7 Ways to Make Your Blog Posts Generate Leads Online

We know what you are thinking! How do I use my blog to generate leads online? How do I write a perfect blog post that will galvanise my visitors and create those all-important inbound leads to grow my sales pipeline? Here are some great tips to get you started with creating powerful B2B inbound marketing blog posts.

1. Identify your audience It is impossible to produce a blog post that pleases everybody. Don’t cast out your inbound net wide and hope to hook a lead. There needs to be a defined audience for each post (one of your buyer personas). Choose your subject carefully and stick to it. Make the reader believe that you are writing directly to them (by using a friendly voice with lots of ‘you’ and ‘your’ personalisation), focusing on their interests.

2. Keywords You might start planning your post with the title, or have a great idea for content and deduce the title later. But with Inbound, you should always know the keywords you’re looking to promote. Keywords are part of the Inbound Marketing lifeblood. Wondering how to research keywords effectively for inbound marketing? Just find a free tool, like the Google Analytics keyword tool and follow the instructions. Build on the work you did creating your buyer personas so that you’re using keywords that matter to your ideal customers. This is how to use a blog to win new leads online.

3. Title Make sure your title is actionable and that it is an honest representation of your content. If your title misleads people, you will consistently attract the wrong types of visitor, which will reduce your conversion rate and eventually hit your bottom line. "10 ways you can generate leads online" is much more powerful than "Online Lead Generation". If it’s something your visitor can do (actionable) and it contains a keyword or two (or even a whole long-tail keyword), then you’re off to a good start.

4. Create a plan, and stick to it Creating a plan for your blog posts is important. A perfect B2B blog post hooks people in early with a strong, keyword-related statement that teases what is to come. From then on, be clear, use bullet points and build to a conclusion. Make the text flow naturally, draw your reader in with promises of further revelations and excite them with your enthusiasm. And don’t forget to include a call-to-action so you can promote related content to your interested readers.

5. Emphasise the main points with sub-points Your main points count. This is where you can hit the reader with the new ideas and recommendations, drawing them in to read more. Sub points are an excellent area to add links back to your site which encourage the visitor to read on and gain more information. This is the key to increasing reader participation.

6. Have fun with words Writing a great B2B blog post is not about creating a perfectly formed piece of literature. There is the opportunity to allow your character to shine through and add some personality. Show your reader you believe in what you are saying. Write freely and precisely by making every word count.

7. SEO It is the term on the lips of all inbound marketing blog writers. But remember, the post is king. Don’t become so focused on SEO that you lose clarity in the blog post. If a phrase looks great for SEO but doesn’t sit within the article, rewrite it. If it still doesn’t make sense, delete it. Writing a perfect B2B blog post for inbound lead generation is not easy. The guidelines shown here will put you on the path to success. Remember, keep it clean, crisp and interesting. Above all, excite!