If you’re in the business game for the long haul and want to execute a long-term growth strategy, you need to focus on two key processes: lead generation and customer (client) retention.
While it is true that landing a new customer or client can cost up to five times more than keeping existing business, you still need to land them first before nurturing them into loyal brand followers and ambassadors.
Likewise, strategic lead generation will become essential when you start expanding and are in need of new clients.
To execute a cost-effective lead generation strategy, you will not only need to develop your brand identity to stand out from the competition, but you will also need to employ various strategies in all areas of digital marketing.
Here are the five strategies you might not know of that can lead customers to your doorstep.
1. Assume an educational role in your industry
While everyone else is pushing products and services without any significant context other than “you need this product”, you want to be the authority and the trustworthy source people can turn to.
Your brand has the potential to reach the hearts and minds of its audience, and use its stories, values, and visuals to establish an emotional connection with prospects.
Why should you bother to do all of this, you ask?
Because without a unique brand identity to back you up, you are no different than your competitors.
As a part of the herd, you won’t stand out, people won’t notice you, nor will you incentivize them to join your ranks.
This is why you need to emphasize content marketing to portray your brand’s values and promise in a compelling way.
With informative blogs, infographics, videos, podcasts, and more, you can become the transparent and authoritative figure everyone will love and trust.
2. Enhance your digital presence with SEO
By now, you know that SEO plays a major role in building the long-term success of your company.
In the modern digital world, you simply must invest in search engine optimization, as there is no better way to position your brand in front of the eyes and ears of your audience.
This includes your leads as well. What’s more, SEO is all about attracting quality leads, which should be your primary objective.
To position your brand higher in the SERPs, tend to meticulous search engine optimization across the board.
Start with technical SEO by making sure your pages are properly indexed, and then proceed to integrate relevant keywords into your website copy, and your content strategy in general.
Additionally, aim to drive traffic from other authority websites in your industry by guest posting and earning quality backlinks organically.
3. Leverage conversational marketing to your advantage
Communication is arguably the most important word in every lead generation strategy.
Nowadays, potential customers and the online audience in general want and need to be able to communicate with their brands seamlessly and efficiently.
You can’t afford to stay silent in a world of seamless global communication, rather, you need to make yourself readily available to communicate with your prospects on every platform in existence.
That means online and offline.
Particularly, focus on live service.
People don’t want to wait around for you to respond to their emails, instead, they want to talk to you right there on the spot.
This ever-growing trend has made comprehensive website chat management systems a must-have business solution nowadays, as you need to communicate with your prospects regularly if you are to nurture and convert them into paying customers.
Keep your customer happiness agents online at all times, and make sure they can address prospects in their native language to maximize positive feedback.
4. Incentivize engagement on social media
There is no denying that the modern online world is governed by the voice of social media.
Quite simply, social media has become the most powerful mass media in existence, and you want to leverage its potential to attract prospects and keep existing business.
Luckily, social media lets you achieve this in a number of ways.
- Firstly, focus on quality posts. Optimize your content strategy for the specific SM channel to attract customers and guide them to your website.
- Next, spark interesting conversations and discussions by posing questions and stating your opinion on interesting matters – people love brands with distinct values.
- Thirdly, leverage user-generated content to gather social proof and improve word of mouth.
- And lastly, don’t forget about sponsored ads and their potential to get people interested quickly.
5. Master the art of email marketing
On a final note, invest in email marketing.
Email has experienced a true renaissance over the last decade and has once again become one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses of all sizes.
Drive email engagement through the roof and generate leads by making them personal, educational, and CTA-oriented.
Don’t forget to use emails to build omnichannel communication by pointing prospects to your website chat, your social media accounts, your blog, and other conversion-oriented tools and pages.
Final thoughts
Lead generation is the driving force behind long-term business growth and should be one of your top priorities throughout the year.
Use these strategies to create a comprehensive lead generation plan that will improve brand recognition, trust, and awareness in the online world.
In turn, conversions and loyalty are bound to follow suit.
My name is Raul, editor in chief at Technivorz blog. I have a lot to say about innovations in all aspects of digital technology and online marketing. You can reach me out on Twitter.
