Posted by Jim Monteleone on Thu, May 27, 2010 @ 12:54 PM
Recently, I was fortunate to be a guest on the
Pittsburgh Technology Council's TechVibe Radio Show to talk about how to generate leads with content marketing.
Watch the video of the "in the studio" broadcast now.
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The show was hosted by PTC's President Audrey Russo. She asked some great questions, which helped me to share how (and why) content marketing works, and how it generates quality web inquiries and leads.
The Pittsburgh Technology Council was recently described as "the most effective Tech Council in America" by Eric Schmidt, President/CEO of Google. Its TechVibe Radio Show profiles innovative firms on its weekly webcast (and broadcast on KQV Pittsburgh, 1410 AM).
Watch The In-Studio Broadcast Now:
Part 1 (Time: 6:13)
Part 2 (Time: 5:27)
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Apr 12, 2010 @ 11:21 AM
What makes some websites attract prospects and generate business leads -- while others languish?
One thing is certain -- it's no accident. Regardless of the product or service being offered, great lead generating sites typically share these best-practices:
1. They Burst With Good Content -- when ready to buy, prospects search the web for informative "good content" -- information they can use to make the right choice. When a site offers "how to" booklets, instructional videos, or tips and techniques from a firm's subject matter experts, prospects gladly provide their contact information to receive it -- generating solid leads.
2. They Are "Content Optimized" -- search engine optimization can get prospects to a site, but if there is nothing to keep them there, it's a short visit. That's why every page of lead generating sites is both optimized and packed with solid informational content that gives prospects a reason to ask for more.
3. They Are Simple and Easy to Use -- the best lead generating sites read like highway signs, not reference libraries. Sites that use simple language, sparse graphics, and put their good content right up front attract and hold prospects long enough for them to reach out for more information and become leads.
4. They Provide Real-Time Information -- marketing, sales, and top management need to know what's happening on their website in real time. They want to know who is visiting the site, what they are interested in, and why -- to create new content to keep a steady stream of fresh leads flowing. The best sites provide this information through an easy-to-use dashboard available to all management levels.
5. They Can Be Easily Changed -- lead generating sites need to change frequently to reflect prospect interests. Yet all too many websites sit behind a "Chinese Wall", where only a technical person can change the site. When the time needed for changes stretches into days or weeks, these sites fall hopelessly behind more nimble competitors.
6. They Also Reach Out to Customers -- each new website blog post is a great way to stay on the radar of both prospects and customers. By getting permission to email each new post to their house list, lead-savvy firms insure that past and present customers get the same good content as prospects.
For more information about what makes a website attract prospects and generate leads, click here to download a new Leadsource eBooklet, "How to Turn Your Website Into a Lead Machine".
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Thu, Mar 25, 2010 @ 06:09 PM
A new eBooklet that explains how Content Marketing can help turn an ordinary "brochure-ware" website into a lead machine is available now for
free download.
It explains how "good content" drives prospects to a website organically ... why Content Marketing is different from traditional marketing ... and why a single blog or video post can continue to send prospects to a website for months or even years.
For a free copy of this informative new eBooklet from Leadsource, click here.
Bonus Offer: For a free email Content Marketing Analysis of your website, just click here -- or call Leadsource at 412.922.6415, Ext. 204.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Mar 15, 2010 @ 04:14 PM
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Using content to create web leads is about understanding what moves prospects to respond. A three-step process based on a proven direct marketing technique rarely fails to get results. Here's how:
1. Offer Irresistible Content -- let's say you are an expert attorney in intellectual property law. A software company owner looking to defend their product's name searches the web for information -- and finds your blog post offering an informative e-Book, "7 Ways to Prevent Trade Names from Being Hijacked". It's a marriage made in heaven.
2. Sell the Content First -- the blog post is all about the value of the free e-Book, and why you should download it. It does NOT tell you how to keep your trade name safe. Only when a prospect is excited about the value of the eBook will they exchange their contact information to download it -- which of course is a lead.
3. Then Let The Content Sell -- the e-Book doesn't just explain how to keep a trade name safe. It explains to the reader why the areas of special expertise our attorney just happens to have are needed for success. At the end, it makes it easy for the reader to reach out for even more information -- creating a "double qualified" lead. Second only to a referral, this lead is extremely solid.
The art and science of lead generation is based on principals of direct marketing developed in the 1920's in the world of mail-order. Selling the content first is a time-tested way to help qualified prospects find you -- and get them to tell you who they are.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Mon, Mar 01, 2010 @ 05:08 PM
There's good content, and then there's great content.
One of the most compelling ways to create great content is with a "How To" guide that explains how your service, process or product works.
Good "How To" content not only generates leads, it is a magnet for inbound links -- a great way to boost your Google page rank. It can be a video, a micro-site, or a downloadable document, depending upon the audience.
But regardless of the format, good "How To" content typically offers at least one of the following*:
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Useful Information -- a "How To" video that shows how to select the right checking account, investment counselor, or attorney can take on a life of its own if available on YouTube (as well as your site).
Great content often has a theme that appeals to curiosity, self-interest, or worry. It also uses an engaging promise in the title which, oddly enough, often involves a "How To".
* With apologies to C. Gordon Hoxie ("How to Build an Offer"), legendary New England direct marketer who labored to teach a bunch of young writers the rules of good content, long before it was called that.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Wed, Feb 03, 2010 @ 05:14 PM
Given the short attention span of most internet users, there's nothing like video content to quickly engage prospects.
The best videos follow the Golden Rule of good content -- they provide useful information to prospects looking to make an informed purchase. Here are 6 types of videos that can engage prospects and get them asking for more:
1. How-to Video -- an instructional video that shows how to use a product (or do a process) can take on a life of its own on the web. When posted to a site like YouTube, it can pull prospects to your site for months, or even years.
2. Meet The Experts -- video is a great way to introduce your subject matter experts to prospects. By illustrating a step-by-step solution to a problem that your product solves best, their credibility is established up-front.
3. Blog Video -- blog videos can be created quickly, with simple production values. Even a "talking head" video is far more engaging than text, and can address timely issues or market opportunities in a way that no other medium can match.
4. Product/Service Teaser -- much like a movie trailer, a product or service teaser highlights features and benefits, and wets viewer's appetites. They also encourage viewers to download more detailed information in exchange for their e-mail addresses.
5. Platform Video -- a live speech can be the basis for dozens of short informational clips, or used as "chapters" in a web video series. The amount of usable content from one 30 minute speech is substantial -- content that normally disappears after a live presentation is done.
6. Sales Video -- imagine your best sales presentation live on video, selling for you on the web 24/7. Use it to describe the problem your prospects want to solve -- then offer a detailed solution on your site in exchange for contact information.
Of all the content that drives leads to a website, nothing does a better selling job than an informative video. A small investment in quality video content can drive inquiries to your site for years to come.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Fri, Jan 15, 2010 @ 07:39 PM
If your website were a book, would it be "All Quiet on The Western Front"?
If so, maybe it's time to take a look at why it stopped generating leads, and fix it once and for all. Here are 4 ways to hit the "reset" button on your site, to turn it into the lead generator you always hoped it would be:
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Refill Your Cookie Dish -- solid informational content such as blogs, white papers, and videos give prospects the facts they need to become smarter buyers, and is what they are searching for. It can draw quality traffic to a site like a magnet -- yet most sites offer little or none of it. So if your site is low on the good stuff, its time to refill your cookie dish with content of real informational value.
Cut The Baloney -- if you read your website copy out loud, and it doesn't sound like anything a real live human would say, its time for a major edit. The vocabulary used in many websites -- especially for technology companies -- often grades at the graduate school level. If you want to engage prospects -- and not put them to sleep -- use language that everyone can understand.
Cue The Video -- short, informative videos are an easy way to not just explain a subject, but to show it as well. And when you use your actual subject matter folks as stars of your videos, it puts a human face on your company, and makes people want to go to the next step.
Re-purpose Your Content-- over the years, you have probably made a substantial investment in white papers, data sheets, speeches, slide shows, and other content that is gathering dust in your literature closet. This same content can be re-purposed as direct response content -- videos, podcasts, job stories -- that prospects want to download and read.
When you invigorate your site with direct response content -- solid information that builds trust and drives prospects to take the next step -- you have taken the most important step in turning visitors into leads, and leads into customers.
Posted by Jim Monteleone on Tue, Jan 05, 2010 @ 02:18 PM
You may not know it, but your company is probably sitting on a goldmine of internet marketing content.
Information -- not advertising -- is what people search for on the web when thinking about a purchase. And chances are that a ton of informative content is locked inside of your existing marketing materials -- the same ones that nobody downloads today.
The trick is to re-purpose it into blogs, videos, podcasts, white papers, etc. that provide information to help buyers decide -- without the hard sell.
Companies that offer informative content become trusted providers -- something that all the ad money in the world can't buy. They also stretch their marketing budget by re-purposing existing materials into informative web content.
There are many places to mine quality content within a company - but here are 5 great places to begin:
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Showcase Your People - your subject matter experts are an invaluable source of information that purchasers want to know before deciding what to buy. Brief "how to" interviews can be turned into blogs, videos, and much more.
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Capture Speeches - executives spend days crafting informative speeches, only to have it lost forever. When videoed and transcribed, they are a great source of podcast and video content, and feedstock for blogs, white papers, press releases, and e-books.
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Repurpose White Papers - think about how much valuable technical content is locked inside of your promotional white papers. This can be a huge source of good web content.
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Mine Your Training Materials - this is a major source of "how to" articles. You've figured it out to train your people, why not use it to help prospective customers make better buying decisions?
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Expand Press Releases - with a little bit of magic, a promotional press release can be turned into a blog article that contains useful information for a prospective purchaser, along with links to more "how to" information.
Turning existing marketing materials into direct response content is a great way to build trust with prospective buyers, and leverage your past marketing investment. Companies who do "get found" on the web by the people that matter -- prospects looking to buy now.