According to HubSpot, 50% of marketers say that lead generation is a top priority for their marketing campaigns. Online lead generation draws prospects to your business and puts them on the path to eventually convert. The methods to do this include blog posts, website optimisation, social media, email marketing and many others. And this is where your inbound marketing strategy comes into play.
Increase inbound leads and sales for your business
Understanding Inbound Marketing for Lead Generation
Inbound marketing involves attracting customers by creating valuable content and tailor-made experiences. This is different from outbound marketing which interrupts your audience with content they don’t always want. Inbound marketing is designed to draw your customers to your business through forming connections. And there are various ways to generate leads namely:
- A clearly defined SEO strategy
- Great content
- Exciting and engaging social media
- Strong calls-to-action and conversion mechanisms
- Effective email marketing
The aim of gaining inbound leads is to position yourself as a trusted and desirable brand so that by the time potential customers want or need your products and services, they don’t have to go looking for you, because they already know you! This gives you a massive advantage over your competitors because if potential customers already know and trust your brand, they are far less likely to start researching other brands.
Lead generation is the process of attracting prospective customers and nurturing their interest in your business. This is done with the end goal of converting them into a customer. Implementing inbound lead generation techniques falls under the second stage of inbound marketing, after you have attracted your audience and are ready to convert them into leads for your sales team.
Inbound Lead Generation Strategies
Creating Compelling Content
High quality content that is both interesting and relevant plays a crucial role in the inbound lead generation process. The types of content to engage your audience can range from blog posts and ebooks to infographics and landing pages. Through these pieces of content, your business can establish trust and authority to foster meaningful relationships. By investing in insightful content you can differentiate your brand and attract the right people to your website. And this has proved to be hugely successful for many brands.
According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing produces three times as many leads as traditional outbound marketing but costs 62% less. If you include Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) best practices into your content, it will also be easier to find your website on search engines like Google. This increases your chances of your target audience clicking on your blog posts, learning more about your brand and ultimately choosing to buy from your business.
Optimising Your Website for Lead Generation
A prospect will often discover your business through a marketing channel like your website. If they are met with a user-friendly and responsive website with informative content, they are more likely to explore what you have to offer. On the other hand, a slow website that doesn’t provide an enjoyable experience will steer visitors away from your business and straight into the hands of a competitor.
There are certain web design tricks to drive warm inbound leads, from optimising your Google Business Profile to ensuring you have a strong online presence. Crafting effective landing pages can help you collect personal information from prospects and establish multiple contact points. A lead generation landing page captures your website visitors’ contact details, often in exchange for a resource or further information.
This works best with a single offer and a clear call-to-action to avoid confusion. Then it’s about making them into sales qualified leads through research and vetting.
Leveraging Social Media and Online Platforms
Social media platforms make it simple to direct your followers to take action. Social media presents many opportunities to drive leads, from the swipe-up option on Instagram stories to Facebook targeted ads.
First and foremost you want to make sure that you choose the right platforms for your audience. Then you will need to create a social media strategy which requires indepth research, a content calendar, campaign management and improvements. By engaging with your online audience and posting valuable content, you’ll build trust and credibility further increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Email Marketing for Inbound Leads
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of getting new customers. To maximise email marketing for lead generation, you will need to build a subscriber list of leads and prospects who have opted-in for communication. The opt-in forms gather information from potential customers, such as their name and email, which should then be stored in your email marketing database.
By creating personalised email campaigns with attention-grabbing subject lines and valuable content, you will be able to build and nurture a relationship with the right prospects. And eventually convert them into paying customers.
Get a bespoke inbound lead generation strategy
Generating leads is no easy feat. It requires expertise and finding a careful balance and integration between your marketing initiatives. In a hugely fragmented digital world, the key to success is ensuring your brand is active for all the touch points during a potential customer’s online journey.
If you’re looking to ‘tackle online lead generation’ or would like advice on any aspect of digital marketing, contact us and we’ll lead you in the right direction.
