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7 Ways to Usher in New Year Leads

by Article by Remington Begg Remington Begg | December 18, 2015 at 8:00 AM

New_Leads.jpgLead is defined as someone who has “shown interest in you and has filled out a form with more than just an email address, often for some sort of content-based offer on your website.“ These are the people who are the most likely to convert and become paying customers, not just browse your website. Attracting and cultivating Leads is a big part of a proper inbound marketing strategy that results in a positive ROI. And since a new fiscal year is starting, we’re guessing you’d like to start bringing in some new Leads….now. Here’s a few tips to get your Leads flooding in for the new year:

#1 Blogs

Creating engaging, remarkable content is one of the most reliable ways to bring in interested new Leads. A correctly-done blog not only allows your company to emerge as a thought leader in the industry but also to let people find you who may not otherwise know your company exists. To do this, make sure that your blog is optimized to generate Leads by being SEO friendly, having a sign-up section for your newsletter, keeping relevant CTA’s at the end of each blog, and by using the margins to promote your products and services.

#2 eBooks

The way to continue cultivating a Lead who may be reading your blogs, but not yet ready to convert is to end each blog article with a CTA that takes the Lead to an eBook. These offers work great for small businesses in all industries, as people are searching for more “How-to” and informative content online than ever before. Make sure you don’t promote your services or brand yet. People at this stage don’t want to be sold, they want to be informed.

Email_tips.jpg#3 Email Campaigns

Sometimes a Lead will sign up once and never return back to your website. Don’t let them slip away! Send regular emails to their inbox, but keep them informative, not pushy. Let them know you have an exciting Valentine’s Day offer coming up, or just remind them of the products they looked at on your website previously. Even if they aren’t ready to make the jump yet, keeping your company’s name at the forefront of their brain means when they are finally ready to make a purchase, you will be on their short list.

#4 Social Media

It should come as no surprise that social media is a great way to keep Leads intrigued with your brand’s products and services. Use Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to share your blogs and engage in conversations with your potential customers. People don’t want to be sold to anymore; they want to ask questions, share content, and talk about their interests. If you are there to answer their questions and consistently engage with these people, you'll earn a powerful group of brand advocates that will shout your name from the mountain tops.

#5 Networking Events

While a lot of Inbound Marketing action happens in the digital world, the real world still provides a lot of advantages. Go ahead and get out there! Most people you meet have hundreds of contacts, which means that virtually anyone you might want to meet, or who may need to meet you, is only four to five connections away from you. At a networking event, you can meet more people, expand your network, shutterstock_239410714.jpgand gain referrals that turn into Leads. Make sure to bring quality business cards and don’t be afraid to talk about how great your small business is, in polite moderation.

#6 Videos

While many people use the internet for information, not everyone has the time or desire to read a blog or long eBook. This is where your videos come in! But don’t just film some of your staff randomly talking about their jobs, put the effort in to make it scripted and professional looking. At the end of the free webinar, ask the attendees to download an eBook, sign up for your newsletter, or visit your site; this will bring in the Leads you’re looking for.

#7 Strong Branding

Customers love authentic companies with a clear tone of voice. Make sure your company has a strong and clear message and that message is consistent across all of your marketing avenues, digital and otherwise. Define what makes you unique and make that your signature style.

Following these tips will bring in tons of Leads, but those Leads don’t magically convert. Your small business’s challenge becomes qualify those Leads and defining which people should be nurtured or are worth a follow-up and which ones are just looking around. It may seem time-consuming, but scoring each Lead through these criterias will only serve to benefit you in the long run and make the effort you spent getting those Leads worth it. Download our free eBook Lead Scoring: The Smarketer’s Guide for tips on how to get started and best apply this strategy for your company.