Have you been missing a crucial step in your Marketing Flowchart? Are you not sure how to bring leads into your customer funnels? We’re talking warm, qualified leads that are actually interested in what you’re selling.
If you answered yes, then this post is for you. Today we are going to talk about crucial, actionable steps to help you generate leads!
Whether you’re a one woman team, or a huge corporation, you are always looking for ways to grow your online business.
Today’s marketing techniques have changed into what we here at Border7 refer to as Digital Strategy.
Before we jump into lead generation, let’s first talk about digital strategy and how it is different from typical marketing.
Digital Strategy
Digital Strategy is about building a relationship with today’s buyer. It can take some time.
But, when it’s done well, you can increase brand awareness and build trust simultaneously by connecting through social media, popular search engines, webinars, and your website.
A successful digital strategy needs to have an action plan mapped out to make it happen, and it all starts with lead generation.
What is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is the digital strategy process of engaging and capturing interest in a product or service with the purpose of filling your sales pipeline, and ultimately, gaining new customers.
Lead generation can help you become a more effective digital strategist, and grow your business by enabling you to find more leads, enhance prospect relationships, and maximize your marketing spend to reach today’s buyer.
Today’s Buyer
Let’s talk about today’s buyer. Today’s buyer has information at their fingertips. Everything they need to know is just a Google search away. So, if we want to connect with a buyer, we must ask ourselves, “What Does Today’s Buyer Value?”
Today’s buyer values relationships and trust. They want to interact with brands on a personal level, and to feel like their feedback and opinions are heard.
Digital Strategy is not about bombarding your target customer with random information about your business, it’s instead about creating a relationship with the buyer, so when they are ready to make a purchase, your company immediately comes to mind.
How to Build a Relationship with Today’s Buyer
Content Marketing! Content marketing is the crucial step to connect with today’s buyer. Why? Because, today’s buyer needs an incentive to begin the relationship. Why would they want to give you their email? What’s in it for them?
This is where your offer comes in. If you do not already have content that you can use as an Attractive Marketing Device (AMD), you are going to want to create some content.
This could be an e-book, a checklist, or a resource that would interest your target audience, and that you can give them for free. Once you have your offer, you will want to make sure people see it!
How to Get Eyes on Your Offer – Lead Generation Tips
You can have the most awesome content, but if no one is seeing it, then it’s not doing what it should. Let’s review the ways you can help drive people to your valuable offer:
Social Media Outreach (Sharing Posts, Commenting in Groups, and Interacting with Your Community)
Pay Per Click (PPC) Ads – AdWords or Facebook, for example
Affiliate Program – Get affiliates to help get the word out with their followers
Webinars & Videos
Organic Search Engine Optimization
Define Your Key Metrics & Establishing Goals
Before you jump in to creating your awesome content, take the time to define your goal. What are you looking to get out of your lead generation campaign? How will this effort affect your business, and what are you looking to achieve?
Example goals for your lead generation campaign:
Generate Awareness of Your Brand
Acquire New Prospects
Build Relationships
Identify Thought Zones
Build Your Email List
Qualify Sales Readiness
What are some Examples of Metrics you can Track & Measure?
Volume of Traffic Per Month
Number of leads acquired Per Month
Potential Value of Lead if Converted to Customer
Average Sales Cycle for a Lead
Cost per Inquiry
Cost per Lead
Creating content can seem like a daunting, overwhelming task, but it doesn’t need to be. You are an expert in your field.
You have a unique perspective on life and your industry that no one else has.
So, when you’re thinking about your target audience, think about what you could tell them that would help save them time, save them money, or maybe it’s just useful information. Once you have your content, work on getting those eyes on your offer!