A lead is someone who has shown interest in your business products or service in some way, form or shape.

Lead generation involves attracting potential customers into a marketing software system with the intention of taking them through the buying process to help convert them into buying customers.

Every industry has a pool of potential lead sources that can be utilised to supply your company with high-quality sales leads. Studies show that the leading obstacle small businesses face is lacking enough qualified prospects. Every business owner would love to have more high-quality prospects, but most lack the time, expertise or both.

A typical business to business sales process can be broken down into 4 main steps: lead generation, lead qualification, lead nurturing and lead conversion. This article will focus on the first step – lead generation.

Online lead generation does not have to be overwhelming or expensive

Many business to business marketers focus on traffic instead of the marketing funnel which results in below-average results and inflated acquisition costs.

This post will give you tips on how you can create a lead generation system that will enable you to get more leads and attract more clients without breaking the bank, cold calling or advertising.

Top tips for lead generation campaigns:

• Use for the right lead generation tools.
• Come up with exciting offers for all the various stages of the buying cycle.
• Be consistent in messaging and keep your promises.
• Link your call-to-action to a dedicated landing page.
• Leverage social media platforms to connect and engage.

The following covers different strategies on how to develop a lead generation system. You can choose a strategy that suits your own unique business needs.

1. Optimise your business website to attract visitors and keep existing customers

Optimising your website is undoubtedly the most valuable and lasting strategy for generating business to business sales leads. The moment your visitors land on your website, you should get their attention. Internet users get bored easily, so you only have a few seconds to make a good first impression.

Ensure your website has fast load speeds and is mobile-friendly. You can try to incorporate trust signals like social media accounts, trust seals and return policies. Also, try to give your visitors different ways to reach out to you and of course purchase your product or service.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is not new. It is actually one of the few online marketing channels that continues to impress time after time. This makes it a favourite in many business to business marketer’s lists of lead generation techniques.

Email marketing is particularly helpful when you want to reach people who are already familiar with your brand. Marketing automation is a somewhat new trend in email marketing that allows you to send highly targeted emails to leads automatically. While we can’t completely write off traditional email marketing and newsletters, marketing automation enables companies to gain access to more data on customers and utilise behavioural triggers to target a specific audience.

3. Content Marketing

Content is a proven way to guide visitors to a landing page. Many websites have a blog section to provide readers with useful info. You can include a call-to-action anywhere in your content – on the side panel, bottom of the post, or inline.

If your visitors love your content, the chances are high that they will click on your call-to-action and progress onto your landing page.

4. Social Media Marketing

It is likely that your target audience is already on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. These social media platforms allow you to guide your followers to take action. You can use Twitter’s bitly URLs, Facebook bio links and Instagram stories to promote your offerings.

Conclusion

Leads are the building blocks of any successful sales process. How you utilise lead generation channels matters more than your preferred lead channel.

For more success, don’t shy away from experimenting with different tactics, and combining them across multiple channels. Only by trying out can you certainly know what does and what doesn’t work, in order to use your time and budget to generate better leads effectively.

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