Learn about Lead Generation | What Effective Lead Generation Strategies Work in 2019

Over the years, lead generation seems to have become more difficult to achieve; alittle much more than people actually thought it would be. Unfortunately, many participants in this scope, don’t even really know the reasons behind their unimpressive performances- which has consequently paved way for more failures in this regard. While a good percentage of marketers think the issues stem from the unavailability of funds, staff, and other essential resources, findings have however shown that the underlying factor, is the failure of marketers to notice and adapt to the everyday changes in marketing strategies. Hence, it’s either they’re still using the old methods- that are no longer valid, or they are just not adding the essential ingredients that make that marketing content catch the attention of the potential market.

Now, a whole lot of marketers are victims of this very circumstance, and this is a reason why it is important to discuss and thrash the topic headlong. We’ll be looking at the mistakes marketers make, and how to get them out of the low result ends.

But first…

What exactly is lead generation

Basically, lead generation is the process of making market prospects to develop some form of interest, in the goods and/or services that you offer. Thus, someone who has progressed from just being a prospect and has shown a desired interest in your product is subsequently referred to as a lead. For instance- in contemporary lead generation, a person who visits your website or blog, and subscribes to your product’s mailing list, is a good example of a lead. Note that lead generation is a delicate activity in any profit-oriented business, and in fact, whatever profit your business is able to make, has been partly determined by how effective your lead generation tactics are. However, it is important to note that generating a new lead, does not automatically translate to mean that the persons would eventually pay for what you’re selling. The other aspect after lead generation that eventually helps you net in sales, is what is referred to as the lead nurturing phase- which we would also discuss subsequently. 

Know that lead generation is an activity that has transcended through ages since even the earliest men also had their own ways that suggest this. There have been a lot of developments in the methods over time, however, and we now have the relatively most developed approaches/tools. There was the time when billboards were the most utilized before TV/radio adverts and commercials became the most effective. Now, the general internet and social media, makes lead generation more advanced, effective, although somewhat complex.

Proven strategies for effective lead generation and sales conversion

If you must develop a marketing method that always brings your prospects to becoming useful leads, then there are the important traits that you must incorporate into your marketing roadmap. And since you also don’t want to just build up leads, without ultimately making good sales, then you need to know what the next thing is- after a successful lead generation.

On the overall, we can categorize the processes and strategies for actualizing these objectives into four broad phases, as follows:

•    Phase One: Building the Marketing Content (Content strategy)

This is a fundamental phase that forms the foundation of what your expected results should be. It is the stage where you decide what and where your focus should be, and of course what to mandatorily leave out of the picture. This means that at this stage, you’re expected to think through all the possible steps of the entire process.

In order to build an apt marketing content, the first thing you essentially need to do is to decide on the group of persons that your business is trying to reach. There’s almost no way you can get optimum results if you don’t have a specific population that you’re targeting. In essence, your adverts need to reach only the right people. The more streamlined and specific your target audience is, the more positive results you would get. This is better than packing up a whole lot of prospect categories because you’ll be surprised at how ineffective this would be. For instance, “Media professional experts, 25 to 29 years, with five years, working experience” is a better content description for your marketing, than when you just say “Media professional experts”. Note that what you need is high-quality leads and not just an accumulation of every possible lead.

Secondly, find ingenious ways of getting across to your targeted audience. This approach has to be something that attracts them well and makes them develop a lasting interest. You may use lead generator tools such as e-books or webinars, whitepapers, product samples, etcetera. However, note that the objective for you is to create a product that would make people want to receive more of what you have to offer. To do this, your product has to be a germane one which importantly solves or gives useful hints on how to solve problems peculiar to the target population. The more you do this, the more customers you’re likely to finally get. Additionally, make sure your contents are designed in ways that make them fit well into various marketing channels

Lastly in this phase, always remember that people love freebies, and they’re most likely to follow up on what you’re doing- if you’ve once provided them with some free goodies. Those free incentives that you dish out from time to time, are your lead magnets. Like the name would imply, they help bring you to bring more leads for your business. Generating online leads involves activities like offering a free e-book on contents on your website landing page. When doing this, you could request for their emails in exchange for the information you’re giving, while you effectively build something like a mailing list from there. It is important that your lead magnet relates to the main products you’re selling.

•    Phase Two: Visual additions and marketing products (Visual phase)

Marketing trends have always been changing, and you definitely should not expect good results if you’re still using outdated marketing methods. As a result oriented marketer, you should be able to follow the trends as they unfold. Marketing content models have changed significantly to what it is now, and as it stands, the way to go in contemporary marketing involves the use of graphical/visual contents. This is well suggested by the most used social media platforms like facebook, Instagram, snapchat, amongst others, that have become a major marketing route.

Thus, you would do your marketing content some real good by adding visual contents like marketing videos, gifs or some infographics. Previous users have mentioned how visual contents helped them raise their lead generation and conversion rates, by up to 400%. Now, this figure is not standard, and you probably can conveniently achieve more.

How visual contents works for lead generation and how you should use them

The good thing about visual contents, is basically that they help users connect more with their audience. Several studies have shown that people usually are more attracted to imagery and things that feed their eyes well, as compared to arranged letters as notes.

If you’re planning to visual materials on your sales website, you may make use of ‘gates’,  that requires people to fulfill an operation before they gain access to the contents. And since, visuals already have the attracting force, more prospects are likely to fulfill the obligation, than if it was some other marketing content. This is a good way to gather contact information, right from your generated traffics alone.

Other visual materials that can be used in your lead generation includes presentations and webinars, e-books and guides, infographics, videos, amongst others.

•    Phase Three: The market promotional phase

 

After you’ve created the right marketing content and you’ve decided on the right market for your product, you need to then the initial preparations and good content is more or less useless.

The way to do this is to create a good landing page for the purpose. The landing page is essentially a ‘welcome page’ that you send your visitors to. Thus, you’re ideally to direct facebook ads, google adwords, or any other online advert you’re making, to this page.

Note that landing pages are designed to ultimately make visitors respond to call to actions. So, fundamentally, a landing page is not complete, if there are no instructions on the next thing that the visitor is expected to do.

Again, the landing page provides just the specific information that the visitor needs. This information relates to the same information that made them click on the page from a previous advert, which means that they’re more likely genuine leads- with higher conversion tendencies.

The best traffic to direct to your landing page, are the ones from targeted adverts such as pay-per-click ads, promo emails, media-campaign posts, etcetera. This is because people from your targeted ads are those with specific needs- of which your landing page gives information about. A difference between a landing page and a homepage is the fact that the homepage provides different information- some of which a visitor may not need, while the landing page only carries specific information. 

Summary of the fundamentals that must be contained a landing page

When building your own landing page, make sure that the important components are always added. Basically, these components are:

    The unique selling proposition (otherwise referred to as the USP) which should contain all of the headline topic, the supporting topics, the reinforcement headlines, and a closing argument.

    Visual content such as a descriptive image, or video

    What the lead stands to derive from buying in on your product. You need to make your points appealing and convincing.

    Testimonials and stories that corroborated your claims

    A call to action; which should always contain a link.

Now, the three discussed phases above, are the essentials for lead generation for businesses- especially online marketed ones. However, remember that there is the need to convert leads to customers, and hence the reason for the following fourth phase.

•    Phase Four: The Lead Nurturing Phase

After the first stages of lead generation are achieved, the next thing to focus on is the lead nurturing phase. This is the phase where you turn your leads, to definite customers. Nurturing your leads means creating and building a relationship with them, such that they finally pay for your goods, and are willing to pay again for the same, or even invite others to pay.

This requires conscious and dedicated work because you need to convince anybody about the usefulness of something before they can pay for it. The steps to achieving this are to gain their trust, educate them on the relevance of what you’re providing, as well as give provide them with upfront value. This phase when carried out well, works to produce very amazing results. For instance, HubSpot™ is said to have generated a whopping 1000% engagement rate, from using an approach that is built on these fundamentals.

Peculiarities in lead nurturing

Your lead nurturing attempts would be much effective if you take cognizance of some of the peculiarities in this phase. Note that every one of your dispositions have a way of sending signals to your leads, and these are the things that add up to form results. Use of seemingly personalized emails is one of the most effective means to nurturing your leads nowadays, and you may look in that direction too. However, there are methods to using these tools, and this would help you well. For instance, the following are some things you should know:

    Try to focus on the customer and their needs

When your emails carry a tone that shows that you’re just after the welfare of your leads, the individuals tend to feel more comfortable giving you their hard earned money for the services you provide. This is a way of building that essential trust that makes them subscribe to your product.

    Don’t let your emails become too predictable or stereotypical

Although the use of autopilot for email sending is a very useful tool for your lead generation, don’t leave too many auto messages. It is important to create fresh new emails from time to time, with updated information that would excite, and make your leads expect the next mail.

Let every email you’re sending have a link to the last one- somewhere while making use of the effects and results that the last one had.

    Don’t be too focused on blowing your trumpets

One effective way to drive away your leads is to spend more time hyping your company and the things you can provide. If your leads discover that your emails are more about what you’ve been able to achieve rather than what you can provide in the now, they’re more likely to get off your list in no time.

Conclusion

Although the lead generation processes may seem demanding and tedious, the results are always remarkable. Every phase of the lead generation process should be well executed, because failure on one end may reasonably affect the other phases.

Now also, always know that the basic way to go on this one is to focus on your leads, their needs, and what solutions you can offer to those needs. As you do this, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many conversions you’re able to pull in.  If you want to learn lead generation use our ongoing support and our tutorials.