Trying to figure out a successful formula for your lead generation strategy can be a slippery slope. Generating useful, productive leads can mean the difference between a harmonious, Kumbaya relationship between sales and marketing or vitriolic finger pointing and throwing blame at each other like blow torches in the wind.
Combine that with trying to figure out the sales quota your marketing team must meet; meeting optimum conversion rates; securing targeted prospect lists; filling your pipeline with qualified opportunities; coordinating marketing automation activities; choosing spot-on lead generation partners; AND figuring out budgetary constraints and meeting (or hopefully exceeding) MQL and SQL industry averages -- it’s enough to make a grown marketer cry.
According to Kari Seas, founder of Seas Marketing, “I would say in today’s marketing, demand generation is all about developing a pipeline for your sales team filled with leads most likely to convert into opportunities and eventually result in revenue.”
That certainly sums it up. So, why not stack the odds in your favor by incorporating a heavy dose of content syndication into your lead generation bag of tricks?
Content syndication, as defined by B2B Content Marketing, refers to distributing content through publishers and requiring registration in order to capture leads. One of the main benefits of content syndication is that it allows your content to be published by other publishers and third-party sites. Not only will this strategy let you reach potential prospects who may never have been introduced to your products or services; you’ll also reap the rewards of reaching a much broader audience in a considerably shorter period of time.
Content Syndication + Lead Generation = Accelerated Growth and Revenue Potential
1. Don’t confuse content syndication with lead generation. Content syndication is basically an introduction to a potential prospect whom you should try to further engage with pertinent content, not just process as a lead and then pass the baton to sales.
2. Don’t put all your eggs in the lead generation basket. Lead generation, even with the inclusion of content syndication, needs to be part of an overall, integrated B2B strategy. Although lead generation is an extremely important part of your marketing mix, it should not stand alone and be expected to generate the entire enchilada when it comes to meeting your revenue requirements.
3. Don’t treat your lead generation outreach like a sales pitch. When all is said and done, the sole purpose of content syndication is to generate leads. However, even more important than just collecting a pile of contacts, is first building relationships with your prospective buyers. Providing helpful and informative content (versus a litany of product specs and service options) will help you become a thought leader and valued content provider to your most prized targeted prospects.
"Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service." (Source: Brian Tracy, Thought Leader, Best Selling Author, Professional Speaker)
4. A consistent blog strategy can be a marketer’s best friend. A great place to begin tapping into your content syndication strategy is to become a renowned author, especially as it relates to your specific industry or niche. Publish your own blog posts or articles on content syndication websites or third-party publishing partners. Take a shot at guest posting for similar websites within your industry. Use your content syndication assets as part of the call-to-action section of your lead generation activities.
55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority. (Source: HubSpot, 2018)
5. Keep your content fresh, relevant and insightful. A strong content syndication strategy will help fuel your lead generation activities. If your content provides significant value to your prospects, you will begin to experience greater open and click-through numbers.
90% of searchers haven’t made their mind up about a brand before starting their search. (Source: Status Labs, 2018)
6. Make sure your content takes various forms. Your content syndication must remain fresh and innovative. Create or repurpose your existing content to encompass many different forms versus plain text copy. Present your content via infographics, digital assets, etc.
"Create diversity in your content. Your buyers have unique consumption wants and needs, so make sure your content comes in multiple formats." (Source: Dayna Rothman, Director of Content Marketing at EverString)
7. Too little content defeats the whole concept of content syndication and lead generation. There is no question that publishers and third-party sites want to deliver (as quickly as possible) as many leads that meet your criteria. Quite simply, publishers want as much content as possible. It fuels their business, and contributes to you getting a lot more relevant leads.
47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. (Source: Demand Gen Report, 2016)
8. The more content you use in content syndication, the higher the lead volume, the faster you will meet your lead targets, and the more assets you have to fuel your lead generation efforts. Don’t limit yourself by only providing 2-3 content assets per publisher. This is especially true when there’s no real incremental cost to providing more content. Test your content via different form factors (i.e. white papers, ebooks, recorded webinars videos, infographics) to better gauge which types of content perform better and generate more leads faster.
When it comes to content, longer is better. On average, long-form blog posts generate nine times more leads than short-form posts.
9. Content syndication provides targeted prospect leads. Content syndication is not only useful for start-ups or companies looking to expand their brand awareness, but also for generating targeted leads derived from gated content, where forms have to be filled out before downloading various content assets. Gated content gives you the ability to capture prospect information so you can market to them via powerful lead generation activities. This is especially valuable when trying to build your pipeline with new sales leads you hadn’t accessed previously. Most importantly, targeted prospects are the most likely to convert to sales.
Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. (Source: Content Marketing Institute, 2017)
10. Content syndication offers an expanded audience. Some of the larger content syndication websites have social media followings as large as 100,000 visitors or more. With sizes of this nature, it’s possible to find your subscriber rates skyrocketing. Along with expanded subscriber rates, you will also find a comparable lift in lead generation prospects.
11. Content syndication offers better SEO. The right syndication opportunities provide author bylines, including a link back to your website. This fact offers many benefits, including: higher brand visibility, access to product or services information, and lead generation targets, especially if certain pieces of content are gated.
Lead Generation & Content Syndication Make a Powerful One, Two Punch
As we’ve established, a solid content syndication strategy significantly raises the bar on your lead generation programs. Broadly distribute content to match your target audience’s demand around a specific product or service that you offer. Following through via targeted lead generation outreach helps turn your prospects into customers. Content syndication will expand your audience, giving you more opportunities to drive awareness and interest into your products and services. Pairing your content syndication with a strong lead generation effort points your target audience toward your brand as the optimal solution to their pain points.
If you’re ready to learn even more about content syndication, check out these other articles:
• The How and Why of B2B Content Syndication
• B2B Intent Marketing Strategies Are Shaping Marketing in 2018
