9 Lead-Generation Strategies to Help You Make More Sales

No matter what you’re selling, marketing is the cornerstone of your business. Without it, it’s going to be tough to connect with consumers, and next to impossible to keep your business going. But if you put some solid lead-generation strategies in place, you can ensure a steady stream of customers that will help you make more sales and keep your business running for years to come.

The term lead generation, also called customer acquisition or list building, refers to the process of attracting interested consumers to your business and nurturing relationships with them, with the end goal being to convert them into paying customers.

But with today’s consumers having more options than ever, you’ve got to get this right, as connecting with the right consumers, or failing to do so, can make or break your business.

However, simply building that list and connecting with potential leads isn’t enough. You also need a plan in place to actively nurture those leads and convince them to convert, but many fall short of this critical step.

So, if you’re struggling with how to make more sales, and you’re looking for lead-generation strategies to help you bring in more business, you’re going to want to keep reading.

Lead-Generation Strategies to Help You Sell More

Now that you know why lead generation is so important to the success of your business, you’re probably wondering how you can start generating all those leads and making more sales.

With that in mind, below I’ve explained some of the best lead-generation strategies that you can use to connect with consumers and ensure a steady stream of customers for your business.

1) Content Marketing

When it comes to lead-generation strategies, content marketing is arguably one of the most powerful approaches.

For instance, regularly publishing informative blog posts (like this one), that address your target audience’s pain points can help you attract organic traffic to your website.

And if people like your content, that might entice them to come back to your website for more, sign up for your newsletter, or even consider purchasing your products or services.

But if you want to ensure your content ranks well in search engines, so people can actually find it, make sure to SEO-optimize your blogs by breaking up the text with headings, include relevant keywords, and ensure paragraphs are no longer than 1-2 sentences.

This will ensure your content is easy to read, simple to skim through, and will look good no matter what device you’re using.

2) Email Marketing

Email marketing is another great lead-generation strategies, not least because it allows you to reach your audience directly, and it pairs particularly well with content marketing.

For example, you can send out a newsletter that links to a blog article you’ve written, which encourages recipients to go to your website, consume your content, and if all goes well, become one of your clients or customers.

And by segmenting your subscribers based on their interests and behaviours, you can send personalized content that resonates with your subscribers on a very deep level.

Automated email campaigns can further enhance this strategy, but we’ll get into that a bit more in a minute.

3) Free Giveaways

One of the dilemmas of email marketing is how to get people to give you their information.

In my experience, very few people will actually do this on their own without any incentive, so what we typically do is offer some sort of free giveaway in exchange for users’ contact info. Usually, the giveaway is some sort of report, white paper, or guide in the form of a downloadable PDF, access to a webinar or video, or something like that.

But whatever you choose to do, what you’re giving away should be something that’s absolutely irresistible to your audience, otherwise people aren’t going to bother signing up.

What’s more, you’ve got to make sure it’s relevant to what you do, otherwise you’re going to end up with a bunch of unqualified leads who likely have little or no interest in what you’re offering.

4) Email Automation

Once someone has given you their information, you can’t just sit and wait for them to contact you. Email automation allows you to write a series of prescheduled auto-responder emails that will get sent to your subscribers at predetermined intervals.
 
These emails can link to additional information that can add even greater value to your giveaway, like related blog articles or videos, offer an invitation for a free consultation, or a “welcome package” for new subscribers that contains special offers and bonuses.
 
This can help you save a ton of time when nurturing leads, as you don’t have to reach out personally for each and every email, and you can just sit back and let the automation do its thing.

5) Social Media Marketing

Actively engaging with your audience on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram allows you to establish an emotional connection with your followers, which can help you gain more leads and make more sales.

You can do this by sharing relevant content, responding to comments, and participating in conversations related to your industry, which shows your followers what you’re all about and can help them decide if they’re interested in what you’re offering.

Paid social ads are another effective tool for generating leads, which allows you to target a specific audience and then direct them to a landing page where they can learn more about what you do and sign up for your offerings.

The key is to focus your attention on the platforms where your target audience is spending their time.

6) Social Media Outreach

Another great lead-generation strategy is to reach out directly to your social media followers.

For example, when a follower leaves a comment on your social media, you can send them a private message to tell them that you agree with them or compliment them on how insightful they were.

Then, you can offer them a free consultation, a discount on one of your products or services, or something else of value as a thank you for their engagement.
 
You can also gather the contact info of those in your audience who have liked and/or commented and email them a personal note thanking them for being a fan and offering a special “insider discount” or something exclusive that they just can’t resist.

But remember, it’s against the law to automatically add people to your email list without their consent, so this can only be done by individually emailing these people. Also be careful that you use this approach without the intention of trying to sell them something. Be genuine and authentically interested in them to avoid turning them off right away. 

7) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for improving your website’s visibility and is therefore a key component of any effective lead-generation strategy.

On-page SEO, for example, which includes optimizing your content, meta tags, and URLs, can help your website rank higher in search engine results, and targeting keywords that potential leads are searching for can increase your chances of attracting the right audience.

For businesses that serve specific geographic areas, local SEO is essential, so if this is what you do, make sure to include geographical keywords in your website content that are relevant to the areas you serve.

You should also ensure that your Google My Business profile is optimized, and if you encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, it can significantly improve your local search rankings, which may help you generate more leads, and in turn, make more sales.

8) Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, particularly when it’s done through Google Ads, is another incredibly effective lead-generation strategy.

This tactic allows you to run targeted campaigns for the most relevant keywords, ensuring that your ads appear at the top of the search results when people search for those terms.

Retargeting ads can also be highly effective, as they allow you to reach out to people who have previously visited your website but didn’t convert, keeping your business top of mind and encouraging them to return and make a purchase.

9) Be Consistent

If you want your lead-generation strategies to be successful, you can’t just sit on your email list waiting for something to happen. You’ve got to engage your audience often and on a regular basis, otherwise they may end up forgetting who you are or losing interest in what you have to offer. But regardless of which tactics you’re using to generate leads, make sure to interact with your audience regularly.

So, if you’re focusing on content marketing by publishing blogs, or email marketing by sending out newsletters, try to publish on a regular basis, at least once a month. If you’re focused primarily on social media, you’ll have to publish content more regularly, but the same rule applies. If you’re posting three times per week, do it faithfully and consistently.

Whatever you choose to do, if you want to generate high-quality leads and make more sales, make sure to be consistent when interacting with your audience.

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(Featured image by Jason Goodman via Unsplash)

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