Optimize your content marketing campaign landing pages

In previous blog posts for this series, we talked about the building blocks of a content marketing campaign, such as blogs and calls to action. If you think of content marketing like fishing, those things are the bait. Your landing page is where you reel ‘em in. But it can also be where you lose your big catch in the blink of an eye.

A refresher: the content marketing campaign conversion path

Content marketing uses (surprise!) content to attract visitors to your site.  Then you present a call to action that encourages visitors to engage with you further. Then you use a form to capture information about your visitor. Suddenly, they are no longer a stranger. They’re a lead that you can follow up with, nurture, and (hopefully) make a customer.

The moment when someone goes from visitor to lead is called the “conversion point” – and the place where people often “convert” is the form on a landing page. Without this form, your marketing campaign’s conversion path is broken. You can’t follow up with people who are interested in your content, because you don’t know who they are.

6 elements of an excellent landing page

1. A clean design

Your landing page should match your website. It’s jarring to have a completely different look and feel. However, you may want to simplify the page design so there are fewer distractions – and, therefore, a clear focus on that form you want them to fill out.

2. A simple headline

A visitor to your page only has a few seconds to visually interpret its purpose and value. Avoid fluff. Create a clear, compelling headline that establishes the purpose of the page. Be sure to align the headline wording with your CTA wording. It doesn’t need to be an exact match, but it does need to be close enough that people know they’ve landed in the right place.

3. A compelling subhead

This is where you highlight the benefit of your offer – the potentially life-changing reason to take you up on your offer. However, the benefit isn’t always what the reader will get from you. It could be the thing they want to avoid. The content marketing firm Neuroscience Marketing says people are more likely to act when you focus on the negative (their pain points) rather than the positive.

4. An appealing image

Always include an image – or, even better, a video. It helps people visualize what they’re getting. Make it big and vibrant. And be sure it’s optimized for mobile.

5. Short, scannable copy

This is where you convince the reader that filling out the form on the page (and giving some of their information) is worth the added benefit of receiving what is behind the form. Avoid dense paragraphs. Make it easy to read with bullet points and bold text for the key points. You’ve worked hard to get your visitor to this point – don’t blow it by going on and on and on!

6. Finally, the form

The form is where you get some information about your visitor in exchange for the content you’re delivering for free (the e-book, tool, webinar, etc.) I often get the question, “How long should my form be?” There isn’t a simple answer to this question, but there are a few factors to think about:

• Value of the item they receive – If you’re offering an in-depth white paper that will make your visitor the most in-demand member of her team, you can ask for a lot of information. If you’re offering a one-page checklist, you may only want to ask for a name and email address.
• Stage in the buying process – If you’re offering a personal demo, you can ask for more substantive information. The person who takes you up on that offer is farther along the path. But for a first touch, they may be reluctant to tell you more than an email address.
• Quantity versus quality – What are you trying to achieve with your content marketing campaign? If you need to generate a lot more leads for your business, a simpler form may work best. If you normally get a high volume of leads, you may want to add more form fields so that you can better qualify those leads for your sales team

Watch and edit as needed

When you use a tool like HubSpot, it’s easy to tell how your landing pages are working. This gives you insights on how to improve. You may want to make some minor tweaks. You may decide to start over. You may decide to run a test with two different versions. Whatever the case, don’t be afraid to change up landing pages – especially if they’re underperforming.

- Michael

As interactive creative director at OSD, Michael Kritsch is the brain behind many of our clients’ success stories, including the logo & visual design that helped fuel a new direction for MKM Distribution.