Lead Generation: 4 Overlooked Ways to Get Qualified Leads

Getting highly qualified leads make your sales team happy and increases your return on your marketing investment. Finding them is the trick. SEO, PPC advertising, and content marketing are the key ways to get qualified leads to your brand. But, there are also a few ways you get even more qualified leads who are more likely to buy. With these four tips, you can see more leads coming your way:

Get qualified leads at in-person events.

Meet-ups, networking events, and trade shows all give you a chance to connect in person with potential clients. Make it easy and appealing for them to visit your website while they are there. The fact that you’ve already had an in-person meeting builds trust and makes them more likely to do business with your brand. Personalized URLs and QR codes for each event can make it easier to track where you met a prospect. Offer special discounts or perks to people who sign up for your mailing list at events, as well, so you can keep the conversation going.

Ask customers for referrals.

There is nothing more powerful than a referral. Chances are good that your current customers know people who may also be able to use your brand’s offerings. Offer current customers bonuses or discounts when they send you a new prospect who converts. Current customers can be especially beneficial, since there is built-in social proof. A person known to the new prospect is already using and enjoying the product or service. The trust that they feel for their friend or colleague transfers to your brand.

Reward employees for producing qualified leads.

Employees should have some incentive to bring qualified leads to you. Consider perks like small bonuses for those who bring in leads that convert or contests to see who can bring in the most qualified leads in a quarter. Thank employees who bring in leads and make sure they are publicly acknowledged for their valuable work. By creating a culture where their contributions are rewarded, employees are more likely to go above and beyond looking for new leads to bring to your business.

Offer demos, e-books, or free trials to website visitors.

Few people are willing to jump in and use a product that they know nothing about. Free trials or demos of your service, along with e-books that show your expertise, can help make your business more familiar. When they see how your product or service works, they can get a better idea of how it will benefit them to do business with your brand. And, don’t forget to follow up after sending them their perk. Catching them while they are engaged and enthusiastic is key to your success.

Next Steps: Nurturing

Once you have your prospects’ contact information on email and social channels, use the various channels available to you to communicate with them. Different content is appropriate for people at different stages of their buyer’s journey. By creating content that has just the right information and persuasion at every stage from awareness to the moment that they identify your product as the solution to their dilemma, you can make it more likely that they will continue through the process and do business with your brand.

These small changes can have a big impact. By incorporating these practices into your marketing strategy, you will see more qualified leads come in and more prospects convert to happy customers.