Lead Generation for SME’s or Startups

Marketo.com defines lead generation as “The marketing process of stimulating and capturing interest in a product or service for the purpose of developing a sales pipeline.”

Technology has completely changed the businesses to acquire customers. The buying process has changed from finding customers through traditional mass advertising, to relationship building. Marketers are now forced to find new ways to reach buyers and get their voice to be heard amidst all the noise being made by other businesses.

Lead generation to has undergone significant changes in recent years as a result of the rise of new digital marketing techniques. The readily available information and options found online have given rise to the “self- directed” buyer who goes online and decides to wade through what is available until they find what suits them.

According to the 2018 State of Inbound report, it was found that a marketer’s number one priority is converting leads to customers yet lead generation still remains a big challenge for most.  While lead generation is about converting the right customers in your sales pipeline, you must also ensure that you leverage the right platforms in order to attract prospects.

What are some of the platforms that a business can use to effectively get quality leads?

  1. Website  

The website still remains the biggest generator of leads for many businesses. As the main source of driving traffic, you must ensure that your website is optimized for visibility and that it is working properly. This can be done through routine website checks, ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly, regularly updating your keywords and personalizing the content for each customer segment you are targeting.

Always remember that the more user- friendly your website is, the more traffic you are likely to get which in turn can become leads and eventually be converted to customers

2. Social Media

Social Media is not only an important tool in engaging and connecting with your target audiences, but it has become an important digital marketing tool that has influence on the buying behaviours of consumers.

In using Social Media for lead generation, it is important to identify the correct social media platform for your business. This must begin by identifying who your target customers are and which social media they consume. In the event that you are starting out and you are not sure which platform to target, you can begin with all and with time focus on 2 or 3 that are effective. For instance, LinkedIn is a good platform for B2B.

 

3. Email Marketing

Though Email Marketing may be seen as a much older tactic, it still is a powerful tool in trying to reach prospects. When it comes to lead generation, it is important to customize your messaging to suit the different customer segments within your database that you will be targeting.

At every stage of communicating with the prospects, you will learn more about them and be able to tailor the messages as you nurture them to become customers.

 

4. Content Marketing

Customer acquisition has moved online with potential customers turning to Google in search of answers, recommendations or products and services. What does this mean for you if you do not have any content in relation to what your target audience would be searching for? You will have lost leads that could potentially become customers.

 

Content marketing has, therefore, become a reliable tool in engaging prospects and already existing customers in the marketplace. However, the key to successfully using content marketing is by creating content which can be in the form of blogs, white papers, and videos, that will educate, inspire, be relevant, entertain and offer solutions to the prospect’s challenges. 

Every business should learn how to use high-quality content to attract prospects, turn them into leads and eventually convert them to customers. If you are able to do that, leads will come running to you and you will gain their trust.

 

In conclusion, lead generation remains the heart of doing business. Digital Marketing companies such as My Biz Marketer work with businesses to create digital strategies that have the highest chance of lead generation and conversion of the leads to paying customers.

With so many digital tools available for generating valuable leads online, it is up to you as a business owner to choose, test and validate the tools that fit well with your business. The first step is to start using the above-mentioned tools and many more that exist to grow your business.

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