Top 25 Lead Generation Strategies

If you have just started a company, you will initially invest a significant amount of resources in setting up the office space, developing a website, and recruiting staff. Once this is done, next in line is sales. 

How will you go to accomplish this? There are many ways to do so: approach a potential customer at their home or hire a telemarketing service who will call every name in the phone directory. 

These methods are no longer conducive as they are time consuming. However, there is another option; generating leads. 

What is lead generation? 

Lead generation refers to a marketing approach that entails attracting prospects and converting them into customers. In simple terms, a lead is someone interested in your company’s offerings. 

Lead generation is crucial in many ways. The most important one is increasing the company’s sales figure while boosting the revenue. 

You can target leads in many ways, including:

• Social media marketing
• Search engine optimization
• Pay per click campaigns
• Email campaigns
• Influencer marketing
• Local listings 

However, remember that not every lead generation strategy is appropriate for your company. You must exercise caution when picking your options.

How does lead generation work?

A simple illustration can help you comprehend how lead generating works. Assume your company deals in a cosmetic product. Ms X has a skin condition and is looking for different products on the internet to help her. 

She comes to your website through a search engine. While on your site, she shares some information. However, by the end she does not buy any product. In this case, Ms X is your prospect. You can retarget her with emails, brochures, and other mediums to persuade her to buy your goods. This is how lead generation works.

What is a lead generation strategy? 

Lead generation is one of the most common marketing strategies for attracting new customers. It aids in attracting prospects in the hopes of converting them into buyers. This strategy can be performed through paid advertising or organic methods such as social media platforms or search engines. 

However, most businesses make a mistake by integrating a sales pitch into their lead generating strategy. But, in actuality, the whole process is about educating customers about your product, business, and industry without openly marketing oneself. The following are some of the most prevalent lead generation techniques:

• Posting evergreen content
• Pay per click campaigns
• Social media campaigns
• Search engine optimization 
• Influencer marketing
• Community building
• Listing your business in directories
• Hosting live events, seminars, and webinars
• Commenting on competitors’ posts
• Integrating chatbots to your website

25 Top Lead Generation Strategies

1) Pay Per Click Campaign (PPC) 

PPC campaign is one of the most reliable B2B lead generation strategies. Here’s what you should do to run a successful Pay Per Click campaign. 

• Understand your customers’ preferences and create content that appeals to them.
• Make sure your content is optimized and that you have thoroughly tested it.
• Create a customer-centric landing page and make sure it contains all of the necessary information.

Remember, PPC is an expensive approach. Here, every single click costs you money. If you don’t plan your content properly, your entire investment will be for nought.

2) Social Media 

There isn’t a better way to communicate these days than through social media. It can aid in building your brand’s reputation, product promotion, the acquisition of high-quality links, and, most significantly, lead generation. You can target prospects through Instagram, Facebook, or Linked In. Here are some tips for this lead generation approach.

• Create targeted advertisements highlighting special offers.
• Share customers’ testimonials. It will serve as social proof.
• Host live virtual events on your social media channel.
• If any ongoing referral offers exist, do post them on social media.
• Make use of social listening.
• Choose to sponsor any social media events or content.

3) Local Ads and Listings 

Whether you are a global company or a little shop in a metropolitan enclave, it is difficult to succeed by ignoring the local populace. The process of generating leads begins with the local market. You might reach out to local media outlets or invest in local SEO. Here’s how to go about implementing this strategy.

• Connect with offline media like newspapers for local advertising.
• Get your business listed in the relevant business directories.
• Make sure your business is listed on the Google My Business (GMB).
• Optimize your site’s product and landing pages for the local search intent. 
• Sponsor your content online.

4) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

SEO, without a doubt, is one of the most powerful and cost-effective methods for lead generation. The fundamental goal of SEO is to improve your content’s search engine ranking. 

The odds of acquiring quality leads increase once you are visible on the internet. However, SEO is a complex thing and requires hands-on expertise. According to reports, Google uses over 200 metrics to determine the ranking of any site. Some of these include site speed, content length, image size, meta tags, keywords placement, etc. 

SEO works on all these factors through quality content creation, link building strategy, keyword research, and regular site audits.

5) Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing has grown into prominence in the last few years. The method is most commonly employed by the B2C segment to generate high-quality leads. According to one survey, about 40% of surveyed B2B owners said they prioritize their content consumption through trusted industry influencers. These influencers can be industry journalists, keynote speakers, etc. 

You will need to put in some work to make this lead generation strategy a success. Start by preparing a list of the notable figures in your sector. Make an effort to connect with them and persuade them to promote your goods or services.

6) Hosting Webinars 

Webinars can help you earn client trust and establish authority. It is one of the most effective methods for obtaining high-quality leads. For example, half of your work is done when you send an invitation to folks, and they accept it and confirm their attendance at the virtual meet. It is because those devoting their valuable time to attending the event are already interested in the topic you will be discussing.

It further assists in building relationships with the industry’s key faces. Your conversion rates will skyrocket if you invite some well-known industry figures to host your webinars.

7) Create a referral system

Word-of-mouth advertising always has an advantage over other marketing mediums. The way people advertise products these days has evolved with time. For example, if you own a restaurant and customers like your food, the chances of them promoting your business on different mediums are high.

To encourage this practice, introduce a referral system in your business model. If someone recommends your products through a link or other medium, reward them with a substantial discount. You might even make deals like “buy one, get one free.” Referrals are one of many B2B lead generation strategies that aid in client retention, new customer acquisition, and revenue growth.

8) Blogging 

Blogging platform is an important aspect of SEO for boosting organic traffic. According to one study, more than half of businesses believe that blogging is an effective lead generation practice. You can implement this strategy by using the following basics.

• Choose the topic that is trending in your industry.
• Choose keywords using free or paid keyword research tools.
• Use visuals in your content like images, GIFs, etc. 
• Make sure your content is informative and has a longer word count than the competition.

Publishing a blog is only half the battle; you must also market it. Also, make sure you are posting your content at a regular interval.

9) Video Marketing 

Video marketing is gradually displacing traditional forms of content. According to a survey conducted in 2020, 96% of respondents said they had raised their online video usage. Another survey revealed that 9 out of 10 respondents favor video material from businesses.

The growing popularity of video content has allowed many brands to change their marketing strategy. If you create a creative and catchy video, the chances of lead generation are high. You can implement this marketing strategy by uploading videos on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Linked In. Another way is to integrate short videos into your textual content. 

10) eBooks 

eBooks are recognised as the most powerful lead magnets. It gives insights into the industry’s trends, the company’s history and objective, and information pertaining to products and services. Its worth is evaluated by its authority and information within them. The best aspect of targeting your prospects through this is that they won’t have to pay anything for consuming such content.

eBooks are utilized to raise your brand’s visibility and recognition at the top of the funnel. It also increases the worth of your gated material. Furthermore, they can be used in conjunction with other content such as infographics, blogs, and videos to achieve greater outcomes.

11) Commenting on Blogs 

Never be hesitant to leave comments on other companies’ content, especially if your target audiences are similar. The most basic B2B lead creation approach is to leave comments on blog postings. However, make sure your comment adds value to the viewers. 

For example, if someone makes a comment that appears to be a question, respond right away. Also, wherever data figures are essential, include them. You may also drop your company’s name or website link after addressing queries in the comment box. Though, one thing you must avoid at all costs is product promotion or disregarding someone else’s product.

12) Community Groups

Community groups are identical to Facebook groups but with a wider scope. Since the majority of purchases are made online, community groups serve as social proof. It assists in gaining the trust of potential customers, increasing the likelihood that they will purchase from you in the future. Furthermore, community building affects your search engine ranking. It is also useful in network building and connecting with various investors. There are various ways to build an online community, and the most common one is Facebook.

13) Chatbots 

Chatbots are a result of current technological breakthroughs. They work in tandem with physical customer service staff. Chatbots’ primary purpose is to assist website visitors in resolving their issues. They are of three types:

• Rule-based chatbots
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) bots
• Application-oriented chatbots

When you use this tool on your site, customers are more likely to visit several pages of your website. If the customer goes off from the product or payment page, chatbots inform you of the same. You can then contact them directly to address their issue. The procedure leads to increased customer satisfaction and the generation of high-quality leads.

14) Listings in Directories 

Many marketers often overlook this method while preparing a lead generation strategy. However, you will be surprised to learn that listing your business in various directories benefits you in multiple ways. It aids in building your brand’s reputation, increasing visibility on the search engines, driving traffic, and obtaining quality leads. Here is the list of directories you can target for lead generation:

• Technology partner directories
• Review sites
• Third-party directories
• Work showcase directories
• Award directories 

While listing your business, keep certain things in mind. For example, keywords highlighting your business’ services, updating business information regularly, provide maximum possible information on directories.

15) Events and Trade show by Industry 

Traditional marketing techniques are still effective in the digital age. Previously, businesses would hold seminars, public events, and conferences to attract customers and market their products and services. 

Let’s assume you wish to promote your goods in a village where internet penetration is low or where digital transactions are limited. In such cases, nothing is better than organizing local events or trade shows.

However, to make this strategy successful, you need to follow some basics.

• Participate actively in other people’s events.
• To earn crowd trust and build relationships with market leaders, send invitations to notable figures in the business.

16) Join a Local Chamber of Commerce 

This is another example of a lead generation strategy that most businesses avoid. Following this strategy can help you rise to the top, especially when facing local competitors. Joining a local chamber of commerce depends entirely upon your physical location.

Choosing this strategy is advantageous in many ways. Here’s how.

• It enables you to expand your local network.
• If any mega trade fair happens in your city, you will be the point of contact. 
• You can earn client referrals.
• It will aid in improving your company’s market credibility.

17) Leveraging Automated Conversations 

Businesses are increasingly using automated chats for communication. You may have noticed that when you visit any website, the bots greet you with a message, “How may I assist you?”  Once you reply, they come up with an automated answer. 

Automated chats are often regarded as a successful approach for generating B2B leads. It’s because it addresses customers’ queries while also helping you to figure out why they came to your site. If a customer leaves the site after submitting a query, your sales team can contact them and convert them into customers.

18) Offer a Discount or Coupons

Customers never say no to discounts. Even if you are competing with big companies, discounts assist in increasing sales figures. It is one of the most effective marketing strategies deployed by businesses to establish their position in the highly competitive market. Let’s take an example to get this.

Assume you are in the food chain business. You open an outlet in a location where some big names already exist. Here, you can get quality leads and increase revenue using the following tactics:

• Providing free home delivery
• Specific discount on purchasing a certain quantity of food
• Buy one, get one free, offers
• You may also provide some complimentary stuff like chocolates, snacks etc.

19) Provide a Free Trial 

This lead generation strategy is ideal for start-ups. Let’s pretend you are in the apparel business and up against some big names in the industry. Even though your clothes are reasonably priced, individuals may choose not to purchase them. This is due to a lack of confidence and concerns about product quality. However, if you start offering a free trial, you will have a better chance of attracting customers. 

Free trials are an important part of product advertising. It will offer customers an impression of how good your product is in comparison to existing products on the market.

20) Promote Your Lead Magnet 

A lead magnet is a marketing tool that gives long-form content in exchange for potential consumers’ contact details. Lead magnets can be anything from whitepapers to other downloadable content. However, before you begin promoting your lead magnet, keep the following points in mind.

• Always be clear about who you are trying to target.
• Conduct some research to understand what people expect from your brand.
• Create an informative lead magnet and put some work into the design process.
• Make a conversion path for yourself. Create unique landing pages for each product, develop concise calls to action, provide social proof, and so on.

21) Remarketing 

As a marketer, you should never assume that anybody who visits your website will immediately become a client. According to data, merely 2% of shoppers purchase on their first visit to a website. For the remaining 98%, you will need to use a remarketing or, more precisely, a retargeting plan. It will aid in getting the previous visitors back to your website.

Remarketing strategy means individuals who leave your site are still exposed to your ad across several platforms. You can either consider displaying hard-sell content or soft-sell content. This strategy plays a pivotal role in convincing visitors to purchase a product.

22) Create a Newsletter 

Newsletters are marketing materials integrated into emails and sent to your prospects who have signed up. The information they contain may be significant to your organization, product, or industry. Newsletters are one of the most successful marketing mediums for converting subscribers into buyers when launching a new product. According to data, newsletters are 25% more effective than social media platforms when it comes to lead generation. Newsletter helps in lead generation without any sales pitch because of the following factors:

• Lead magnet
• Lead nurturing
• Continuous reminder
• Product upselling
• Customer retention

23) Use Top-of-Funnel Keywords 

The first step in converting a prospect into a lead or a customer is to get them to your sales funnel. This is why targeting top of funnel keywords is an important lead generation technique. For example, if you want to increase product awareness with a PPC campaign, you should target keywords related to the customer’s search. Assume you are a fintech company that specializes in short-term personal loans. Here, the top-of-the-funnel keywords that consumers may be looking for are

• Personal loan for emergency
• How to take a personal loan
• Personal loan without security 

24) Lead Generation Tool 

To make your lead generation campaign a success, you will require two things. One is a solid strategy, and the other is an effective tool for implementing and monitoring your strategy. A lead generating tool is a piece of software used to collect high-quality leads. You won’t have to manually enter lead data because the procedure is fully automated. There are several types of lead generation tools available on the market. Some of these are

• Outbound lead generation tools
• On-page lead generation tools
• Marketing management tools
• CRO tools for increasing lead volume 
• Email marketing tools

25) Using Marketing Automation

Strengthening your customer base is the responsibility of both the sales and marketing teams. The latter’s job is to bring in new, high-quality leads. The sales team subsequently follows up with those leads to turn them into clients. Marketing automation aligns both these departments, which helps in increasing sales.

Marketing automation is a software that works in conjunction with your CRM system. The system then sends individualized emails to prospects. It ensures that your leads receive the relevant content at the perfect moment. Several reports have testified that this software aids in revenue growth.

How to create a lead generation campaign?

A successful lead generation campaign is when you have persuaded someone to share their contact information with you. People usually share their details in exchange for informative content, free trials, etc. You can then follow up to persuade them for a product purchase.

Here are some suggestions for putting out such campaigns.

• Begin by defining your goals: Be specific about the number of leads and subscribers you expect and the revenue per lead and conversion rates. You should also have a specific sales target in mind.
• Know your audience: Analyze your site’s and social media demographics. Assess your competitors’ target customers. You can also conduct local interviews with prospects and conduct online surveys.
• Structure your content calendar: Determine how many posts you want to publish each month on your website and social media sites. Make sure you understand the content format, such as video, infographics, and so on.
• Create an offer or a lead magnet: The checklist here comprises product trials, newsletter subscriptions, event registrations, course registrations, etc.
• Last but not least is promotion: Start promoting via blog posts, emails, and social media platforms to make your campaign a success. You may also go for paid advertising, press releases, and guest postings. 

How to improve your lead generation? 

According to a survey, 37% of businesses responded that obtaining quality leads is a daunting task. Regardless of how much money you spend on lead generation, you must follow the strategies outlined below to make good use of them.

• Identify the lead generation method that works best for you. If a blog post is helping you generate leads, increase the number of posts and put more work into better optimization.
• Try to gather data that will provide insight into your campaign’s performance. The relevant metrics will aid you in making data-driven decisions and assist you in identifying where you are lacking.
• Always set a benchmark. Make sure it does not fall short of what your competitors are offering. The likelihood of growth increases if you can decode monthly sales and revenue targets.
• While evaluating your lead generation strategy, check if your marketing funnel is customer-centric or built on your requirements. For example, if you are driving an email funnel, make sure it is informative enough that a consumer can comfortably pay.
• Regularly update your leads list, and make sure you pre-screen new leads.

Conclusion 

Establishing a successful business is difficult if you don’t follow different marketing approaches. Lead generation is one of many practices that aid in the acquisition of new clients while also increasing sales and revenue. Select one or many of the tactics listed above to strengthen your client base.

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