Lead generation is by far the most crucial yet challenging step. The growth of your business depends on how many quality leads you can generate and then effectively convert.
Yet, in today’s cut-throat competition, it is quite challenging to attract customers to your products. After all, as per Marketo, only 4 percent of website visitors end up availing of the brand’s services.
Moreover, according to research conducted by HubSpot, 61 percent of the marketers surveyed consider lead generation as their biggest challenge. And 53 percent of marketers spend half of their budget (or more) on lead generation efforts.
With such alarming statistics, it is imperative to use the right lead generation strategies to help boost your business. Here are three tips that can best aid in growing a business.
1.Entice visitors to sign up for your email list
Email marketing is one of the best ways to generate leads. According to Campaign Monitor, it has an ROI of 4400 percent! Additionally, 89 percent of marketers make use of emails as the primary medium for lead generation.
However, the first hurdle towards email marketing is getting visitors to sign up for your email list. The best way to motivate them to do so is by offering them an incentive in return. Usually, this involves offering a discount on the service provided. Such discounts or money coupons are known as lead magnets.
Additionally, make sure that the subscription process is as simple as possible. Minimize the number of clicks required and only ask for information that is absolutely necessary. While you are at it, make sure that the content is impactful enough to entice readers.
Take the example of Kate Spade. The luxury fashion house offers 15 percent off as well as free shipping when you sign up for its newsletter. See how you have to click on “No thanks, I don’t want 15 percent off” in order to refuse the offer. Lesser chance people would click that, right?
So, the key to generating leads is to make them sign up for your newsletter by writing an excellent copy, making the subscription process a piece of cake, and offering them an incentive that they will truly value.
2.Leverage social media advertising
Social media has surely connected the entire world through millions of screens. As per Smart Insights, there are 3.5 billion social media users around the world. And 90.4 percent of Millennials are active social media users.
For businesses, social media platforms are a lucrative medium to target and communicate with their audience. It can also be effectively used for lead generation. In fact, Cloud Ways reports businesses that use the platform for lead generation grow by 24 percent.
Apart from the organic ways of using social media to attract the audience, you can also use its advertising methods to boost your leads. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter each offer lead generation ads. You can choose to include competitions, discounts, or limited-time offers in these ads to attract clients.
When using your social media platforms for this purpose, make sure to divide your budget according to the usage of the platform by your target audience. There is no such thing as a universally best platform.
For example, let’s say you have a B2B business offering business loans. There is a higher chance of you finding your target audience on LinkedIn than on Instagram. Therefore, it is best to invest in lead generation ads on the platform. On the other hand, if you are selling apparel, Instagram is your best bet.
Just like there is LinkedIn for business loan brokers and Instagram for fashion designers, your ideal platform will differ.
3.Optimize your website
As per a report by Ecommerce Wiki, 88 percent of customers visit a company’s site before purchasing from the brand. Additionally, 92 percent of people visit a company’s site for reasons other than completing a transaction.
Regardless of why people visit your website, the fact remains that they will. Therefore, it is imperative that your website ticks all the right boxes. It should be aesthetically pleasing, quick, and offer smooth navigation.
Apart from this, for optimum lead generation, it should be optimized for the task. This includes the following:
- Audit your website to gauge which pages receive high traffic and hence should include lead generation tools.
- Add Call-to-Actions on your homepage and ensure that they feature a contrasting color.
- Design your landing pages well since a HubSpot survey revealed that landing pages generate seven times more leads.
- Offer eBooks for free download upon subscription on blog posts that feature high traffic.
- Add a live chat service to your site.
MailChimp is an excellent example of a business that knows how to generate leads via its website.
It features a design that urges visitors to scroll through the site, making it much more likely that they will click the CTA. Moreover, it uses the same CTA on different pages of the site. By doing so, it effectively generates leads from those depicting a variety of user behavior.
A Team Effort
Remember, you cannot generate leads in isolation. You need to first ensure that your business is otherwise set for growth.
In the operations front, this includes making sure that the product or service you are offering is of high quality. Within the marketing department, make sure that your branding is consistent, your proposition is unique, and your brand image is positive.
Finally, your sales team should be qualified to convert the leads provided to profitable customers. They should be equipped with the required tools and skillset.
Ending Remarks
Lead generation might be among the most challenging step of converting customers. However, with the right tactics and a team effort, you will surely be able to achieve your goal.
Use each of these strategies to generate more leads. Try your best to convert these leads into customers. If you are able to do so, your business will grow exponentially!
Do you think there are other tips that can prove to be helpful? Let us all know.
