Are blogs a lead generation tool?
Someone recently asked me why Worthwhile didn’t market to folks who comment on our blog. He expected to be added to our email list as a result of his comment.
I was taken back by his question — particularly because he would have preferred that we treat him as a lead. My initial response was a bit of a hurried recitation of the golden rule. After all, I didn’t want every blog I commented on harvesting my email address and violating my inbox!
In retrospect, he asked a very thought-provoking question that deserves a more philopsophical response. So, I started thinking. Are blogs a lead generation tool?
I was asking the wrong question.
Our business isn’t about generating a transaction but it is about cultivating a relationship. A blog is a great way to start and continue a business relationship. Instead of contemplating how much information I can take from our readers, I needed to be thinking about how much I could give our readers.
Lead generation is one possible use of blog comments (though not at Worthwhile). However, their highest and best use is listening for feedback on what your readers wan
Someone recently asked me why Worthwhile didn’t market to folks who comment on our blog. He expected to be added to our email list as a result of his comment.
I was taken back by his question — particularly because he would have preferred that we treat him as a lead. My initial response was a bit of a hurried recitation of the golden rule. After all, I didn’t want every blog I commented on harvesting my email address and violating my inbox!
In retrospect, he asked a very thought-provoking question that deserves a more philosophical response. So, I started thinking. Are blogs a lead generation tool?
I was asking the wrong question.
Our business isn’t about generating a transaction but it is about cultivating a relationship. A blog is a great way to start and continue a business relationship. Instead of contemplating how much information I can take from our readers, I needed to be thinking about how much I could give our readers.
Lead generation is one possible use of blog comments (though not at Worthwhile). However, their highest and best use is listening for feedback on what your readers want.
Blogs demonstrate expertise and create the basis of conversations. That some of those conversations might lead to relationships that involve exchange of value is to be expected. Why not plan for that? Giving commenters an easy path to sign up for a newsletter seems like a good way for them to choose to opt in to deeper conversations with you.
Phil,
Great point. The blog should be a conversation starter. Commenters should be the ones who choose to take the conversation deeper, but make it easy for them to do so.