If you are looking for ways to generate sales leads (and who isn't?), you have more options to consider than you can afford to pursue. For that reason, you must evaluate the best way to generate leads in your particular sales and marketing situation. Let's first take a look at the universe of options for how to get more leads
10 Great Ways to Generate Sales Leads
1. SEO
SEO is probably the most broadly effective way to produce leads, since Google processes billions of leads every day. In addition, when your target keywords appear prominently in search results, the people who are searching are in the market for what you sell. A big target audience + high relevance = an excellent opportunity for high-volume conversions.
2. Social Media Marketing
Facebook has an enormous base of active users; anybody who's anybody in the business world uses LinkedIn; YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and several other social media platforms are regularly visited by an enormous user base that may be interested in exactly what you sell. A social media marketing campaign is a terrific option for lead generation, whether it's a paid advertising or organic campaign. If you're looking at how to generate leads online, social media is another broadly effective approach.
3. Blogging
Maintaining a strong blog on the company website is another way to generate leads that has a proven track record. Blogs engage your prospects, building trust and confidence that often leads subscribers to become customers. In addition, a company blog enables prospects to engage with you through commenting, and it can add power to your SEO campaign if the blog is properly structured, written and marketed.
4. Paid Online Advertising
PPC (pay-per-click), remarketing, display advertising and affiliate advertising are among the most effective methods of paid advertising for lead generation (in addition to social media advertising, discussed earlier). PPC has a big advantage over SEO, in that you can get search engine visibility immediately - while still reaching users who are actively looking for what you sell.
5. Referrals
Online or offline, referrals are gold when it comes to the best way to generate leads. Most people are more influenced by what their peers say about your business than what you say. Whether you implement formal referral programs or simply encourage them through social media, trade show participation and other means, you'll never get a better qualified lead.
6. Online Reviews
Along similar lines, cultivating positive online reviews on one or many of the growing number of reputable review sites is a great (and increasingly important) means of generating leads online. Online reviews also enhance SEO campaigns, and local SEO campaigns especially. If you're wondering how to get leads for your business, online reviews are a strong contender. Just be sure not to overdo it - review sites have strict rules about soliciting reviews.
7. Content Marketing, High Value Content
Prospects crave content that's engaging, original and useful. If you create white papers, e-books, infographics, slide presentations and other high-value content assets, you'll increase the credibility of your brand and attract attention - attention that may well convert into your next great customer.
8. Company Website
If your company website merely showcases your brand, you've got an underperforming asset! Convert your website into a lead generation machine by designing it to maximize the user experience and create powerful lead funnels that guide visitors along a path that takes them from mildly to actively interested in making a purchase. Building a lead generation website may involve only a few small tweaks, or it may mean extensive revisions - but even if much work must be done, the potential ROI makes it worth doing.
9. Trade Shows, Events, Webinars
Dialog with prospects, live or online, builds relationships, confidence and interest, and adds up to another superior way of generating leads. Events have the great advantage of being tremendously focused - prospects will commit their time only if they are genuinely interested to begin with.
10. Email Marketing
Email marketing continues to be perhaps the best way to generate leads for many organizations. Everybody uses email, and whether it's B2B or B2C, people are open to receiving your email IF the information is relevant and valuable.
How to Generate Leads Effectively Through Marketing
Once you've narrowed down your options, you'll need to consider your budget and goals. Some forms of marketing, such as SEO, require fairly substantial budgets and a longer-term campaign. Others, such as email, may be accomplished with a smaller budget, but still require an ongoing campaign. Yet others, such as PPC, have a (usually) substantial budget but can be started or stopped on a dime.
Spreading your budget too thin over too many lead generation campaigns is a mistake. Whether you do the work in-house or hire an agency, there's only so much work you can do, and most types of lead generation marketing require a certain expenditure to reach a critical mass of conversions.
If you need help sorting this out, don't worry. Most companies, even the largest and most sophisticated, benefit by discussing options with experienced professionals.
To learn more about the best way to generate leads in your business, or to get a full lead generation proposal, please contact us now or call us toll free at 855-883-0011.