The following is an excerpt from IMPACT’s ebook, “26 Ways to Generate More Inbound Customers in 2013.” For more expert tips on generating more traffic, leads, and customers in 2013…be sure to check out the full ebook.

Is your content resonating with your target audience?

When it comes to creating an impact with your blog and marketing content, quality and consistency mean everything.

In fact, there’s a direct correlation between how often you’re blogging, to how much traffic and leads your website is generating.

Says Pamela Vaughan, Inbound Marketing Blog Manager at HubSpot:

“When it comes to business blogging, there’s no doubt that consistency is important,” says Vaughan. “Just consider the fact that companies that increase blogging from 3-5X/month to 6-8X/month almost double their leads. That being said, consistency must also be applied to the quality of your content, not just the quantity. If you pay any attention to the increased emphasis Google is placing on quality content, this comes as no surprise. Because marketers must also make a commitment to quality in all the content they create, increasing frequency alone won’t get you very far. Quality and quantity must go hand in hand, and this will become even more important in 2013 and beyond.”

Give Your Target Audience What they Want

What to Blog About

With so much emphasis placed on consistency, many marketers and business owners face the challenge of generating fresh ideas regularly.

Where are all these ideas supposed to come from on top of everything else you should be doing?

12 Great Ways for Generating Awesome Blog Ideas

  1. Answer Prospects Questions – Utilize social media to crowdsource and get to know your prospects better. Ask questions!
  2. Blog Comments – Inspiration for more topics may be right beneath your nose! Check your comments for thoughts, questions, and challenges.
  3. Customer Success Stories ­– There’s no better sales tool than highlighting people who have had success with your product/service.
  4. Industry News – Keep your readers up-to-date on changes or news in the industry.
  5. Google Alerts – Set up Google alerts for industry terms and monitor what’s being talked about.
  6. Engage on LinkedIn – LinkedIn provides a platform for other professionals, therefore connecting with them can yield additional ideas.
  7. Monitor Twitter – Simply hashtag certain terms, like #blogging, and see what others are saying. Use this for inspiration.
  8. Monitor Facebook – See above.
  9. Responses on other Blogs – Get in the habit of consistently reading other blogs in your industry. Not only for the topics themselves, but to monitor the comments on those as well.
  10. YouTube – What kind of video content is out there related to your industry? Anything you can feature, comment on, or monitor?
  11. Crowd Source from Social Media – Ask questions across your various social media platforms. Feedback from your target audience is an extremely valuable resource.
  12. Monitor Emails/Phone Calls – What types of inquiries are coming through both channels? Check with those at your company who would know, and keep a log about what’s being asked and talked about.

How Often Should You Blog

The answer here is simple; as much as you can. Whether that works out to be three times a week, or twice a day, it’s whatever works for you.

Keep in mind however, that an inbound marketing agency is equipped to work with you in the creation and publication of marketing content. The more you blog, the quicker you’ll see results.

Continue reading the full ebook…