{"id":3460,"date":"2015-05-14T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-14T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/?p=3460"},"modified":"2023-01-30T15:11:32","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T20:11:32","slug":"lead-generation-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/lead-generation-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Lead Generation Strategies You Can’t Afford to Miss"},"content":{"rendered":"

It seems like just yesterday that I was reading (and writing) articles about the future of lead generation<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another year has already flown by, and it is time, once again, to peer into our entrepreneurial crystal ball to uncover the best lead generation strategies this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"crystal-ball\"<\/p>\n

It seems like with every year that passes the opportunities for lead generation become more and more numerous while simultaneously becoming more difficult and more competitive. <\/span><\/p>\n

Gone are the days of simply passing out mailbox flyers and half-heartedly <\/span>creating online content<\/span> in hopes of generating a few potential leads. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to survive in the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship in 2020, then you are going to need to step up your game. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will need to find unconventional strategies that the rest of your competitors are not yet using and capitalize on them before they become over saturated and obsolete. <\/span><\/p>\n

And that is what this article is all about. <\/span><\/p>\n

I am going to show you five lead generation strategies and channels that the best and brightest entrepreneurs are currently using to dominate in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

And, how you can use those same platforms to do the same.<\/p>\n

Difference Between Strategies and Tactics<\/h2>\n

Before we get into some strategies that will help you get more leads, let me differentiate between strategies and tactics.<\/p>\n

These words are often used interchangeably in the internet marketing world, but they’re very different.<\/p>\n

A Forbes writer<\/a> explains strategy as “how to get out of the woods.”<\/p>\n

A strategy is generally a long play that requires consistency, measuring, and tweaking to achieve a long-term goal. For example, you may include blogging twice weekly in your lead generation strategy with the intention of building brand authority.<\/p>\n

Tactics are the micro plays to execute your strategy. For example, using content upgrades<\/a> in your blogging efforts would fall into the tactical category.<\/p>\n

Without a strategy, tactics are like throwing darts in the dark. It becomes difficult to measure the success of each channel your organization will be pursuing.<\/p>\n

And this is the exact reason why I host a webinar dedicated to building a solid lead generation strategy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So, with all of the formalities out of the way, let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n

1. Snapchat marketing<\/b><\/h2>\n

Up until recent months, Snapchat was a very <\/span>underutilized marketing tool<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s sordid beginnings likely served as a put off to most serious marketers who were not interested in taking advantage of the age-old adage \u201c<\/span>sex sells<\/span><\/i>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, that has all changed. Take a look at the comparison of 2016<\/a>\u00a0social media usage\u00a0vs. 2014<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"snapchat-statistics-1\"<\/p>\n

\"snap-chat-statistics-2\"<\/p>\n

That’s a pretty staggering jump in only 2 years.<\/p>\n

Now, Snapchat has become one of the most powerful tools in the modern entrepreneur\u2019s arsenal for quickly generating leads and <\/span>growing a following of loyal fans<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

The problem with Snapchat, however, is that unlike other social media platforms, it is very difficult to build a following from scratch. <\/span><\/p>\n

The key to successfully generating leads by using Snapchat is to build your following<\/a> <\/span>through <\/span><\/i>your other platforms. <\/span><\/p>\n

This means that you need to promote your Snapchat account through your Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and email audiences.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smart entrepreneurs like John Lee Dumas<\/a>\u00a0used his Twitter profile to attract people to his Snapchat following.<\/p>\n

\"john-lee-dumas\"<\/p>\n

Airbnb tweeted out to their 500,000+ followers about joining the Snapchat network.<\/p>\n

\"tumblr_inline_oba96qiplz1tqi7no_1280\"<\/p>\n

I know this might seem like cheating to some of you since you have already have other mediums to generate leads from.<\/span><\/p>\n

But I want you to think about it for a minute.<\/p>\n

Most people are hesitant to put their email address into a CTA box simply because their inboxes are already filled with spam and irrelevant correspondence.<\/p>\n

However, with Snapchat, following and unfollowing is an incredibly easy process.<\/p>\n

This means that if you start marketing through Snapchat, you will be able to tap into a base of leads that you were previously unable to hook.<\/p>\n

This is especially useful if you happen to have a target demographic under 35<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"snap-stats\"<\/p>\n

However, Snapchat\u2019s true strength lies in its ability to \u201cwarm up\u201d and <\/span>improve the quality of existing leads<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Not in just brute force generation. <\/span><\/p>\n

Due to the ten second time limit on every Snap, your audience will be significantly more engaged with your content due to their fear of missing out. <\/span><\/p>\n

This means that if you master Snapchat marketing, you will be able to hold your audience’s undivided attention and share your message without any interruptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a unique opportunity that will allow you to engage with your leads on a much deeper level, increase the strength of your brand, and slowly build up a list of high-quality leads once your account has gained traction.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ways you can drive traffic from Snapchat back to your website:<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  • Add snippets of videos with short links in it (ie. www.moneyjournal.com\/episode#).<\/li>\n
  • Add images from your blog posts with a short link.<\/li>\n
  • Give personal invitations to your event.<\/li>\n
  • Give a behind the scenes view of the project you’re working on.<\/li>\n
  • Give them a feel for your customer experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    If you can learn how to take advantage of Snapchat, you will be light years ahead of your competition, both in your ability to generate leads and convert those leads into followers. <\/span><\/p>\n

    2. LinkedIn <\/b><\/h2>\n

    While most people believe that Facebook is the most powerful social media platform for lead generation, I respectfully disagree. <\/span><\/p>\n

    While Facebook is undoubtedly the best social network for generating large quantities of leads, it does not even hold a candle to LinkedIn\u2019s ability to <\/span>generate quality <\/i>leads<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    LinkedIn is especially invaluable for B2B marketers\u00a0due to the high concentration of business people and entrepreneurs using the platform.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"linkedin-b2b-statistics-on-lead-generation\"<\/p>\n

    The other great thing about LinkedIn is that it allows you to target incredibly specific groups of people who will be interested in your products or services.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"groups-linkedintargeting\"<\/p>\n

    Then, once you have <\/span>targeted your ideal audience<\/span><\/a>, the use of LinkedIn groups and InMail makes it easy to build authority and reach out in a very natural and non \u201csalesy\u201d way. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The key to success with LinkedIn (like most other lead generation methods) is to first offer massive amounts of value to your audience before trying to convert them into leads. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Write high-quality articles, <\/span>create epic infographics<\/span><\/a>, and host frequent webinars (more on this later). <\/span><\/p>\n

    Do whatever your target market will respond to and use the authority and trust that you will inevitably build to get referrals and reel in leads in a natural and friendly way. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The leads that you will generate through LinkedIn will be some of the most high quality, targeted, and eager-to-buy leads that you can generate online. <\/span><\/p>\n

    A phenomenal example<\/span><\/a> of this is the company CA Technologies.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"capture\"<\/p>\n

    CA Technologies was struggling to generate leads for their software solutions products while still staying within their advertising budget. <\/span><\/p>\n

    While they were able to generate a sufficient number of leads, the low conversion rates and high cost per lead (CPL) made their methods ineffective and costly. <\/span><\/p>\n

    So, they decided to change their tactics and tried\u00a0<\/span>using LinkedIn to generate leads<\/span><\/a> instead. <\/span><\/p>\n

    The results were pretty spectacular. <\/span><\/p>\n

    By using dynamic ads on LinkedIn they were able to increase their conversion rate by over 11% while simultaneously decreasing their CPL by nearly 70%!<\/span><\/p>\n

    3. Speaking events<\/b><\/h2>\n

    While the rest of the marketing world loves to focus on flashy online methods for lead generation (and who can blame them), I occasionally like to take things old school. <\/span><\/p>\n

    One of the <\/span>best <\/span><\/i>ways to generate new leads for your company is to book yourself into as many speaking engagements as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n

    These events give you a unique advantage<\/span><\/a> over every other form of lead generation. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Unlike social media, content marketing, and other online methods, when you are speaking at an event related to your industry, you are <\/span>immediately<\/span><\/i> seen as an authority figure. <\/span><\/p>\n

    With Facebook, blogging, LinkedIn, and webinars, you have to prove your authority first.<\/span><\/p>\n

    However, when you are standing up on stage, dressed to the 9\u2019s and speaking at an event with other influencers and industry leaders, everyone will assume by default that you are an authority.<\/span><\/p>\n

    And because of this, they will be more likely to trust what you say.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you don\u2019t quite understand the importance of this, let\u2019s look at <\/span>a study<\/span><\/a> that Stanley Milgram completed in 1962.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The goal of Milgram\u2019s experiment was to determine how certain Nazi leaders and their millions of followers could have perpetuated their heinous war crimes. <\/span><\/p>\n

    It basically sought to determine the question, \u201c<\/span>Were they truly evil, or just following orders<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you don’t have time to watch the full video, I explain the experiment briefly below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n