To perfect your lead generation process, take the following steps:
1. Master your content.
Your lead generation process starts with choosing the appropriate form of content, whether that's a blog, webinar, white paper, and then creating that content.
In addition to creating new content, you should regularly update old content to optimize it for search engine keywords, which exposes your products or services to a wider audience.
In your content, you want to include a CTA that will capture the interest of consumers. Your CTA can be access to another piece of content or some other offer. For example, a blog post can end with a CTA to download a free e-book or webinar.
2. Modify your landing page.
After your lead clicks on your CTA, they will be directed to your landing page. This page is where you provide more information about your products and services, but your primary intent is to encourage them to complete a specific action, which might be to buy your products, provide their email address, or take some other step that moves them further into your sales funnel.
Some of the best practices for landing pages (and lead capture form) are to:
Keep your word count short and your copy simple.
Make your CTA crystal clear.
Maintain consistent messaging from the CTA all the way through your lead capture form.
Use vivid, specific language to present your value offer.
Choose colors and designs that clearly highlight your CTA.
Conduct A/B tests to identify and make possible changes.
3. Keep up with your leads.
After your lead engages with your content and fills out the lead capture form to receive your content or offer, you will receive the lead's contact information. Although this lead is likely an MQL and thus not ready for a sales call, you should still maintain regular contact. For example, using marketing automation software, you can set up a customized email outreach campaign that guides your leads along the sales funnel.
4. Qualify your leads.
Let's suppose you receive two leads: One lead acted on your offer after following a CTA from your blog. Another lead contacted you to ask a question. You can safely assume that the latter is an SQL, and the former is an MQL. Once you qualify your leads, you can adopt a strategy to keep them engaged with your company.
5. Distinguish your sales and lead generation teams.
As you determine which of your leads is most likely to become a customer, you'll focus your efforts on converting these leads to customers. This work differs from your efforts in generating leads. Think of lead generation as discovering leads and sales as converting leads.
As part of your lead generation process, you should include a step in which a lead is handed over to your sales team.
6. Reassess regularly.
A perfect lead generation process doesn't exist because your customers' needs are constantly changing, the marketplace is continually evolving, and your products and services change, too. That's why you should regularly reexamine your lead generation process and identify its strengths and where it could be improved.
A major component of content marketing is content auditing, which is useful in lead generation, too. When auditing your content, you will assess your existing content for opportunities to improve your SEO and rankings, incorporate new content that addresses trending topics, and more. All of these approaches can place your company in front of people who might not otherwise find you.
You can also use Google Analytics on your landing page to determine key performance indicators such as your conversion rate and bounce rate. That data can help you determine how to improve your landing page so that more leads submit their info.
Google Analytics and content auditing are just two ways to reassess your efforts and strategize. If you get creative with how you adjust your approach, then as long as your choices are based on sound logic, more leads might result.
Key takeaway: The steps involved in perfecting your lead generation process include mastering your content, modifying your landing pages, keeping leads engaged and regularly reassessing your efforts.
