Content Marketing Won’t Generate Leads if Your Website Stinks

Content Marketing Won’t Generate Leads if Your Website Stinks

If you don’t give visitors many easy, attractive opportunities to convert on your website, content marketing won’t generate leads for you.

I’ve been noticing a trend lately that I wanted to share.

We talk with a lot of supply chain and logistics companies who are interested in the idea of content marketing. They’re catching on to the benefits, particular those involving lead generation. They know that creating high-quality, original content on a regular basis — mostly, timely blog posts on a weekly (or more frequent) basis — can drive organic traffic to their websites. And a lot of that traffic will be marketing- or sales-qualified leads.

[bctt tweet=”Content marketing won’t generate leads if you’re driving visitors to a website that stinks.” username=”Fronetics”]

That’s great! I’m glad supply chain and logistics companies are increasingly interested in content marketing. But there’s one problem: Some aren’t willing to take a holistic approach to this solution. Mostly, they aren’t willing to improve their websites.

I totally get it: Websites are a major investment — both financially and temporally. But so is content marketing. And you would be wasting a lot of time and money investing in a content marketing program if all the leads you’re going to drive to your website don’t convert or end up with mixed messaging about your business.

When content marketing won’t generate leads

Content marketing won’t generate leads if you’re driving visitors to a website that stinks. How do you know if your website stinks? Here are a few examples:

Your content is disorganized, unclear, or filled with jargon.

I see this most often. Companies create websites without considering a larger content strategy. Their company or products/services have evolved over time, but the website has not evolved with it (or someone quickly threw up a couple of extra pages without considering the site map as a whole). And, worst of all, web pages become filled with jargon and corporate speak because companies don’t take the time to strategize web page creation as part of that larger content strategy.

Messaging on your website pages serves internal purposes rather than helping customers.

So many businesses create their websites and fill pages with information about their company. “Wait, isn’t that what a website is for?” you might be asking.

No, I would argue. Your website, like your content, should service the customer first. You should design it with the user in mind, helping that prospect find the information they’re seeking and move seamlessly down the sales funnel.

Sure, you should include information about your company on your website. But too many times I see organizations forget about their customers in the creation of their sites. And when prospects visit, they’re caught in a web of the company’s self-promotion — an no closer to making a purchase than before.

There are no opportunities for conversion.

This one seems obvious. But, for some reason, companies frequently create websites hoping to generate leads but give visitors few (or hidden!) opportunities for conversion. If each page doesn’t have a clear call-to-action, specific to the page’s content, with the opportunity to submit contact information, how do you suppose visitors are going to become leads? I’ll say from experience, very few, if any, will proactively reach out and ask to join your email list.

Get it together

If you’re going to make the significant investment in content marketing — and lead generation is your primary goal — you have to think about your website, too. Otherwise, the traffic you’re driving to your site will never convert. And you’ll have wasted your time and money.

Want to make your website an effective lead-generating machine? Stay tuned for part 2 of this post tomorrow: 5 Tips to Generate More Leads on Your Website.

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How to Attract Millennial Talent to Your “Boring” Company

How to Attract Millennial Talent to Your “Boring” Company

Millennial talent seeks employment opportunities with companies that promote transparency, technology, excellence, and social change.

We write often about the supply chain talent gap and how supply chain companies should be proactively recruiting millennials to join their companies. So a recent Harvard Business Review article, which talks about how companies that “young people find dull” (like electrical distributors and manufacturers) can make their businesses seem “cool,” seemed particularly relevant.

While we adamantly disagree that the supply chain isn’t cool, we do think it’s important that logistics and supply chain companies think strategically about recruiting millennial talent.

Millennial talent and the vision thing

According to a new study by strategy firm Department26, “Transparency is the millennial standard operating procedure in the workplace.” Honesty and security are top of mind for this generation that came of age just as the country plunged into The Great Recession.

[bctt tweet=”Beer kegs and ping pong are nice, but millennials are more impressed with leadership that sets goals and delivers on them. ” username=”Fronetics”]

Beer kegs and ping pong are nice, but millennials are more impressed with leadership that sets goals and delivers on them. They want to know how their role contributes to the organization’s success, and they want to know the effort they’re putting into a job is worth it.

“Setting them up for success means regular check-ins, both positive and constructive feedback as a rule, and structured mentorship,” write the authors of the Department26 study.

People say millennial talent doesn’t work for money, and it’s true that they’re not motivated by salary alone. Younger employees want meaningful work that enhances their personal growth.

They also want flexible work rules that show an employer respects and trusts them. Sharing details of your strategic plan or examples of how your HR policies reward personal initiative can help millennial talent see your “boring” business in a new way.

“The thought of not being granted flexibility in exchange for hitting performance metrics is absurd to millennials, and it’s a concept that’s diametrically opposed to the freedom they crave,” the study concludes.

Talk tech

Logistics or trucking can sound dull to the iPhone generation — until you paint a picture of forward momentum and innovation that might surprise them.

Automation, robotics, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, drones and the Internet of Things (IoT) are reshaping the industry. Companies like Amazon, Pfizer and Wal-Mart are experimenting with new technologies to reduce costs, boost productivity, and improve handling performance.

“Wearable technology could soon become a standard must-have in the logistics industry,” according to a recent story in The Business Journals. “As these technologies continue to carve out their role in the global logistics industry, we’re likely to see previously unimagined levels of optimization — from manufacturing to warehousing to delivery.”

Find ways to change hearts and minds by exposing young people to the realities of today’s supply chain. If they think it’s boring, it’s because they really don’t know what it is.

Be the best damn supply chain company anywhere

People want to work for “the best” — the most innovative, the most profitable, or the most admired brand — in every industry. Workers are proud to say they work for a company recognized as being the best at what it does because it says they’re the best, too.

Even millennial talent that has never thought about a career in logistics might reconsider if they’re being recruited by an industry leader.

Celebrate excellence at your company. Promote the awards you’ve won. Share customer testimonials, positive media coverage, and community recognition with prospective recruits.

It also helps to do well by doing good. This is a generation that trusts business, not government, to create positive social change. “Millennials are hungry for a work culture that inspires them. At a macro level, companies should communicate clear plans that reflect their core values,” says Department26.

HBR author Bill Taylor summarizes these sentiments well: “What [millennials] value is the chance to join companies that make a difference and where the work brings out the best in them.”

How is your company recruiting millennial talent?

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Video: Why Does Content Marketing Take So Dang Long to Show Results?

Video: Why Does Content Marketing Take So Dang Long to Show Results?

Content marketing is a long-term solution. Here’s why it takes so long to see results.

You are committed to your content marketing program. You’ve created blog posts, uploaded videos, and collaborated with industry leaders. You may have started noticing an increase in web traffic, social reach, and other engagement metrics like time on page. You’re on the right track!

The problem is your lack of leads or sales. Your boss is pressuring you for results, and you’re starting to question your efforts. Are you doing something wrong?

The answer is NO.

In fact, you’re doing everything right. Now you need to give your investment time to deliver on your return. But I know you’re asking, “Why does content marketing take so dang long to work?”

[bctt tweet=”Content marketing is a long-term solution that helps businesses build brand awareness, grow their audience, and generate new leads and sales. ” username=”Fronetics”]

Content marketing is a long-term solution that helps businesses build brand awareness, grow their audience, and generate new leads and sales. But it takes time and effort to achieve results. You don’t want to give up before you see the fruits of your labors.

Just how long will it take for your content marketing strategy to yield results? Well, that really depends on your business and your goals, but you can count on at least six months. Content marketers Neil Patel and Carol Ann Tan both write that content marketing strategies take at least six to nine months to start seeing results.

But that doesn’t mean you should throw in the towel. Here are 4 reasons content marketing doesn’t show results overnight but is still well worth your time and investment.

Video: 4 reasons why it’s NOT time to give up on content marketing

Please don’t give up on content marketing before it’s had time to play out. We understand you want to see the fruits of your labor. But if you pull the plug too early, you’ll lose out on your initial investment, not to mention the leads and sales that are eventually coming your way.

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Infographic: 5 Ways to Combat the Supply Chain Talent Gap

Infographic: 5 Ways to Combat the Supply Chain Talent Gap

Use these 5 strategies to overcome the supply chain talent gap, filling critical positions with qualified hires and streamlining processes for future talent.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of supply chain management and logistics jobs will increase 26% from 2010 to 2020. That means, in the near future, for every five to 10 job openings, there is one qualified applicant. These are the kind of odds you hope for in Vegas, but not if you’re looking to fill positions, and quickly.

[bctt tweet=”One-third of supply chain and logistics companies have taken zero steps to create or feed their future talent pipeline.” username=”Fronetics”]

It’s no secret — the supply chain is experiencing a major talent gap. In fact, in a recent DHL survey nearly 70% of survey respondents list “perceived lack of opportunity for career growth” and “perceived status of supply chain as a profession” as having a high or very high impact on their ability to find, attract, and retain talent. What’s even more interesting is that one-third of supply chain and logistics companies have taken zero steps to create or feed their future talent pipeline. Don’t be one of those companies!

Let’s face it: Many don’t perceive supply chain and logistics as a sexy profession. But there are real benefits for people that get into the industry. Cutting-edge technology, career growth, and environmental impact are just the tip of the iceberg. There are ways to showcase all the industry has to offer, giving you qualified hiring options and helping manage processes for future talent.

These five strategies will not only help you start hiring supply chain talent quickly, but will also help you implement processes for prospective positions.

5 strategies for overcoming the supply chain talent gap

5 Ways to Combat the Supply Chain Talent Gap (1)

(Made with Canva)

Takeaway

The supply chain talent shortage is a hurdle, but not a deterrent. Companies need to step up their game when it comes to finding and retaining qualified candidates. Along with these strategies, highlighting your brand’s unique value and culture will make it stand out as an exciting place to work.

How is your company combating the supply chain talent gap?

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