Ask Customers for Referrals
If there’s one thing a happy customer does, it’s sharing the positive experience they had with your company. Customers make these referrals to family and friends. And happy customers often spread the word beyond that.
They’ll talk to coworkers and acquaintances. Sometimes bosses. Or strangers that may enjoy your services and products.
Referrals are a popular lead generation strategy. It is a cheap (often free) strategy that boosts your business’ credibility. To implement it, ask customers if they know anyone who will benefit from your services. Do this after you complete the current sale with them.
Use Direct Engagement
There are several methods of direct engagement, including emails, calls, and social media. With direct engagement, you interact with potential customers. Emails are an awesome option. They are low-cost and easy to create. They need regularity, though. For subscribers, set up a regular email message. Include eye-catching content in the body, along with other marketing strategies. Newsletters are ideal for subscribers, as well. They present new information in a visually-appealing way. And they target customers already familiar with your brand and business. Cold emailing is the other option. This is for potential customers who are not already familiar with you. Cold emailing strategies are scalable, so they adapt to companies of varying sizes. Social media is another low-cost option for direct engagement. It also requires regular posting to ensure effectiveness. On your social media page, you interact with people who already follow you. You have the option of advertising on social media for those who are not already followers. We’ve also got calls. These are less popular than they used to be. We are all familiar with cold calling. And our negative outlook on it contributed to the decline in popularity. Regardless, it is still a lead generation strategy.Create Compelling Content Online
Your business needs a positive reputation. And one of the best ways of doing that is creating compelling content. This content is engaging. It is tailored to your business’ needs. Plus, it provides readers with valuable information.
The majority of the time, this content is on your company’s blog. But, don’t forget about guest posting for other blogs. Guest posts are fantastic for networking with others beneficial to your business. They also expand your current audience.
Consider SEO
As you create compelling content, don’t forget about search engine optimization (SEO). You can have a blog with hundreds of posts. You might have dozens of guest posts. Yet, it is meaningless if you are not reaching the right audiences.
SEO helps your content reach more potential customers. It impacts your content, along with your website design, metadata, and landing pages. Don’t put off incorporating SEO. It’s impactful when generating business leads.
Be Visible to Potential Customers
As you work on generating business leads, work on being more visible to prospects. A good way of achieving this is attending professional events. Be a guest speaker to establish yourself and your business as a solid source of information. And take the opportunity to network. Answer questions on professional forums, as well. Doing so legitimizes your expertise in the field. It introduces new prospects to your company and your offerings. Individuals on these forums are open to what your company sells. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be on a forum relating to your profession. They aren’t likely familiar with your company, though. As an added bonus, answering questions on forums boosts your SEO. It’s a great way of generating leads on multiple fronts.
Offer Demos and Product Trials
This isn’t relevant to every business. Your company needs services and products suitable for trials and demos.
Providing customers hands-on experience makes them more interested in purchasing in the future. With hands-on experience, customers see the benefits of your services for themselves. They take on less risk because they know what to expect from your company. And it helps them see the benefits your business brings.
These factors all improve the chances of converting these prospects into actual customers. Consumers benefit because they get a chance to try out your business before buying. Plus, you benefit because you turn several prospects into convertible leads.
Try Partner Marketing
There are plenty of businesses out there that share similar target markets to you. But, they are not direct competitors. They have different services and products. These businesses are an untapped source of leads. Take advantage of that fact. Work with companies that share your target audience. Have them place your logo on their website. Contribute as a guest blogger for them. Share promotional materials, host professional events together, or create partner giveaways. There are many options for partner marketing. But the point is that it helps you reach a larger target audience. In turn, you generate many more leads. On a related note, consider influencer partnerships. In today’s world, partnering with influencers grants your business authority and respect. You can employ several methods of influencer engagement. Interviews are one option, as are giveaways and shared content. There is sometimes a high cost associated with working with influencers. Remember this as you evaluate your business’ financial position.