Every business will face its own unique set of challenges, obstacles, and opportunities, as it transitions from its early stages into maturity. The industry you operate in, the offering you sell, and the customers you serve will all shape the distinctive journey your business will take, but there is one constant that holds true for every business:
“The need to consistently find and connect with potential new customers.”
It doesn’t matter what you’re selling or how good it is. If people don’t know about your offering, they won’t buy it. This is why it’s so important to connect with your target market and convert them into users who are aware of your offering and interested in purchasing it.
What is Lead Generation in Marketing?
Lead generation in marketing is the act of gaining actionable customer interest in your business’s output. This typically involves a customer initiating a conversation or providing you with their contact information for follow-up regarding your business’s products or services.
For example, for a Web Design Company to generate business leads, they might receive:
1. A form of submission from a potential client that is inquiring about their services.
2. A phone call from a potential client to set up a consultation.
3. A direct message on social media asking about their rates.
4. An email from a potential client who is asking to schedule a consultation.
As a small business, generating leads is a top priority. Luckily, there are many ways to get more leads quickly and effectively.
The following five ideas can be used by businesses of all sizes and most industries. The key is to test and modify to make them work for your customer base.
Here are five effective ways to generate leads for your business:
1. Optimize your web pages for conversions:
All your online lead generation efforts must start with your website. It’s useless to drive traffic to your site through Google, social media, or word-of-mouth if those visitors leave without taking any action.
Your website needs to be optimized to persuade individuals to do something – whatever that action may be. When it comes to lead generation, typically you are trying to capture a prospect’s contact information, such as their name, email address, phone number, and other qualifying attributes that will aid your selling process.
2. Run a giveaway or contest:
A giveaway or contest can generate a ton of email and social leads in a short period of time. It works like this – brands offer a prize in exchange for participants to refer friends, share content, and like your social media profiles.
You can get creative with the prize/reward types as well as the actions needed to collect points (sharing, tagging, referring, etc.).
3. Build Relationships with your Potential Customers:
Building long-lasting relationships are crucial to the development of your company. Structure strong relationships indicate producing rapport and boosting shared trust and cooperation with your potential clients.
In the long-term, constructing healthy relationships with your customers can boost your sales due to the fact that you will be able to maintain customers and increase their lifetime worth. Happy customers will also get the word out about your brand.
4. Produce Valuable Content:
Content is a great way to build Search Engine Optimization for your website, show your knowledge as a business, and generate leads. Writing high-quality blog posts is an incredibly effective way to attract relevant users, engage them, get them interested in what you do, and ultimately convert them into leads.
The key is to write evergreen content that is always relevant to your target market. It focuses on topics that will always be fresh or can be easily updated to stay fresh.
5. Offer Discount Coupons & Gifts:
A great way to kick your lead-generation into high gear is by offering free trials or discounts on your products to users who sign up. A coupon code or discount can convince people to go ahead and buy from you rather than wait and miss out on a good deal.
To drive leads with discounts and coupons, focus on “new customer coupons”. Once you’ve created your deal or coupon, it’s time to distribute — you can’t expect customers to find these discounts and deals themselves. Share with current and future customers via all your online platforms, including Social Media and Email.
If possible, create a banner ad or pop-up for your website as well, enticing potential customers to buy right then and there.
Thus, part of finding new business leads involves structuring a marketing experience that makes it easy for customers to engage with your company. Your lead generation strategies should always result in the exchange of a prospect’s contact or payment information, or an in-person meeting.
You also need to figure out the best lead magnet for your audience. Conduct A/B testing, investigate digital marketing automation, and communicate directly with your prospects through Email Marketing.
It’s all about developing healthy relationships with prospects. Despite the challenges, you can find success with the right medium at your disposal.
