We’ve been proponents of blogging for B2Bs for …well, certainly ever since we started this one back in ’06. We may have mostly emphasized its benefits of improving search-engine rankings, brand-building and demonstrating thought leadership; but your blog can certainly be a lead-generation tool as well.
Now along come two posts reminding us of that truth, and providing some hints for amping up your blog for leadgen. For Kipp Bodnar over on Social Media B2B, it’s largely a matter of using all that often-wasted sidebar space; he suggests…
- Use ads and special offers. Hey, you control your blog’s design and content; why not include a compelling ad or two, with specific calls to action, to directly generate leads.
- Incorporate a live chat function that directly connects visitors to sales and/or support staff.
- Provide an opt-in form on your blog for your permission-based email newsletter.
- Involve your sales team in responding to your blog comments, so they can leverage them as a way to build better customer relationships.
- Write posts that actually sell stuff. It’s OK, despite the nervous Nellies who tell you to keep selling out of social media; just don’t make it every other post in your blog.
Then there’s Howard Sewell at Direct Connections, who adds another five tips:
- Title your posts for Google and Twitter. If your blog post showed up in a Google listing, would anyone click on it? Is it short enough for someone to easily retweet it without editing?
- Feed all your blog posts into Twitter; this generates subscribers (followers) and retweets, expanding your reach exponentially.
- Promote subscriptions to gain repeat visitors. Offer three subscription options – RSS, email, Twitter – and feature the links on your blog’s home page, preferably as icons.
- Offer social bookmarks. Social bookmarking sites like Digg, Delicious, Technorati, and Stumbleupon are key to generating additional visitors, subscribers, and sales leads.
- Offer links in your posts to white papers, case studies or webinars on your website. Don’t overdo it, but if you have more information to offer that’s relevant and compelling, don’t be shy about offering it.
