The goal of lead generation tools is to attract potential clients with the aim of converting that into a sale or a lead. Have you ever wondered what are the best lead generation methods? What are they used for? What are best practices and lead generation tools used by companies like Hubspot, Marketo, etc? If so, then you’ll find this article useful as it offers a no-nonsense guide to lead generation strategies. Armed with this information, you will be able to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Like it or not, sales are a numbers game. The more businesses you talk to, the better your chances at finding that perfect client that keep coming back for more. Thanks to various lead generation strategies and tactics, it’s possible to build new connections with leads on autopilot. Which would leave you with more time to focus on other important things like marketing your business offline.
There’s nothing marketers love more than lead generation tools. Carefully crafted landing pages, carefully selected keywords, and social media campaigns. All are essential — but when it comes to generating leads for your business, you need additional help. Some say the best way to get leads is through content marketing — others put their money on organic traffic. Still others say that email marketing takes the cake. And there are those who swear by social media campaigns…
Everybody wants to generate high quality leads for their business. Lead generation methodology is key to generating high quality leads. There are several lead generation tools that can be used that help facilitate an increased number of qualified leads to your business.
Online Lead Generation Techniques that Work
Like traditional lead generation, the new model is founded on demonstrating expertise and building trusting relationships — but these goals are accomplished online. While online marketing will continue to evolve, here are ten proven lead generation techniques that are working for professional services firms today.
1) SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Many potential clients want to learn how to solve the challenges they face. If a prospect is even remotely computer literate (and these days what executive doesn’t have a computer or a smart phone?) one of the first things they do is Google their question, problem or issue. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gives you the tools to match qualified clients with your online content. And if you play your cards right, you’ll end up on their short list when they are looking to purchase services.
2) PAY PER CLICK ADVERTISING
Another proven way to get on your prospects’ radar is to buy your way onto search engine results pages for relevant keywords. This technique gives you greater control over the keywords with which you want to be associated. As the name implies you only pay when someone clicks on your link. Many times, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) leads are of higher quality because the potential client is often searching for a specific solution. In addition, PPC is completely trackable and typically less expensive than traditional print advertising. That’s an attractive combination.
3) LEAD GENERATING WEBSITE
Most professional services websites are not designed to generate leads. As a matter of fact many are almost “anti-lead generators.” Jargon-filled, firm-centric website abound in the professional services — and they are completely passive and unhelpful. If visitors do not understand what you do or what problems you can solve for them, they will go elsewhere. Contrast this with a lead generating website that is designed to make it easy for clients to understand your value proposition, download valuable information and request a proposal. The impact on online lead generation can be dramatic.
4) Include all necessary elements in your landing pages
You need to ensure that your landing pages have all the necessary information to convert the visitors into leads. If your audience can’t get all the necessary information then why would they give you their email address?
For example, your landing page must have a headline, sub headline, a brief description of the offer, product image, a form to capture leads and definitely a call to action.
Let me show you an example of a perfect landing page with all must have elements.
5) Giveaway the full access to bloggers and influncers
Give away the full access of your product features to well respected bloggers and industry experts is the best way to get free promotion and additional leads.
All you need to do just find the bloggers and influencers, communicate with them and offer them a full access to your product. All you should ask in return is an honest review of your product.
It may cost you few bucks but if they like your product, they will promote it on their social network and you will also get an expert endorsement.
6) Accepting guest post
Invite the famous bloggers and influencers to write for your blog. In exchange offer them a handsome amount of money and of course a backlink.
If you can have a guest post from famous bloggers and influencers you will get a quality article. Moreover, after publishing the post they will share the article on their network. You can expect to get some leads from their audience.
Eventually, you will get a brand exposure of your brand. Also, it will help you to build a long term relationship with them.
7) Showcase the testimonials and reviews
One of the easiest way to build trust is by showing the positive testimonials and reviews from the existing customers.
To get the testimonials and reviews, you can ask your happy customers to write a testimonial or review to post on your website. They won’t mind to give you that if your product really had helped them.
When people will see others are happy with you then the new user will subscribe or sign up too.
Backlinko did a great job here. They are displaying the testimonials from industry experts.
8) Remove the navigation menu from landing page
When your goal is conversion, having navigation menu on your landing page will reduce the chances of conversion. If you keep the menu on your dedicated landing page, people may consider to browse other pages instead of taking your desired action.
If it must then add a link to your homepage via your company logo. Make sure you remove all the distractions from the landing page which will help the visitors to be converted easily. The only option your visitors should get is to click on your call to action button.
Let me show you an example what I have explained. After landing on this page, visitors will be able to take only action which is to click on the call to action button.
9) Make a presentation for slideshare
Slideshare is the world’s largest community for sharing presentations.
If you can make a well-designed and visually attractive presentation with interesting content then Slideshare may feature your presentation on their homepage which will provide greater exposure to your website.
Moreover, Slideshare have a premium tools that allow you to embed email opt in within your presentation. From there you will be able generate some leads.
Free PDF Download: Get access to the free checklist that will show you quickly how to generate more leads for your business
10) Arrange a quiz
Offer some kind of quick and interesting assessment online and ask people to sign up by using their email address to get their results delivered by email. People will surely attend the quiz if you can offer something valuable as a prize.
But, there are few things you must get right to arrange an effective quiz.
- The topic must be interesting and relevant to what you do
- You must giveaway something valuable as an award
- The questions should be super easy
11) Use exit intent pop-up
We all know people hate pop-ups. Not surprisingly, many studies found that 90-95% people hate pop-ups. If that many people hate pop-ups then why pop-ups are used all over the internet?
The honest truth is that, people also respond to them. Many website owners have seen an increase in sale after adding pop-ups up to 40%.
Pop-ups are not always bad if you can use it properly. Showing the pop-up just after arriving to your website is not a good strategy. You can use it with mouse tracking before they just leave the page. Show a visible way to quit the pop-up if people are not interested on it.
XeroShoes, increases sales 9.81% just by using exit intent pop-up. Here is the pop-up they have used.
12) Use twitter lead cards
Twitter is one of the big social networks. You can generate leads easily by using this platform. They have a special feature for lead generation which is called “Lead Cards”.
By using the lead cards you can collect email addresses in exchange for an offer. This is one of the effective lead generation techniques. Let me show you an example how HP Cloud using this technique.
Similarly, you can create a Twitter campaign to offer an eBook or other resources to your followers that requires sign up to claim your offer.
13) Focus on benefits
People love to hear the benefits rather than specification. Therefore, instead of focusing on specification of your product or service, you must emphasize the benefits on your landing page.
Make sure you include brief paragraph or bullet points to explain the benefits. Having the benefits on landing page will encourage the visitors to take your desired action.
Just take a look at the below screenshot, how beautifully they have highlighted the benefits with bullet points.
14) Enable social sharing
Having the social sharing option on your landing page will allow people to share your landing page with their connections. Therefore, make sure you include the social sharing buttons to enable your prospect to share your offer or content.
If more people share your landing page, then more people will land on the page and as a result more people will fill out your form and will become your leads.
15) E-NEWSLETTER
If your e-newsletter offers high-quality, educational content, you can generate a significant number of new leads when people sign up. And your e-newsletter is a great way to nurture the existing leads on your list. Many firms also use e-newsletters to announce new services and make specific offers. To build your subscriber list, offer a free e-newsletter subscription on your website or in your email signature block. Just remember, the better your content, the more people will read it and remember you — and the less likely it will be deemed spam.
What Is a Lead Generation Strategy?
A lead generation strategy includes tactics that attract interested prospects and convert them into leads. A lead is a potential customer who has shown interest in your brand by taking some action. They have shared their contact details or otherwise implied that they may want to do business with you.
Both B2C and B2B lead generation strategies include four components.
- Lead capture: A way to collect information from a lead. Information may include the lead’s name and contact information as well as relevant qualifying details about them or their organization (e.g., business name, position, number of employees).
- Lead magnets: An incentive that drives prospects to become new leads.
- Lead qualification: A process that uses the lead’s information to determine how likely they are to buy.
- Lead segmentation: The process of segmenting leads based on their information, habits, and activities (e.g., job title, lead magnet that attracted them, pages they visited on your website).
Conclusion
Lead generation is an important part of business. In a typical client relationship, lead generation activities are conducted before the actual sales process begins. This is because without leads, businesses cannot start in sales immediately. Although it takes more time and effort to generate leads, businesses cannot survive without them.
As a business owner, you must invest in lead generation tools to grow your business. Lead generation can help you generate leads for your sales funnel and generate more prospects for your business. Many newer companies struggle with generating leads through online advertising platforms and fall behind their competitors. They don’t know what lead generation strategy they need to use or which marketing lead generation tactics they should implement. best b2b lead generation tools It’s important to work on creating a steady flow of high quality targeted sales leads and bringing them into the sales funnel.