Generating a flow of new leads are at the core of any thriving business, when you consider that the primary reason that 38% of new businesses fail is because of a lack of cash. Lack of cash primarily stems from a lack of new customers.

Whilst SEO and marketing can seem like a complex world, you do not have to be a professional to get started and bring more leads to your doorstep.

Today we’ll explore 7 key online strategies that, when combined and tailored to your business’s specific goals and audience, can significantly enhance your lead generation efforts. Some of these strategies range from more straightforward, foundational principles of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to newer, innovative methods such as collaborating with social media influencers.

We’ll do our best to guide you through the nuances of each strategy. Ultimately it is up to you to choose the strategies that will suit your business best, and find the perfect blend that works for you.

 

1. Get Your Foundations Right – Start With Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

You can start with improving your SEO (Search Engine Optimization). At its core, SEO is the practice of increasing a website’s visibility in search engine results i.e how high you rank. If you can improve your organic traffic with good SEO practices, you will attract more visitors who are actively searching for your products or services.

Here are some vital aspects of SEO that businesses should focus on:

• Optimise SEO on-page and off-page 
• Research the best keywords targetted to your niche
• Build up your back links slowly

 

Optimise SEO On-Page And Off-Page 

On-page optimization is a key place to start, as you are simply updating and optimising your existing data points: meta tags, headers, and content for relevant keywords.

Off-page optimization, on the other hand, covers activity performed outside the website, such as backlinking from other websites, relevant to your industry niche.

Both play a crucial role in increasing a site’s visibility. However on-page is much more straightforward to start with.

 

Invest Into Keyword Research And Targeting

Keyword research allows you to identify high-value search terms related to your industry. Understanding what your potential customers are searching for online is key to attracting them to your website. 

With this knowledge you can optimise your website copy to match the questions and provide answers they’re looking for. This is the same for when you ask what’s the best bait for the fish you’re trying to catch.

 

Use Link Building Strategies And SEO Tools

Building quality links to a website is a proven method to enhance its credibility and ranking in search engine results. Link-building strategies that foster organic growth include

How to build quality backlinks for your website

• Guest post on websites in your industry niche
• Create helpful, shareable content (such as DIYs or How-to Guides)

This strategy is not an overnight solution; it requires ongoing efforts and adjustments as search engine algorithms and market dynamics change. Off page optimization, especially link-building is a long game that requires both patience and diligence. 

However like anything, with consistent effort over time, it will build your website authority and help Google see your website more credibly. This will ultimately help bring more quality leads to your door. Think of it as long-term compound interest in the marketing game.

 

2. Build A Scalable “Turn On The Tap” Adwords (Pay-Per-Click Advertising) Strategy

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, especially through platforms like Google AdWords, is another great tool to call upon if you have a slightly bigger budget and want to ensure results.

Unlike traditional advertising, where costs are incurred regardless of low or high engagement, PPC only charges when a user clicks on the ad. This ensures a direct connection between advertising spend and potential lead engagement, making it a highly efficient method of generating leads.

Here’s how you can effectively leverage PPC advertising to boost lead generation:

• Create targeted ad campaigns
• Utilize keyword bidding
• Track and optimize ad performance

 

Create Targeted Ad Campaigns
Crafting campaigns that resonate with specific audience segments is crucial in PPC advertising. You can create effective campaigns by defining clear target demographics, interests, and behaviors.

With the addition of tailored messaging, you will significantly enhance click-through rates and traffic to your website, where they can then submit an enquiry or call you directly.

 

Utilize Keyword Bidding

Keyword bidding is the process of selecting and bidding on specific keywords that potential customers are likely to use in search queries. By targeting relevant keywords, you can ensure that your ads appear in the search results for terms closely aligned with your business offerings.

A great way to bid with the most value in mind, is to balance short competitive keywords with long-tail keywords.

Let’s take a yoga studio for example. Short keywords that would be competitive in their niche could be “health” or “wellness” or “yoga”. These terms each might get lots of searches. A long-tail keyword could be “can yoga improve flexibility” or “yoga studio with gym”. These longer phrases would get a much smaller volume of competition, making it slightly easier to rank for them.

 

Track & Optimize Ad Performance

The real power of PPC advertising lies in the data, and understanding what works and what doesn’t. Regular optimization, such as adjusting ad copy or bidding strategies, ensures that campaigns remain efficient and effective, continually driving quality leads. It’s great to monitor your ad performance through metrics like

• Click-through rates (CTR)
• Conversion rates
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)

If you have the time to continue refining your ads, this becomes a very potent lead generation tool that can offer you the quickest results in bringing traffic to your website.

 

3. Stay Fresh & Front Of Mind With Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms have truly transcended beyond mere communication channels to become influential tools for businesses seeking to connect with engaged communities.

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even upcoming ones like TikTok and Clubhouse, offer unparalleled access to active, engaged audiences that could be your next customer.

Here’s how you can leverage social media for lead generation:

• Stay active on your socials and post regularly
• Link to helpful and interesting content through blogs
• Retarget interested traffic towards an email newsletter

 

Stay Active On Socials

Posting on your socials not only keeps your brand at the top of your audience’s mind, it also keeps opening doorways to your website. Many business owners make the mistake of thinking social media is simply a nice-to-have. However when done right, social media is a potent tool to directing streams of traffic and new leads to your door.

When you consider that the average person bounces between 7 different social networks each month, we’d recommend not putting all your eggs in one basket, and investing into 2-3 different social media channels.

 

Top Tip For Social Media Strategy

Create and maintain a unified brand presence across various social platforms This will help build trust and recognition in your customers.

Engagement Techniques and Content Sharing

Social media thrives on interaction and engagement. 

Tips to grow your community and interested leads

• Share valuable content
• Respond to user comments
• Host live sessions
• Encourage user-generated content

These techniques not only enhance brand loyalty but also widen the reach, making it easier to connect with potential leads.

 

Paid Social Advertising and Retargeting
While organic reach is essential, paid advertising on social media can further amplify your lead generation efforts. 

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer sophisticated targeting options, allowing you to reach specific demographics or even retarget users who have shown interest in your products or services. These users are sitting further along your sales funnel and might require just a gentle nudge to make a purchase. 

If you’ve taken the time to create a great ad campaign, don’t miss wasted lead opportunities and retarget it to significantly boost lead conversion rates. 

Social media platforms offer businesses a vibrant and dynamic space to connect with potential leads. From the largest global networks to emerging niches, these platforms provide various avenues to engage, inform, and convert audiences. Understanding each platform’s unique characteristics and audience, coupled with strategic planning and execution, can turn social media into a lead generation powerhouse for businesses of all sizes.

 

4. Grow A Committed Audience With Content Marketing

Content marketing stands as one of the most effective ways to attract and nurture leads. By offering engaging, valuable, and relevant content, you can grow your audience, many of whom will be valuable leads. These users have typically come from the search results page, to your article in the hopes of solving a problem. This kind of traffic often houses users who are educating themselves and looking to buy.

Some of the most engaging types of blog articles that consumers gravitate toward include how-to guides, listicles, thought leadership pieces, case studies, and in-depth reviews or comparisons.

Here’s how content marketing can be leveraged for lead generation

• Craft engaging and valuable content like blogs, eBooks, webinars
• Promote content through various online channels
• Measure content performance and focus on the best-performing content

 

Craft Engaging And Valuable Content
Whether it’s through insightful blogs, comprehensive eBooks, informative webinars, or captivating videos, your content should aim to resonate with your audience’s needs and interests. 

 

The Kind Of Blog Content Consumers Love

• Provide answers to common questions
• Offer solutions to problems,
• Share expert insights (helps in building credibility and trust)

Great content will form a great impression on your visitor and encourage potential leads to explore further into other areas of your website, moving them along the sales funnel.

 

Promote Blog Content Through Various Online Channels
Simply creating valuable content is not enough; it must reach the right audience. You can maximise the value of your hard work by promoting content through various channels, such as social media and email newsletters.

Each channel offers unique opportunities to connect with different segments of your audience, amplifying lead generation efforts. 

 

Measure Content Performance
Understanding what resonates with the audience is crucial for refining content strategy. You can do this by tracking metrics like page views, engagement rate, bounce rate, and conversion rate offers insights into what works and what needs improvement. 

Analyzing performance helps in making informed decisions. This data will help you refine your content strategy closer with audience preferences. 

When executed with a clear understanding of the audience and a commitment to quality, content marketing becomes more than just a marketing tactic; it transforms into a relationship-building tool. Consumers are looking for brands that care about meeting them with content that educates, entertains, and inspires. You can foster lasting connections that not only generate leads but also turn them into loyal customers.

 

5. Build A List With Email Marketing That You Can Keep Marketing To

Email marketing remains a powerful and personalized way to communicate with potential leads to this day.

Its enduring effectiveness can be seen in the myriad of platforms tailored for this purpose, such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, SendinBlue, GetResponse, and HubSpot. These platforms look after the creation, automation, and analysis of email campaigns.

Here’s how businesses can make the most of email marketing for lead generation:

• Build segmented email lists 
• Create personalized email campaigns for different segments
• Utilise automation – analyze click through rates, open rates and tracking success

 

Build Segmented Email Lists
Not all leads are created equal. Especially when you consider that segmented campaigns average a whopping 46% higher open rates. You must understand the distinct needs and interests of different buyer personas in order to create effective audience segmentation. 

You can segment subscriber groups based on factors like 

• Purchase history
• Engagement level
• Demographic information

When you send targeted messages that resonate with individual recipients, you increase the likelihood of them being interested in your campaign, and visiting your website to take further action.

 

Create Personalized Email Campaigns
Personalization goes beyond addressing the recipient by name. It’s the difference between using a general gish bait to catch squid versus a light stick. The light stick is targeted to the squid’s habits and behaviours. 

You can create emails that reflect the recipient’s interests, behaviors, and interactions. 

Personalized email campaigns are more engaging and effective, turning a generic marketing message into a tailored conversation.

Personalised email campaigns cover strategies such as

• Personalised cart recovery emails based on saved browsing history  
• Welcome emails and birthday emails
• Product or service suggestions based on saved browsing history

 

Utilize Automation And Tracking Success
Email marketing platforms offer automation tools that allow businesses to send timely and relevant emails without constant manual effort. Automation ensures consistent communication, nurturing leads through the sales funnel. Consistency is key when it comes to nurturing your leads, so make sure you capitalize on this technology.

 

Evaluate your campaigns effectively by tracking metrics like

• Open rates
• Click-through rates
• Conversion rates

Then you can make the necessary adjustments, based on data, not guesswork.

You can get the most out of your email marketing efforts by leveraging the power of segmentation, personalization, automation, and analytics.

When executed with care and consideration, email marketing not only generates leads but also nurtures them into loyal customers, reinforcing a long-term relationship between your brand and your audience.

 

6. Tap Into The Power Of Influencer Marketing

Influencer collaboration has grown significantly in the past decade. Recent noteworthy shifts include a move towards authenticity, with micro-influencers often preferred over celebrities for their genuine connection with followers, and a focus on long-term partnerships rather than one-off promotions. 

Finding authentic influencers within your industry niche can be monumental to reaching out to younger audiences and piquing their interest.

Here’s how businesses can collaborate with influencers to reach a wider audience

• Identify and reach out to relevant influencers
• Ensure these influencers share similar values and ethics as your brand
• Create collaborative content
• Measure influencer campaign success

 

Identify And Reach Out To Relevant Influencers
Finding the right influencer requires a deep understanding of the brand’s target audience and goals. If you can identify influencers who align with your brand values, their content will resonate with the intended audience in a much more genuine way. It begins with reaching out with a clear and appealing proposal, which sets the stage for a successful partnership that can extend beyond just one post.

 

Create Collaborative Content
You can add value and diversity to your marketing funnel through collaborative content such as 

• Co-hosting a webinar
• Creating a video series
• Crafting unique blog posts from influencer experiences

When audiences see your brand fuse with an influencer they respect and follow, they’re more likely to see this content as a real testimonial and explore your products and services. Collaborative content should be authentic, otherwise it will read like an ad. Ensure that the content is engaging, relevant, and reflective of the partnership’s shared goals. 

If your brand aims to be light-hearted and humorous, aim to find influencers who do skits or parodies with the same tone. If your brand is a bit more serious, you can find influencers who might use a more professional film style to tell the story.

This alignment maximizes the impact on the audience, leading to increased interest and potential leads.

 

Measure Influencer Campaign Success 

Like any marketing initiative, influencer collaborations must be monitored and assessed for their effectiveness. Tracking metrics like engagement, reach, lead generation, and conversion rates helps in understanding the success of the campaign. 

Analyzing these insights guides future collaborations, ensuring that both the brand and the influencer continue to grow and the partnership is a fruitful one.

By building authentic relationships with influencers who genuinely connect with their followers, you can tap into new audience segments, create engaging content, and reinforce your brand image. When executed thoughtfully, influencer collaborations become more than just a marketing tactic; they evolve into strategic partnerships that drive growth and success.

 

7. Optimize Your Landing Pages For Better Conversions

Landing pages are the conversion hotspots that greet potential customers after they’ve clicked on a link from an ad, social media post, or email. These pages play a crucial role in the lead generation process and need to be tailored to convert visitors into leads. After all, we spend some much money on marketing, it only makes sense to make each dollar go further.

Here’s how businesses can tailor landing pages to effectively convert visitors:

• Use persuasive CTAs 
• A/B test and review analytics
• Design principles that encourage conversion

Having multiple landing pages not only allows targeting different audience segments but also contributes to SEO efforts, providing more opportunities to rank well for various keywords (both competitive and long-tail keywords we discussed earlier) and topics.

 

Use Persuasive CTAs
Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons or links guide visitors to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product. Persuasive and clear CTAs that resonate with the visitor’s interests and needs increases the chances of conversion.

 

Improve your CTAs with

• Clear Placement and minimise clutter so they’re easy to spot
• Color – do not make CTAs blend in with the rest of the website 
• Improve your wording of CTAs with more conversational copy

 

A/B Test Your Landing Pages and Review Analytics

A/B testing involves creating two versions of a landing page to determine which one performs better. By comparing elements like headlines, images, or CTAs, businesses can refine and optimize their landing pages. 

Coupled with analytics, A/B testing provides valuable insights into visitor behavior and preferences, informing further improvements and personalization.

 

Design Principles that Encourage Conversion

A well-designed landing page is not only visually appealing but also user-friendly. 

 

Here are design principles that encourage conversion

• Clear navigation
• Concise and engaging copy
• Compelling visuals that are original to your brand (avoid stock)
• A layout that guides the visitor’s eyes to the desired action

Cohesive design from one platform to another, enhances the visitor’s experience, building trust and encouraging engagement. This will help ensure the marketing spend you invested in bringing them to you, is not wasted.

Tailoring landing pages is both an art and a science. By understanding the visitor’s journey, crafting persuasive CTAs, employing A/B testing, and adhering to design principles that foster conversion, you can turn a simple web page into a powerful lead generation and conversion tool. 

 

 

Wrap Up – It’s Great To Blend A Combination Of Lead Generation Strategies

When it comes to lead generation, you can pick and choose multiple strategies from these 7 key areas to give yourself the best chance of success.

Each approach will help you generate leads but also has their own unique strengths.

• Search Engine Optimization helps ensure visibility
• Pay-Per-Click Advertising is great for targeted reach
• Social Media Marketing to engage and resonate with younger audiences
• Content Marketing to offering valuable insights and build a loyal audience 
• Email Marketing is great for personalized connections
• Influencer Collaborations can amplify online presence and extend your brand
• Tailored Landing Pages are great for targeted conversions

The synergy of these strategies transcends the limitations of singular tactics, offering diverse avenues to explore, connect, and convert your visitors. It’s not just about seeing what works best but about weaving these techniques into a cohesive plan that you can see yourself or your marketing team keeping up with.

Consistency is the best secret to lead generation success.

It’s very normal to feel overwhelmed, especially if you are a small business owner. Many just start with implementing 1 strategy and then building off of that. Your next lead capture starts with a single, inspired step.