Following up on leads is much easier than generating leads. Customer retention is much easier than generating leads. If not, then every business would be able to find new customers among their competition. Use the following advice to help you better generate leads so that you can have a solid foundation to grow your business.
Build your presence on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the most business-friendly social media channel out there. People use linked in to network and even broker new deals. It’s the perfect place to create lead generation opportunities for you and your company. Invest in a Premium membership as it will allow you to see everyone who has viewed your profile.
Don’t forget about having a follow-up plan. Once you have generated some leads, it is important to remember that you need to turn those leads into paying clients or customers. Have a plan in place so that you can begin that work as soon as you get some quality leads.
Can you teach locals about what you do? For example, if you are part of a multi-level marketing campaign, you could run a free class teaching people how to sell the product or even letting them know about how they can do the same thing you are doing in building your downline.
Search engine optimization, while organic, is all about lead generation as well. How? Your targeted customer base is searching niche specific keywords. If you’re targeting the right keywords with all of your sites and content, then you’re generating new leads. This does take time, but it’s a process that should always be in the works.
Don’t forget your website! Many people create a site and then just leave it, believing that “if you build it, they will come.” They won’t unless you actually put some effort into it. Create a blog and update it frequently, or add new content as often as possible to the site itself.
If you have not been tapping into the power of social media enough, then it’s time to expand your efforts. There are cost efficient social media campaigns you can run on the most popular sites, and ways to really make content go viral. All of your customer base is there to help you share what you can do for your new customers.
If you have the right job, think of talking with local businesses. If you are a knowledgeable landscaper, you could talk about nurturing a garden. Yoga instructors can give tips for easy stretches that can be done quickly through the day. If you are an expert in a particular field, don’t be afraid to share your insights and knowledge with other professionals in your community.
Find ways to qualify leads that you’ve brought into the company. Yes, it’s important to get as much data as you can, but leads are of different levels of quality. Some leads are more likely to be bigger customers than others. One way is to develop a survey to learn more about their buying habits.
Consider volunteering to help build leads. Choose a group which somehow relates to your niche, such as Cub Scouts if you are a dentist or a French club if you happen to be a tutor. Volunteering shows you have a good soul and can help build a positive reputation.
Make sure you understand what you hope to gain from your lead generation efforts. If you have goals in your business, you should have similar goals when it comes to building it. Know how you plan to gather leads, how many you need for each push and how to best use them.
People love the word “free.” Free spreads by word of mouth and social media as well as in other ways. Free can mean free giveaways, free trials, free consultations and more. So, think about how you can incorporate the word free into your business objectives and goals for generating new leads.
Remember that people respect honesty more than hype, so when you try to generate more leads, leave an open and honest offer on the table. Adding bells and whistles just makes you look like a generic salesperson who will do whatever it takes to get people to buy. Generate leads with a quality presentation and you gain permanent customers instead.
Never overlook or underestimate a lead source. You will have many avenues for gathering leads such as buying or self-gathering or even word-of-mouth. Always look at each avenue for validity. Buying leads can be a great way to jump start your efforts, but they may not be the same quality leads you gain from a targeted effort.
Make sure that your website is linked to social media. All social media avenues have ways to help out your lead generation. Don’t just stick with one campaign. Try different campaigns so that you’ll get a bigger picture of what isn’t working and what is working well.
Be careful if you purchase social media followers. This might seem like it’s a great way to boost your efforts in getting leads, but it doesn’t necessarily mean those leads are valid. Many of the accounts may not be valid at all. It might be that you are sharing great information to empty accounts.
Use your website to convert leads. Many people that visit your product site may not buy. The key is to find ways to gather some information and target them in the future. It is important to remember, they were on your site for a reason. Gathering information means you can target them in the future and convert to a sale.
Leads are definitely part of the foundation of your business. You must continuously be seeking new leads by pursuing different strategies. The advice provided should help you get started, and you’re going to have to make sure you maintain your focus. If you do these things, the leads will come.
