Content upgrades are a lead generation resource that you can use to grow your email list further by offering bonus content to your website visitors.
With content upgrades, you can use what people love most-freebies- in return for their email address.
The bonus content you provide through a content upgrade adds to the content you have already availed freely.
A content upgrade could be a cheat sheet, ebook, case study report, audio or video file, etc.
Content upgrades must be relevant to the post you offer them.
For example, if your blog post is about “How to Get Rid of Acne,” a good bonus content would be an ebook on how to get rid of acne through natural remedies.
When creating a content upgrade, ensure that it is of high quality and provides more value than what is given in the blog post.
It could be helpful to think about what you would want as a reader if you were looking for supplemental information on a topic.
Content upgrades come in many forms, but the principle of a content upgrade can be broken into 3 steps:
- Create a valuable piece of content to supplement your blog post.
- Include an opt-in form for visitors to sign up in exchange for receiving the free content upgrade via email
- Place the opt-in form strategically on your blog post for maximum conversion
How to Create a Content Upgrade
Table of Contents
Define Your Audience's Problems
The best content upgrades are pieces of valuable content that solve a problem for your audience.
This means you have to think about what problems people who read your blog post might be having and create content that provides the solution.
To find potential problems that your audience may be looking to solve, here are some questions you may need to answer.
- What is the content piece about?
- Who is your audience?
- What problem does your content address?
- What solution does your content propose?
- Are there any solutions can you offer?
Once you have identified the problems that people who read your blog post may face, you can now create a valuable piece of bonus content.
This is where you take all the information in your blog post and make it even better by providing additional detail or analysis.
Create the Bonus Content
The content you give to your readers in exchange for their email addresses should be valuable enough that they are willing to give you their email addresses.
After determining what problem your audience may be having, it’s time to expand on the information you have already started solving through your blog posts or newsletter.
This is where detail and analysis come into play.
Value your audience’s time and make sure that the bonus content you provide is worthwhile for their reading.
Come up with creative ways to solve the identified problem.
This might require some additional research on your part.
Ways that you can create more value through the content upgrades include;
- Providing more insight through data and case studies
- Breaking down complex information into a simple, easily digestible format
- Creating workflows and templates to make implementation easy
- Showing how it’s done using videos
Choose the Form Your Content Upgrade Will Take
You’ve already identified your audience’s problems and have the bonus content ready.
The next step is to define the type of content upgrade that will work best for your audience.
The content upgrade format will depend on your audience, the blog post on which you offer the bonus, and the value you are providing.
It could be a PDF article, ebook, checklist, template, workbook, cheat sheet, case study report, an audio file, video file, etc.
Create the Content Upgrade
With everything in place, the next step is to create your bonus content.
Here, you aim to make a presentable content upgrade that appeals to your audience.
Design: The design of your content upgrade should be visually appealing.
If you don’t have the design skills to create a content upgrade, you may hire a designer.
You can also use tools such as Beacon or Designrr to create stunning ebooks and PDF content bonuses.
You can also choose Canva to create striking infographics, checklists, cheat sheets, etc.
Create a Landing Page; Now that you have created the content upgrade, it’s time to deliver it to your readers.
This is where a landing page comes in.
A landing page is a specific webpage that acts as a gateway for your content upgrade.
It contains copy and graphics that aim at persuading your audience to provide their email address and get the content upgrade.
Here, you can create an opt-in form to collect the email addresses of those interested in receiving the bonus.
After creating a landing page, your goal should be lead generation and list building.
This means ensuring that people who come to your landing page provide their email addresses in exchange for the content upgrade.
You can use tools such as LeadPages, Unbounce, or Instapage to create landing pages that convert well.
Where To Place Your Content Upgrade On Your Post
Once you have created your content upgrade, the next step is to determine where on your blog post to place it.
There are a few options you can consider:
- At the introduction of your blog post
- At the end of your blog post
- In a floating sidebar widget
- On an exit popup
Promote Your Content Upgrade Within Your Post
Your content upgrade is ready, and your audience has the option of grabbing it in exchange for their email address.
However, you need to promote the content upgrade to get more people opting in.
Here are some ways you can promote your content upgrade on your post:
Use Overlays, Banners, and Popups; One of the most common ways to promote your content upgrade is by using overlays, banners, and popups on your blog post.
These are customized modules that create an additional call to action for your audience after reading the post.
People interested in the bonus will be able to opt-in by clicking on a popup, banner, or overlay.
Place an Inline Call to Action; Another way to promote your content upgrade is by placing an inline call to action in your blog post.
An inline call to action is a short, attention-grabbing message that encourages people to opt-in for the bonus content.
It usually appears as a text or CTA button and can be placed at your post’s beginning, middle, or end.
Conclusion
Content upgrades are a great way to increase reader engagement and get more subscribers.
By understanding what they are, the different types of content upgrades you can create, and how to promote them, you’ll be able to create bonuses that your audience will love.