Generating leads is an important part of digital marketing, so every business should understand what this means and how to do it successfully.
1. Create valuable content and effective Calls to Action
Keyword research is useful for creating content that is valuable to the visitor. It shows exactly what people want, whether that’s knowledge or something to buy. Making a website a valuable resource can also increase backlinks and generate more leads while building a company’s reputation.
Many people think of blogs, but engaging content can come in other formats:
- eBooks
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Downloadable tools such as checklists or premade forms
eBooks and downloads are often obtained through contact forms, which makes them especially valuable for lead generation.
Finishing off valuable content with a strong call to action (CTA) directs visitors to the relevant products or services offered by the business with as little effort as possible. Otherwise, they might turn to the competition. Businesses should use this opportunity to tell visitors what to do once they’re finished with the information at hand and how doing that will benefit them.
CTAs shouldn’t be too broad, instead reflecting where the visitor is at this point in their journey based on the information they sought and the industry. Free consultations, discounts on initial orders, and coupons can all be compelling offers to visitors who aren’t yet customers.
2. Google & Bing Advertising with Conversion/Lead Tracking
Pay-per-click (PPC) and other paid advertisements aren’t specifically designed to generate leads. However, they are still powerful tools for businesses. First, visitors who land on a site from an ad click are more likely to make purchases than those who arrive organically. Ads are a surefire way to get to the top of the search results quickly. Even if they don’t create immediate sales, ads drive traffic that may be turned into leads.
Readers may notice we mention Google and Bing, the latter of which is often overlooked by businesses and marketers.
3. Consistent Email and SMS (Text Message) Marketing
Finally, businesses that want to generate leads that convert should take advantage of email and text message marketing–consistently. This includes sending subscribers messages when they first sign up and ensuring timely communication about events, sales, and other promotions. Customers don’t want to be inundated with messages, so add one or two ideas to a monthly calendar.
Businesses can also leverage inactivity with periodic reminders, perhaps offering a discount to subscribers who return to purchase products or services. It’s custom and consistent to prevent those leads from growing cold! Email and text marketing even works well for referral schemes from which subscribers can benefit while driving new leads.
These messages shouldn’t be generic, however. Customized text and emails perform better–up to six times! Addressing subscribers by name helps build loyalty. Plenty of messaging tools simplify customizing and tracking messages, so companies can focus on enticing content.
Contact Search Control today for a free consultation to create or advance your marketing strategy.
