How to Generate Leads Online for Your Business
For any company, that has something to offer people, lead generation activities are an essential task. The purpose of these processes is to find new prospects and convert leads into paying clients.
Many companies identify this as their priority. However, in the competition we have today, it’s harder to fight for new leads. So how can you win over your competitors?
We have put together a list of tips and strategies for lead generation, so you could boost sales and attract new customers.
Before we dive into details, let’s define what lead generating is and share some statistics.
What is lead generation?
When seeking leads, the thing you do is attract the customers’ interest to interact with them later and make sure they’ll get to the sales point. That could be a dialogue, initiated by a customer or your request to them for leaving contact information that you can use to send a follow-up.
Sounds simple enough. However, 61% of marketers find collecting leads the biggest challenge. To overcome this, people turn to automation software which is the new current trend in getting leads online. The results are very promising: 80% of marketers get more prospects, and 77% of them have a higher conversion thanks to using automation tools.
Another aspect is choosing the right channel. In B2B, generating leads is most effective via LinkedIn. It is perfect for gaining new clients. Check out how to use the social network to attract new customers later in the post.
It is clear that lead generation is a challenging process. Yes, you can use automation tools and include LinkedIn to ease it up, but how exactly? Let’s put it all together and add some other effective tactics.
How to get more leads?
Referrals
Take advantage of your actual customers. Don’t hesitate to ask them for referrals. A satisfied client who has already used your product is better than any ad. Offer a discount for the next purchase, or some freebie, and ask to leave feedback in return.
Online networking
Build relationships with customers online through social platforms. As we said before, LinkedIn is the perfect place to collect leads. The social platform is used by professionals to stay in contact and develop relationships.
To make new connections, don’t just send a generic invitation. Send personalized messages. That will help to build trust and create a more humanized experience.
Another well-working tactic to make new connections and turn them into paying customers is to contact industry leaders. This way you create new business opportunities and bring brand exposure.
Stay engaged with your target audience: leave comments, interact with their posts, and initiate conversations in relevant groups.
Lead nurturing
Not all leads will show the readiness to proceed with the purchase or other action. But do not ignore them and build up a process for such undecided prospects. Provide some information related to their interests and help them. Here is where automation is very useful. You can set up the flow of automated messages to send follow-ups and help customers to make the decision.
Using an automation tool here will be of great value. An instrument such as Linked Helper will significantly improve your results in lead generating. The LinkedIn automation software allows you automatically invite 2-nd and 3-rd degree contacts with a personal message and manage all the connections through built-in CRM. It is a perfect tool to work with leads.
Advertisement
PPC, which stays for pay-per-click advertising, is another tactic that works perfectly for finding new customers. Use searches related to your industry or business and set your ads to them. Probably users will not convert from the first visit to the website. In this case, try retargeting and displaying other ads on the web.
Don’t wait for the results to be immediate. It can take some time before you see a return from ad campaigns. But it is still one of the most successful and practical ways to drive leads.
Don’t wait for the results to be immediate. It can take days and weeks before you see a return from ad campaigns. Still, this is one of the most successful and practical methods to drive leads.
How to evaluate the results?
Every business process requires monitoring and analysis. So before you start any activities toward gaining new leads, identify how you will track the performance.
Measuring success is vital. Identify KPIs beforehand, which will allow determining the most efficient ads. Indicators you should consider and evaluate:
Content shares. The number of mentions or shares your posts get on social platforms indicates how many people interact with your content and seek further communication with the brand. The engagement rate also tells the social platforms that your ads are valuable and boost their organic display.
Website traffic. The traffic statistics show what channels work best and attract more leads. This particular KPI will show the strength and efficiency of the used tools.
Conversion rate. It’s your number one index. The amount of conversions such as email subscriptions, e-book downloads, or purchases gives you a clear idea of your campaigns’ efficiency.
Try avoiding “vanity metrics” like the number of followers on social media or likes. They can provide some insights regarding the brand’s exposure. However, they will not qualify for the lead generation metrics.
Conclusion
Now you know what channels you can emphasize when it comes to generating the lead. Make sure to evaluate the performance of any promotional activities and analyze what works best. Thus, you’ll enhance the overall efficiency of your marketing strategy.