Any business that doesn’t continuously generate more leads will pay the price of limited growth and profitability sooner than later. Here are strategies for lead generation that work.
Lead generation is a big deal for almost all businesses today. It has to be a continuous process because businesses that insist on riding on the backs of their existing customers are at risk of looming stagnation. There are best practices and strategies that can help you generate more leads. These include:
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Creating a lead capture form
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Using content marketing (also known as gated content)
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Offering free trials or demos
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Writing guest posts on other blogs
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Hosting webinars
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Hosting contests and giveaways
The strategies listed above are explained in detail below. But let us start by being clear on what leads and lead generation means in sales.
What is lead generation?
First, a lead is an individual or business that may be interested in your goods or services.
Each lead is based on the data you already have about them. A simple lead can consist of a name, job title, contact information, and company name. The process of generating meaningful customer interest in your products or services is known as lead generation.
Usually, a consumer will start the conversation or provide you with their contact information so you can follow up with them about your offers.
Proven strategies for generating more leads
These strategies described below have been tried, tested, and proven to be highly effective by thousands of successful sales professionals. They are bound to work for you if executed expertly. However, these strategies may require you to have some level of digital marketing expertise.
1. Use gated content
According to Startup Bonsai, 80% of B2B businesses rely on content marketing to generate more leads.
Gated content is a marketing asset that comes in a variety of formats. These assets are also known as lead magnets. You can use them to generate more leads creatively by providing prospective buyers with useful information in order to engage them and eventually obtain their contact details. You can collect prospects’ contact details by providing a lead capture form.
A lead capture form allows your prospects to provide their information in exchange for content. This can be as simple as asking your prospects to sign up for your newsletter.
To collect leads, a lead capture form needs to grab visitors' interest right away. The visitor should be given a brief explanation of the benefits of completing the form. In light of these specifications, the following components must be present in your form:
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A headline
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A field for contact information
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A call-to-action button
Gated content formats include e-books, white papers, video tutorials, case studies, product demos, or newsletters.
Different forms of gated content are most effective at specific points in the buyer’s journey. For instance, white papers and e-books can be used at the awareness stage, whereas webinars and case studies may be more suited for consideration, and decision stages.
2. Offer free trials or demos
Free trials and product demos are two strategies that businesses frequently employ to attract new customers.
Free trials provide prospects with an opportunity to try out your product with the expectation that they will become paying customers eventually.
Demos work a bit differently, instead of allowing customers to test out the product on their own time, the demo process condenses these selling elements into a brief presentation.
Demos adopt a show-and-tell technique whereas free trials allow people to learn by doing.
Demos also use a show-and-tell approach, while free trials let users learn through active participation.
Both strategies can be successful in attracting leads on their own, but combining the two may be the greatest option for your business.
3. Host webinars for your prospects
A webinar is a live, interactive internet seminar that enables you to virtually address any audience.
Webinars are great ways to showcase your expertise and build domain authority. You should use webinars as platforms for proffering solutions to prospects’ problems.
You can send out real-time invitations, capture the session, and distribute the replay to registrants who couldn't make it to the live event.
4. Host contests and giveaways
Giveaways can help you find the best leads for your company, grow your email database, and increase conversions.
Unlike many other lead-generating techniques, running a giveaway doesn't cost much or take much time. Simply create an effective landing page, allocate a modest advertising budget, and use a reputable email platform to keep the contact information of your leads. Once you've had a giveaway that is a success, it will be simple to repeat your efforts on other platforms. Even doing many giveaways simultaneously is possible.
Conditions for a profitable giveaway
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Determine who is your ideal client
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Pose relevant questions
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Pick a prize that fits
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Prioritize follow-up.
Conclusion
Lead generation needs to be viewed as an ongoing process. Putting an effective system in place like employing the above strategies will help you generate more leads and expand your business's potential for expansion.
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