How Blogging can Help Lead Generation
Lead generation is fundamental for any enterprise that wants to sell its products and services on the web or at a marketplace. Enterprises and small businesses seek the help of marketing companies to generate leads, in turn also pay over the odds for the service. In times of economic crisis, enterprises are looking to reduce their capital spending, so paying over the odds to marketing companies can punch a gaping hole in the balance sheet of an enterprise, particularly for small businesses. Enterprises and budding businesses also depend on referrals and telemarketers for generating leads. A simple and cost effective way of generating leads is by being present on the web and implementing effective search engine optimization practices to showcase your presence on the web.
One of the efficient methods to showcase your presence on the web is by blogging. Blogging is the buzzword in the world of social media. Blogs are information sharing websites through which people socialize and share their views and opinions. Blogs are online platforms through which enterprises and businesses interact with existing customers and attract new customers. Blogs that are maintained and updated by businesses and enterprises are called as business blogs. Business blogs are socializing platforms through which companies promote and market their products on the web; it also helps them generate leads without having to spend huge amounts of money for advertising. Particularly business blogs are feasible options for developing companies and small businesses.
Sales leads and marketing leads are the two types of leads that are essential for enterprises. Though the requirement of the lead may differ from industry to industry, it is integral for the growth of a business. Companies and organizations that blog enjoy a host of benefits. As a testament to this statement, a report from Hubspot revealed that in comparison to companies that do not blog:
- Business-to-business companies that have blogs get 67% more leads per month.
- Business-to-consumer companies that have blogs get 88% more leads per month.
- Companies that have blogs get 55% more visitors to their websites.
So it is ascertain that business blogs do generate leads as well as loads of traffic to your website. So, how do you generate leads with the help of business blogs? The interesting thing about blogs is that all of them have discrete URLs, and if they have fresh and thoughtful content they could be instantly ranked and indexed by search engine crawlers.
- Post reliable and quality content that interest readers and encourage them to share and refer your blog. Let’s say if an external site refers your blog, they will include a link (a.k.a. backlink) to your original blog page. Search engines rank your blog and website based on the number of backlinks.
- Compose blog posts rhetorically and add descriptions and interesting facts about products and services that are already in the market.
- Integrate all the famous social media options in all your blog posts to enable sharing. Do mention the toll free number of your enterprise, which can generate leads and attract prospective customers.
- Conduct polls and surveys on products and services to learn more about customer opinions. Also engage with your followers by asking suggestions and feedbacks pertaining to products already launched.
- Alert your followers about special offers and discounts on your products and services through your blogs. Educate them about the niche of your industry and the company CSR initiatives.
- Incorporate links of your posts, blogs, and websites into case studies, webinars, white papers and press releases. This helps in driving traffic to your websites and blogs.
The bottom line is, business blogging justifies its position as one of the most cost effective options to generate leads.
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