More high-quality leads mean more customers and more sales, which means an extra chance to position your business in front of the competition and broaden your market share. Not too shabby for a small business looking to grow, right?
But how do you get things started? How do you stand out from the crowd and direct more leads on your side and away from the competition?
The good news is that, in today’s highly interconnected world, you can employ a series of online techniques that work for both B2C and B2B companies. So all you have to do is adapt them to fit your current conditions and, try them out, see what sticks. So all you have to do is adapt them to fit your current conditions and, try them out, see what sticks. There are a wide variety of inbound or outbound lead generation techniques to choose from.
Here are some of the most common lead-generation techniques that often work for small businesses:
1. Know the Audience
Yes, every marketing-related piece of advice starts with this. However, this goes to show just how important it is to know the people who want to buy your products/services.
You need your message to be heard/seen by people who need what you’re selling because they are your high-quality leads. These are the people who have real potential to become paying customers and loyal supporters of your brand.
So, before you even start a marketing campaign, stop and create the profile of your ideal customer. Understand their problems and needs, and find how your products/services can make their lives better.
2. Choose the Right Lead Generation Software
In order to generate high-quality leads, you first need to do some prospecting, and this is where lead generation tools come in. The right tool can tell you a lot about who visits your page(s), even if they don’t fill in a contact form or subscribe to the newsletter.
Also, some tools can help collect extremely valuable data (such as contact details), allowing you to build a list and start contacting people. And, if you want something a bit more advanced, some tools even have features that will help you understand buyer intent, which is another piece of information that’s priceless during this process.
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3. Use Social Media
Social media platforms are excellent for brand building and awareness campaigns, but they’re also perfect for lead generation. The great thing is that different platforms have different tools you can use to interact with the audience and gather data or drive them to your website or landing page.
Depending on the platform, you can use buttons, polls, forms, contests, and more. You can even turn a regular post into a lead-generation tool by introducing a clever call to action (CTA) that asks people to leave comments, send emails, or subscribe to your campaign. LinkedIn is a valuable platform to generate quality leads and prospect lists with the help of filters and automation softwares like Wiza for B2B businesses and connect directly with their audiences for Professional service providers.
Social media content can be enticing for the right audience, but you need a strategic approach. Different industries require different approaches since they cater to diverse audiences with unique needs. Generating leads for real estate agents won’t be the same as attracting followers for a fashion brand.
As a general rule of thumb, build your posts in such a way that people will feel driven to reply or listen to your CTA.
4. Use Email Marketing
Time and time again, email marketing proves its usefulness when it comes to lead generation. The principle behind this process is rather simple – as long as you know how to build an attractive email and you don’t bother people too often, you will have direct access to the thing most people open first at the start of each day (their inbox).
What’s even more appealing about this strategy is that email marketing campaigns yield good results at a low cost. Plus, with the right tool, you can target and personalize each campaign based on real-time data.
Wrap Up
A successful lead-generation campaign starts with the right target audience, a well-crafted message, and the tools needed to make sure your message reaches the right people.
Of course, it’s also about the work you’re willing to put in to create the paths and maintain the connections. Leads don’t usually become loyal paying customers without a bit of nurturing and encouragement.
