When you launched your business, you loved what were going to do and you were excited about monetizing it. Getting it into the (literal or metaphorical) hands of grateful and appreciative customers was such an exciting prospect. But as passionate as you are about the product or service, you might not be as excited about the notion of marketing it — after all, it’s an intimidating area of strategy and jargon that you’re just not familiar with.

Case in point: You hear people talk about lead gen, but you don’t really understand what that means. What the heck is a lead gen and how’s it supposed to help you build your business?

This is actually a great question to ask because it strikes right at the heart of your struggle. 

Marketing seems intimidating. But think of marketing as simply a way for you to connect with those who are in need of what you have to offer. You want to make these connections. You know what you have to offer is great, and now it’s just a matter of helping them understand how your business will be such a life-changer for them.

Show Them What You Have to Offer

People don’t want to be sold to. And as long as your marketing strategy sounds like some big pompous sales pitch, they’re going to zone you out. Instead, you can approach them with a lead gen, short for lead generation. This is your way of getting people interested in your company, product, or service — you’re collecting a group of leads or people you can eventually turn into paying customers.

What you’re offering them should be free — usually without any kind of strings attached or any obligation. All you want is their attention. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your value to them. You’re warming them up and establishing your brand as reliable before you even ask them for their business.

Narrow the Focus of Your Advertising

The other benefit of these lead generators is that they’ll also help you narrow the focus on your marketing efforts. When you’re running advertisements about your product or service on a platform with a wide audience (in other words, pretty much any social media site), you know that only a fraction of the people seeing your ad are actually interested in what you have to offer.

But when you’re focusing those advertising efforts on people who have taken advantage of your lead gen offer, you’re appealing to people you know are interested. In other words, if they were willing to take advantage of something you offered for free, they’re more likely to make a purchase compared with people who didn’t even want it free.

Some Lead Gens You Should Try

Now that you understand the concept, you probably realize you’ve bought into lead generation yourself. You’ve signed up for a free download, given away your email address in exchange for coupons, or joined a Facebook Group run by a business to interact with like-minded people. If you’re aware of these lead gen methods, you can assess what worked and what didn’t work with other businesses.

Consider these aspects of a good lead generator:

• A good lead generator demonstrates the reputation of the business.

• It conveys a solution to problems you have in your everyday life.

• It gives you an easy next step to take if you want to take advantage of an offer

If you’re brainstorming practical ideas, here are some suggestions:

• Create an informational video they can watch on social media

• Start blogging about topics that are relevant to your brand

• Create an email newsletter and offer people something in exchange for signing up

• Hold an event like an open house or Q&A

• Offer a free sample of your product

• Release an eBook or hold a webinar

• Start an online community like a Facebook Group or Reddit thread

Make sure there is an easy way to follow through after each lead gen. You’d be amazed at the number of people who send out an email newsletter but don’t include any sort of link to their website at the bottom. The most successful lead generators get leads excited about what a business has to offer, then give a direct call to action that sends them straight to a way of buying, such as a landing page. Be clear about what you want the lead to do and what they stand to gain from following the call to action.

Some businesses will undertake lead gen campaigns every week, every quarter, or even just once a year. The number of times that’s right for you will depend on how much effort your lead gens take and how much return you see. Pay close attention to how your lead gens affect your sales, and track these numbers using analytics if you have the option.

Our team at ASMM Digital can help you develop a strong lead generator that works for your business. Reach out to us today by calling 443-679-4916 or emailing ann@asmmdigital.com.