How do you generate leads online?

Generating leads is a key element of a sales strategy as it directly affects the success of the business. An increase in the number of leads and their value translates into increased sales and business growth. Almost every company, regardless of industry, bases its sales process on effective lead generation.

Nowadays, many online tools are available to support this process. In this article, we will look at effective methods of generating leads using different marketing channels.

In a nutshell:

1. What is a lead

1.1 Types of leads by engagement

2. How do you generate leads online?

2.1 Positioning (SEO)

2.2 Google Ads

2.4 Social Media

2.5 E-mail marketing

3. what helps you to acquire leads better?

4 Summary

What is a lead?

A lead is the contact details of a potential customer that can play a key role in the sales process. In the simplest terms, a lead is information about a person or company who has expressed an interest in the products or services offered by your company. This data is usually collected through various forms of contact, such as web forms, which contain basic information such as name, phone number and email address.

Types of leads by engagement

1. hot lead

A hot lead is a person or company that is strongly interested in an offer and ready to make a purchase. Such leads are extremely valuable because their acquisition leads directly to increased company profits.

2. Lead warm

A warm lead is a person or business that has shown interest in an offer but is not currently ready to buy. Warm leads are valuable because they can be converted into hot leads through further marketing activities such as sending emails, special offers or educational content. During these activities, it is crucial to maintain contact and strengthen the relationship, which ultimately aims to lead to a purchase.

3. cold lead

A cold lead is a person or company that has only shown a slight interest in an offer, for example by signing up to a newsletter, but does not actively engage in further communication. Turning a cold lead into a hot lead requires the implementation of thoughtful marketing activities.

How do you generate leads online?

Leads can be obtained through various marketing activities, such as:

Positioning (SEO)

One of the most effective ways to generate leads that can be undertaken is through SEO. SEO consists of a number of activities, the most important being:

1. Site analytics and diagnostics:

Use of tools such as Google Analytics, Ahrefs, SEMrush.

2. Keyword strategy:

Key phrase research using Google Keyword Planner, Moz Keyword Explorer.

3. Content marketing and on-page optimisation:

Content optimisation for SEO, SEO copywriting, meta tag optimisation.

4. Link building:

Acquiring valuable links.

5. Technical SEO:

Optimisation of page load speed, responsiveness, site architecture, SSL security, monitoring of indexing errors.

How does SEO affect lead generation?

1. Increased visibility in search engines:

Higher rankings in Google search results mean more visibility for your website, which translates into more traffic.

2. Increased trust and credibility:

Sites ranking highly in search results are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy, which encourages visitors to leave their contact details.

3. Content optimisation:

Create valuable and engaging content that responds to the questions and needs of potential customers.

4. Improved user experience (UX):

Technical SEO, such as optimising page load speed, responsiveness and ease of navigation, improves the user experience, making it more likely that users will stay on the site longer and perform the desired action.

5. Local SEO:

Optimising for local search attracts users from a specific geographical area who are more likely to use your services.

6. Keyword strategy:

Optimising for relevant keywords attracts users who are interested in your products or services, which increases the chances of generating leads.

7. Link building:

Acquiring valuable links increases a site's authority, which can lead to better search engine rankings and more visitors.

8. Monitoring and optimisation:

Regularly analysing data and monitoring SEO performance allows you to continuously optimise your strategy to increase the effectiveness of your activities and lead generation.

To sum up, SEO not only increases the amount of traffic to the site, but also improves its quality, resulting in more leads being generated.

Positioning gives your business a chance to be noticed; without it, it will drown in a sea of competition. The better the visibility, the greater the interest.

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Google Ads

What are Google Ads campaigns? These are paid advertisements displayed on the Google search engine. It is a very quick way to generate valuable leads. 

What activities make up Google Ads campaigns? In a nutshell, activities such as:

1. Choice of advertising target

Defining the objective of the campaign, e.g. increasing sales or building brand awareness.

2. Definition of the budget

Aligning the daily budget with marketing objectives.

3. Keyword selection and ad matching

Analysis and selection of keywords that match customer intentions. 

4. Designing effective advertising

Create compelling headlines and ad content that attracts attention and encourages clicks. 

5. Target audience settings

Targeting users based on interests, location and behaviour. 

6. Performance monitoring and data analysis

Regular tracking of campaign progress, analysis of website traffic, conversion rates and ad quality and then optimisation of the campaign based on the data collected.

How do Google Ads campaigns affect lead generation?

1. Precise targeting - ads reach the right audience based on their searches and interests.

2. high willingness to buy - keywords attract people who are ready to buy.

3. Increasing visibility - campaigns raise brand awareness.

4 Effective calls to action - clear messages encourage users to make a decision.

5 Personalisation and remarketing - offer reminders help to win back people who have not previously made a purchase.

Remember that Google is the world's dominant search enginewhich is used by 95% people in Poland. With access to such a large number of potential customers, Google Ads is very effective. Great results can be achieved by combining Google Ads campaigns with SEO activities.

Social Media

What activities make up social media campaigns?

• Active profiles: maintaining accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok according to the target group.

• Webinars and live broadcasts: Direct communication with potential customers.

• CTA in posts: Clear calls to action.

• Lead magnets: Offers encouraging contact details.

• Sponsorship of events: Promoting the brand by participating in events.

• Reference campaigns: Rewarding customers for referrals.

• Chatbots: Automatic collection of contact details.

• Surveys and quizzes: Engaging and collecting data.

• Groups on social media platforms: Building a community around a brand.

• Cooperation with influencers.

• Sponsored posts and advertisements: Paid content promotion.

How to generate leads through Social Media?

• Precise targeting: Tailoring advertising to a specific audience.

• Engaging content: Create valuable posts that attract attention.

• Interactivity: Using competitions, quizzes, webinars to collect contact details.

• Automation: Using chatbots for rapid data collection.

• Cooperation with influencers: Promoting products by people with a large number of followers.

E-mail marketing

How do you do email marketing?

• Choose the right platform: Use marketing automation tools such as MailChimp, GetResponse or FreshMail, which allow you to easily create and manage campaigns and analyse the results.

• Define objectives: Identify what you want to achieve, such as increasing sales or building loyalty.

• Know your target group: Analyse audience data to tailor content to their needs and preferences.

• Build your mailing base: Collect email addresses through forms on the website or offers of valuable content, bearing in mind compliance with RODO.

• Design a newsletter: Create aesthetically pleasing and readable emails that look good on a variety of devices.

• Personalise: Divide your audience base into different groups and tailor content to their needs and interests.

• Engage your audience: Provide valuable content and encourage interaction through CTAs (e.g. "Receive a discount" or "Buy now").

• Measure and optimise: Analyse campaign results, such as open and click-through rates, and optimise content based on the results.

• Automate: Use automation to manage emails, e.g. through welcome emails and sequences dependent on recipient behaviour.

How does email marketing affect lead generation?

1. automation of processes

• Welcome emails: Automated welcome sequences help build relationships with new subscribers, introducing them to your company's offerings and values.

• Behaviour-dependent sequences: Automation allows the creation of email sequences that respond to specific user actions, such as site visits or cart abandonment.

2. personalisation of communication

• Individual Approach: Personalising content, e.g. using the recipient's first name or adapting offers to their previous activities, increases engagement and campaign effectiveness.

3. relationship building

• Increased confidence: Regularly uploading valuable content, news or tutorials helps to build long-term customer relationships.

• Education: Emails can provide practical information and advice, which increases the value of the brand in the eyes of the audience.

4. customer retention

• Loyalty programmes: Emails can inform about loyalty programmes, special offers and discounts, which promotes customer retention.

• Reactivation of users: Campaigns to reactivate inactive subscribers can restore engagement and increase the chance of conversion.

Email marketing, if well planned and executed, can significantly support the customer acquisition process.

What helps you acquire leads better?

1. fast response time

Research shows that making contact within the first minute increases the likelihood of conversion by 391%, while contact after one hour reduces this likelihood by as much as seven times.

2. Simple forms

It is worth remembering to keep the form as short and simple as possible. Forms that are too long and complicated can discourage interested people from completing them, which can result in the loss of potential leads. Limiting the number of fields to fill in helps to increase the chances of a person deciding to submit their contact details.

3. lead scoring

Lead Scoring is a technique for assessing potential customers to determine which ones show the most interest in your product or service. This method enables you to prioritise leads, helping you to focus on the most promising ones.

4 Team training

It is also important to systematically train the sales team on best practices for managing leads and responding quickly to the interest of potential customers.

Summary

Generating leads through the internet is key to business growth and can be achieved through SEO, Google Ads, Social Media and email marketing. SEO increases visibility and trust in a website, Google Ads accurately target interested people, Social Media engages audiences through interactive content and email marketing supports relationship building and customer retention. It is important to use techniques that are appropriate for your business.