How to Use Your Blog As a Lead Magnet to Understand Customers

What is a lead magnet? According to Digital Marketer, it is an irresistible bribe offering a specific chunk of value to a prospect in exchange for their contact information. Im going to add to that definition a lead magnet is a bribe so awesome that it eventually compels the prospect to pull out their credit card to work with you.

Can your businesss blog serve as your lead magnet?Yes!And you can you use your blog not only to understand your customers, but also to convince them that youre so in tune with what they need, they will jump at the chance to give you their contact information (and eventually their business).

The benefits of starting a blogIf youre not blogging for your business, you should certainly start one and commit to it. Its not nearly as hard as you might think. In fact, I wrote a full post detailing how to start a blog in less time than it takes to order a pizza.

You might be asking yourself, why even bother with starting a blog? Here are just a few of the benefits of doing it for your business:Blogging can be great for SEO.The Google LOVES to see that you are creating valuable content for your prospects, and sometimes rewards you by pushing you up in the search results (which, P.

S., could mean more eyes on your business).Blogging sets you up as a subject-matter expert.

Your blog gives you the chance to show your prospects that you know your stuff.It boosts your know, like and trust factors.Youre content is establishing that youre an expert, but now you have to get people to like and trust you.

Blogging is like courting your prospect. As they read more of your content, they will get to know you better, and as a result theyll be more likely to like and trust you enough to buy from you.I could go on with blogging benefits.

But this post is about using your blog as a lead magnet so lets dive into that!Your blog IS a lead magnetYou want to get a better read on your customers? Blogging is a great way because posts you write will help to tell you whats resonating with them and what isnt.

For example, if you have a post on your website that is blowing up with pageviews a traffic metric you can get through Google Analytics odds are your customers are seriously digging it. You can also use a social media measurement tool to track how many shares your posts are getting on the social platforms where your business is active. This gives you further insight into whether or not your prospects like your blog content enough to tell their friends and followers it.

Editors note: Want some help managing your businesss social media accounts? The experts on GoDaddys Social Media Management team will help you see whats working including how many likes, shares or impressions each post gets so you can use that info to improve your content. On the other hand, if you have posts that are stagnate or not being shared anywhere, one of two things could be at play:Your prospects arent feeling it.

You might not be reaching your true ideal customers (i.e., they arent even aware your posts or smarts exist!

)Their comments will also tell you more about how to serve them better. Keep an eye on their comments and shares. Questions that come up and other feedback related to your posts could turn into more content for your blog and help you to write better copy for your sales pages.

Finding out which posts are getting the most attentionLink Tally is one website that will tell you how many times your link was shared on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn regardless of your share buttons. As mentioned above, you should also hook up your blog to an analytics tool to keep track of pageviews, the demographics of your website visitors and other useful info. You might find that your true fans arent young women, but in fact middle-aged men.

(Hey, it could happen!)Meet copywriter Lauren Van MullemLauren Van Mullem is a truly spectacular copywriter and content strategist for coaches based in California. Her blog, after it was revised and reborn, has brought clients to her almost like bees to honey.

I asked her to tell me a little bit about how she uses her blog as a lead magnet to entice customers to work with her, and how to understand what they are looking for in a writer. Here are the golden nuggets she shared with me:Theres this thing called Content Shock and its basically that there is so much content out there that not even high quality content stands out. At best, high quality gives you parity.

To stand out and actually reach your ideal audience, you have to:Hyperfocus your blog on topics that best serve customers.Always be both genuinely helpful and actionable (for heavens sake, cut the fluff).Make it personal.

And that last point is the most important. Because all of the content writers in the world cant reproduce you, your personality, your experience or your perspective. Ive heard this called your unfair advantage something that no one else can copy or steal.

Find that, and find what your audience needs most. Make that your content sweet spot. Transitioning from simple content hub to full-on lead magnetAgain Lauren had some serious truth bombs to offer here:The best thing you can do for your business is to identify (and verify) your ideal customer.

So dont just say, My ideal customer is a woman between 35 and 44, married with kids, who wants to renovate her bathroom.Go out there and talk to women between the ages of 35 and 44 who are married with kids who express interest in renovating their bathrooms. See if they really do need what you offer.

Ask them what they wish they had and what theyd realistically want to pay for it. Too many times, business owners assume they know their ideal customers, when theyre really slightly off target. That gums up the works in every aspect of marketing.

Once you have that clarity (and hopefully a dozen or so confirmed ideal customers) ask them, personally (incentivize if you have to), to answer a short survey about what type of content theyd be most interested in, what theyd find most helpful.The best content doesnt come out of business owners or marketers sitting down to brainstorm. It comes directly from listening to your customers.

Really, its so much easier that way!Noelle Hartt is another copywriter I follow, and she added this to Laurens brilliance:One of the best pieces of advice I can offer to business owners unsure of what to blog about is to start creating content based on existing customers frequently asked questions.I did this for one of my clients a luxury real estate agent often asked about the different private schools in his area.

We decided to publish a blog post with information about all the local private schools, what makes them unique and how to apply, and now he has an article he can share with his social media followers and any other prospects he encounters that shows off his knowledge on the subject.Overwhelmed yet? Dont be!

Lets recap!You should be blogging, but you shouldnt just blog any old thing. To truly speak to your customers, tell them what they want to know.

Give them the knowledge that they need that tells them, Hey! This business can fix the EXACT problem I have.As you create content, gauge reactions.

See whats poppin and whats falling flat. The things that are getting the most attention are literally telling you that potential customers want to know this stuff. Then, you can give them more of it.

For the things that are falling flat, you can either simply stop creating that type of content, or ask your current customers why they didnt jive with the posts. Engage with your customers and prospects to learn more of what they want to know.Use your blog as the avenue to get the conversation started, and to keep it going.

Ask prospects for their email address and/or contact information. Once youve got them hooked into reading the entire post, ask for their deets. If not that, at least include some kind of call-to-action to keep the conversation moving along.

Even after they have worked with you, keep chatting with them. Ask what worked and what didnt. Its also a good idea to ask what they wish they had known before working with you if anything.

By continuing the dialogue, you can get a deeper understanding of how to work with them again in the future. Youll also learn how you can expedite the process of generating new leads that turn into customers.Originally published at Garage RELATED QUESTION Why did the Challenger solid rocket booster need seals?

Why were six joints welded but the last joint was a non welded rubber seal design? Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster - Wikipedia I believe that all seven motor segments of the booster were sealed with pairs (later, three) O-ring seals. None were welded.

The boosters were recovered and used many times over; having non welded parts aided in the shipment, disassembly and inspection and re-use of the booster parts. The failure of the Challenger boosters was caused by cold weather and incomplete sealing when the o-rings were stiffer and harder and did not seal. Hot gasses escaped the seals and damaged the space shuttle.