If you were to jot down all the ways your business attracts new customers, could you fit it on a Post-it note, or would you need an old-fashioned scroll that dropped down to the floor?

According to HubSpot, 61% of marketers rank lead generation as their number one challenge, and while you don’t necessarily need dozens of lead generators to thrive as a business, having a deep roster is always ideal.

So, let’s lengthen that list of yours.

53% of marketers spend at least half of their budget on lead generation, and there are endless creative ways to generate new leads for your business.  

It’s important to note right up front, your lead generation tactics and content must clearly pass the “real value” test. Envision the person who finds it. Is this something they’ll really want/need here? You’ll only gain new leads through creating value and targeting the right people.  

This compilation of ideas are largely quick wins, and omit traditionally pricier methods, like spending thousands of dollars on a trade show booth. Instead, we’re spotlighting proven strategies that can create a constantly purring lead growth engine at low or no costs.

Here’s hoping at least a few of these can yield substantial fruit for you.

1. Embed Lead-Capturing Opportunities on Your Website

From classic landing pages, webforms, and popups to strategically timed “Hello” bars that slide in, having at least one opportunity on your site to collect contact information is necessary.  

Remember, lead generation opportunities are a value exchange between you and the customer. Make sure the offer is crystal clear in describing what users gain if they provide their information. Only ask for necessary information in the webform, the less the user needs to provide, the more likely you are to win over their contact details.

Our clients Cuisinart add an incentive to motivate users to share their email address - never a bad idea. The more you can make the entire experience non-intrusive and beneficial for both parties, the better.

Make sure you test the webforms, popovers, or other tools to make sure you’re not hindering the user experience – especially from mobile devices where popups that won’t easily close or webforms that are hard to submit will cause major frustration.  

2. Host a Webinar

No matter what your company specializes in, you have an appreciable level of expertise. Market that. Share it with the world and host a free webinar in which you break down the “5 Pillars of Pizza Making” - whatever compelling tips or insights you can offer your audience.  

Don’t forget to utilize your toolbelt of marketing touchpoints to promote your webinar. Consider working promotion into your social media and email strategies to increase webinar registrants.

Try experimenting with different webinar formats to see what resonates with your audience. For example, try a panel discussion during one webinar and an interview format the next.  

Don’t be afraid to play with timing as well, sometimes 30-minute webinars are more easily digestible compared to an hour plus, depending on the subject matter.

3. Create a Quiz

The quiz is a staple of the internet because it’s so darn hard to pass up. Inviting visitors to take a quick, informative test in return for their contact info can be a terrific way to capture leads.  

We love how eyewear company, Warby Parker has a strategic “5 Frames to Try at Home” quiz, positioning potential customers to provide their email in order to gather their results. There’s a skip button, but the offer is enticing enough to gather user information, while giving Warby Parker valuable information about their target audience.

4. Showcase Your Success

An estimated 44% of consumers look at 3 to 5 pieces of content created by a company before talking to a sales rep. That means you need to impress lots of first-time visitors before they’ll become a lead.  

Consider publishing a case study/blog post (here’s a good one) of a recent company success story and entice readers to contact you as the final call-to-action. Increase success by targeting audience segments that most closely match the highlighted customer or the value add.  

5. Offer a Free E-Book

Once again, we’re back to expertise. Your organization has insights that – to the right person – are very valuable. Package that knowledge in a free, helpful e-book and you’ll have a consistent lead magnet.

Tap into leads that still believe in reading longform content as a way to digest expertise, and you’ll be on your way to lead generation success in no time.

6. Step Up Your Social Media Game

You likely have a presence on social media, but if you’re not generating leads there, you’re not fulfilling its potential. Your social presence needs to be much more than an afterthought. Be sure to share any offers, insights, and good news your company can muster up, while taking advantage of lead gen opportunities.  

Many social networks like LinkedIn make it easy for users to download content directly on the platform. Alternatively, you can drive prospects to a designated landing page on your website, like we did for a recent report featuring our partners, Optimizely.  

7. Start – and Maintain – a Blog

Businesses with active blogs gain 67% more leads than those without, alas, the wasteland of half-baked, neglected company blogs is vast. It’s much easier to start a blog than maintain one.

Dedicate the resources to regularly publish and promote articles that provide insights into your industry and help solve problems that matter to your audience. This approach to content marketing widens your audience reach through better SEO, creates opportunities for paid and email marketing, and has compelling content to drive leads to, upping the likelihood they convert once they’re there.  

8. Offer a Free Trial

Giving someone a taste of your product or a portion of it at no charge can be an excellent way to generate leads and convert those leads into customers. Know who you’re targeting, make sure the trial offer is appealing, and keep the sign-up page simple.

Remaining entirely transparent about the free trial process is crucial to mitigate frustrations and reduce customer churn.  Ensure users know exactly how long the free trial lasts, what happens when their trial expires, and consider setting up email alerts to give them enough time to decide their next steps.  

9. Embrace Customer Reviews

The power of online reviews cannot be overstated—especially if they are in sizable clusters on sites with strong SEO rankings, like Google or Yelp. Encourage your happy customers to leave reviews and once they do, you’ll get a free search ranking boost as well.

A positive testimonial is an excellent way to promote products or services in a genuine way, as getting a first-hand perspective from a fellow customer instills trust and transparency. Trust is just one step toward conversion.  

10. Host a Giveaway (for Something Great)

Giveaways can raise brand awareness, help you showcase a new product or service, boost your social media followers, and yes, generate leads. Just remember, a successful giveaway must offer up something that people actually want.  

Make sure the giveaway messaging and value offers are clear and concise. Present a clear timeline of when the winner will be selected, and of course, deliver on your promise. There is nothing worse than hyping up your customers only for them to be disappointed.

11. Create a Downloadable Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are often necessary, but rarely enjoyable to put together. By creating a downloadable spreadsheet, you’ll help your target audience with a challenging effort, create good-will, and gain targeted insights into what matters to your audience.  

See how Spreadsheet.com provides easy-to-use and free spreadsheet templates with a prompt to enter your email when the “Download” button is clicked. Spreadsheets can be an excellent value prop for your website.

12. Optimize Your SEO

It can be easy to overlook search engine optimization, but that’s a mistake. Once you create valuable content that your potential leads will be searching for, stay vigilant on the i-dotting and t-crossing, such as:

• Including keywords in the URL of the page
• Using keywords in H1 titles and H2 subtitles
• Including keywords in the image description and compressing the images to reduce size

SEO is the pièce de résistance to your lead generation. All of the amazing work you put into motion needs to get eyeballs on it and that’s where SEO optimization comes in.

On-page, off-page, and technical SEO are all crucial aspects to driving formidable traffic back to your site and the lead magnets you’ve teed up. Check out our Website Must-Haves Checklist to ensure your SEO is up to par.

Summary

Tying together a solid lead generation strategy takes time, but if you marry the pieces of the puzzle together correctly and with diligence, you’re sure to see substantial growth for your business. Need some guidance? One of our digital experts would love to connect, reach out here.