Create a gated piece of content. Slap a lead gen form on it. And make sure you ask for all the information you need to score the lead properly.
Sounds good?
No, it doesn't!
It's time to step away from old practices that focus on generating more leads and time to learn how to generate sales leads in ways that don't make prospective customers roll their eyes.
In this article, we’re sharing our top insights on how to get leads for your sales teams to follow up on.
1. Call your potential customers
This marketing tactic to generate leads has been around forever because it works! Modern cold calling is very effective if you pitch your product or service to a targeted contact list.
Many phone numbers list providers on the market help you build a cold-call list. For example, you can find direct dials to people who meet your ICP criteria in a particular location and industry, filtered by the company size they work for.
Cognism provides 98% accurate, manually-verified, and compliant mobile phone numbers that let you generate the most valuable leads. Click below to learn more
2. Create BOFU content
One way to generate leads is through organic sources. This type of lead generation takes a couple of months to get results, but once you set it up, your website can attract a steady number of hot leads without paying for ads.
Choose high-intent, long-tail keywords rather than high-volume ones and optimize your content to get organic traffic from search engines. Then, personalize CTA buttons to match the page's content and intent.
Use smart CTAs tailored to individual users based on data stored on their CRM contact record. For example, they can display customized messages to a first-time visitor, an existing customer, or a lead. Smart CTAs convert 202% better than generic CTAs!
3. Ask for minimal information on lead capture forms
Yes, you read that right!
You can generate sales leads from Google ads campaigns, even when your organic rankings are not yet there. You can even bid on competitor brand names and other purchase intent keywords.
Paid ads on Google or Bing quickly increase traffic to your website. And it often generates leads ready to buy.
Avoid adding too many fields in the capture form, though. It can potentially reduce conversions. Instead, use a short lead gen form with the name and email address field and add an extra layer of sales intelligence.
With platforms like Cognism, you can enrich your B2B contact database and find up-to-date information about leads who filled in your form.
Sounds too good to be true?
💡 Find out how companies use Cognism to shorten data capture forms. Or speak to Cognism team directly 👇
4. Use sales triggers
If you defined your ideal customer profile (ICP), you could get in front of them early. Here's how.
You can find the best leads if you analyze buying signals. They create an opening for contacting a new prospect or reviving an existing one.
For example, when a company that fits your ICP appoints a new executive into a decision-making role, it's your chance to make your move. Other signals can include new funding, sector announcement, or development.
To track sales triggers, you can set up Google alerts, follow your target audience on LinkedIn or sign up for their newsletters. A simpler and more effective way is to use a sales intelligence provider like Cognism to make the most of sales trigger events.
💡 If you'd like to learn more strategies for how to generate leads in sales, download our guide to inbound marketing where we share the secrets to our success!👇
(Don't worry, it's not gated 😉)
5. Use matched audiences on social media
Your prospective customers use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. You can reach out to them by posting content and paying for ads on those sites.
To generate even more leads for sales teams, you can also take advantage of retargeting capabilities on those sites.
Some companies find LinkedIn's built-in native targetting too broad, though. They use other data providers to build audiences for LinkedIn ads to get more granular.
💡 Find out how to generate sales leads on LinkedIn from James Sutton. It covers tips on building audiences, choosing your targeting method, and experimenting with the budget.
6. Run email nurturing campaign
Outbound email marketing is one of the lead gen strategies that work in many industries. Ensure you get email addresses from compliant email list providers and tailor the content to your leads.
Remember that you are turning up unannounced in their inbox, so make sure it delivers true value.
On the other hand, don't forget about leads who are not ready to convert immediately. Send them informational and educational content regularly. And check in with them from time to time to see if they are ready to go down the sales funnel.
💡 Start using lead scoring to predict the lead's readiness to make purchases.
7. Try email signature marketing
Figuring out how to get a lead can be an arduous task. But sometimes, it is as simple as including a link in your email signature.
American workers spend, on average, five hours a day in the inbox. You can maximize the power of your emails with email signature banners. Think of what content, offers, webinars, or events you can promote there to generate the best leads.
💡Check out our guide on lead generation for technology companies to get a competitive edge in the industry.
8. Build internal influencer networks
Using your business' influencers and thought leaders is probably one of the most overlooked ways of getting leads. You can develop content and distribution plans for these key stakeholders and build out a following for them on your key social channels.
How is this a good way of finding sales leads?
It puts your company in the spotlight and drives leads. And remember, people respond to people so growing a following from your colleagues' pages can be more effective than a company's LinkedIn page.
💡 Learn to identify B2B target market and audiences if you're unsure how to generate sales leads.
9. Make brand alliances and partnerships
Depending on the size of your business, this will likely be a formal or informal process. You can start getting new leads by looking at your customer base to identify companies with similar target audiences. The aim is to amplify each other's voices.
It can start simply as a joint webinar, a guest post, or a monthly social share. You can start small and build if you begin to see traction.
💡 If you like this article on how to generate leads, sign up for our newsletter below for more content. We always include expert insights for sales, marketing, and revenue teams every week👇
