Lead Generation Part 2 – Content Syndication

In the first post in this series, we discussed using form fills for lead generation. Our second installment is about content syndication, which is a popular B2B internet marketing strategy used to generate leads, and it relies on form fills too. How it works, is B2B websites showcase your assets (case study, white paper, recorded webinar, checklist, etc.) on a form fill page, and the website’s users must then disclose their contact details to access the asset. This arrangement is often referred to as “gated” content.

Important considerations in using content syndication to drive leads

Targeting

A key factor in marketing is always keeping your target market in mind. Before running a lead generation program utilizing gated content, give thought to some of the following:

• How to utilize the standard targeting options for content syndication campaigns: geography, industry, company size, and job title. These are usually included as questions on the form.
• How you present the topic, title, and abstract of the asset being used. You want to use this qualify a prospect. Make it specific enough to appeal to your target market, and not so general as to generate leads you’re not keen to pay for.
• Is it appropriate to use custom questions?  These are questions you can add to the form to help further qualify leads. But they also add to the cost of the program. For instance, you could ask how many servers a company has, or if they’re planning on making infrastructure changes within the next 6 months.
• How does your target audience consume information?  Should you use an e-book, buyer’s guide, best practices guide, whitepaper, webinar, video testimonial, etc.

Costs

Content syndication comes with a cost.  You can expect cost-per-lead (CPL) rates of between $40 and $100; however, the range is dependent on network, targeting, topic and asset type.  The overall budget for a content syndication program will vary based on the factors above and the publisher’s minimum, however, typically, minimums tend to be between $4,000 and $5,000 per month and go up from there.

Timelines

It usually takes a minimum of 2-3 weeks to evaluate options and launch a program, assuming you already have at least one lead gen asset developed. Leads are normally delivered over 1-3 months.  As with any leads, time is of the essence and therefore, once the lead has been delivered, the sales team must be extremely diligent in the follow up process. This is critical to the successful conversion of these leads.

Performance Expectations

Your company might want to implement lead scoring to prioritize and manage leads.  A long sales cycle might make it hard to evaluate the program initially, so it needs to be monitored over the long term.  A marketing automation tool is extremely helpful in this respect to help track profitability and success. Some popular options include Marketo, Eloqua and Pardot, to name a few.  For leads from content syndication, you need to be patient.  It can take some time to move leads through the sales cycle from lead to opportunity to closed business.

In the next post in this series on lead generation, we will look at 2 of the most popular types of content syndication – white papers and webinars.

Interested in learning more about lead generation alternatives for your business? Contact eBridge today.

Want more information about lead gen? Watch eBridge’s webinar series about lead generation.