Are you keen to generate more business but feel like you’re always using the same old methods? Perhaps you’ve heard a lot about content marketing but don’t know what it really is and how you can do it. Quite simply, it’s sharing online material such as videos, blogs and social media posts that don’t explicitly promote a brand but which stimulate interest in its products or services. Take a look at the following four ways to see how you can attract more customers by providing them with useful information.

Blogging

This may not be particularly new but you may need to adopt a fresh approach to make it work. Evidence shows that blogging is successful in generating business but it’s important to post on a regular basis. Don’t just blog for the sake of it, though. You need to be creating articles that add value or solve people’s pain points in some way. They don’t need to be long: well-crafted, engaging posts of just 200 words can get shared and shared again. It does take time to build up a following, however, so don’t give up if results don’t come in the first month or two. Remember, just because people don’t comment doesn’t mean they’re not reading or remembering what you’ve written. Make sure you have a sign-up to your blog section so that you can build up regular followers.

Use social

And we don’t mean just be a social animal, although we presume you’re friendly and approachable to all your customers. No, we’re talking about using social media to raise your core business profile. Rather than being a silent participant, be someone who is prepared to put their head above the parapet and engage. So be active on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Comment on topical posts, highlight key issues in your profession, share interesting facts and surveys, and congratulate your customers on key events in their lives. It’s all about having a conversation. These platforms are also useful vehicles to share those blog posts you’ve been writing.

Please don’t include YBS in your core business social media presence.

Make videos - and gate them

Videos are a great example of engaging content that can be shared. You could choose to hire a videographer but you can also learn to make them yourself — even with your phone. Maybe do a piece with you or a colleague talking to camera about a ‘hot topic’. Post the videos on your website, your social channels and YouTube. But don’t just give them away - ‘gate them’ i.e, ask all viewers to enter their email address as a minimum before gaining access. This means you can highlight them as a prospective customer and ‘warm them up’ with more tailored material as soon as they express interest. By gating your videos, you will see just how many viewers have been sufficiently interested to give their details and you can then follow them up accordingly.

Use your website to promote offers

Yes, your website should look good but it should also earn its keep by converting visitors to customers, or at least provide you with details so you can keep in touch with prospective customers. Place calls to action on landing pages throughout your site to include compelling offers. It’s been proven that 10% of landing pages have 3x to 5x greater conversion rates than the average. This 10% will usually have a prominent contact form and be clear and engaging but without a lot of text. They will use similar imagery to any advert driving the visitor to the landing page and not have a navigation bar to your main site which could potentially distract the visitor away from the page.

By following these steps, you are more likely to increase the number of downloads or sign ups of whatever it is you are promoting. You’ll have seen lots of sites in other industries offering a free trial or an invitation to book a demo. Think about what you too can offer that adds value to your visitor - for example, a special promotion on a particular product or service or an incentive to refer a friend or family. The possibilities are endless, but the key is to view your website as an active tool, not just a static set of pages.

Important notes

Yorkshire Building Society has worked together with a growth marketing agency, ClientsFirst, to supply this content. We hope it helps you grow your core business and you have found it of interest. Please ensure that if you apply any of these tips to your YBS agency that you comply with the specific marketing guidelines which can be found in the YBS ‘Working Together’ Agency Operations Manual.

YBS A009 03/04/19

[Sources] http://empression.ca/10-effective-lead-generation-ideas-for-your-mortgage-business/  https://www.inman.com/2017/01/31/6-lead-generating-content-strategies-brokerage-invest/