Lead generation, this is how you do it

Find out how to generate valuable leads for your organization. Here you will find a detailed step-by-step plan to generate leads and get 10 golden tips!

What is lead generation?

The term lead generation unfortunately has no uniform definition, but at Bright Digital we define it as follows:

Lead generation is a set of marketing activities aimed at acquiring new customers.

The lead generation process begins with getting in touch with potential customers, after which the goal is to build a meaningful relationship with them. Lead generation is carried out with most by b2b companies, but b2c companies also benefit from it. Especially when the purchase process takes a bit longer, as is often the case with more expensive products.

Lead generation is increasingly taking place online. However, it can also take place by mail (direct mailings), telephone (cold calling), or at an event (for example, a trade show).

Why is lead generation in b2b important?

Although lead generation also occurs in b2c, it is a particularly fruitful lead generation strategy for b2b companies. Indeed, in business-to-business it is even more important to build a good and long-term relationship with potential customers.

In b2b, we are dealing with a more complicated buying process that requires more time. This buying process is also called the buyer journey. The buyer journey often involves several people from different disciplines. This group of people make up the Decision Making Unit (DMU).

Within the DMU are several influencers and decision makers. The more people within the DMU you help during the buying process, the greater the chance of awarding the order becomes. For this reason, b2b lead generation is crucial.

How to generate good leads?

Do you want to generate good leads for your organization and preferably many? Then you need a strategy!

Follow the steps in the model below to strategically start lead generation and then scale it up using marketing automation.

As you read in the roadmap, we view lead generation more broadly than just generating the lead itself. In fact, the process that comes after is just as important. Especially if you want to have a high scoring chance of actually bringing the lead in as a customer!

Online lead generation model in 5 steps

1. Drawing up a lead profile: the buyer persona
2. Attract new website visitors
3. Generate leads: convert website visitors into leads
4. Validating leads with lead scoring
5. Advance leads during their buying process with lead nurturing

1. Creating a lead profile: the buyer persona

We aim to generate high-quality leads. This means that the lead must fit your organization. A lead should be a potential customer.

To clarify what a qualitative lead is, we draw up a buyer persona profile. This is a sample profile of your ideal customer.

The buyer persona not only helps you create a lead profile, but it also allows you to get under the skin of your potential customer. You learn more about the needs, pains and ambitions, in short, the world of your potential customer! This is called the buyer journey in inbound marketing. You later use this valuable information to help the lead optimally during the various stages of the buying process.

2. Attract new website visitors

Attracting new website visitors is a combination of providing the right content and using the right channels.

Content strategy

Potential leads will only visit your website when you offer them the right content and this content is findable. A good content marketing strategy is extremely important for this.

A content marketing strategy starts with analyzing the needs of your ideal customer. Try to completely put yourself in your leads' shoes and ask yourself what problems he or she is facing and how they can be solved.

Then solidify your assumptions through buyer persona interviews with your (potential) customers. That's the beginning of your content strategy.

An important fact in content marketing is that the needs of your buyer persona evolve during the buying process (buyer journey). These changing needs also emerge during a thorough buyer persona survey.

Another research that provides valuable insights is keyword research. This research brings forward the online demand of your target audience.

Content forms
There are many different forms of content you can use to help your leads. These include blog posts, infographics, videos, manuals, check lists, white papers and slideshare presentations.

Channel mix

Once you've developed the content, it's time to make sure it gets in front of your potential customers.

There are many different ways to do this. In inbound marketing, we prefer channels that do not bother potential customers with what they are doing. Instead, we go for content that is found by the target audience.

• SEO: Set up an SEO strategy to be and stay findable for your target audience in the long run. Search engine optimization is perhaps the most effective way of content distribution. If someone finds your content because he or she searched for it, chances are that person is interested in what you have to say.
• Search engine advertising (SEA): at the other end of the search engine spectrum is search engine advertising. SEA allows you to be directly findable by your target audience on relevant keywords, but in return you pay for every click.
• Social media: Spread your content through social media as well. Build followers and share your content in a personal way. Social media is a great channel for engaging with your target audience.
• Blogging: With blogging you can substantially increase your reach among your target audience. This applies to blogging on your own website, but also to guest blogging on online platforms within your field.

3. get lead generation going

In step two, you made sure visitors land on your website. Now it's time to actually generate leads.

In this step, you're going to convert website visitors into leads for your organization. You do this through a conversion path.

The conversion path

The pages your visitors land on is usually not a page where you can generate leads. So you need to lay out a path for the visitor so they can easily find these pages. This is called a conversion path.

The conversion path takes your lead to a landing page with a form on it. On this landing page, you make what is called a content offer. This means you offer the lead value in exchange for his/her contact information. Think of a white paper, e-book, manual, template or checklist. This content is not public on your website, but behind the proverbial "lock and key" of a form, which is why this content is also called gated content.

A conversion path consists of these elements:

• CTA: In phase 1 of lead generation, you attract a visitor and they land on one of your pages, such as a blog post. On this page, place an attractive call to action that invites the visitor to download content.
• Landing page: Through the call to action, the visitor proceeds to a landing page. Here you briefly but powerfully describe what you offer to the visitor. When you do this well you convert the visitor to a lead.
• Form: With the form, you collect the lead's contact information. Make sure it is prominent on the landing page and that the number of questions is proportional to the value of the content you offer.
• Thank you page: After downloading, refer the visitor to a thank you page. This is because it gives you a chance to promote another conversion and it allows Google Analytics to measure the conversion. In addition to the button that downloads the document, place a CTA for another content offer, or encourage the lead to sign up for your email list. Note that in accordance with privacy laws (AVG), you need explicit consent for this!
• Thank you email: a thank you email is useful for the lead, because here you offer another opportunity to download the content piece. It is also an opportunity to build a relationship with your lead. For example, ask about his/her areas of interest so that you can offer future content tailored to the person.

4. validate & qualify leads

In the previous step, you generated the actual lead. You are now in possession of the contact information. In the traditional lead process you would now start calling to follow up with the lead, however in inbound marketing we see this differently!

You may now be in possession of the lead's contact information, but this does not mean that the lead is ready (or willing) to contact your organization.

That's why we do two things: we validate the lead to determine if it's a fit for your organization (this step) and then we consistently help the lead move forward during the buying process (the next step).

When validating leads, you roughly have two options:

• Validate: excluding leads that are not a good enough fit for your organization.
• Qualify: scoring leads to determine timing of follow-up and for sales prioritization.

You can read more about lead validation on our lead management page.

5. Moving leads forward with lead nurturing

Lead nurturing is also known as warming up a lead. Although this is not untrue, at Cliptoo we prefer to think from the customer's perspective. They want to be helped during the buying process and that is exactly what we strive for with lead nurturing.

During the lead process you have the unique opportunity to learn more about the needs of your leads. Partly, of course, you already know this from the buyer persona research and keyword research, but you supplement this knowledge by asking your leads thoughtful questions.

When a lead becomes familiar with your organization, they are willing to give you more information. You request this information in phases so you don't overwhelm the lead with tons of form fields.

Marketing automation helps you with this process. Marketing automation also ensures that you send your leads relevant content that is tailored to their interests and interactions on your website.

Lead generation tips & advice

Finally, we give you 9 golden tips for effective lead generation:

Tip 1: Make sure your form is not too long

The more fields your form has, the higher the barrier to lead generation becomes. Make sure your forms are not at the expense of your conversion rate!

Tip 2: Balance supply and demand

The more you give away, the more you can ask for in return. For example, have you written a thick e-book full of valuable knowledge? Then you can ask the lead for more information in return.

Tip 3: Manage the lead's expectations

Always be honest and transparent about what you offer the lead. It is disastrous if someone is disappointed after reading your white paper or e-book, or even feels misled.

Tip 4: Put the form above the fold

This means your visitors don't have to scroll down your landing page to see, or fill out, the form.

Tip 5: improve conversion paths

There are two main places where you can make improvements in the conversion path: at the call to actions (CTAs) and on the landing pages. At the CTAs you aim for the highest possible click through rate and at the landing pages you aim for the highest possible conversion rate. Both KPIs you improve with A/B or multivariate tests.

Here are 10 golden tips for CTAs.

Tip 6: Visualize your content offerings

Images speak louder than 1,000 words is the saying for a reason. So are you offering a white paper? Then visualize it on the landing page. This will make your lead generation a lot more effective!

Tip 7: Use customer reviews or quotes on your landing page.

This builds trust for your website visitors.

Tip 8: Use marketing automation

This allows you to intelligently provide your leads with the right content at the right time. In addition, marketing automation helps you validate leads.

Tip 9: Don't forget chats

Nowadays there are not only live chat options on a website, but chat bots are also becoming more and more useful and intelligent. Chat bots can boost your lead generation!

Tip 10: Bring all lead information together in a CRM

In the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, all information of leads and customers come together. Not only information from the sales process, but also from the marketing process. And if possible: for customers also from the service process. Only then will you have a 360-degree lead and customer view and maximize the opportunities for follow-up. Not got a good CRM yet? Take a look at HubSpot's 100% free CRM!