How to Turn Boring Content into a Lead Generation Machine: 7 Tried-and-True Formulas

So, you decided that content marketing is the best way to drive more traffic to your website and generate leads. And you are right. According to one study by WeDAM, businesses that blog consistently generate up to 67% more leads than those who do not.

But, here’s the problem: although over 93% of marketers use content marketing, just 42% of them actually see results.

Why such a big gap?

Most small business websites are designed as advertising tools. Visitors land on their site, read a few blog posts, don’t find anything helpful or relevant, and bounce.

Simply creating content, publishing it and repeating the process is not enough. The role of your content is to have an impact on your prospects’ lives and to help them in some way. To make content marketing count, you need to focus on topics that are relevant to your audience and industry instead of using your blog only as a way to promote your products. Sure, writing about your latest offers is important, but that shouldn’t be the focus of your content marketing efforts.

When it comes to content marketing, you need a strategic approach. So, here are seven tips that will turn your boring website into a lead generation machine.

1. Use a Proven Formula

You’ve heard that storytelling is an essential element of your content that can draw readers and keep them engaged. But, you’re not a writer in the traditional sense. You’re a business owner or a marketer trying to get more people interested in your local business. You don’t have the training or the skill to write compelling stories that hook readers for hours.

Fortunately, you don’t have to be because they are formulas that can help you structure your content. One of the oldest and most used formulas is AIDA. Here’s how it works:

• AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

To use this formula, you need to know your audience very well, to be able to get their attention. Once you get their attention, build their interest by writing descriptive copy that makes them want more.

Attention: Grab your prospects’ attention with a powerful marketing message;

Interest: Use unexpected language to stir their attention;

Desire: Let your prospects know what’s in it for them by talking about the benefits

Action: Tell your prospects what action you want them to take next

Example: We promote tips that help you work smarter, not harder. Want in? Subscribe

2. Tell a Story

Here’s a secret: by telling a compelling story about your business, you can attract more customers.

When Schlitz realized his beer company is pretty boring, he wanted to do something about it. So, he hired a famous copywriter and gave him a tour of the brewery. The copywriter was fascinated by what he learned. As it turned out, it took thousands of experiments to produce Schlitz beer and the company went to great lengths to get the purest water. For Schlitz, the technique wasn’t impressive, but the copywriter knew that consumers would be impressed by such a story. So, he created an ad that gave prospects an idea of how pure Schlitz beer is. In just a few months, the company became number one in the US.

3. Discuss the Benefits, Not the Features

Should you talk about how your new smartphone’s battery lasts longer or should you highlight how cool your customers will look using your newest product?

The answer is both. But on which one should you focus first?

Here’s the thing: your prospects don’t care that much about features; they want to know if your products can solve a problem they have.

They are fed up with adverting and don’t want to see or hear any of it. What they crave instead is value-added content that solves their problems and educates them. By offering them helpful guidance and becoming a leader in your industry you can ensure that you are not spending money on crafting content, that doesn’t resonate with your audience.

4. Write for Your Ideal Customer

Getting tons of traffic on your blog posts is great, but if no one converts all your effort is as good as nothing. Your ultimate goal is to convert readers into qualified leads, not to please every fly-by visitor that happens to land on your page.

Ask yourself, who do you want to subscribe to your newsletter or download your eBook, or ask you a question? That’s who you need to write for.

5. Focus More on Your Headlines

No matter how hard you’ve worked to create relevant content for your blog or how fresh and unique your ideas might be, without a good headline, no one will read your article. And, if no one will read your article, no one will click on your call to action.

But, how do you write a good headline? Some marketers recommend spending 80% of your time writing the headline. Put the most of your efforts into the thing that can make or break your blog post.

If you are having troubles crafting the perfect headline, there are some tools you can use to help you, such as CoSchedule Headline Analyzer, Emotional Marketing Headline Analyzer or Blog Title Generator.

6. Write As If Your Readers Are About to Miss the Train/Bus

Your prospects live in a world full of distractions. They only keep reading if they are truly interested. More interested in your article than anything else in the world, like their cell phone, their email notifications, or the fact that they are about to miss the bus.

Your prospects are in a hurry. Give them something they can’t say no to – the promise of a better future, a fast and cheap solution to their problem, unique benefits, etc.

7. Write Content for a 10-Year-Old

Your prospects might not know how your products work and how they can help them. They might be interested in your offer, but they don’t want to spend too much time trying to understand how your products or services work. Whether your prospects are CEOs or regular people, you need to talk to them in the simplest way possible. Avoid jargon or complicated terms and explain clearly what your products do and how.

Most small business owners don’t understand the values of strategic content marketing. But, if you use it correctly, you can turn your boring content into a lead generation machine.