As a startup, you're focused on getting your message out there and getting a solid footing in your industry. But, if you ever want to get out of that startup phase -- growth has to come. And, sometimes, that growth can come on too fast and cause growing pains. While growing pains are a good problem to have, you likely won't have them unless you've got some killer lead generation strategies in place.
Develop a Quality Lead Magnet
To entice people to sign up for your email list -- give them something in return. This can be anything from a discount on their first order, to an eBook, or an email series. It can also be a collection of items from the content extras that we'll get to in just a second.
Whatever it is, it must offer value. If they can get the same thing elsewhere for free, they're probably not going to care about whatever it is you're offering. If you want an idea of where you should go with your lead magnet, check out the competition and see what they're doing. Whatever they've chosen -- make yours better.
And remember, your lead magnet doesn't have to be the same forever. You can change it whenever you see fit.
Include Content Extras Where Possible
These extras, or content upgrades, are small bonuses you can attach to your blog posts. Each time, you can ask the visitor to sign up for your email list, if they haven't already, to get access to the bonus.
What kinds of content extras can you include? Your options include:
- Cheat sheets
- Checklists -- great for how to posts, to show people exactly what they need to get the job done.
- Videos -- you can record them yourself with a smartphone or video camera, or simply rely on a screen capture program.
- Audio files -- do you have a podcast? These are excellent bonuses to add to your relevant posts.
- List of resources -- let's say you compiled a blog post with 100+ resources related to your topic. Create a PDF version of the list of resources to attach to the post.
- Guides -- either shorter quick start type or full version
- Printables -- worksheets, templates, and more
- Case studies
- Toolkits
You don't need to have a content extra for every single blog post, as that's a bit of overkill, but you should be able to see which types of extras will work best for the type of post you're writing.
What this does is give you multiple chances to soft convert your visitors. Think about it -- the more places you have for people to sign up for your email list, the more likely you are to get a boost in subscribers. When you're focused on search engine optimization (SEO), there's a chance each one of your blog posts will rank independently -- giving you yet another path to prospects.
If you want to create content extras, but don't know where to start, these tools can help get you started:
- Canva: Free to use graphic design program geared at the non-designer. Thousands of free templates and graphics. Premium options are also available, for $1/image, editable for 24 hours after purchase. You don't pay for anything until you download the image. Templates are available for everything from social media images,
- Picktochart: This is a free to use tool to create your own top-quality infographics without having to hire a professional designer. There are hundreds of templates to choose from. You can drag and drop elements, or import data from spreadsheets. It's easy to share your infographic, since you can download it in multiple sizes, optimized for various social platforms.
- Jing: If you need screenshots or screencasts, Jing is a tool that's available for both Windows and Mac. It's free to use, though there's a limit on the length of screencasts with the free version. It produces images and video that are great quality for the web.
- Powerpoint: Presentations can be an excellent content upgrade. You can use Microsoft Powerpoint on either Windows or Mac. There are tons of templates you can start with, but the key to making a presentation pop is with high-quality content and images. Plus, the presentation format allows you to add notes, comments, and narration if desired.
- Audacity: This is an open source audio recorder and editor. If you have a lot of background noise in your files, this is the most cost effective way to remove it. Plus, you can mix, cut, and splice audio files together, and there are many effects included for use in your projects. There is a bit of a learning curve, but there are plenty of tutorials and documentation to assist you on the official website.
Experiment With Pay-Per-Click Ads
If you've got a bit of an advertising budget, you can jumpstart traffic to your website with PPC ads. Though the strategy isn't the same as with search engine optimization (SEO), it can drive quality leads to your site to propagate the funnel.
If you're not sure which approach you should take, remember, they're both part of search.
Start with two variations of the same ad, so you can see which one does better -- and then get rid of the one that doesn't perform well. Then, test it again with another variation, if you want. You don’t have to invest a lot of money into the campaigns – and you can set daily budgets to ensure you don't spend more than you intend to.
Build Your Social Media Presence
Unless you're paying to advertise your business, social media is completely free to use. It gives you an off-site platform with which to promote your business, and more importantly, connect with potential customers.
The key is to make sure you are where your customers are -- rather than trying to be everywhere at once. Start with Facebook, since X% of consumers expect businesses to have a presence there. Then, branch out to one or two other platforms you know your audience follows. Instagram is becoming highly popular, especially among beauty brands, and it's possible to generate leads with the platform.
Split Test Everything
Split testing allows you to serve multiple variations of your website to your visitors, randomly. This way, you can pay attention to the analytics and see what your audience responds to the best. You can split test everything from the copy, layout, color scheme, call to action, and even your content upgrade.
To avoid mucking up your results, it's best to split test one element at a time. When you know what the audience responds to best, choose another element to test. Then, you can put all the elements together and see what happens to your traffic and conversion rates.
There are several split testing tools available on the market today. Take a look at Optimizely, VWO, Unbounce, Google Analytics Experiments, and Five Second Test for some places to start.
Creating a Lead Generation Strategy That Works for You
Whether you choose to use one, three, or all of these techniques to boost your conversion rates, you must first craft a strategy. Get it all on paper (or documented digitally, at least) so you create the plan of attack that works best for your business. If you've already got a killer social presence, it may be time to explore adding additional networks, or focusing more of your efforts on content upgrades.
If you notice you're getting plenty of leads, but they're not converting they way you'd like, it's time to take a closer look at your funnel, and the nurturing strategies you're using to move leads through the funnel.
What are some of the most effective lead generation techniques that work for your business?