When it comes to generating new revenue, every business needs a stream of steady leads to survive. Regardless if they are warm leads (leads generated on your website or through inbound marketing efforts) or cold targets, (leads generated through lead mining and prospecting efforts) leads drive sales.
But what are leads and what are targets? Let’s start by giving a brief overview of both why they are important.
Defining leads
Generally speaking, leads are qualified prospects that have a need for the products and/or services and have positively responded to your offer in some way. In other words, they have a basic understanding of what you over and have a demonstrated interest in it.
Leads are typically generated through Inbound Marketing efforts or by Outbound Prospecting (sometimes called “Lead Mining”). According to the Weidert Group, here are the most effective inbound marketing strategies companies use to generate leads. Please understand, these are not in any particular order.
- Blogging
- Social Media Marketing
- Advanced Content Creation
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Growth Driven Website Design
- Video Content
Now days, most internet companies employ at least a couple of these strategies to generate inbound leads. Truth is, inbound marketing can be effective if done correctly. But another leadgen avenue most companies ignore is outbound prospecting. When it comes to marketing, companies employ experienced, marketing experts. Yet when it comes to outbound prospecting, unqualified sales teams are begrudgingly tasked with locating targets and opening up a line of communication. If you currently have your sales teams managing prospecting, it’s time to stop the insanity.
Lead Generation Hacks
Lead generation is not always a straightforward process. What’s important is you understand that it takes a lot of trial and error before you can get the right combination of strategies to deliver optimum results. Every change you make needs to be tracked and every strategy employed requires documentation.
Once you put the apparatus for documentation and tracking in place, you need to start making changes and measure the effectiveness of the changes. We’ve put together a short list of easy changes or “hacks” you can make that have been proven to increase lead conversions.
#1. Improve Your Homepage Messaging
Typically your homepage is the introduction to your brand. Statistically, it’s also the page with the highest bounce rate.
Set up a A/B test using Google Analytics and start trying different messages with the objective of increasing conversions and reducing bounce rates.
Don’t be afraid to get a little “bullish” with your messaging and offers. Today’s consumer is bombarded with messaging, so standing out is important.
#2. Build a Strong Social Media Presence
If you haven’t created a Facebook Page or Twitter Account for your business, you’re way behind the eight-ball.
A strong social media presence is compulsory if you want your business to be noticed online. Today’s top social media platforms have evolved in ways that cater to brands and their need to advertise. The best part about Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is that they are free to use. The fact that they have millions of users allows you to reach and interact with a wider range of people with very little effort.
#3. Post Videos
A better educated user base is more likely to make additional purchases, and one of the most effective methods to educate is through videos. Not only do videos benefit you from an SEO perspective, but they allow you to connect with your customers on a more personal level. Now days, it only takes a YouTube account and a smartphone to start creating content.
#4. Allow customers to purchase with a Facebook Account.
Make it easy for people to create an account on your website by allowing people to sign up using their Facebook credentials.
Nowadays almost everyone has a Facebook account and people would rather register using Facebook as opposed to entering in the same information everytime they want to purchase something.
Conclusion
Leads can make your business and take it to scaleable heights. However, you need a combination of patience and know-how to be able to make it work for your brand. Mastering the fundamentals and applying tried-and-tested lead generation hacks should set your brand on the right foot.
Emily Burnett
She is the Content Marketing Specialist of OnSource. Outside of catching up on the latest business trends, Emily enjoys spending her time going to the beach and hanging out with friends.