Image Credit: Norbert de Graaff (from Noun Project)
This is a guest post by Will Blunt. He is the the founder of Blogger Sidekick and Chief Contributor at Bluewire Media. Make sure you follow him on Twitter.
Why is your list growth stagnant?
You are writing epic content (long, engaging and helpful), you’re relentless in promoting that content to the right people (more than just social media) AND you’ve got an un-missable lead magnet encouraging your readers to join your list at the bottom of every blog post (probably an eBook or email course).
On first glance, that seems like a pretty solid strategy. The problem is that everyone else is doing the same thing, and consumers of our content are starting to subconsciously filter out these offers.
Reflect for a moment.
When is the last time you read a blog post and opted into an email list because you were desperate to download the vaguely relevant eBook promoted at the bottom?
There is a more effective way to grow your list.
Instead of vaguely related eBooks and other resources, consumers want highly targeted, relevant downloads that help them implement what they have just read. Your strategy is right, but the execution is ever-so slightly off track.
When it comes to effective lead magnets, relevancy trumps all.
Speaking of relevancy, I created a set of 13 downloadable templates that will help you execute the process I talk about in this post to create a lead magnet in under 10 minutes.
Upgrading Your Content
Instead of creating one, two or three lead magnets for your site and throwing them on the end of blog posts. The better way is to create something called a ‘content upgrade’ for every single blog post.
A content upgrade is a free downloadable resource that complements your blog post, available to readers if they part ways with their email address. It is created, optimised and specific to an individual blog post.
You are ‘upgrading’ the content from your blog post into something more tangible that readers can download and take away to implement. This targeted piece of content is more compelling as a lead magnet because you can guarantee the reader is interested in that topic specifically.
I have experienced an exponential shift in conversions since implementing this tactic - from an average of 5-6% for generic CTAs to heights of 57% for targeted content upgrades.
For example, lets say you have written a blog post about ‘Nailing a job interview’. If I have read that post from start to finish, and you offer me a downloadable cheat sheet that is going to help me nail my next job interview in exchange for my email address - there is a good chance I will take you up on that offer.Instead, if on the same post you offer me an eBook on ‘How to find your perfect job’ - a topic that is only loosely related to the blog post - you are making an assumption that just because I’m interested in interviewing, I’m automatically interested in finding a new job.
This assumption is what is killing your conversion rate.
Proof It Works
What results can you expect?
Following the crowd is not always a smart tactic, but if everyone you respect (and admire) starts doing something - and they are getting amazing results - it might be worth taking note.
Bryan Harris from VideoFruit calls it the ‘Grocery Store Formula’ and attributes over 60% of his total email list to the tactic. As well, Brian Dean from Backlinko experienced a 785% increase in conversions using content upgrades - this is with a sample size of over 4,500 visitors, so it was no fluke.Michael Hyatt is doing it, Pat Flynn is doing it, Noah Kagan is doing it… These are some of the most influential marketers of our time with MASSIVE email lists, I’ve got a hunch they know what they are doing.
Creating A Content Upgrade: A Repeatable Process
I don’t want to obsess over ‘WHY’ you should use this tactic. If you’re still not sure of its merit, I’d recommend you check out these posts from Brian Dean, Bryan Harris, Jay Acunzo.
And, this video tutorial from Robbie...
Instead, I want to get practical and walk through a step-by-step process for creating a content upgrade that you can replicate every time you write a blog post. Anyone can do it - regardless of your budget or time constraints.
Here’s how.
Step 1: Write Killer Content
I know, I know....
But, if you are going to ‘upgrade’ your content, it needs to be high quality. There is no point spending hours creating a lead magnet if your content itself isn’t worth reading and no one bothers staying on the page all the way to the end.
To create killer content every time that is super-easy to upgrade you need three things;
- A repeatable process - the exact steps you take to research and write a blog post. See mine below;
WRITING PROCESS
- Idea + headline + keywords (5 minutes)
- Research + structure (30 minutes)
- Write without distraction, editing or images (4 hours)
- Edit and add images into WordPress
- Add meta data and optimize for SEO (15 minutes)
- A blog post template or checklist - this is a consistent structure you follow that acts as a benchmark and accelerant for writing quality content. For example, I have a generic blog post structure in Google docs that I use to guide the research and writing process. (See a screenshot below)
- A clearly structured argument - that draws out the most significant points within your blog. This one is important for turning your blog post into a content upgrade. I use the research phase of my writing process to structure my post before I write it - jotting down the key headings and sub points I am about to write about.
These three factors will help you set a minimum standard for quality, and set you up for success when it comes to turning your posts into content upgrades.
Step 2: Pick Your Upgrade
What type of post have you written?
The type of post you write - it may be a list post, how-to, case study or something else - will determine the type of content upgrade you should look to make. For example, if you have written a list post it may easily convert into a checklist. Each point in the list would become a checkpoint that the reader would need to tick off.
Or if you have written a step-by-step process (like I have in this post), you might just want to make it accessible for your readers by condensing the information into a single-page PDF rather than a long blog post. Often people will like the opportunity to print off a process and keep it on hand as they are going through it.Keep two things in mind when deciding what type of content upgrade to create;
- Will this new piece of content add EXTRA value on top of the blog post alone?
- Do I have the ability to create the upgraded content quickly, easily and within budget?
- Will this new piece of content add EXTRA value on top of the blog post alone?
- Do I have the ability to create the upgraded content quickly, easily and within budget?
- Checklist
- Cheat sheet
- Template
- Step-by-step process
- Infographic
- How-to video
- Additional links and resources
- Supporting spreadsheet or documentation (Like the templates I created for this post)
- PDF of the post with bonus material
My advice would be to pick the one or two styles that best fit your skill set and develop templates for those styles you can use again and again. (Download these 13 templates if you want a starting point)
Over time you may diversify what types of upgrades you create, but keep it simple for now.
Step 3: Create The Resource
Once you have picked the type of upgrade you want it’s time to get your hands dirty and create it.
There are lots of different ways you can go about doing this - hire a designer on Elance, break the bank by buying expensive software products and figuring out how they work… OR you can simplify it.
If the outcome you want is a professional looking download or video that isn’t impossible to make, the quickest and easiest way to achieve this is by producing a PDF using powerpoint.
To make this easy for you I have pre-designed 13 templates in powerpoint that you can download for free. The templates include checklists, cheat sheets and step-by-step processes, plus over 30 icons to use in your next content upgrade.
Let’s have a look at how you can turn a blog post into a PDF with powerpoint in under 10 minutes - Using this post as an example.
Before we jump in, you need to break your post down to the bare bones of what you are trying to say - the key points. (Hopefully you have already done this during the research phase of your writing process)
Once you have your key points ready to go, open up the powerpoint template designed for whatever upgrade you have decided to go with. In this case it is a 4-step process.Grab the key points from the blog and put them into the powerpoint deck.
Put your logo and associated links in the placeholders on the powerpoint slide.
Step 4: Get Your Site Ready + Integrate
Sweet, so you have your blog post written and your content upgrade ready to go. Now we need to get your site ready to execute on this new list building strategy.
My formula for executing on this strategy is;
Download Manager for WordPress + B. LeadBoxes (by LeadPages) + C. MailChimp
I choose to upload my content upgrades onto my website (I’ll tell you why in a second) using download manager - rather than sending them to readers over email. If you have WordPress this process should only take you a minute or so.
Once you have the resource uploaded, then you need to create a ‘Thank you’ page. This is where readers will go after they enter their email address. To make this step easy, create a generic ‘Thank you’ page you can replicate each time with a few small tweaks.
On this page the resource I usually make the resource available for download. But first I offer visitors ANOTHER free resource - seeking to add as much value as possible. Then, after giving them a bunch of helpful free stuff, I ask them to share it with their social network with a pre-crafted Tweet. This second call-to-action is why I like to upload content upgrades onto my site, instead of delivering them via email.
B. Creating the opt-in form using LeadPages.
In LeadPages go to ‘LeadBoxes’ and ‘Create new LeadBox’.
Using the form generator LeadBoxes makes it easy to create a nice looking opt-in form that will integrate with both your site and your email service. Make sure to integrate it with your list - for me this is MailChimp.
Then make it look nice - or at least put some relevant text in where it matters! Below is an example of a LeadBox from my site currently converting at 20%.
Once you are happy with how the opt-in box looks, click save.
Now you will need to get your unique link from LeadPages - the link that prompts the opt-in box you just created to pop-up on your site. There are two components to this link, the actual hyperlink itself and the style component (this is the bit that makes the pop-up box function on your site).
This is where you can find your unique link;This is what the two components look like when they are separated out;
Whatever you place in between those two components will be linked to your LeadBox. This may be text, an image or a button.
Using your LeadBoxes link
To use this link the next step is to create calls-to-action in your blog post. There are three types of calls-to-action I like to use;
- The yellow box at the beginning of the post
Here is the code if you want to create this box in your next blog post;
<div style=padding: 12px; background-color:#f8e187; line-height:1.4;">Your content here!</div>
- The in-text link within the post
- The image at the bottom of the post
You can easily create this image using a service such as Canva if you don’t want to play around with design tools.
Conclusion
Instead of relying on outdated tactics such as generalist eBooks or email courses, start to go the extra mile for your readers. Content upgrades are a proven way for you to start converting more website visitors into email subscribers. The great thing is that whilst some very influential marketers have picked up on this tactic, most people are still missing out - it’s time for you to capitalize.
You used to have an excuse because it seemed like such hard work. It’s not. And you won’t regret it.
What results have you seen using this tactic? Let me know in the comments section.