Generate Leads for Your Sales Funnel
You’ve perfected your sales funnel, but it’s not getting nearly as much traffic as it needs to achieve your definition of success. That’s where lead generation comes in. Lead generation is about more than finding names and numbers. A random phone number is not a lead. Lead generation is when you get an interested member of your target audience on the line. They’ve noticed your brand, subscribed to your newsletter, maybe even scheduled a call. A lead is someone who has a likelihood to make a purchase, and here’s how you can get them.
Blogging and Newsletters
Blogging and newsletters achieve several goals at once. First, they keep your brand at the front of your subscribers’ minds. They position your brand as an authority in your industry from which reliable information, products, and services can be obtained. Among other benefits, the articles and newsletters will increase traffic to your site, increase brand loyalty among your subscribers, and help establish a recognizable brand image. Blogging on a schedule with high-quality content can also increase your SEO and get your brand in front of more people.
SEO and CRO
Search engine optimization (SEO) puts your brand in front of Google’s insanely large audience organically. That means there’s no “sponsored” or “ad” tag to turn readers away. Conversion rate optimization (CRO) involves having professional-quality content and UX (user experience), so your traffic can move effortlessly through your funnel. Track your SEO and CRO using analytics and specialized software.
Domain Authority
Once you make sure all your own publications and campaigns are optimized and operational, turn your attention to the publications that can help establish your authority in your domain. Get your name out there in front of relevant audiences and show them that you’re a knowledgeable industry leader and forward thinker that they need on their team. Post guest blogs to relevant sites, book yourself as a speaker at relevant events and webinars, provide expert quotes to reporters, maintain an active and engaging social media presence, and update your audience on news and current events that affect them.
Repeat Customers
Repeat customers are more cost-effective and more valuable to your business than new customers. All of your lead generation and marketing endeavors should include campaigns that target former and current customers. They should also include retargeting campaigns that circle back to unconverted leads, as these can be much more convertible than new leads.
Cold Calling
Stop. Cold calling is the opposite of what’s effective in marketing today. It’s interruption marketing, AKA outbound marketing at its worst. You want solid inbound marketing that filters and qualifies leads to reduce your cost of new customer acquisition and increase your average customer lifetime value using the strategies mentioned above.
Now, that’s not to say cold calling doesn’t have its place. It is a dependable source of feedback from former and non-customers, which is invaluable in refining your sales pitches, campaigns, and even your products and services. Still, it’s not the best strategy for generating leads for your business.
Landing Pages
Landing pages are essential for turning web visitors into warm leads. With quality content and design, they convey the value of your offer, illustrate your brand personality, which should be consistent across all channels, and get your visitors excited about purchasing your product or working with you. A good landing page will also offer an exclusive deal that they don’t want to miss.
Reviews and Referrals
Customer recommendation will always be one of your most motivating marketing tools. Designate your best customers as brand ambassadors and reward them for it. Get honest reviews. Address negative reviews with humility and a genuine desire to repair those relationships. Offer referral programs to reward loyal customers. Remember that people are much more likely to leave a review on their own if they’ve had a negative experience, so you have to work for those positive reviews.
