Top Five Ways to Generate Sales Leads Online
Having a hard time rounding up leads and driving interest in your products and services?
Read below as this blog delves into five methods that drive lead generation and boost sales revenues:
1. Email:
Did you know the average email marketing campaign can generate a return of $42 per $1 spent?
Some will have you believe that this will automatically happen by merely having a campaign.
But without your engaging email copy and cadences being specific to the recipient’s pain points, there will be no such return.
Furthermore, many top performers in the industry have incorporated microtargeting into their strategy.
Microtargeting involves crafting a list out of your opt-in customers to find out critical information (e.g., where they live) so the content speaks to their needs.
Think about it: a customer in Belarus doesn’t want to hear about specials being offered at a UK store. Microtargeting offers the hyper specific information to personalize your messaging.
On the B2B level, buying, curating, and validating lists comes down to accounts-based marketing. This approach involves getting your hands on the email addresses of department-specific people within a company. For instance, any pitch about market-based solutions should be sent to the head of marketing, not the receptionist. You want that person to feel you’re reaching directly out to them.
Validating email prospect lists through a third-party is always a wise decision. Note that over 50% of the records in your average CRM generally are no longer filling the position shown in the data. So, even if you have a CRM with data, that doesn’t mean it’s updated or accurate. In other words, CRM hygiene is a must. Pick a tool and do it yourself or outsource, which is the most cost efficient and timely tool.
2. Social Media:
In today’s landscape, social media is a non-negotiable component in lead generation.
B2B-focused companies should focus primarily on LinkedIn, but there’s still plenty of fruit to bear from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
And, naturally, B2C social media lead nurturing revolves around Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Regardless of your customer-base, you must be consistent with your efforts. There’s no pulling your foot off the gas once you start. Audiences don’t take too kindly to irregular posting schedules, and neither do the algorithms.
Calendars are integral to keep you on track. Also, you’ll want to daypart–using time segmentation similar to TV and radio. With this approach, it’s possible to make several posts about the same idea, piece, or reference over a few weeks. In this instance, you must track when you’re making these posts. Also, be ready to post outside of traditional business hours.
It’s understandable if the notion of dayparting gives you a headache–but don’t worry. There are plenty of resources advising you on social media scheduling.
Social media posts are a valuable way to drive people back to your website or landing page, so ensure your thumbnails are enticing.
When it comes to your social media voice, make yourself distinct. Still, don’t get so caught up that you forget to mention your products, services, or overall vision.
3. Landing Pages:
Numbers matter, going from 10 landing pages to 15, can see a 55% increase in leads for companies (Hubspot).
Through either a link on a social media post, a Google Ad (SEM/PPC), or your other content, visitors can find themselves on your landing page. It helps you sell your brand and turn curious consumers into interested leads.
It really comes down to blending your copy and design seamlessly, concisely conveying your value proposition to your audience. Beyond that, you’ll need a form, ideally nestled within a landing page, that visitors can fill out to receive information, a demo, or a white paper.
4. Content Marketing:
Whether an entertaining video that shows off your personality, an insightful blog, or a deep-dive podcast, it’s a chance to show off your industry/field expertise.
Podcasts are uniquely valuable in that you can repurpose them into transcripts, articles, videos, white papers, and case studies.
Remember that your intent with content creation isn’t to sell your product…directly. For instance, a burger company shouldn’t write a blog or make a video about how they have the best beef. Instead, they should write a blog about the five best cuts of meat in general. This educates people and brings them direct value, creating goodwill for your brand.
5. SEM/Paid Digital Marketing:
Pay-per-click digital marketing can direct audiences to a landing page offer, white paper, or a general website. Moreover, paid displays or programmatic advertising on content-rich pages or social platforms spearhead significant lead generation boosts.
Be aware of one crucial fact: if you aren’t measuring, you aren’t improving. Tracking results allows you to design a seamless, engaging user experience based on data-derived insights.
Re-target marketing is one way to fully leverage your PPC campaigns. This technique keeps your products and services at the top of visitors’ minds after leaving your website without buying. Your visual and text ads will turn up when they visit other sites.
Lastly, SEM/paid digital advertising initiatives should align with your editorial/social media calendars. This level of cohesiveness should be evident across all lead nurturing and generation.
Learning the nuances of these five lead generation methods will drastically increase sales and revenue.