11 Lead Generation secrets every business owner should know

Want to know how to generate enough leads with a small budget read more.

If there is one word which brings a soothing music to the ears of the business owners, it is Leads and more leads and more leads.

Lead generation is very crucial for successful operations of every business. You may have the best product or service in the world but if you don’t have substantial leads, your business will be unpredictable and unstable.

Sales are direct outcome of the number and quality of leads your sales team can generate and close, in the absence of the leads your sales will be low, and profits will be slim.

Lead generation can also cost a lot of money upfront- which is not always an option for small businesses with tight budgets.

In this blog post, we will go over 11 lead generation secret strategies that work well for small businesses and are also inexpensive!

What do you mean by lead generation?

Lead generation is the initial process of sales cycle wherein finding the prospects who might be interested in your product or services, sales team works following sales strategies to attract people to your products/services who are inclined in your products and services.

The end goal for lead generation activity is either a sale or helping you build relationships with potential customers so that when they need your product or service, they will come back to you first.

A lead generation strategy can be as simple as sending out a postcard and following up with your prospects. Other tactics include email, phone calls, social media, and even face-to-face meetings.

Your business should have a plan for lead generation. Here are some tips:

What is the best way to get leads for your business?

1. Referral Marketing: Make a referral system that is based on incentives.

One of the best strategies for start-up businesses or professionals is to reach out to their connects and request for referrals either in lieu of the relationships or some form of rewards/incentives, this works best as people trust their knows friends or family members more than the promises made by businesses through paid advertisements.

People may want to share your business with others, but you need to give them a reason. Offer incentives such as discounts for future purchases or exclusive offers when they bring in referrals.

This will help encourage customers and clients to send leads your way since the incentive is appealing enough to make sharing worth their time.

2. Market your business to a niche audience.

Based on the product/service which you are marketing, try to create a profitable Niche segment for yourself, if you have a product or service that can cater to the pains, needs and desires of the target customer groups, this is another great way to get leads.

Since you are catering to a very select group of people, you can customize your brand communication and target your message addressing the needs of the customer, you may get more leads in comparison to someone who is targeting a broader market segment.

You’ll need a budget for this, but if done right, it can yield significant results. Just make sure you’re sending targeted messages to the people you want to reach.

3. Explore the power of direct mail.

Marketing tool which can promise one of the best ROI is direct mail, even though this is an old-school technique, but it can still work in today’s digital landscape.

Send out a direct mail piece to your target market and include coupons or other incentives that appeal to them.

You may need to test different messages and offers overtime, but this traditional method has the potential of bringing in leads if done right. You can hire some interns or freelancers to help you create engaging email content based on your budget.

4. Make good use of social media.

Getting your business online can-do wonders for your business, even if you think that yours is a very orthodox or traditional business and not many are promoting it online, you should focus on getting your business online.

You can have a Lead generation strategy based on your business goals and even if you are not willing to spend huge money on the promotions, you can utilize the Organic approach and gradually it will help you generate leads for your products or services.

By consistently communicating with your target audiences, you can build their confidence and they will start approaching you for their needs.

You can share content relevant to your target market from other sources (like blogs) and leave a comment, or you could post pictures of people using what you offer with the “share” button on Facebook to spread them around even further.

If done right, this will not only help you generate more leads, but will also increase brand awareness.

Remember quality over quantity when it comes to this one!

You don’t need tons of followers, just the right ones.

This means you need to know your target market and make sure that they’re following you on social media, too, so you can stay connected with them while promoting what you offer along the way.

Pro tip: Always interact with these people by liking, commenting that your business is active within your community.

5. Create and publish high-quality content.

Even if your financial condition of your business does not allow you to have a big spend for your lead generation efforts but exploring the creative ways of connecting with your customers is still a great possibility for you, you can always create and publish stellar content online.

A few ways to go about this are through guest blogging on other relevant websites or creating a blog of your own where you share the latest industry information and tips and tricks related to what you offer.

The more people who see your business and what you offer, the better chance that they’ll come back to do business with you.

Pro tip: Be sure not to focus too much on just promoting yourself when you’re writing content. Always provide value first.

6. Highly interactive website and using CTAs on your website to boost conversions.

Your website is a great way to promote your business and generate leads for your business, having an interactive website designed based on your business requirements is a great tool.

Keeping the website updated with all the relevant information, offers, discounts, promotional offers help generate leads.

One of the great ways to maximize lead generation is through CTA (Call To Action) where you request a visitor to interact with you. If you’re not already doing it, then start optimizing your website for lead generation.

This means that every page should have a CTA (call to action) and/or an opt-in form somewhere on the page so visitors can subscribe to receive more information about what they want or need.

They’ll appreciate this since it will help leads make a better purchase decision. Be sure to optimize your website for mobile users since this is where most people are shopping these days.

Here’s an example: If you do not have a lead generation form on your blog, then place one there so that visitors can subscribe and give their contact information in exchange for tips or other useful content.

7. Hold events or webinars.

This is one of the most effective ways to generate leads as it will allow you to meet with people face-to-face.

You can hold webinars or even invite your target market out for drinks at a local bar! The more personalized, the better.

If done right, this could lead to something bigger and provide you with some great contacts who will keep you in mind for future business.

Pro tip: Make sure to create something that gives your leads a reason to sign up beforehand! You don’t want them going elsewhere if nothing is holding them back from this happening.

8. Sponsor a local event or charity initiative.

Sponsoring something gives you exposure and allows people to see that your business cares about the community around them!

This can be done by promoting it on social media with images, videos, etc., sharing flyers in public places where they will see it (think coffee shops), or even speaking at the event itself.

Pro tip: Don’t forget about your target market! When you’re promoting this, make sure to focus on how it will benefit them and why they should care too.

9. Create an automated email series (or autoresponder) to promote your services.

An email series is a great way to keep in touch with your leads.

It can be done through newsletters or even individual emails sent throughout the week that provide information about something new you’ve started, tips they might find helpful for their situation, and more!

Pro tip: Make sure to personalize them based on what it’s about or who you are sending it to. It’s amazing how much more effective this is when done right.

10. Add a live chat feature to your website.

People love to have a quick way to get their questions answered or problems solved.

Therefore having the option of live chat on your site can be an effective lead generation strategy! It allows them to access 24 hrs and they will know that you are available whenever something comes up (and it helps build trust in the process).

Pro tip: Make sure to have multiple chat hosts available at one time so that people know they can reach someone immediately and don’t have to wait.

11. Team up with other businesses in your industry or niche!

You may not think of this as a lead generation strategy, but it is! This allows you to partner together and cross-promote each other so that you can both benefit.

It’s a win-win situation, and it provides an opportunity for your target market to get more value from two sources instead of just one!

Pro tip: Don’t forget about the promotional strategies mentioned above, such as holding events together or even promoting each other’s websites.