Tuesday, December 22, 2015

The Top Lead Generation Services...and How to Make Them Work for You

Lead generation is about delivering your message...but with precision. “Generating” or attracting the right audience and quality leads is both an art and a science. But once you’ve got them nailed down, then you are on the road to building an on-point conversion campaign.


Lead generation can also be complicated. It’s a lengthy process which can also be expensive. This is why over 60% of businesses outsource lead generation. Believe it or not, bad data is one of the reasons for inadequate lead generation results.
Imagine yourself as your customer...Wouldn’t you want to be treated special? Lead generation services should do just that: treat every potential client as the most important person to the business. This kind of top-notch service requires that lead generation services elicit enough of a valuable interaction with the customer in order to eliminate that moment of hesitation before a sale.
 
Top Lead Generation Tactics
Forget about searching online for the best tips on lead generation! Your company needs a customized strategy, not someone else’s strategy. Each time you send out marketing communications to your audience, you don’t want copycat versions of someone else’s best idea. You need something that is completely unique. To find this, you need lead generation services that offer long term tactical strategies and an eye at helping you achieve ROI.
There are many ways to initiate interest in your business product. Today, the top 7 choices among professional marketers include:
  1. Email Marketing
  2. Landing Pages
  3. Content Marketing
  4. SEO
  5. Social Media Marketing
  6. Virtual Events
  7. Online Advertising
A 2014 study revealed that almost 80% of businesses prefer email marketing to generate leads. In 2015, we saw the email marketing landscape change dramatically. Email marketing, landing pages, content marketing, and SEO are all almost equally effective with social media marketing following closely behind and far from playing a minor role.
 
With this kind of environment, the question now becomes: What strategy should we have and what kind of mix is best for our business?

The Pros and Cons of Lead Generation
In selecting a team to handle lead generation services, it is crucial to understand the pros and cons of each service. 

Here is a brief overview of what each of the top services entail in terms of advantages and disadvantages.
Email Marketing – While you can personalize your messages, establish trust, automate and measure performance and impact, email marketing still requires expert writers, designers, and a solid email list. Email marketing is also a long-term process which could easily be cut short by using the wrong subject line or inappropriate message.

Landing Pages – Remember, it’s all about first impressions. A poorly designed without any calls to action is a waste of resources. Your home page is the most important so be sure it is eye-catching, professional, relevant, and optimized in order to drive conversions.

Content Marketing – The beauty of content marketing is the digital footprint you establish when taking your first steps as an expert in your field. Content has proven to kickback great ROI but will require diligence, patience, and knowledge of your audience in order to offer them high quality content that also converts.

Social Media Marketing – These services require experience, training, and great analytics to be effective. Social media may sound simple if you think of it as a matter of publishing posts and “tweeting” whenever you feel like it, but much like content marketing, social media marketing is both an art and science and requires diligence, patience, and proper planning to achieve optimum results.

In summary, lead generation services are a dime a dozen if you just want to say you are trying to generate leads. But if you are truly interested in real and timely results, then be picky about which services you offer and how you embrace them. The right lead generation service provider will give you that sweet spot in online marketing where your cost-per-lead stabilizes and matches with desired results of both new and sustained business.