Lead Generation Content

Content is arguably the single most effective and important tool for B2B lead generation. Below is a short glossary of lead generation content: Article — An article is somewhere between a whitepaper and a blog post on the content spectrum, in terms of production investment and expectations of quality. And while articles might not be right for mass-email campaigns, they can be great content to push to a highly segmented audience if the article has a narrow focus. In any event, articles are great for search engine optimization, brand reputation and thought leadership. Blog Post — While a blog post might not be the most effective type of lead generation content, it makes up for its low return by being free, quick and easy to produce. A blog post is probably not the right kind of content to disseminate in an email marketing campaign, but it can be pushed through social media and ranks as one of the top ways to influence your placement on search engines. Case Study – Case studies (also sometimes called “Success Cases,” “Use Cases” or other similar terms) are one of the most valuable tools in later stages of the buying cycle. Case studies are helpful in stimulating interest in products, services and solutions because it helps decision makers empathize with the challenges faced by other business leaders, and understand how an organization’s offerings helped someone in a similar situation to their own overcome business obstacles. eBook — An alternative to a whitepaper, the ebook usually takes on a more conversational, friendlier tone. An eBook doesn’t need to be much (if any) longer than a whitepaper, but should deliver content in a way that is easier to scan and digest than a whitepaper. ROI Analysis Tool — Nothing shows that your product or solution can affect an organization’s bottom line like an ROI calculator. The main advantage of this tool is that your prospects can plug in some firmographic data and get a rough idea of how much money your company’s solution could save them. The main drawback is that most prospects fall somewhere between healthy skepticism of the data you present and full-blown rejection of the assumptions you use. Still, when paired with internal and external documentation, ROI calculators can be a phenomenal late-stage buying-cycle tool that can help prospects justify their purchase to C-level executives. Video / Demo — Short videos or demos are great when done well. If the videos are short, easy to share and easy to understand then you’ve got a great lead generation tool (that can even help nurture leads). These three-minute videos should be used to showcase your value proposition or explain how your solution solves market pain. Webinar (short for “Web Seminar”) — A webinar is an online event that you can invite prospects to attend. They’re great as early- or middle-stage lead nurturing tools, and a high return call-to-action for email campaigns. An advantage of this lead generation tool is that future and current clients love being able to interact with speakers and ask questions. A drawback is that webinars require hours of coordination to develop. And while it’s a nice perk that webinars can be archived for later viewing, they do tend to go stale much quicker than any other content. Whitepaper (or “White Paper”) — A typical whitepaper ranges from 4 to 8 pages and is designed to use research and authoritative material to persuade a B2B buyer to make a purchase. Whitepapers are extremely versatile and can be used effectively in any stage of the buying cycle. Other lead generation content includes Slideshows (using online slide hosting services), industry reports, analyst reports, published peer referrals and more. If you’re looking for content writers, we recommend (and partner with) Crane Content.  

Lead Generation Consulting