7 Content Types that Drive Lead Generation

Key takeaways

1. The most common types of content for lead generation are blogs, videos, and email marketing.
2. However, material such as podcasts and customer success stories may also assist create leads if your company is in the proper industry.
3. Regardless of the sort of material you use to generate leads, automating your efforts can dramatically improve your outcomes.

Content makes the world go round, especially in the realm of lead generation. Content marketing will generate three times more leads than typical marketing efforts. This article will look at seven distinct forms of content and help you decide which is most suited to your company's lead generation efforts.

Let's dig in.?

Blogposts and articles

The blog approach is the most successful (but also, sadly, the most challenging) type of content marketing. Blogs are also popular in the SEO field, and they are frequently recommended as the initial step in optimising your website.?

It's no surprise that having a blog is useful. In fact, businesses with blogs get 67% more leads than those without. Unfortunately, even a weekly blog plan requires a significant commitment. Most businesses struggle to afford the extensive planning and production required to launch a high-quality blog. Businesses frequently need to outsource freelancers to develop content that distinguishes out in an already highly competitive market.

Nonetheless, blogs remain a significant lead generating tool, as organic search continues to thrive.?

If you've decided it's time to launch your first blog strategy, consult our beginner's guide to understand the best practices to follow. You'll also benefit from creating evergreen content, which may help you save money while you're just getting started. Finally, read our essay on not pursuing every term; this can easily trap firms new to content and SEO and be a significant drain on resources.?

First and foremost, is your business fit to a blog strategy? Some aren't, and that's okay. It's pointless to get started and squander resources when another type of material would be preferable.?

Blog tactics are most effective for firms in content-rich industries such as digital marketing, health and wellness, finance, lifestyle, and technology. Is your target audience consistently using search engines to learn about your industry? If your prospective clients are inclined to seek knowledge that you can supply, an organic blog content approach is excellent.?

Can your company deliver meaningful, informative, and entertaining material on a consistent basis? You'll need a reasonable budget for this, as well as a writer and content manager. You'll need someone to use a keyword research tool, which is a very specialist skill set.?

Though readers will be able to locate your blog through organic search, it is beneficial if you market it. Email or social media are ideal for this, but they would qualify as lead nurturing. For your blog to effectively create new leads, you must use keywords efficiently and enhance your website for SEO (see our instructions here). These activities will strengthen your site's authority and boost its chances of ranking high in the SERPs.

Email marketing

Email content is another powerful lead generation tool. In fact, it produces 50% more sales than traditional lead generating attempts.?

Email marketing may be considered 'lead nurturing' because you've already completed the first step by obtaining the subscriber's email address. However, email marketing may be utilised in a variety of ways to reengage disengaged leads and acquire new ones.

For example, fresh and enhanced email campaigns might be used to tempt cold leads. Redesigning your emails or applying customisation efforts may completely change the game for disengaged subscribers, successfully reactivating them and allowing them to perceive your business in a fresh light for the 'first' time.?

You may also utilise email content to generate referrals, especially if you offer leads an incentive in exchange for recommending your company to a friend.

Email is extremely useful when launching a new product or service. When it comes to generating leads and interest in your new service, your existing subscriber list is like having a goldmine at your fingers.?

There are several ways to refresh your email content. Consider a revamp; your text size or colour scheme may be turning off subscribers. Second, think about what information you're sending via email - would your subscribers like a weekly newsletter with the newest industry news? Perhaps your advertising might include more personal information about your company's workforce or 'behind-the-scenes' operations.?

The most effective email content is easy to consume and presented in a non-invasive manner. Nothing shouts 'unsubscribe' faster than a twice-daily email schedule. Our guide explains more about email best practices.

Email marketing content is a worthwhile investment for all types of organisations. Furthermore, it may be rather inexpensive to run. Email marketing campaigns are affordable to businesses of all sizes, making them an excellent alternative for lead generation.?

Podcasts

Perhaps unexpectedly, podcasts are one of the top three content categories (together with blogs and videos) for moving leads from awareness to consideration.

You could use this knowledge in two ways. First, you may create your own podcast. Second, you may appear on someone else's. Obviously, the first approach requires far more resources. Though podcasts are very inexpensive to make, they require a large time investment and are unlikely to provide major results for some time. In comparison, presenting on an established successful podcast may generate a large number of new leads practically instantly.?

Podcast material is great for organisations in industries that value in-depth talks. For example, the health business is always debating new fads and scientific breakthroughs, making podcasts an active forum for discussing various points of view. Another hotly debated field is technology, particularly in light of recent AI breakthroughs.?

Audiences in these sectors like listening to expert interviews and will gladly consume long-form audio material to remain up to date on the newest developments. If you can see your company contributing to it, this may be the next step in your lead creation strategy.

If you decide to start your own podcast, be sure that it isn't dominated by salesy promotional content. Before you contemplate advertising your company, it must be both instructive and interesting. Because it does not create new leads rapidly, it is best suited to huge firms with plenty of resources to play the long game.?

Videos

As previously said, videos are one of the top three content kinds for converting leads from awareness to consideration. Businesses that are most suited to employ video content for lead generation have target audiences who are already tech-savvy and interested in digital material.

Furthermore, video content strategies are best suited for organisations that offer visually appealing products or services. Retail and real estate firms, for example, can use video to highlight their services. Similarly, firms in the fitness and online education sectors are well-positioned to use video to promote their products.

Check out our guide for some video marketing best practices. Video is a competitive field, depending on your brand's niche, so creating high-quality video is essential. Video initiatives, like email campaigns, may be inexpensive or expensive.?

Social media content

Social media platforms offer a large worldwide user base, allowing businesses to reach a diverse spectrum of prospective clients. Nonetheless, social media is best suited to firms targeting younger consumers. Furthermore, businesses are increasingly relying on 'relatable' lifestyle or humorous material to engage prospects. As a result, certain more 'serious' firms may not be well suited.

The exception is, of course, LinkedIn, which provides a platform for more formal and B2B businesses. LinkedIn offers lead generating capabilities for professional networking and B2B outreach, as well as possibilities to publish Thought Leadership material.?

If you decide to invest in social media content for lead generation, you should make the most of the B2C interactions that the platforms provide. Businesses may use comments, likes, shares, and direct messages to engage in real-time conversations, answer queries, and deliver personalised replies to particular followers. If your company is capable of connecting with leads in this way, your social media lead-generation plan will succeed.?

A major concern with social media tactics is that they need a significant investment. While this is somewhat true, benefits can be seen in a relatively short period of time. At the present, it appears that inventiveness is essential. Unique, innovative, or amusing material engages potential buyers. Your feedback does not need to be extensive. In fact, 66% of marketers were able to create new leads by dedicating just 6 hours each week to social media.?

Case studies and customer stories

Case studies highlight the brilliance of your goods or services by telling the true tales of your consumers. Businesses who sell high-ticket products benefit the most from this sort of content since it provides concrete confirmation of the worth of your product or service. If reputation and trust are critical for your leads to convert, this content type will be extremely beneficial to your organisation.

Businesses that offer complicated, high-value goods or services, such as B2B organisations, SaaS providers, consulting firms, and healthcare services, benefit the most from case studies and client testimonials.?

Case studies should be prominently displayed on your website or in email marketing, and it should be obvious to leads that they are authentic. Use links to authentic customer reviews or company logos to show this. When disseminating your success story information (by email, social media, or your website's hero page), include related pain areas in the most prominent location. This will generate the most qualified leads.

Free templates and tools

Offering practical resources like templates, calculators, and checklists may help you attract prospects by providing them with quick, actionable value. These tools are frequently valued because they assist address specific difficulties or simplify processes.

Businesses in digital marketing, software, education, and finance benefit the most from using free lead generation templates and tools since their target customers require them. Furthermore, they frequently operate in competitive marketplaces and will profit greatly from anything that emphasises their worth to leads.

Businesses seeking cost-effective lead generation initiatives can benefit from this method, since free content may be provided online at low expense.?

Final thoughts

So, there are numerous forms of material you might use to aid with lead creation. Depending on your company's budget, target audience, and industry, the best form of content will differ.?

Whatever style you choose, the implementation of your approach is critical. Automation is one technique to improve your execution since it guarantees that your company engages with prospects at the ideal points in the sales funnel. In fact, marketing automation software may boost qualified leads by 451%.?

Automation is a very useful tool for lead generation since it 1) saves you time by performing regular activities, 2) rates your leads, 3) personalises messaging for specific leads, and 4) allows you to track the effectiveness of your campaigns. Learn how to automate your lead generating efforts by reading our tutorial.