Are you sick of using the same outdated lead-generation techniques everyone uses?
This article will discuss 20 unique lead-generation strategies that will do wonders for your company this year.
From unconventional social media strategies to creative email marketing tactics, get ready to take your lead generation game to the next level.
So let’s start and discover some innovative and exciting techniques to generate leads like never before!
Online Lead-Generation Techniques That Work
Adopting online lead-generating strategies by professional services companies has been rather gradual.
Unsurprisingly, many popular online lead generation techniques, such as competitions and sweepstakes, need to be more appropriate for many professional services organizations and their clients.
However, many professionals maintain the false notion that networking and recommendations are the only ways to find new clients.
The world is changing, hello!
Many professional services companies are already experiencing considerable amounts of qualified leads produced by a new business development approach.
For this and other reasons, it’s good you are here to learn the 20 unusual lead-generation techniques that work this year.
But what is lead generation?
Lead generation attracts and identifies potential customers for a business’s products or services.
It aims to spark interest in a company’s products and services while collecting contact information, including names and email addresses, that can be used to cultivate and turn these potential consumers into actual clients.
Now that we are on the same page, let’s dive right in!
1. Make Your Lead Generation Form Simpler
Here's the deal:
Your conversion form creates friction for your users if it has many fields.
For example, users will have less time to consider their options, so requesting less information will increase conversions. Later on, you can request more specific information as the customer relationship develops throughout the sales funnel.
Another example is how your signup page for your newsletter should be straightforward since the prospect may be unfamiliar with your company.
However, an ebook offer justifies more fields because the prospect is doing more research on your business.
No matter where a prospect is in the sales funnel, the less resistance you encounter, the faster and easier the conversion form needs.
See what next tactic works this year.
2. Check Out the SEO Sources and Competitors
Did you know that the lowest client acquisition cost makes search engine optimization (SEO) one of the best lead-generating tactics?
Let’s talk numbers:
When it comes to online investments, SEO offers the highest ROI at 49%.
So, how can you make the most of this valuable information?
For a better understanding of the market, you can see what kind of content is effective for them. Examine what your competitors are writing about to advance your SEO lead-generation techniques.
But that's not all!
It also helps for better KPI prediction and lead-generating strategy evaluation.
You may produce tailored leads using keyword research, which raises the lead-to-sales ratio even higher. You can do this by looking up broad topic concepts pertinent to your company using SEMrush or Ahrefs tools.
They provide you with long-tail keywords, which are three to five words long and allow you to target your ideal client more precisely.
3. Using Search Intent As a Tool
The typical sales funnel has three stages:
- Conversion
- Consideration
- Awareness
But what if there was a way to streamline this process and increase effectiveness while saving money?
The secret lies in customization.
Adjust each lead generation technique to the particular requirements of your target audience.
How do you go about doing that? By looking at the intent of the keywords, you come across when doing research. You can categorize them as informational, navigational, or transactional.
Focus on the ones that signal a desire to purchase. These gems generate qualified leads and propel them towards conversion.
Did you also know that remarketing and retargeting also work?
4. Launch Remarketing and Retargeting Campaigns
Retargeting is one of the best ways to close sales that didn’t go through.
Retargeting campaigns are also relatively inexpensive in comparison to other forms of advertising.
What is your process? What retargeting tactics must you try?
Retargeting and remarketing aims to engage with individuals who have demonstrated interest in your website.
One effective way to generate leads is through targeted paid ads aimed at individuals who have engaged with your website or social media accounts.
You base your initial paid media ABM campaigns on your buyer persona.
Generally speaking, every retargeting campaign is more focused than your initial campaign.
This is because you can modify your audience based on the outcomes of the initial advertisement.
This strategy can also identify potential customers like your current clients:
Attempt Google’s audience expansion or Facebook’s lookalike audience.
The algorithm will help in your audience growth and lead generation.
Several systems also offer comparable features.
Now to the most trendy technique of lead generation.
5. Utilize Automation and AI As Your Lead Generation Technique
Statistics show that 9 in 10 businesses support AI to offer them an advantage against competitors.
Also, according to Gartner’s research, artificial intelligence (AI) will likely take over the market soon.
But here's the best part:
You can ride this wave of innovation and revolutionize your lead generation techniques. Say goodbye to manual lead generation and welcome the era of AI lead generation.
You can use virtual assistants and chatbots as components of your lead-generation efforts. Also, they foster leads and improve website engagement.
Now take it a step further.
Using the interaction history of visitors with your website, for instance, you may use AI to match leads with the agent who can help them the most.
Using the assets you currently own is the greatest approach to producing sales leads.
You can integrate bots with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms and link machine learning techniques to enterprise applications like Slack, Google Analytics, and email automation tools. After collecting data, AI systems can examine it to reveal insights about the origins and qualities of your leads.
Did you lose count?
This is the 6th technique that requires you to be personalized in your lead generation hunt.
6. Present Demonstrations and Lectures
Employing AI is now one of the most effective lead generation techniques. Too many businesses attempt automation too early and need help to meet their marketing objectives.
The gap between your company and a lead widens when automation goes wrong (or occurs too early).
But fear not!
You hold the key to bridging the gap between your company and potential leads.
It’s always important to give your prospects a better and more personalized experience by delivering live demos and presentations to prevent such little hiccups from developing into more significant issues.
During a live conversation with a potential customer, you can ask them why they are interested in your product or service. You can address any problems with your content and enhance your product with the help of this feedback.
On to our 7th point.
How active are you on social media?
7. Join Communities and Groups on Social Media
For a while, people have used Facebook groups to gather business leads. Nonetheless, the majority of them are taking the more complex route.
For instance, you might own a pet store and a Facebook group to gather leads.
When someone asks to join the group, one way to do this is to ask them for their number and email address.
By doing so, you will have a source of contact with leads in your niche from any social media, including Instagram. Then go ahead and creatively market your product or services.
Have you also wondered how to improve your online presence?
Here goes the point that solves your puzzle.
8. Improve Your Online Presence
A solid base is necessary for effective lead generation systems. It serves as the foundation of your online presence.
That’s why it’s time to update your LinkedIn profile if it still needs to be optimized to highlight your best traits.
Your efforts to generate leads will heavily rely on social media. If leads are looking you up, they will evaluate you based on your LinkedIn profile.
That’s why creating a profile photo that shows a capable leader gives you credit.
What you should do:
- Consider getting a headshot taken by a professional, especially with a smile.
- Employ the header image to demonstrate your skills visually.
- A picture of you with an influential person in the industry or the logos of publications you’ve been featured in can immediately increase credibility.
Such logos indicate strong online authority from the time a proficient logo maker creates them, thus, this is the best moment to use them.
In addition,
Make sure you cross off everything on this list:
- Headline: Showcase your intellectual leadership. Describe your successes, honors, and knowledge.
- Bio: They’ll read your biography after employing the credibility mentioned above boosters to draw them in.
Use this section to explain the problem you resolve and the process you use.
Encourage your friends or coworkers to write about your value to their position and the company.
Write one for them initially to get things started.
What about paid ads? Do they bring you leads in your funnel?
Here is the answer.
9. Include Paid Ads
This is another effective lead generation technique for promoting content online and increasing exposure.
For instance, PPC ads generate twice as many visitors compared to SEO.
Sponsored updates on LinkedIn, Facebook adverts, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements on Google are a few instances of paid media.
However, the technical side of those channels must be resolved if a lead generation campaign is to be successful.
Your investment will not be repaid if you make a small error, such as inserting the incorrect link.
Also, it’s important to note that most clients will lose interest in doing business with a brand after just one bad encounter.
Furthermore, broken links and slow-loading images and videos are the worst possible user experiences.
See the next point that attracts your leads.
10. Supplement Ads on Facebook and Google (Use Other Platforms)
You can increase your leads and market share thanks to the emergence of new niche-specific advertising platforms.
So what should you do?
- Look into your niche and find out which other platforms your target audience uses.
- You must exercise sound judgment when using this lead-generation technique.
- You shouldn’t use an overly specialized platform.
- Pay attention to a platform’s user base.
- It is preferable to test out the ads and see if they function for you.
Run ads and assess which of your regular SaaS marketing campaigns produces the best results by comparing lead generation metrics like clicks, impressions, etc.
11. Create Targeted Landing Pages
A lead generation landing page leads visitors to a page that requests their subscription, purchase, or registration instead of leaving them to hope that they stumble and find your CTA somewhere obscure on your website.
It’s important to understand that, regarding lead-generating landing sites, a purchase or checkout page and a page intended to collect prospect information are very different.
Customers provide their information on a lead generation landing page in return for a resource, which is the first step in the conversion funnel.
The information includes name, email, industry, phone number, and company size.
Although the data you gather differs by industry and objective, what you gather is utilized to determine whether that lead is qualified and then to nurture that prospect toward making a purchase.
12. Use an Email Marketing Strategy
Email marketing has the beauty of being a strong, adaptable, and measurable marketing channel.
Brands may expand their consumer base and increase their revenue using this method, which has a high conversion rate.
In fact, an investment in email marketing yields a 4,300 percent ROI which is a huge benefit to any company.
Therefore, to produce leads via email, you must first determine your ideal clients and their pain points.
Lastly, build an offer that addresses those issues, create a landing page to which you should direct the leads, and ensure that it has an opt-in form.
And finally, take your offer to where your target clients are.
This can entail publicizing the deal on social media and via paid advertising.
The goal is to persuade prospective consumers to consent to provide you with the contact information you may need to assist you in qualifying your leads and getting to know them better.
The work continues once you generate a few leads.
Give them a reason to accept the service or item you offer them.
Give them relevant, tailored content to draw them in and make them customers.
You may use email marketing software to create personalized emails and carry out A/B testing to adjust your strategy as needed.
13. Remove the Navigation Menu From Your Landing Page
When the conversion is your goal, including a navigation menu on your landing page reduces the likelihood of conversion.
If you keep the menu on your dedicated landing page, people may consider browsing other pages instead of doing your intended action.
If necessary, include your company logo as a link to your homepage.
Clear the landing page of any distractions to make it easier for visitors to convert. Your visitors should only be able to click the call to action button.
Here is an illustration.
Visitors to this page will only have one option after arriving: to click the call to action button.
14. Webinars
A webinar refers to an online adaptation of a seminar or other educational gathering. And lead-generating webinars are offered for free.
You can gather the most fundamental data about session attendees because registration is required. And the good news is that 65% of people sign up via email. 10% of attendees sign up on the day of the webinar, according to an On24 poll.
Remember that a webinar should be instructional, not a barely disguised sales pitch like its offline cousin. Therefore, the secret to a successful webinar is choosing topics your ideal target client finds valuable and interesting.
Attendees will be more likely to think of you when they have a need related to your industry as they grow to trust your company.
15. Create Engaging Video Content
Both marketers and salespeople love video content, particularly on LinkedIn. Why?
- They greatly increase engagement
- These are very easy to share
- It enables you to showcase your personality
Due to the short videos’ simplicity and the fact that so few people use them, they capture attention.
What is the best way for you to accomplish this?
Speak with clients you have a good rapport with. Ask them if they would join you for a two-minute video conversation. To add structure, prepare them for a certain question. Direct-to-camera recording is best if you are with them in person.
Or, arrange a Skype call and utilize screen capture software to capture the conversation. Offer your audience subtitles since some individuals could commute quickly, and keep the subject specific.
Your video material will have structure if you ask a precise question and receive a thorough response. This will also make it easier to explain the value of the video in a description.
Be sure to introduce the interviewee and explain what your audience will learn as you write your description. Both of your audiences will see your content this way.
16. Build Strategic, Win-Win Partnerships
One of the quickest methods to expand your audience is to use other people’s audience. Strategic collaborations prosper over the long term because of this. Brands and people with access to your ideal customers will value your offer.
Do these:
- Offer Complimentary Solutions
It might not be a great idea to collaborate with a FinTech business if you’re offering marketing solutions.
But that makes perfect sense if you both target marketing directors in enterprise-level firms.
Join forces with businesses that serve your target market but are not competitors.
Offer to forward any leads or recommendations to them in exchange for them doing the same.
This strategy is more of a business play than a sales play.
But you can reach a completely different market by collaborating with other sales executives in businesses that aren’t competitors.
Nowadays, a lot of SaaS platforms have their own markets.
For instance, if you’re marketing to e-commerce businesses, you might want to get listed in the Shopify Experts directory or App store, as in the example below.
- Provide Co-branded Content
Some business partners might not perceive the benefit of a referral program.
If so, provide a long-form piece of content for their audience. This should be in exchange for a portion of the leads produced.
17. Use Influencer Marketing
There are various advantages to networking with influencers, such as:
- They can supply leads and new business chances.
- Your information might benefit their engaged audience, increasing the number of people who see it.
- These could be enjoyable and prosperous chances for business growth.
So, how do you initially get in touch with them?
Most tips for connecting with B2B influencers are typically like the following:
- Sharing their content
- Tweeting at them, and leaving comments on their articles.
- Mailing them
But hold on, will increasing your social media shares solve your biggest problems?
Get influencers engaged in content creation to build a relationship, especially when that content is published to a big audience.
This works well with guest blogging.
Start with influential people.
Then, as yourself, who are your top leads’ authority figures and senior decision makers? Make a list with contact data and social media metrics.
Find a theme that interests these influencers or a portion of them.
This will eventually win more leads on your end.
18. Boost Your Content Marketing Efforts
For lead generation, many small companies use paid channels like Google Ads.
Although outbound tactics are still useful, they are typically more intrusive.
To your viewers, you are pushing a message.
By assisting customers in finding solutions to their problems, inbound marketing pulls customers to your company.
Creating high-quality content is a key component of the inbound marketing approach known as content marketing.
Lead magnets, or anything you give away in return for contact information, can also be made using this strategy.
Use a website form asking visitors for their information in return for the content you can use to gate your lead magnets.
19. Optimize Your Call to Action Button
Are people prompted to enter their name and email address when they click your call to action button?
Consider the following factors when creating your call to action icon:
- Your call to action must be visible and stick out from the background color. No one will recognize your button as a button if its hue blends into the background.
- Your call to action button’s content should explain to visitors what their actions will accomplish.
For instance, using the word submit as the button content is meaningless.
If you’re offering an eBook, you could use the button text “Download Free eBook,” which is meaningful and makes it obvious what will happen if people click it.
Your call to action’s location is crucial as well. Be careful to position your button where the eyes naturally travel.
Here is an excellent call-to-action button illustration:
20. Get Customer Reviews on Review Sites
Consider the most recent purchase you made.
You should likely have purchased immediately if it was your first time buying the item.
Before settling on a choice, you did a lot of research.
Purchase decisions are being influenced by reviews more and more.
73% of B2B consumers consider multiple options before purchasing from marketers.
They consult their colleagues and subject-matter experts and even review websites.
Users can provide reviews of software products on websites like G2 and Trustpilot.
Other people can view these reviews to assess an effect and decide if it meets their needs.
Therefore, positive reviews can earn you more leads.
Act Now!
Are you fed up with employing the same old lead-generating strategies that don’t produce the desired outcomes for your business?
It’s time to experiment with new things with AI-bees.
Our state-of-the-art tools and creative strategies will advance your lead generation game.
One digital strategy is to use AI lead generation software.
The software solutions may target leads who are actively involved with, curious about, and addicted to your brand now more than ever.
You can always remain at the top of the competition and draw in more qualified leads than ever by using our AI technology, which will be very effective in 2024.
Take advantage of this chance to transform and automate your lead generation tactics.
Get in touch with us today to achieve your business goals!