Leads are the lifeblood of online businesses. Without them, there can be no sales. Generating leads is therefore an integral activity, and approaching this task with a structured plan of attack is fundamental. However, if you find your usual lead generation tactics are failing to reap the kinds of rewards you are searching for, here are a few more strategies that might just see you break through that lead generation glass ceiling.
Optimize your website and landing page
This may sound obvious, but your website and landing page is the digital face of your company or brand, and that is where many potential leads can be lost if you are not optimized to catch them. First of all, make sure that you site and landing page are user friendly, and not overly cluttered. Make it clear what you are about by utilizing key words, and ensure that any offers match with existing product choices. Finally, make sure there are lead generation forms clearly displayed and that they are easily navigated to.
Use great content
What is great content? It can be defined as materials which inform, entertain, and ultimately generate leads. Use a blended approach here, meaning a nice balance between the written word, images and videos, as well as interactive pieces (more of which later). Product videos are an increasingly popular and effective way of engaging potential leads, after all the majority of us are visual learners, and combined with an ever-increasingly chronic lack of attention, videos are a great way of hitting the spot quickly and succinctly. Infographics also fall into this category, and both of these approaches are highly compatible with social media platforms. Getting ever more creative with your content is a challenge, but one that is proven to be effective in pulling in leads from further afield than your just your core demographic.
Optimize your email marketing strategy
Email marketing may be the oldest form of marketing on this list, but never underestimate its significance, especially when it is cleverly automated with all other aspects of your marketing strategy. Depending on where your leads are coming from, and how they have interacted, a well-judged email follow up using concise headings and informative and enticing content can often be the final step to generating a solid lead.
Email marketing should not be overlooked. It is a powerful tool leading into your sales funnel, and should be run in conjunction with all other marketing approaches, supplementing your message, never looking to replace it.
Utilize LinkedIn
According to recent numbers, LinkedIn now has 460 million global users, which is a huge number of potential leads whichever way you look at it. If you are looking to market B2B, LinkedIn’s new publishing platform has the potential to surpass all other channels in generating solid leads through the sharing of informative articles, news stories, offers, or anything else you may feel be of interest.
Limit choices where possible
Too much choice is a serious issue for customers. A website that offers too much is not a happy place to be for someone who is having to make a decision. Part of optimizing your webpage should be the clear indication of a limited number of offers and services that you can provide. Sometimes limiting choice can be the right approach.
Get interactive with potential customers
Aligned with your social media and content strategies should be the use of interactive quizzes and games that can draw in potential leads. People love interaction, and if they are already interacting with you through a strategically placed fun trivia game, for example, then followed by a direct call to action, this is a great way to generate additional leads.
Automate
A classic mistake made by marketers is that they do not automate the various streams they are operating, therefore never quite having a handle on where leads are truly won or lost. Email marketing, social media marketing and content marketing strategies must be aligned to ensure the same message is being delivered across the brand, but also so actionable data is produced for the sales team, and follow ups can be automatically generated through every type of sign of interest.
There is now a plethora of automation software available for this task, and along with analytics, is a core principle of the modern effective marketing team.
These are a handful of digital marketing strategies that are helping to revolutionize the practice of lead generation. In such a dynamic industry, new and innovative ways of generating leads are constantly being explored, so ensure your organization is at the forefront, and never witnessing potentially lucrative leads fall through your fingers – if you don’t pick them up, you can be sure somebody else will.
Nora Mork is a business and marketing journalist at OX Essays and Eliteassignmenthelp. She loves doing yoga, reading tech literature, and writing stories for Topcanadianwriters.
