What is lead generation?
Lead generation is the process of attracting people to your company who are interested in your products and services.
The end goal for lead generation activity is either a sale or helping you build relationships with potential customers so that when they need your product or service, they will come back to you first.
A lead generation strategy can be as simple as sending out a postcard and following up with your prospects. Other tactics include email, phone calls, social media, and even face-to-face meetings.
Your business should have a plan for lead generation. Here are some tips:
What is the best way to get leads for your business?
Table of Contents
1. Make a referral system that is based on incentives.
People may want to share your business with others, but you need to give them a reason.
Offer incentives such as discounts for future purchases or exclusive offers when they bring in referrals.
This will help encourage customers and clients to send leads your way since the incentive is appealing enough to make sharing worth their time.
2. Market your business to a niche audience.
This is another great way to get leads.
Broadcast advertising refers to any paid media that you send out with the intent of reaching as many people in your market as possible.
You’ll need a budget for this, but if done right, it can yield significant results. Just make sure you’re sending targeted messages to the people you want to reach.
3. Take a fresh approach to direct mail.
This is an old-school technique, but it can still work in today’s digital landscape.
Send out a direct mail piece to your target market and include coupons or other incentives that appeal to them.
You may need to test different messages and offers overtime, but this traditional method has the potential of bringing in leads if done right. There are marketing legends out there that you can learn from when it comes to lead generation.
Check out Gary Halbert and Dan Kennedy, for example.
4. Use CTAs on your website to boost conversions.
If you’re not already doing it, then start optimizing your website for lead generation.
This means that every page should have a CTA (call to action) and/or an opt-in form somewhere on the page so visitors can subscribe to receive more information about what they want or need.
They’ll appreciate this since it will help leads make a better purchase decision.
Be sure to optimize your website for mobile users since this is where most people are shopping these days.
Here’s an example: If you do not have a lead generation form on your blog, then place one there so that visitors can subscribe and give their contact information in exchange for tips or other useful content.
5. Make use of your time more wisely. Rethink the concept of deals and discounts.
Many companies offer deals and discounts to their customers to generate leads.
But if you give away too many, people may stop buying from you to take advantage of the next deal that comes along.
Instead, find a good balance where your visitors feel like they’re getting something for free without it being worthless or useless.
For example, instead of randomly giving away a discount, tie in your offer with a season, so your leads and potential customers know that it is a time-sensitive deal and they need to take action right away.
6. Make sure you’re optimizing your website for
This will help you rank higher in search results, so when people are looking for what you offer, they can find your business.
You’ll also need to make sure that the content on your website is optimized but targeted at the exact keywords and phrases that potential leads would be using.
The more specific the keyword/phrase is, the more it can help you rank higher.
7. Create and publish high-quality content.
You may not have a big budget for your lead generation efforts, but that does not mean you can’t create and publish stellar content online.
A few ways to go about this are through guest blogging on other relevant websites or creating a blog of your own where you share the latest industry information and tips and tricks related to what you offer.
The more people who see your business and what you offer, the better chance that they’ll come back to do business with you.
Pro tip: Be sure not to focus too much on just promoting yourself when you’re writing content. Always provide value first.
8. Make good use of social media.
Don’t just use it for promotional purposes.
You can share content relevant to your target market from other sources (like blogs) and leave a comment, or you could post pictures of people using what you offer with the “share” button on Facebook to spread them around even further.
If done right, this will not only help you generate more leads, but will also increase brand awareness.
Remember quality over quantity when it comes to this one!
You don’t need tons of followers, just the right ones.
This means you need to know your target market and make sure that they’re following you on social media, too, so you can stay connected with them while promoting what you offer along the way.
Pro tip: Always interact with these people by liking, commenting that your business is active within your community.
9. Start a newsletter for your company.
A newsletter is a great way to keep your potential leads and customers updated on what’s going on with you, the business, or even industry news.
You can send this out through email (just be sure not to spam people) or post it online somewhere where they can subscribe.
Doing this consistently will help you build a stronger relationship with your contacts.
Pro tip: Don’t forget to include valuable content within the newsletter, so people feel like they’re getting something that is worth their time and effort.
10. Create marketing resources that you can save and reuse.
People love free stuff, and if you offer something in the form of a downloadable asset, then they’ll be more likely to come back for it.
This can include cheat sheets with tips on what you’re offering or even an e-book that provides your leads with helpful information about their problem so they know how you can help them solve it!
If you are short on time, then make sure that whatever it has some kind of value and can provide your target market with enough information to solve their problem.
Pro tip: You don’t have to offer something for free! Create a lead magnet by offering them the chance at winning something in exchange for signing up (i.e., a contest where they could win your product or service).
11. Provide an assessment or report.
When you’re providing your target market with a detailed assessment or report of some kind, they will know that you are the go-to person when it comes to this particular problem.
This is because they will receive information about their current issue and how and where they can make improvements for better results in the future!
Pro tip: Don’t forget to include your contact information, so they know how to get in touch with you afterward.
12. Hold events or webinars.
This is one of the most effective ways to generate leads as it will allow you to meet with people face-to-face.
You can hold webinars or even invite your target market out for drinks at a local bar! The more personalized, the better.
If done right, this could lead to something bigger and provide you with some great contacts who will keep you in mind for future business.
Pro tip: Make sure to create something that gives your leads a reason to sign up beforehand! You don’t want them going elsewhere if nothing is holding them back from this happening.
13. Sponsor a local event or charity initiative.
Sponsoring something gives you exposure and allows people to see that your business cares about the community around them!
This can be done by promoting it on social media with images, videos, etc., sharing flyers in public places where they will see it (think coffee shops), or even speaking at the event itself.
Pro tip: Don’t forget about your target market! When you’re promoting this, make sure to focus on how it will benefit them and why they should care too.
14. Create an automated email series (or autoresponder) to promote your services.
An email series is a great way to keep in touch with your leads.
It can be done through newsletters or even individual emails sent throughout the week that provide information about something new you’ve started, tips they might find helpful for their situation, and more!
Pro tip: Make sure to personalize them based on what it’s about or who you are sending it to. It’s amazing how much more effective this is when done right.
15. Add a live chat feature to your website.
People love to have a quick way to get their questions answered or problems solved.
This is why having the option of live chat on your site can be an effective lead generation strategy! It allows them to access 24 hrs and they will know that you are available whenever something comes up (and it helps build trust in the process).
Pro tip: Make sure to have multiple chat hosts available at one time so that people know they can reach someone immediately and don’t have to wait.
16. Team up with other businesses in your industry or niche!
You may not think of this as a lead generation strategy, but it is! This allows you to partner together and cross-promote each other so that you can both benefit.
It’s a win-win situation, and it provides an opportunity for your target market to get more value from two sources instead of just one!
Pro tip: Don’t forget about the promotional strategies mentioned above, such as holding events together or even promoting each others’ websites.
Our top-picks on how to generate leads with a small budget
Content marketing strategy can help improve leads.
A good content marketing strategy will help lead generation with small budgets. Content is a key part of any good SEO. We all know that Google loves original, quality content, and it wants to rank websites for specific keywords in search results pages. By doing this, you’re allowing people searching on the internet to find your site in search engines; this is good for lead generation.
Using keywords related to your brand and industry will help you rank on the first page of Google. When people are searching in Google, they tend to click on results higher up than those lower down, so it’s important to make sure that your site appears on the top section of pages when searching for keywords related to your brand or industry.
Consistency is key. You should be updating your website regularly with content and blogging about topics relevant to what you offer. We all know how important it is for businesses, especially small ones, to maintain their online presence. If a business doesn’t have a strong web presence, then it won’t last long in today’s competitive marketplace.
Optimize your website properly for exceptional user experience.
Google loves websites that are mobile-friendly and load quickly. If your site doesn’t do this, then Google might not rank it as high in search results since loading time is an important factor for SEO purposes.
Focusing on exceptional user experience also means having a good website design that is easy to navigate and read. Optimizing your website for mobile devices is also important.
Focus on quality, not quantity, in terms of content creation and site visits. You don’t want to be one of those businesses that create a new page every time they have something new to say without putting any effort into it or having anything valuable to offer the visitor/prospects.
Having CTAs, that guide your leads to take the next action is also important.
When people land on your website, they should be able to quickly understand what you are offering and how it can help them.
Build premium, high-quality content that you can reuse as digital marketing assets.
The more content you create, the better because it allows you to reuse that content in multiple ways. You can repurpose blog posts and articles into infographics, presentations, videos, or podcasts, for example, which will help boost your lead generation efforts.
A good idea is to include quotes from experts who have something valuable to say about a topic related to your business and industry.
Examples would include:
- Checklists
- Ebooks
- Infographics
- Short video or audio clips
- Cheatsheets
- Worksheets
- …and more
What are the best (and free) lead generation tools?
Although there are many lead generation tools that you can use, here’s a list of some of the best and best-used ones.
Google My Business: You can create a local listing for your biz and include keywords in the title, description, location
Yelp: Create a profile and optimize it with keywords. It’s always good to include some photos of your business as well.
Facebook: Create an official page for your biz and let people know about it through social media marketing or paid ads
Yellow Pages: Create a listing and include keywords in the title, description, location
BBB: Build up a positive reputation by maintaining your Better Business Bureau profile properly. Include photos of your business as well. This will help you improve search engine results for customers looking to find businesses like yours on Google from places to leave reviews or feedback.
Local Business Directories: These directories are hard to find since it’s a lot of work to maintain, but if you find one, contact the owner or the support team to get listed. These websites are usually focused on expanding their traffic within your local area.
Angie’s List: This is a directory that helps connects customers with pre-screened service providers and professionals.
Yard Sign Marketing: These are the signs you see in front of homes or businesses advertising something (usually for products like lawn care services). The sign should include your business name, phone number, website URL.
BNI: BNI is a group of business professionals who share leads with each other, and you can connect through the website or attend meetings in your local area.
Small Business Charter: This site allows you to create a listing for your business, and it will be featured on top of Google search results.
Whitepages: Create a listing and include your business name, phone number, website URL.
Craigslist: Many small businesses use Craigslist to find and hire new talent. You can also use the platform to create awareness about your offers on your local Craigslist site.
I hope this article is helpful for you and other small businesses with limited budgets to generate enough leads.
If you haven’t started lead generation yet, now is a great time to get started.
Thanks for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it and got some value from it. If you did then, please share the love by sharing this.
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