Lead generation is one of the most widespread marketing efforts, both by small business owners and specialized departments within large corporations. The reason for these efforts is that it is increasingly harder to attract new customers and build loyalty. Every single day, from waking up to going to bed, people see and hear call-to-actions: visit this website, try this product, or take a look at our new shopping venue.
Rebuilding the Customer Acquisition Model
Less than a decade ago, the AIDA system worked. It meant that all you had to do is get people’s attention, raise their interest, create desire to buy the product and move on directly to acquisition (sale).
Today, this model no longer works for the simple reason stated in the paragraph above: it is extremely hard to get people’s attention in the first place. So, how do you generate leads for your business these days? Here are 4 useful tools to help:
1. Quora
Quora is an online platform where people ask questions and others answer. You can start generating leads in two ways. First, you look for questions related to your business fields and answer them. At the end of your answer, you also include a call-to-action for people to visit your website and learn more.
Secondly, you can ask questions to understand your potential clients’ needs. You can inquire about their level of satisfaction in solving the specific need you cater to, or simply find out how widespread the need for your products and services is. Best if all: this lead generation tool is completely free.
2. LinkedIn
There are so many ways you can use LinkedIn for your lead generation efforts. The huge database of professionals in every field under the sun and the sophisticated search system with in-depth search filter make finding highly-targeted prospects a breeze.
LinkedIn Groups are a tool that marketers and small business owners shouldn’t ignore. With more than 2 million groups and growing on LinkedIn, it has never been easier to raise awareness about your business and connect directly with prospects hungry for your products or services.
3. Company Blog
Did you know that:
– 57% of businesses have generated leads from the blog?
– 81% businesses report that their blog is very useful or essential to their lead generation efforts?
These statistics are sufficient to convince you that maintaining an up-to-date blog with interesting and useful information is a powerful tool for lead generation. The purpose of the blog is to offer free advice, to inform your subscribers of the latest news related to your company and your industry, and to build a long lasting relationship of trust and loyalty.
4. SlideShare
SlideShare is a great online platform to share interesting and useful information as slides with great graphics. You can either create original content, or get more of your existing content by rearranging and selecting the highlights of white papers or e-books.
The nifty feature of SlideShare that marketers love is Lead Gen (formerly LeadShare), which allows you to collect contact information of users viewing your slides. The best part about this feature is when you embed your SlideShare presentation on your website or other platforms, the lead capture form remains intact.