Integrating Blogs into Your Demand Generation Mix

In the future, everyone will have a blog for 15 minutes.

Having started and run two corporate blogs over the years, I'm well aware that the easiest thing in the world is to start one, and the toughest thing is having something to post six months later when other programs are demanding time, marketing programs need to be tended to, and strategic initiatives must be developed.

A lot of folks ask how blogs fit into the overall lead generation scheme.  After all, the basic model of a blog is an open conversation, a free exchange of ideas, free of lead captures forms and registration pages.   

One practice successful companies have implemented is to excerpt valuable content from eBooks, white papers or analyst reports as a way to provide a preview of information the user can get if they share their contact information with you. 

There's an "economy of identity" at work here, where people are willing to exchange small bits of their personal privacy in return for things of value.  You can add as many calls to action in your blog posts as you want, the goal being to provide MORE value to a visitor than you are requesting from them in personally identifiable information.

For example, people may trade their name, company and email address for a white paper from you.  They may give a bit more information (phone number, title, location) for a Webinar.  And you may be able to successfully exchange BANT (budget, authority, need for your product and timeline) information for an in-person seminar.

When in doubt, always provide information freely, rather than place onerous lead capture forms between the visitor and the information they're looking for.  Business buyers are not stupid; they know who is publishing the information and will get in touch with you if they want more.

Here's a good article on what a compelling blog post should contain.  Hm, I'm not sure mine all fit the bill here.

And if you'd like to check out some wonderful examples of business blogs, take a look at some of these:

1. Web 2.0 Marketing Strategies
2. Blogwrite for CEOs
3. B2B Lead Generation
4. Blogging Best Practices
5. Selling to Big Companies

Comments

[Chris Baggott]

Good Post Steve. One thing to keep in mind that differentiates a Corporate Blog from a normal (Journalistic) blog is that it's not a bad thing to repeat yourself.

The reality is that most visitors to a business blog haven't see your stuff before...they probably come via a search engine or a link off your site...only a small percentage are what you might call "subscribers".

In general Corporate Blogging becomes almost as much about quantity as quality. We advocate spreading blogging far and wide in your organization to uncover the passion and commitment that exists in your employees and other constituents...share the load and you will come up with a lot more content, a lot more individual passion and win a lot more searches.

Chris Baggott
Compendium Blogware
www.compendiumblogware.com