Is Lead Generation a Marketing Strategy?

Lead generation may not be strictly classified as a marketing strategy, but it definitely plays an important role in any effective marketing plan. Networking with experts across various industries has taught me just how intertwined the two concepts are: if you want to generate leads, then having a solid marketing strategy is essential.

Let me explain…

Networking Helps Generate High-Quality Leads

Acquiring leads requires effort on your part. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this process. However, networking can be a valuable tool for generating leads and building relationships with potential customers and partners. By actively promoting your business and what you have to offer, you can increase awareness and establish a rapport with others in your industry. This can also serve as a marketing strategy, as building relationships through networking can lead to referrals, which are often a key source of new clients for many businesses. In this way, you can transition from a sales role to a more consultative role, where trust has already been established through the referral. The importance of networking and the benefits it can bring have been confirmed through my own experiences and through conversations with other industry experts.

Brenda, a real estate agent with Staged By Design Realty in West Cobb, GA, emphasized the importance of networking, particularly for those starting out in the industry. According to Brenda, networking and networking groups can be highly effective in generating leads and building relationships with potential clients. Staged by Design is a well-respected agency in the area and Brenda’s business relies heavily on referrals, with 98% of her clients coming from this source. While networking is a key component of her lead generation tactics, Brenda also utilizes online marketing to reach potential clients. By combining networking and effective lead generation strategies, Brenda has been able to create a robust and successful business.

Erin Digby, a senior sales executive and expert in the commercial insurance industry, shared that her business is largely referral-based, with 75% of her clients coming from referrals. When she first started out, Erin utilized cold calling and attending events as a way to generate leads. These strategies allowed her to gain a foothold in the industry and establish herself as a trusted commercial insurance specialist. Erin’s experience highlights the importance of building relationships and the role that referrals can play in the success of a business

While networking is a valuable method of generating leads, it is not the only option available. As demonstrated by Brenda and Erin, other sources such as referrals can also contribute significantly to a business’s client acquisition. However, it is important to note that online channels can also be a valuable source of leads. In fact, for many businesses, a combination of both offline and online lead gen strategies is most effective in generating a diverse and consistent flow of qualified leads. Therefore, it is worth considering a range of approaches to lead generation, including both networking and other digital marketing campaigns in order to achieve success.

Online Lead Generation Campaigns Are Key

The landscape of online lead generation has changed dramatically in recent years, providing businesses with a range of options for reaching consumers and other businesses through the internet. From social media to email marketing to content marketing to PPC, businesses have many tools at their disposal for generating leads online. In fact, some businesses, such as marketing agencies, have even built their entire operations around online channels.

As more and more consumers turn to the internet to find products and services, B2B marketers in particular have recognized the need to adapt and meet their target audience where they are, which has led to the rapid growth of the marketing agency industry. With so many different types of agencies available, businesses have a range of options for giving their marketing a digital makeover and reaching their audience in the digital age.

Social Media Creates Brand Awareness

Social media has transformed conventional marketing methods from infomercials, signs, and billboards to simply making a post that your consumer can see and engage with. Posting consistently allows you as the business owner to stay fresh in your customers’ minds and position yourself as an expert in the industry.

Providing value isn’t just posting easily assembled tips that you found on Google. Make posts educating your followers or subscribers about things that maybe you didn’t know and found helpful and it’ll allow you to build rapport with them. You’ll step out of the sales role and again step into a consultative role.

It’s also important to post the right type of content on the right platform. You may post a webinar or white paper on LinkedIn, but you may need to post a flashy infographic or a short video on Facebook to convey the same information. It’s essential that you understand which social media platforms are most important to your target buyer persona and strategize around that.

What it means to provide value to your followers may change based on your customer’s common buyer’s journey. Make sure your marketing team and sales team both have a keen understanding of the different stages of the sales funnel so you can tailor your call to action (CTA) and optimize for conversion rate. Approach the top of the funnel with informational content to build awareness and drive traffic, then leverage marketing automation to retarget potential leads with case studies and more transactional content to bring them into your sales pipeline.

Tyler Streetman, owner of Transformation Roofing, shared that his business derives 10% of its customer acquisition from social media, with Facebook being the primary platform, and 50% from referrals. When he first started out, Tyler focused on networking and door-to-door sales to generate leads. He recommends that businesses starting out prioritize networking and actively engaging in their local community as a way to get off the ground.

A strong social media strategy relies on an organized website and a nuanced search engine optimization (SEO) strategy in order to generate content for your audience.

SEO and the Lead Generation Process

Not having an optimized website is saying no to free leads. Websites are a business’s online storefront. Consumers and businesses primarily utilize Google as a helpful tool. Google’s job is to point them in the right direction for what they are looking for. If your business isn’t online then you aren’t in the running for a consumer to land on your page.

By having a website, you can optimize and provide value to potential consumers looking for what you offer. Taking it one step further, you can optimize specific landing pages to act as lead magnets for particular buyer personas. This type of intelligent website design can take your lead generation to the next level!

Make sure you create content in the same voice as your target audience. New leads arriving on your site should feel like they’re having a natural conversation with a like-minded individual The goal is to get them to provide their contact information and opt-in to your remarketing email campaign, and, eventually, transition into a paying customer.

Having valuable content on your site isn’t just about blogging on general keywords. Remember, you want to provide value and quality. If you have a product or service, write blogs around those. Create blogs around your customer’s most frequently asked questions. Spreading what you’ve learned establishes you as an expert in your industry and as you provide more and more value you’ll be rewarded with free traffic.

PPC as a Lead Generation Tool

Ads can be a powerful tool for businesses to drive leads, but it’s not always as simple as throwing money at the problem! Google Ads is one of the most popular platforms out there and operates on an auction system, yet success doesn’t necessarily come from having deep pockets. With careful planning and management, your ad campaign could reap rewards without breaking the bank.

Let me explain… 

This is a 2-Week test ad campaign run on Google Ads for CloudEden.

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Not the best CTR rate but to break it down in simple terms. The Ad was shown to 630 people. Out of the 630 people, 30 people clicked the ad campaign. Of the 30 people that clicked the ad campaign, 2 people converted meaning scheduled a Strategy Session. However, this is a successful ad campaign for CloudEden.

How was it successful? Because we were able to convert 1 out of the 2 to a customer. Which gave us a close rate of 50%. This campaign proved successful for CloudEden, but there are things that could be optimized such as our cost-per-click (CPC) or our clickthrough rate (CTR). Just because this campaign was profitable for us doesn’t mean it will be for another business. An ad campaign is personalized based on your business and your site.

So, ads can be a good place to drive faster leads and potentially turn them into sales when done the right way. You must know your numbers and have systems in place at scale. If you know your numbers, speak with an expert on how you can capitalize on online advertising channels or learn more about how to run an effective ad campaign.