8 lead generation tips that actually work

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No business can survive - let alone grow - without an implementable lead generation strategy.

Today's average online consumer is aware, internet-savvy and smart, all at once. They are unlikely to be attracted by cheap marketing gimmicks or fancy-sounding ‘proposals.’ They want data-driven, proof with examples, that too from a credible source and not just hearsay.

That is why far too often, marketers end up hitting the unbreakable wall when it comes to sourcing lead generation ideas. However, reaching a plateau doesn’t mean you’re going to remain stuck there forever.

By spending barely 6-8 hours a week, 66% of marketers have been able to reap rich dividends via just one channel - social media.

Okay, let’s dive straight into the list of ideas.

Lead Generation: With a Purpose

Wait a minute. Let’s first do a brush up on the basics.

Sometimes, revisiting the essence of these foundational principles is all you need after which, ideas seem to pour in even from the middle of the proverbial nowhere.

Okay; first things first, what is ‘warm’ lead generation?

It is the art (science, process, system, whatever…you get the point!) of

1) Collecting the contact information of your target audience

2) Getting their kind permission to get in touch with them with offers

1. Email Marketing

So we already have our first breakthrough generation idea by default. Email marketing!

Ever thought why some of the smartest marketers put the onus on collecting email addresses before any other contact details?

They do it for a damn good reason.

Leveraging emails – or more specifically – email marketing is arguably the most effective way to sell practically anything online.

Think about it; when you’re asked to sign up for a free trial, a giveaway - or complete a boring registration form - what contact information is always sought, with no exception (apart from your name of course)?

You got it.

That said, email is also an extremely personal form of communication. Getting someone to consent to an email is something you don’t want to take lightly. If you’re serious about increasing the quality and quantity of your leads, you must be willing to offer them something useful for free as a ‘thank you’ note in exchange.

It is this “something useful” that marketers fondly refer to as a lead magnet – which can be a checklist, a free mini eGuide, a free preview of an upcoming course – or just about any resource that your potential audience might be interested in.

Let’s say you’ve written numerous posts on ‘Apartment Gardening Tips.’ You basically collect all those blog posts and get them compiled into a downloadable e-book and offer it in lieu of an email address.

2. Networking ‘leads’ the way

Networking is a brilliant lead generation strategy on its own. Needless to say, industry events and meetings present a great opportunity to grow your business network.

But then there’s a caveat. Granted, conferences are a great way to build new contacts and drive worthwhile leads, but they can also be a great platform to waste time without achieving anything substantial.

Here’s how I’ve been able to circumvent this predicament and make my networking events work:

I define a specific goal for my networking strategy

I zero in on a list of individuals/organizations I intend to meet

I select events where I’m pretty sure about attendance

I research my prospects (LinkedIn is a great channel)

I follow up : )

3. An inbound marketing strategy that wins

As per a survey from HubSpot, 64% of marketers agreed that inbound marketing was their most lucrative source of leads and widening the online footprint of their brand. The first step towards that goal is to become a champion of your niche in marketing terms.

In the event you’re unable to find quality, high-impact content in your niche, that’s brilliant news, as you can be the first one to bridge that gap.

Here’s how you build a winning inbound marketing strategy:

Get to know your audience better

Learn more about the tone of language they use

Figure out what type of content they enjoy reading/watching

Listen to their pain points and challenges

Create content which is targeted at their issues

4. Promotional Videos

Let’s face it; not everyone learns by reading. Some of us are visual learners – in fact more than 65% among us learn better by watching stuff. Videos also help you leverage 3rd party platforms like YouTube and Facebook to maximize reach.

Creating a promotional video is one of the best ways to inform and educate visitors about your service. The good thing is you don’t need to have great video-shooting skills as long as you ensure that you have decent editing software.

That is not all. Technologies such as Wistia allow you to add an attractive CTA in the middle of the video to encourage viewers to share their email address.

Things to keep in mind:

Keep the video short yet informational. If you’re shooting you first promo video, it is best to keep the length between 90 – 120 seconds

Consider making in-depth videos to describe the key features of your offering

If you are not great at creating videos or speaking in front of the camera, hire someone else. First impressions are important, so make them count

5. Invite Guest Bloggers

One of the most effective ways to tap into your influencer’s network is to request them to guest blog on your website. As you do that, offer to pay them back - with money or exposure.

This is a great way to build a long-term relationship and a win-win situation; you’re providing them with a backlink, a credible platform to write content on, and potentially monetary benefits.

In return, you get high quality articles that the influencer is likely to share it with their networks. As a result, your own network will grow - through theirs.

6. Referral program

Did you know that you can get your existing clients to become a thriving lead generation platform?

By giving them incentives to share your service or product with their family, friends and peers, you can actually have a dedicated channel that drives meaningful traffic.

But ensure your referral program is strictly aimed at increasing lead generation and not for any other purpose.

Here’s how:

Connect with your potential customer on LinkedIn

Note down or browse through their connections

Upon spotting a handful of ideal prospects, politely ask them for an introduction

Keep the tone casual and succinct to avoid coming across as intrusive

7. Add Exit-Intent Popups

More than 70% of your abandoning visitors will never come back to your website. That also means that over 90% of your marketing spend is going down the drain.

Thankfully, you can fix that using an exit-intent popup that does a good job of collecting email. You can also leverage this popup to prominently highlight your lead-magnet or other special offers.

Spending a few minutes in placing an exit-intent popup can potentially help you ‘recover’ thousands of dollars that would otherwise have been lost.

8. Content Driven By Queries

Google Search is an absolute goldmine – even in the context of increasing leads. To start with, just enter the name of your rival and find out what their top pages are. Do a research on what keywords and extended phrases they are frequenting.

Then go to Google Webmaster tools and check out the keywords that are driving traffic to your website.

Are there any specific ones that are doing very well? Add similar keywords to your articles or create new posts using them to drive your SEO ranks.

For more in-depth research, explore tools such as SEMRush that help you figure out exactly how much traffic is being driven to your website whilst also giving you insights on your competitors’ traffic.

This gives you all the data you need to know what your audience is searching for so that you can tailor your query-driven content accordingly.