Friday, March 18, 2016

Lead Generation Techniques 101 For Modern Marketers #FreebieFriday

Have you ever wondered why email marketing brings such high ROI and why so many companies consider it their top online marketing channel?

Well, it’s simply because email marketing is designed to generate leads. Firstly, you have the double opt-in process, which means that only the people who are really interested in your offer subscribe to your newsletter. Secondly, you can carefully segment your list and engage your audience through thoroughly personalized messages.

In fact, you can plan your subscription process in detail and gradually turn your subscribers into satisfied customers/brand ambassadors eagerly leaving positive reviews and spreading the good word about your business.

Now you know what makes email marketing so effective. But do you know what to do in order to unlock its potential? We have selected a few tips that will help you get the most of your email marketing.

 

Create target audience personas

Start with developing your target audience persona – a detailed profile allowing you to step into the shoes of your ideal customer. Ask yourself some basic questions:

  • Who are they?
  • Are they male or female?
  • How old are they?
  • Where do they live?
  • What do they do?
  • How much do they earn?
  • Are they single, married, or married with kids?

Dig deeper:

  • What problems do they solve?
  • What keeps them up at night?
  • What frustrates them the most?
  • What have they tried in the past that didn’t work?
  • Who is their enemy?
  • Who do they admire?
  • What are their values that they would never compromise on?
  • What are they looking for?
  • What does their dream solution look like?

The more information you collect the easier it will be to create content that is attractive to your target customers.

 

Be where your target audience is

Once you prepare the target personas, you will know exactly where to find the right people. Think of all the possible places you can meet your potential customers and invite them to subscribe to your newsletter. Try out different channels and incorporate the most efficient into our marketing strategy.

If your potential customers are avid social media users, pick their favorite channels and reach out – social media has proven to be an extremely effective way to reach precisely targeted audiences. Use search engine advertising to redirect users to a landing page with a subscription form.

Stay active offline: collect email addresses in-store – ask customers for their email address at the end of their purchase or invite people to sign-up at events and conferences.

 

Prepare powerful lead magnets

If you want to attract the right kind of customers, you need strong lead magnets – free incentives for joining your email list.

According to Pam Neely, the first thing to do is to choose the right topic for your lead magnet. Get that right and half the battle is won. There are three essential questions you have to answer to choose a topic for your lead magnet.

  • What topics do your ideal customers or clients want to know about?
  • What topics would be easiest for you to create a lead magnet about?
  • What content format would be the best way to deliver that information?

Pam also provides 10 proven lead magnet ideas:

  1. A video course that can be accessed all at once.
  2. A video course delivered via autoresponder, say for 10 days.
  3. An infographic so useful they’ll want to tape it to their refrigerator or their office wall.
  4. A calendar (like a gardening to do list calendar).
  5. A gear list (e.g. top 5 content marketing tools for your business)
  6. A checklist for how to do something that needs to be done more than once, or that seems complicated. Cheat sheets are also very popular, as are flow charts or process charts.
  7. A how-to ebook in PDF format.
  8. A half hour consultation. This one is excellent for coaches.
  9. A coupon (if you’re a retailer or a local business, this is for you). Coupons can be for 10% off, for free shipping, for a free cup of coffee… you get the idea.
  10. Free tickets to a special event (best for local businesses).

 

Find your own top lead generation techniques

There are lots of lead generation techniques you might find effective, like:

Including an online sign-up form. Since it’s free to subscribe, those who are hesitant to spend money, may be willing to sign up, giving you the opportunity to convert subscribers into paying customers.

Including sign-up with a website registration. If you offer a members-only area (paid or free), add a check box on the registration for to opt-in to your mailing list.

Using Facebook ads to drive traffic. Think about activities your target clients enjoy then choose the appropriate keywords to attract leads.

Running a Facebook contest. People who already follow your Facebook page are perfect targets. By offering a chance for a discount or prize, you increase the likelihood that they will buy from you later.

Starting a referral program. Your valuable service, combined with an enticing incentive, can inspire users to refer friends to your list, leading to rapid list growth. People tend to trust the services their friends tell them about.

The most important thing is to monitor all your lead generation efforts and choose the most effective techniques for your business.

 

#FreebieFriday with TechnologyAdvice

We paired up with TechnologyAdvice to bring any beginner the ultimate guide to lead generation.

If you want to learn more on building a database of contacts and then guiding those leads through the buying process until they’re ready to talk to your sales team and make a purchase, download the ebook below.

What are your top lead generation techniques? Let us know in the comments!

The post Lead Generation Techniques 101 For Modern Marketers #FreebieFriday appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Email Marketing Tips.

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