What Is Lead Generation?
Let’s get started by defining what a lead actually is. According to Hubspot, a lead is “a person who has indicated interest in your company’s product or service in some way, shape or form.”
A lead is not just any random potential client. It is the one that is already only a step away from you, and all you need to do is grab their attention and prove that your service will solve their problem. Ideally, that interest is expressed by them sharing their contact information such as their e-mail or phone number.
Lead generation, on the other hand, is the process of attracting new potential customers to your business and ideally turn them into paying customers. It is getting as many high-intent, high-quality potential customers in front of your business as possible. Lead generation goes hand-in-hand with marketing and brand exposure, although lead generation strategies will be unique in their proximity to the sales process.
Lead generation is simple in theory, but definitely not as easy to execute effectively. In fact, only 1 in 10 marketers said that their lead generation efforts are highly efficient and effective.
The sad reality is, the world is changing. And in the advent of online marketing, the ways of accessing new customers had evolved. The concept of lead generation is not just a 21st-century buzzword–it has been around for hundreds of years, and as a result, consumers have become skeptical or immune to them.
Here are lead generation strategies that will help you generate new sales leads.
Build a website
In this day and age where the Internet has almost taken over all facets of how we live and work, even small businesses need to impress with beautiful websites. This is where your customers go to find you on the Internet.
Don’t be misled into thinking a Facebook page is enough to build your credibility –a survey showed that 84% of consumers believe that having a website makes your business more credible than just a social media page.
A website that gives visitors the clear who, what, where, and why behind your company is your best asset. A good website is like your digital business card.
Invest in paid social media advertising
Social media enables you to reach potential clients and generate sales, given that you have quality and engaging content to offer. The days of free social media publicity are all but over. While that is quite unfortunate, investing in paid social media advertising is also a good option.
Running a social media ad campaign is a fantastic way to reach potential clients. When you create an ad, you can customize it to determine exactly what type of user you want to target and place your content directly to their news feed. Running a social media advertising campaign is very cost-effective, as it allows you to set a daily budget and only charges per click.
Most social media networks also offer robust tools that can help enhance your lead generation strategy. LinkedIn and Facebook now offer one-click email submission, allowing users to submit their information at the click of a button.
Encourage online reviews
When it comes to online reviews and news articles, readers are specifically searching for that content. This means the user is actively looking for solid recommendations for a particular product or service.
A BrightLocal survey in 2017 found that 85% of their respondents trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Not only that, 68% were willing to give a review when asked to.
That 68% is where you can start. You can ask your happiest clients to leave you a review on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and more. Encouraging your customers to talk about their experience with you is a great way to boost your online reputation, which can attract new clients. You can simply ask, or motivate them with incentives like discount coupons they can use on their next purchase.
Create a referral system
Think about it. How many times have you purchased a product after a recommendation by a friend?
Referral systems have become useful among modern lead generation strategies, as word-of-mouth advertising will never get obsolete. According to a study conducted by Heinz Marketing, companies with formal referral programs reported nearly 40% of their leads coming from referrals.
Selling a product or service online? Try creating customized referral codes for individual clients and prospects. Your new client gets a discount for their first purchase, and your loyal client will get a referral This way, you’ll be able to know exactly who is sending business your way, and which leads are converting to clients.
Another great thing about the referral system is that customers will be less likely to refer products to the wrong audience –people know their friends and family well. Recommendations of products or services are targeted to those who will actually be more likely to use them.
Learn search engine optimization
SEO is a great lead generation tactic. Only 10% of search users go past the first page of search results when looking up information on Google. That makes it difficult for any business to get their website in front of potential leads, no matter how well designed or informative it is.
Optimizing your website puts it in the best position to get on the first page of search results.
Check out our free SEO crash course here.
Maintain a business newsletter
Creating a regular newsletter keeps your communication lines open for both your existing and potential customers. It is an opportunity for you to share business updates. This can include any changes in your business, be it your new staff, new products, events, or promos and sales.
If this pans out, you have a lead generation tactic that delivers a captive audience with a stream of updates from your business or industry. They get updates right in their inbox, and you did not even have to fight for attention in a sea of social media updates.
Host a Facebook Live
Although time-consuming, this can really build deep, meaningful relationships with your potential customers.
Posting a live video, be it on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or any other video streaming site to teach them a certain tip or skill will enable you to appeal directly to your potential customers by making them feel they matter. You will be able to appeal directly to them by giving them something far more valuable than a cold sales pitch by answering their questions.
Not only can they learn something from you, but this will also allow them to interact with your loyal customers.
Lead generation is not that simple because what works for others may not work for your business. The key is finding a strategy that works for you. In most cases, the foundation of effective lead generation is creating good content. It all comes down to knowing your audience and how they interact with your business.
What strategies are you already using to generate leads? We would love to hear them in the comments below. Let’s discuss.
Mawnster Marketing offers a wealth of Digital Marketing Solutions and packages that can help you put your best business foot forward. We can help you put up a website with videos, banners, infographics, and blog posts that will showcase your brand to the world. We also offer Pay Per Click campaign creation, Search Engine Optimization, Website Development, and Social Media Marketing. Drop us an e-mail at info@www.mawnstermarketing.com, call us up at (703) 895-0737, or contact us online for all of your Digital Marketing queries and for more information.
