In other words, these potential customers are not contacted by chance. They enter the sales funnel because they believe that the company has enough experience to meet a specific need. This is a fundamental difference.
Every new visitor qualified through lead generation is a new sales opportunity.
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Why is it essential for businesses?
Why is it so important to implement a lead generation strategy?
Unlike traditional advertising, lead generation allows you to convert a larger italy number data number of potential customers into customers, while optimizing acquisition costs .
By relying primarily on content marketing, companies will be able to attract potential customers who are more likely to complete their purchase. To do this, they must be able to produce high-quality content (blog articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, etc.) on a regular basis.
In this sense, lead generation is absolutely inseparable from inbound marketing.
Some figures on lead generation
Before we look at content marketing trends, let’s look at the numbers.
The importance of leads for a company is well established. More than 9 out of 10 marketing departments claim that lead generation is their main objective. In fact, 53% of them allocate more than half of their marketing budget to perfecting this area.
A study conducted by HubSpot in Europe and North America provides more details.
The cost per lead varies between 10 and 100 euros, and seems to depend largely on the company's sector of activity. The media are those that obtain the highest return on investment.
Similarly, the number of leads generated each month is strongly correlated with sales. The more successful a company's activity is, the more qualified new prospects it will gain.
Finally, inbound marketing is the preferred lever for professionals. 92% of companies that use it claim to have seen an increase in traffic to their website and a better conversion of these visitors.
2 - What are the differences between content marketing and brand content ?
Content marketing and brand content are two concepts that are too often confused.
Brand content is an advertising strategy that aims to produce content that highlights a company's history, values, and products. Brand content is therefore entirely focused on the brand.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is customer-centric. Although it is also based on content production, the goal is to respond to potential customers' problems, without necessarily extolling the virtues of the brand.
To do this, companies must be able to understand the expectations of their potential customers. This way, they can offer them content that provides added value.
Of course, in both cases, the ultimate goal remains the sale. By offering concrete solutions to potential customers, the company gains visibility and demonstrates its expertise in a given topic. This way, it has every chance of converting its readers into loyal customers.
Do you want to generate leads to grow your business? Let's take a look at the top content marketing trends in 2022.
3 - The 7 major trends in content marketing
1. Creating videos
The first of these trends concerns video . This format is now very popular among Internet users, as it is easier and faster to view than text content.
In addition, videos go viral. They are shared on various social networks, from Facebook and Instagram to TikTok and LinkedIn.
There are a huge number of possibilities when it comes to producing videos: tutorials, blog post summaries, product or service presentations, a behind-the-scenes look at your company, etc.
2. Production of an e-book
E-books are another trend in content marketing. They are an effective strategy to attract leads to your sales funnel.
The success of an e-book depends largely on the value it provides to potential customers. Everyone who reads it should find precise and concrete answers to their problems.
Unlike a blog post, an eBook allows you to address a topic in depth.
E-books are often offered for free, in exchange for information such as an email address, company name or contact information.
3. Organize webinars
Webinars play an important role in most content marketing strategies. They provide an in-depth treatment of topics while encouraging discussion with your leads through a question-and-answer session.
Just like e-books, webinars should provide value to potential customers.
Otherwise, you could drive these potential customers away from your business, disappointed by the content offered.
4. Participate in physical events
Marketing departments often overlook IRL (In Real Life) event participation.
However, they are an excellent medium for breaking down the barriers between the physical and digital worlds. Trade fairs, for example, are the ideal place to meet your potential customers and better understand their needs.
These valuable exchanges will help fuel your content marketing strategy in the long run.
5. Guide design
Guides and white papers are halfway between blog articles and e-books.
It is vital to include them in your content marketing to capture leads, as they offer a number of advantages.
First, they will help you improve your SEO and appear in the top search results on Google.
Secondly, they will allow you to increase your visibility and demonstrate your deep knowledge of the market.
6. Distribute case studies
Among the trends to generate more leads, case studies play an important role. When it comes to social proof, it’s hard to beat case studies as they show how a product or service has helped a customer meet a need.
