You’ve printed flyers, hit send on that mailer to a 10 000 strong database, blasted social media and even took over the sky with a branded blimp. But, for some reason, you’re not getting the lead generation needed to take your business to the next level. What went wrong?
The biggest and most common mistake we’ve discovered businesses today making is that they market to people, when they should be marketing to their customer. This has a huge impact on lead generation.
If you aren’t familiar with the term, a ‘lead’ is anyone who has in some form or capacity shown interest in your product, service or offering. Leads come through many sources. Word of mouth. Websites. Telephone calls. Carrier pigeons. The list goes on. ‘Lead generation’ is, therefore, the process of initiating contact with, and cultivating, potential customers for your business through different marketing initiatives.
Understanding your customer is the key to successful lead generation: How they think, how they consume information, how they communicate and which drivers make them spend their bucks. To get the lead generation right there are three important points to consider.
- Am I using the right channels to target my audience?
- Does my content align with who my audience is?
- How can I use my results as a springboard for growth?
Right Channel – Right Audience
Different demographics consume information from different sources. Baby Boomers, for instance, might prefer traditional media like print newspapers and magazines, Generation X may rely on digital newsletters and alerts, while Millennials gravitate towards social media first. Understanding which channels your target markets frequent provides opportunities to market on the correct platforms, resulting in increased chances of your message being seen by them and more leads. Some marketing channels include:
– Landing Pages, SEO, Google AdWords
– Social media
– Newsletters
– Directory sites (Gumtree, OLX)
– Offline media (billboards, flyers, promotions)
– Traditional Media (Newspapers, radio)
Content: Speak the Same Language
Before it’s even sent out, content must be wrapped up and packaged correctly. That means ensuring the contexts of your photography, videography and copy align with who your audience is. Customers need to see themselves reflected in your marketing elements, for your product to matter to them. Yet many businesses, large and small, make the mistake of producing content that appeals to those working at the company, instead of what connects with their customers – and wonder why their strategy failed. Language, imagery, videos, music, colours and more all matter when it comes to ensuring that your content speaks to your audience, that it highlights your products and services, and that people engage in the way you need them to.
Tracking Results for Growth
When it works, push harder. When it doesn’t, learn from it and switch direction. Tracking results offers insight into the performance of a marketing campaign. Fewer leads from your marketing initiatives means something in your strategy is wrong. Likewise, an influx of leads means you’re on the right path. The data derived from tracking results are Key Performance Indicators that can allow you to efficiently gauge the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and re-strategise to yield greater success, increased bottom lines and greater ROI.
Without leads, you’re forced to rely on luck and hope. At Coffee Creative Studio, we believe nothing should ever be left to chance. Give us a call and we will help guide you on the path to greater lead generation for your business.