If your goal is to reach new customers online, you need a Lead Generation Strategy.
In recent years, with the development of the Web and Digital Marketing, each online action plan is distinguished according to the objectives you want to achieve.
There are no longer generic advertisements aimed at an indistinct audience of people: paths are designed to be suitable for any type of customer, whether they already know your brand or not.
Acquiring new customers implies addressing an audience that has no idea of your offer on the market (so called “cold audience”). For this reason it is necessary to create a communication capable of capturing the attention and convincing your customer to give you his contact (“Lead”) for an upcoming meeting.
Have no idea how to do it? Don’t worry, in this article we will see some of the best online Lead Generation strategies that you can adapt to your business!
What is Lead Generation and why it is important
The term Lead Generation refers to a series of marketing actions aimed at generating a list of contacts.
The contacts generated (“Lead”) must not be generic but rather qualified, that is, as similar as possible to the Buyer Personas you have outlined for your business. (If you want to know more about how to build your Buyer Personas check out our article on this topic).
To gain new contacts you can put into practice a series of strategies both offline and online. In the first group we find the classic television advertisements, via radio, cold telephone calls or participation in sector events.
We will focus on the potential of Lead Generation online, through Call To Action on your website, email marketing or via Social Network that have totally changed the way of doing Lead Generation through a more specific profiling of your target.
The acquisition of contacts represents the first step in the decision-making process aimed at purchasing (Funnel). It allows you to create relationships and collect important data about your customers and put them in a contact list to use for your next marketing actions. This way you will increase your chances of turning prospects into customers ready to buy and loyal to your brand.
The best way to do Lead Generation
There are many ways to do Lead Generation. The most useful and simple approach is certainly to start from your ideal customers (Buyer Personas) and focus on their interests to structure an effective communication that is able to offer valid and convincing solutions to their needs.
The company will have to work both on the offer of valuable content that could be able to involve users at a first approach and creating a plan to consolidate their interest to transform leads into customers and subsequently into loyal customers.
Now let’s see the most used ways to make Lead Generation online.
1. SEO
SEO (“Search Engine Optimization”) refers to all those marketing actions aimed at optimizing the positioning of the brand on search engines.
It is a technique that is mainly applied to the content on your website that should ideally reproduce the search queries of your potential users.
In this sense, the most important tool you have at your disposal is the Blog because it allows you to periodically update the topics of interest, alternate the use of strategic keywords and give the impression of being always updated on news related to your business.
This approach allows, in the medium and long term, to better position your business in Google results and increase organic traffic on your website.
2. Squeeze Page
The Squeeze Page is a quick and useful tool for converting your anonymous visitors into real leads.
It is a landing page where there are clear Call To Action Buttons and Forms that allows the user to leave his contacts (usually name, email and possibly telephone number).
Since the user will have to be convinced to give his contact details, usually valuable content is given in exchange (eBook, infographics, Guide, free video-course, etc.). This will allow you to start building your database of qualified contacts.
3. Lead Magnet
We mentioned the valuable content you can offer in exchange for requesting personal contacts from your potential customers. But how should this content be structured?
Literally Lead Magnet suggests its main purpose of immediate conversion.
What do your customers really need? What information are they looking for? What do you think would interest them to the point of giving you their email address?
Do an in-depth study of Buyer Personas and discuss it with your team, then start creating your Lead Magnet. Remember: be generous!!! Your customers won’t be satisfied with information they can find online for free. Rather, a well-structured Lead Magnet will serve to communicate even better the value of your service and strengthen your image as a leader.
4. Lead Generation ADS on Social Network
Another channel that you can use for your Lead Magnet strategy is that of Social Networks. For some time now, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and most recently TikTok give the possibility to structure Lead Ads Campaigns without the need to create dedicated Landing Pages.
The contact form is included directly in the sponsored post thus facilitating the immediate transfer of the contact.
5. Email Marketing
Once you have started collecting your Leads you can develop an Email Marketing strategy aimed at increasing your chances of conversion.
You could also take advantage of Marketing Automation to segment the user’s journey from a first welcome email to others that offer interesting content to those that mobilize to purchase.
Remember to pay attention to how you write the email: subject, text and layout must be treated in every detail. This could make a big difference between a high open rate and an instant unsubscribe!
Lead Nurturing: don’t forget to interact with your Leads
Attracting new leads is completely useless if you have no idea what to do with them next step. The Leads are users who have shown an interest, but they are still far from the actual conversion. They are intrigued by it but probably don’t know your brand or your product or service.
For this reason it will be necessary to stimulate their interest with valuable content or special offers, to encourage them to take a step further.
The Lead Nurturing approach is aimed at building valuable relationships, communicating your brand and your values in order to make you known and distinguished from other competitors.
Be constant and original in offering information, develop strategies based on storytelling and use the Tone of Voice that best suits your company, only this can repay the trust offered by those who have decided to give you their personal contact.
If you need further information or personalized advice on your business, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to assist you in building the best relationship with your audience!
In the meantime, keep following our Blog for more news!