When you do a Google search for a query, how many web pages on Google Page 1 do you click?
I usually open the top two results and read the article twice to have a better grasp of the content.
A reader who’s scanning for information would take note of the subheadings or major points and bounce.
Ideally, you want all your visitors to dwell on your web pages and engage with your content.
If they love what they see, it increases the chances of conversion. But how do you turn casual visitors into dedicated subscribers?
What Does Your Ideal Customer Want?
This is a crucial question you must answer before creating content for your audience.
Think about it. If you create content that is not related to their needs, it fails.
Empathy is at the heart of increasing user engagement. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes and create valuable content that alleviates their pain.
Apart from a buyer persona, user-feedback is one of the best ways to understand your customers.
Have a Two-Way Dialogue
A great SEO copy tip is to write your blog posts like you’re having a conversation with your reader in front of you.
Use simple words to put them at ease.
Ensure that you’re creating content your audience wants to read. It must be absolutely relevant to the current problems they face.
It’s not about you or your product.
Don’t shout your offering using “Me” and “I”. It’s “you” and “your”. Personalize the conversation.
Use a live chat plugin to engage your readers in one-on-one conversations. Blog posts are not the only way to rank for competitive keywords or serve inbound content.
Aim to educate your audience and enlighten them about your products or services.
Don’t focus on sales all the time. Teach them. Encourage questions in the comment section and on social media. It’s the best way to establish a personal relationship.
Blog Regularly
How many times a week should you blog? I’ve read many articles regarding this question, They all present different answers.
The safe bet would be two-four times a week. Blogging regularly makes a strong case for a subscription.
According to HubSpot, businesses that blog regularly double their subscribers at twice the rate of those who blog once a month.
If you’re blogging twice a month, increase your frequency to once a week. If you’re blogging once a week, increase your blog posts to 3–4 times a week.
The most important factor is to create high-quality content. Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity. Avoid mediocrity.
Use Your Brand Voice
When identifying your brand voice, here are some questions to answer:
- Does it resonate with your audience?
- Will it reflect your brand?
- Will it engage your followers?
- Is it unique?
- Can you leverage it to build trust among your audience?
The best brands are thoughtful, humorous, honest, or down-to-earth.
Post Your Best Content on Your Website
Third-party guest posts are good. They generate backlinks and leads.
But why should a visitor visit your website when they can find your best content on those platforms?
Create long-form guides, in-depth whitepapers, and infographics for your website.
Top brands such as Apple and Sony use this technique to cater to every need a customer or prospect might have.
Entertain With Video
It’s no secret that humans are visual learners. You’re more likely to remember scenes from the movie, Titanic than text from your chemistry book.
Humans have an insatiable need for video content. Snapchat accounts for over 10 billion views a day. YouTube has 5 billion.
Users are hooked.
What are they watching?
What type of content gets the most engagement?
Use the data you generate to create clickable videos for your product demo.
Video is also a great way to nurture leads, raise brand awareness, and educate a segment of users through live video chats or live webinars.
Do Not Distract the Reader
When a reader is engaged with your content, avoid pop-up boxes, auto-play videos, or any feature that diverts attention. Use scroll-triggered lightboxes to collect emails without obstruction.
Place it at the bottom right hand of the page. They’ll see it as they scroll down. Customers can’t stand intrusive pop-ups asking for emails or showing an advert.
A study revealed that 73% of web users dislike intrusive pop-ups. Optinmonster has more information here.
Infuse Your Copy With A Sense of Urgency
You know that feeling of excitement when you see the countdown timer on a ridiculously cheap offer?
You didn’t plan to buy anything.
You’re just looking to pass time but the 40% time-limited offer makes you want to max out your credit card because it’s worth it.
At least in your opinion.
Marcus Taylor increased conversion by 332% with a countdown timer and other scarcity techniques. Your brain is forced to make a quick decision in an urgent situation.
Here are a few tips to add urgency to your email:
Include a deadline for every offer: From ebooks, coupons, and webinar tickets, always set a deadline to get your subscribers to act now. It should be a rewarding offer to incentivize them.
Make it scarce: Scarcity is a powerful marketing tool. When combined with persuasion, it will increase conversion.
The higher the demand, the higher the price. Use scarcity to increase sales for limited edition products.
Konga uses this trick to sell items in their “deals of the day.” People are more likely to go for deals that are almost sold out at 99% than deals at 20%.
Add Interactive Tools to Engage New Visitors
A quiz is a good way to break the ice. In 2015, Pompadour used quizzes to increase lead conversion by 64%.
Interactive tools engage new visitors and turn them into customers. BuzzFeed is another brand that use quizzes to engage their social media audience.
It’s one of their best performing content. LeadQuizzes, Vizia, SnapApp, and Mapme are a few tools to try.
Measure and Improve
Just like everything else, measure, improve, and repeat. Keep finding new ways to increase traffic and engagement on your website. If you generate 30 leads a day from your blog posts, at least 2–3 should convert.
Conclusion
Casual visitors are only looking for key information before they leave. Understanding your audience’s needs and serving useful information builds trust in your brand that translates into sales.