For B2B marketers who want to expand their pipeline, lead generation is essential. Steadily increasing lead generation means increasing brand awareness and interest in your products or services. It also means cultivating interested prospects across the marketing funnel and through your sales pipeline.
When done the right way, lead generation strategies build strong relationships with potential customers who are willing to invest in your company for a long time. Some online lead generation techniques have been slowly adopted. However, many common strategies, such as contests or sweepstakes, can be inappropriate or too promotional for many companies.
Online Lead Generation Techniques that Work
Like conventional lead generation, the new model is based on demonstrating expertise and developing trusting relationships, but these objectives are met entirely online. Although online marketing will continue to grow, here are ten tried-and-true lead generation techniques for professional services firms for today.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO is a way to improve or generate traffic for your website to increase its visibility for relevant search terms. If the website or blogs are created according to the standards presented by Google, your website will begin to rank for specific terms and, in some cases, rank on the first page of Google.
In this tech era, who does not have a computer or a smartphone? Google is one of the priorities everyone has to search for their question, a problem, or an issue. For keyword analysis, tools such as AHrefs, SEMrush, and Moz offer help in increasing traffic and ranking. If you play the hand of cards you have been dealt the right way, you’ll end up on their shortlist when looking to purchase services.
Pay Per Click Advertising
Buying your way onto search engine results pages for relevant keywords is another proven way to get on your prospects’ radar. PPC allows for more control over the keywords you want to be associated with your brand or company. You pay when someone clicks your link, as the name implies. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) leads are often of higher quality because the potential client is looking for a specific solution. PPC is also completely trackable and typically less costly than traditional print ads. That’s an attractive combination.
Lead Generating Website
The majority of websites for professional services aren’t designed to generate leads. Many of them are almost “anti-lead generators.” In the customer service industry, jargon-filled, firm-centric websites abound — and they’re entirely passive and unhelpful. Visitors can leave if they do not understand what you do or what problems you can solve for them. On the other hand, a lead generation website is designed to help clients understand your value proposition, download valuable information, and request a proposal. It can have a significant effect on online lead generation.
Online Networking
This technique may have been labeled “social media,” but I wanted to make a point. It’s not just which channel you use for social media. It’s the quality and scope of your networking. While this manner in which people interact with each other varies significantly from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook, the goal remains to make the right connections with the right people. Traditional business networking can produce much of the same reputation and referrals as online networking. Expect to see outcomes in proportion to the amount of work you put in.
Webinars
The online equivalent of a seminar or other educational event is a webinar. Usually, the lead generation webinar is provided for free. You should gather essential information on a session’s participants because it needs registration. A webinar, like its offline cousin, should be informative rather than a thinly disguised sales pitch. A successful webinar starts by choosing topics in which your target clients are interested. Attendees will come to trust your firm over time and will be much more likely to think of you when they have a relevant need.
Industry Research Reports
Offering executive summaries or complete research reports on the industries you serve is a proven online lead generation technique. You benefit from it in two ways. First and foremost, these documents are fantastic lead generators. Second, they increase your reputation and help you create a more robust online brand. Make sure your research subjects would pique the attention of your target audience. Moreover, these research studies can be an excellent tool for working with a trade group or a non-competing company to reduce marketing costs and boost credibility.
Online Marketing Videos
Today, video is everywhere, and with good reason. It’s an outstanding marketing tool for businesses that provide professional services. Nothing builds reputation like a prominent client describing how your company resolved their problem. It’s almost as if the referral process has been automated. An online marketing video can be used to introduce your business, explain complex terms, or present your team. Video plays a critical role in creating and nurturing leads in each of these roles.
Whitepapers and eBooks
Whitepapers are one of the most popular online lead generation techniques for developing credibility and generating qualified leads. You can offer the whitepaper for free from behind a registration screen on your website, or you can distribute it via third-party services. Whitepapers can also be used as pay-per-click advertisements. The eBook is a variation on white paper. Typically, it is longer than a whitepaper but serves the same function. If your eBook delves deep into a subject, it can create many buzzes and help you build a reputation.
E-newsletter
When people sign up for your e-newsletter, you will create many new leads if the material is high-quality and educational. Your e-newsletter is also a perfect way to cultivate the leads on your list who have already shown interest. E-newsletters are used by many businesses to advertise new programs and special deals. Offer a free e-newsletter subscription on your website or in your email signature block to grow your subscriber list. The better your content is, the more people will want to read it and remember you — and the less likely it is to be deemed spam.
Blogging
Blogging is probably to be the most effective source of the traffic to the website. A blog can attract many qualified prospects to your website because it helps you create a wide range of keyword-rich content found in search engines (assuming you host your blog on your website). You can also use Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook to promote your blog posts. Your SEO efforts will be handicapped if you don’t have a blog.
Final Thoughts
These ten online lead generation techniques may form the basis of a thorough marketing plan. When you combine traditional marketing tactics like face-to-face networking and tradeshow marketing (if applicable), you have a formidable strategy for gaining market share. The combination of online and traditional marketing is highly effective.
There are many techniques and strategies on the market that can help you get your lead generation processes up to speed. Let Bython Media help you to implement the very best plans so you can be on your way to a full and profitable pipeline. Contact the team at Bython today to learn more.
