Top 4 Lead Generation Tips for the Digital Age

Let’s state upfront that the main objectives of your business are:

• To generate leads
• To convert those leads into sales

Let’s put a fine point in lead generation. To convert a lead into a sale, you first need to know where your prospects are. These days, they are on the internet. While direct mail and traditional advertising still have a place in your marketing strategy toolkit, online lead generation is the most immediate way to connect and engage those prospects. Your online presence, from social media to your website to your print pieces, needs to deliver a cohesive, integrated message. Let’s look at some of the ways that B2B and B2C companies are using the internet to generate qualified leads, using organic and paid resources:

• Social Media: According to a recent Wishpond infographic, Facebook remains the leader in social media; 77% of B2C companies have gained at least one new customer through Facebook. Twitter also has its value in its social media campaign, with 34% of businesses generating leads and a 20% conversion rate. Finally, 77% of B2B companies confirm that they have achieved at least one new client from LinkedIn. The bottom line is that 84% of B2Bs use some type of social network to connect and engage with prospects.
• Website – Based on the same infographic above, SEO is the most effective way businesses have found to generate leads, so the importance of implementing a strong SEO program cannot be underestimated. Content-rich websites offer multiple ways to deliver meaningful content and capture information. You can include forms for visitors to fill out newsletters, special offers, or white papers. You can show videos and feature testimonials about your business. With Google Analytics installed, you can track key metrics such as the time a visitor spends on a page, links clicked, traffic sources, new vs. returning visitors and various other statistics. Studying these metrics allows you to modify your page layout, layout, and keywords accordingly.
• Blogging: why blog? Because a good blog drives traffic to your website and therefore generates leads. Mark your website as active for search engines and provide specialized and relevant content on a regular basis. It also establishes you as a “thought leader” or expert in your field, which increases your legitimacy and credibility. If you offer a space for comments, it is another useful way to connect and engage readers. Additionally, blogs can be published and shared via social media, instantly spreading the message to a larger audience.
• Pay Per Click – PPC, or search engine marketing, can be a useful tool in your online lead generation strategy. Create landing pages for each campaign that reflect, in both design and language, the paid ads being placed online. These pages should also include a call to action and a form that can be filled out quickly and easily. You’ll also want your landing page to contain a signup form for a download, free offer, or coupon. Track your ads and set goals for each campaign so you can measure conversion rates per ad. This will help you determine which ads are most effective. Campaigns can be monitored on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, providing immediate and valuable insight into what is working and what needs to be refreshed or replaced.

There are a number of other lead generation ideas online, some of which are PURL (custom URL) programs, article publishing, and teaching webinars. But the winning combination seems to be an integration of social media and SEO (both paid and organic). How often you post or blog is up to you, but consistency is the key. Visitors will come back to your site and “like” your page if you’re giving them something like a useful idea, expert opinion, or freebie of some kind. Those visitors will then spread the word to others in your network. Take advantage of this information and leave them wanting more!