Digital marketing provides the tools by which leads can be generated. Where there is a lead, there is opportunity for conversion. For most businesses, part of the problem lies in the lead generation itself. For some, leads are very slow and non-existent. A healthy business will need regular new leads that they are able to give their best shot at nurturing into a conversion. Here we explore two of the most popular digital strategies that generate quality “hot” leads for businesses to harness.
Content creation to drive engagement
Before people get in touch with your business, they are likely to do their research and quite frankly, scope you out. You need to present yourself as the expert in your industry. Your content provides you with a great opportunity to do this. Depending on your industry, there are lots of different ways in which you can use your content to generate interest.
For example, an independent estate agent might want to write a blog entry about the current market trends in the local area and explain how they are geared up to promote your property sale. Whereas a business that bakes and decorates cakes for example, might use striking visual images that show the finished product looking mouth watering and delicious, or even show an individual enjoying their custom made cake as a way of provoking emotion in potential consumers.
Your content can get an audience hooked; all it takes is for them to see something of interest, usually on more than one occasion. This could spark them to contact and engage with your business with perhaps appreciation, or even a request for more details about your product/service. If they aren’t searching for you or your services, then use your content strategy cleverly: generate interest and give them a reason to become a potential lead by showing interest and engagement with your business.
Utilisation of paid social advertising
The power of social media is quite phenomenal when it comes to lead generation. As mentioned above, all it takes is someone to see something that sparks their own interest and influences them to get in touch. With paid advertising on the likes of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat and so on, you can get your content to reach an even bigger audience.
As a business owner you will have a pretty good idea of who your target audience is, what their characteristics are, what their interests are, what their behaviours are, what their lifestyle is like and so on. With this in mind you can create an advert that specifically targets those who you deem as your target audience. If your business purely operates in a small geographical region, then make sure you are only targeting your product or services to this area. You want your targeting to be specific so that your leads are relevant, so it is important you put some thought into this when you set your advert up.
Successful lead generation adverts often provide a discount code that is revealed to the consumer once they have input their contact details. The business then has the contact details to follow up in the near future. We have also seen success in ads set up that encourage the consumer to message the business. The advert might include compelling content or again a call to action that encourages people to message to receive their individual discount code. Messaging on Facebook is quick and easy and it immediately opens a line of dialogue with someone that has expressed interest in what your advert is about.
Of course, there are plenty of other digital strategies that can help generate engagement with your business. As social media is so accessible to many it is certainly worth exploring whether your business can generate leads through the sharing of your compelling content.