5 lead generating tactics you might be missing out on

lead page

Lead generation is an integral part of every business. What are leads? In simple terms, leads are communication between a consumer and a business, this communication usually has the potential to become a conversion, this being the reason why they are so important to generate.

Although many businesses will be doing some sort of lead generation already, for example, having a website, flyers and an ad in the local paper all have the potential to bring in leads. However, there are many effective tactics that businesses could add to their marketing strategy to increase the number of leads generated and, as a result, increase conversion levels.

Here are five tactics that you may be missing out on:

Social Ads

Most businesses should now know the importance of having a social media presence. According to IPA TouchPoints 2017 data, adults in the UK spend an average 2 hours and 53 minutes a day on social media, this number is based on the 76 per cent of adults in the UK who use social media each week.

This data shows that social media has become a significant platform to reach and communicate with both existing and potential customers, and more notably, to bring in new business.

Social advertising, unlike the ads in search results, captures the attention of people when they are not actively looking to buy anything. . Time spent on social media is usually personal and therefore generally without any agenda. This benefits a business as a social ad that appears in a potential customer’s feed will be without competition at that moment and there won’t be competing ads in the same space. This allows the user to only think of your product or service when they come across it in their social feed, increasing its effectiveness.

Social ads have comprehensive audience targeting options, this means that the ad is more likely to land in front of only the most relevant people, making the chance of their encounter with the ad all the more likely to turn into a conversion. These ads also have the benefit of having a call to action that can lead to a specific page on your website which leads the consumer to exactly what they are looking for, easing the customer journey; there are all steps that are more likely to ensure that the social media user becomes a customer.

Host a competition

Although an indisputably vital marketing tool, the issue with social media is that it is highly saturated. There is so much content being posted in a constant stream that it is difficult for businesses to be seen and heard above the noise. Many brands using social media make the mistake of solely posting promotional content in an attempt to attract new customers in a ’look how great we are’ kind of way, however this faceless approach can do the opposite and actually puts people off engaging.

This is where a tactic such as hosting a competition could be used to grab the attention of users in an attempt to convert them into a lead, whilst also making the business appear fun and approachable.

Competitions give businesses the ability to collect data from potential customers without having to give much in return. There are apps, such as Woobox, that work within Facebook, which qualify the competition entry; this means that entrants must provide specific details before their entry can be submitted. This gives the business valuable data, such as an email address, for future marketing communication as well as getting new people to engage with the brand.

Each entry into the competition is the start of a conversation which has the potential to develop into a lead.

Specific landing pages

When visitors land on your website it is important that they are taken to a page relevant to their search, which isn’t always the case.

Unlike your main website, an optimised landing page only has one specific purpose, so from the imagery, the body of text and the call to action, the page should be set up in a way that gives the best chance of conversion.

The links found in social media ads, PPC ads or email campaigns, tend to be specific lead generation landing pages, which often have the sole purpose of collecting information such as a name and email address in exchange for content. Examples of such pages include a newsletter sign up page, downloadable content (eBooks or guides), event sign ups or free trial signups: the customer is more likely to part with their information if they are receiving something in return. You can then subsequently promote your business to these people by using the data collected which could then see them convert at a later date.

The example below shows a social media ad for Adidas trainers, the ‘show now’ button leads straight to the specific product. This is much more likely to lead to a purchase than if the ‘shop now’ button on the ad had led to the Adidas homepage.

 

Not only do these landing pages increase the chance of a conversion, they are also beneficial to your business’ SEO practices. They are optimised for one topic and would therefore contain keywords and answers to questions about that product, making it more likely that this page would rank in the search engines for relevant search terms.

Add phone numbers to marketing material

Due to the prevalence of emails and live chat the humble phone number is being neglected as a tool for lead generation, however 75% of consumers consider a phone call the quickest way to receive a response, meaning that it is still a powerful way to obtain leads. Just add your phone number to your marketing material and monitor the difference.

It is important, however, that these phone calls are tracked in order to gain the most benefit. Call tracking software, from companies such as Mediahawk, can provide businesses with important information about the calls it receives. For example, the software can tell a business the source of the lead rather than just the action which immediately led to the phone call, but also their entire journey to conversion. This information can increase leads in itself, if a business can determine which channels are bringing in the most business they can allocate their marketing budget to further push these channels and pursue more leads.

The software also has a call recording feature. This can help generate more leads as, by being able to hear the recorded   phone calls, internal training can be given to call handlers to ensure the best service is being provided to the caller, making sure that future phone calls turn into conversions.

Content marketing

Content marketing is key for generating leads: by creating interesting, informative, content you are increasing the instances that your business appears online, as well as giving people something to share, increasing your visibility to a wider audience.

According to Curata, 74% of companies indicate that content marketing is increasing their marketing teams’ lead quality and quantity. Content marketing doesn’t just mean articles, it also includes blogs, video content, infographics, quizzes and even social media content. Any of these pieces of content can generate leads for a business.

For example, a business could start publishing regular long-form blog posts on their website. These are informative posts that tend to have an educational angle, such as a ‘top tips’ or a ‘how to’ blog. These may well generate leads through being discovered in search results, as they will probably answer some of the questions that people would type into search engines about a subject.

These posts may also be shared by existing customers on their social channels, which in turn will then be seen by a new audience of potential leads. Not only does this content generate leads but it also establishes the business as a knowledgeable source, which in turns builds trust and encourages conversions. Short-form blogs are acceptable for company updates and news, but long-form blog posts generate 9x more leads than short-form posts making them the best option for lead generation.