How AppSumo Generates 10,000 Leads A Month From Blog Traffic

A few weeks ago I was browsing App Sumo's blog content and case studies and noticed a growth tactic I instantly became obsessed with.

A tactic that seamlessly converts cold traffic into leads or subscribers.

To break it down, I spoke to Nick Christensen, The Head Of Marketing for App Sumo.

And he removed the curtain and gave us a behind-the-scenes into what App Sumo is doing to generate 10,000 leads a month organically through their blogs and case studies.

First, How Do The Majority Of Brands Convert Traffic To Email Subscribers?

When it comes to converting traffic into leads or email subscribers, most brands utilize overused tactics like:

• Blog Post ➡️ Exit-Intent Popup
• Blog Post ➡️ Sign-Up Form At The Bottom
• Blog Post ➡️ Re-Target Traffic On Social w/ Lead Magnet

And why doesn't this feel seamless?

• Exit-Intent Popup ➡️ Surprise
• Sign-Up Form At The Bottom ➡️ Typically Ignored
• Re-Target Traffic On Social w/ Lead Magnet ➡️ Distraction

And don't get me wrong these can all be very effective, but many brands never get it to work.

So, what if there was a way to create a seamless experience that converted quality traffic into quality subscribers/leads?

That's what AppSumo figured out.

So, What Does App Sumo Convert Traffic Into Leads?

They offer packaged content upgrades within their blog articles and case studies.

A content upgrade is where you take a blog post or article and extend the content with "bonus content" that is sent via email.

So, where previous tactics interrupt the consumer and attempt to convert based on quick action...

AppSumo gives the consumer the option.

Making the decision to opt-in one that they want to make.

And one that provides them with even more value.

How Does The Content Upgrade Flow Look Like?

Step #1: You click on a particular article or case study

Step #2: Underneath the H1 is the option to receive the case study in a packaged PDF version with bonus material

Step #3: When you click the link to receive the PDF version a sign-up form pops up.

Step #4: You submit your email address.

Step #5: One minute later you receive your packaged case study in your inbox.

No friction. Just the option.

And according to Nick Christensen, they have this set up on 40-50 different posts.

From those 40-50 posts, Nick says it generates over "10k leads a month" with an average conversion rate of 10%.

That's mind-boggling.

How Does This Convert 10k Leads A Month?

This is part of AppSumo's SEO growth loop.

Specifically a content loop where your content drives an input (in this case a search) and then through some process (in this case a content upgrade) generates an output (in this case a lead).

AppSumo scaled this framework scaled over 50+ different blog articles creating an SEO engine that continuously feeds AppSumo quality traffic that converts into quality leads.

How Do They Scale This?

They create templates based on their blogs, articles, and case studies.

Essentially, a plug-and-play template where all that needs to be changed is the content and creative assets.

How Should You Approach This?

First, I would use Twitter as my testing ground.

I would write threads on different topics relevant to my domain.

From there, I would take the most engaged threads and scale that thread into a blog post or article.

And I would optimize it for SEO.

Then, I would publish 90% of the meat for free and use the other 10% as the "content upgrade."

From there I would test how it converts by sending traffic to the blog post via social, newsletter swaps, paid ads, and SEO optimization.

Then I would rinse and repeat this process.