, you can try these 5: ??Customer surveys: Ask your customers open-ended questions to learn more about their challenges and needs. ??Customer support tickets: Identify common issues and problems that your customers are facing. ??Social media: Read comments and posts on social media to see what your audience is talking about and what challenges they are facing. ??Industry research: Read industry reports, articles, and blog posts to learn more about the challenges that your audience is facing. ??Competitor analysis: Analyzing your competitors' content and marketing materials to get additional clues.

A great way to learn about what bothers your audience is to listen to the podcasts they love. ?? If a podcast has been around for a while, it means people like it, and you can learn a lot from it. You'll get to know not just the problems people have, but also how the community talks about them. This way, you can join in the conversation and truly understand where they're coming from. ??

When you create content, think of it as a way to help your customers solve a problem. Each piece of content should build on the last one, giving your customers the tools they need to succeed. ?? For example, if you're teaching them how to start a podcast or write a blog, start with the basics like an outline or structure. Then, your next piece of content should dive deeper, showing them how to apply what they've learned to achieve their goals. Adding content upgrades is a great way to do this. It's not just about showing off what you can do, but about proving you can help your customers win. Each upgrade should be a step toward a small victory, building trust in your skills along the way. ??

The buyer’s journey is a helpful tool you can use here. Of course, it’s not always linear or formulaic in nature, but a bottom of funnel audience is different from a cold audience. They’re not the same, so don’t treat them the same.

The best format and delivery method for your content upgrade will depend on what your target audience prefers based on their engagement, the content types that you have, and your resources. Here are some popular content upgrade formats: ?? Ebooks ?? Cheat sheets ?? Templates ?? Worksheets ?? Checklists Once you have chosen a format for your content upgrade, you need to decide how you will deliver it to your audience. You can deliver your content upgrade via email, landing page pop-up, or a social media post. ?????? Hey ?? Follow me to learn how to grow your business & and your brand through storytelling

The key is to find the sweet spot between your resources, strengths, and your customers' preferences. Take me, for example. I thrive in audio and video formats. Rather than spending excessive time and resources on creating ebooks or long-form blog posts first, I choose to start with audio or video content. This then gets repurposed into other formats like social media posts, blog articles, or ebooks. This approach not only allows me to work in my preferred medium but also caters to my customers who might prefer detailed blog posts. focus on your strengths, utilize the available tools, and don't be afraid to get creative in meeting your customer's content preferences.

Optimizing content upgrades for conversions is a strategic process: 1. Define your conversion goal. 2.Know your audience. 3. Create high-quality content. 4. Align with main content. 5. Craft compelling CTAs. 6. Use dedicated landing pages. 7. A/B test for optimization. 8. Ensure fast loading and mobile optimization. 9. Personalize offerings. 10. Add trust-building elements. 11. Implement email follow-ups. 12. Analyze and iterate. 13. Consider exit-intent popups. 14. Measure ROI. 15. Continuous refinement and data-driven adjustments are key to success.

If there's one thing I've learned in 6 years, it's that the CTA copy needs to be direct and rewarding. Follow this formula: Pain Point > Offering > Direction Here's an example: Need help getting started with market research? Get the Proven Market Research Kit - 7 Templates + Free Guide Download Now Make it stupidly simple for the reader, and you'll see the conversions flowing in.

In a digital landscape where users have numerous options, well-optimized content can set you apart from competitors. It demonstrates professionalism, reliability, and a commitment to delivering value, which can attract and retain your audience. Optimization allows you to track the performance of your content more effectively. By analyzing conversion rates and other relevant metrics, you can gain insights into what is working well and identify areas for improvement.

There are two prime factors to consider when doing content lead-gen or using content magnets. 1. Audience intent: If the topic of the content is aimed at an audience that is probably ready to buy now, then it's probably a good candidate for gating. But if the topic is just general industry knowledge that anyone and everyone would be interested in, not so much. 2. Are you doing everything this way? If every piece of content you publish asks for something, your brand will come across as needy or used-car-salesy. This hurts your brand and discourages subscribership/followership.