If you're like many business owners, you may struggle with getting more people to sign up for your email list. A surprising 63% of business owners say generating new leads is their biggest struggle. We know that it can feel discouraging to see your list stagnate and start degrading. But don't worry, you can overcome this common issue.
Your blog is one of the most important parts of your website. Surveys show that 77% of internet users read blog posts. It doesn't matter if you own an e-commerce storefront or operate a simple blog; content is the key to getting more people invested in your brand.
Blogs are great for keeping visitors on your site longer, and they are also perfect for getting more people to sign up for your email list. Let's look at a couple of ways to use your existing blog to grow your lead list. You'll soon get highly qualified leads to give you their email address for future promotions while delivering the best possible content on your blog.
1. Provide actionable advice.
The best way to keep people interested in your blog is by writing content that improves their lives. Depending on your industry, you may want to educate, entertain or share your opinion on various topics. Think about your content's purpose and how your target audience will benefit from the information you're offering.
When you're writing your content, include actionable advice or ideas. In other words, you must make sure readers can take away a point or action from your post.
Say you have a blog that focuses on growing flowers. Imagine if all the blog posts simply showed off the finished results but didn't teach the readers how to reach this outcome. Not many people would stick around, and even fewer would put themselves on your lead list.
If you can write a step-by-step guide that educates readers and gives them actionable advice, they are much more likely to stick around. People like associating with brands that offer real help they can use.
It's also interesting to note that 60% of people are willing to purchase a product after reading a blog post about it. So if you have an online store, don't forget to include helpful guides on how to get the most value from your product. When a new customer sees these posts, they can instantly grasp your brand's value and are more likely to subscribe and engage with your site.
2. Create segment-specific lead magnets.
Lead segmenting is a practice marketers use to make sure they are sending consumers relevant offers and content. Typically, companies segment leads based on their interests, pain points and goals. The compilation of all of this information for each user segment is known as a customer persona.
Many business owners use lead magnets to entice users to sign up for their email list. Lead magnets can include e-books, checklists and free consultations. The purpose of these magnets is to get consumers to sign up so you can nurture your relationships with them.
What you may not know is that lead magnets are an excellent way to segment your audience. You can include targeted lead magnets on specific blog posts to make users who are interested in that subject more likely to subscribe.
Imagine you are selling a new product and want to generate interest in that topic. You could create a blog post that touches on the new product's purpose and includes an opt-in form for people who want to receive a hands-on demo. As people begin to sign up, you can place them in the appropriate segment and keep them engaged during future events.
3. Include more ways to engage.
Do you have multiple ways for users to engage with your content throughout your blog? If not, you might be surprised to learn that 93% of marketers see interactive content as an effective way to generate new leads.
Interactive content comes in many forms. Your personal choice will depend largely on your industry and blogging frequency. As a general rule, including video content, social media feeds and a comments section dramatically improves your engagement rate.
Videos, for example, can improve the conversion rate on your post by 86%. Users like interacting with content that gives them multiple ways to engage. Video and text on the same post will give your visitors more things to do, keeping them interested in your brand. If you catch their attention with a helpful piece of interactive content, there's a better chance that they will join your lead list.
A comments section can also be an exciting engagement opportunity. People interested in a specific topic or industry like talking to each other about their observations. The comments section of your blog posts will allow users to share their experience, reflect on what you said and interact with other readers.
4. Ask for the signup.
Here's an important question you should ask yourself if you're struggling to get more people to subscribe: "Am I asking for the signup?"
Contrary to popular belief, most people will not go out of their way to join your lead list after reading your blog. You have to find ways to step in and ask them to sign up.
There are several ways you can approach this situation. One of the most forward is to include a box on your blog that asks a user to subscribe for more great content and promotions. Many consumers use ad blockers now, so it may be best to include the signup form in your sidebar, header or body of the content.
If you go out of your way to ask, you'll see a significant boost in the number of people who subscribe to your list.
5. Use feedback for future posts.
Don't forget to include ways for users to leave feedback on your blog posts. We mentioned the comments section, but you can also add a poll or survey at the end of the post. Ask the reader if they found the post helpful, and if there's anything you should add for clarity.
We can grow our online stores and blogs by basing our marketing decisions on user feedback. Don't neglect this last step if you want to find more topics to cover in future posts.
Feedback can also help you determine your most popular posts, helping you create more relevant content for people who are already invested in your brand. Listening to your readers is essential, whether through your email campaign, social media or website.
These people leave feedback because they either think you're doing a great job or see potential and want you to improve. Spend plenty of time analyzing your feedback and using what you've learned to fine-tune the content on your blog.
A stagnant lead list now doesn't mean it has to be that way forever. Use the tips we provided today to make small changes to your content and the way you gather leads. Once you find strategies that work for you, you'll have no problem growing your subscribers list directly from your blog.