How to Build a Lead Generation Machine Online | Tech Tips

1. Find Your Ideal Audience

Finding leads is consistently one of the toughest (and most important) parts of lead generation, especially when searching for leads that fit your ideal customer profile. But many marketers make it even harder on themselves by not having identified the exact kind of person they want to target. You can’t find the right people if you don’t know who you’re looking for!

• To build your lead generation machine, you need a specific target audience. This means defining your audience’s:
• Demographic Information: age, gender, job title, location, etc.
• Major Interests: hobbies, interests, favorites, etc.
• Favorite Platforms: what social media platforms, search engines, or news publications do they use?
• Search Intent, essentially identifying the why behind their searches, to make sure you’re targeting people who are looking to buy

You can then use this info to narrow down who you’re targeting your marketing efforts at and to give them a more personalized and engaging experience. 

2. More Accurately Track Leads

To monitor your audience engagement, it's crucial to track their interactions to understand their origins, whether it's through social media, email campaigns, advertisements, or other avenues.  

This analysis enables you to discern the most effective platforms for generating high-quality leads while identifying (and removing) less fruitful ones, allowing you to refine your outreach strategies.

Utilizing UTMs and marketing automation tools such as HubSpot or Google Analytics streamlines this process, consolidating all pertinent data in one accessible location for seamless monitoring and reporting. 

3. Create Content That’s Valuable & Engaging

Producing content is one of the strongest methods for generating leads online. A widely adopted approach among marketers is the 'They Ask, You Answer' strategy, which revolves around addressing common inquiries from your audience.  

In a nutshell, it’s all about identifying prevalent sales objections, questions, misconceptions, concerns, or hurdles, and crafting insightful responses from your expert perspective.

Your content should not only provide answers to these queries but also strive to guide readers further along the sales funnel or deepen their engagement with your brand. Whether directing them to additional content or encouraging direct interaction with your sales team, each piece should aim to propel the audience's journey.

Optimal content creation is integrated within a broader strategy that navigates individuals from the initial stage of the funnel—addressing general pain points—to the concluding stage—inquiring about your specific offerings. Each piece of content should complement and build upon others, seamlessly guiding the customer journey. 

4. Use Creativity to Create More Effective CTAs

At the core of marketing efforts lies a pivotal element: the call to action (CTA) button or form that transitions an intrigued individual from a prospect to a lead.

Consider these guidelines for crafting more potent CTAs:

• Use action-oriented language
• Articulate the unique value proposition and clearly state why your content (or whatever contains the CTA) is valuable to your audience
• Infuse emotion into CTAs, tapping into human decision-making tendencies
• Explore creative approaches to CTAs to capture attention amidst the sea of conventional language
• Tailor your messaging to resonate with your specific audience, considering factors such as their buyer's journey stage, emotional state, and pain points 

5. Turn Existing Customers into Advocates

The HubSpot flywheel underscores the significance of the final stage: delight.  

By prioritizing customer satisfaction and ongoing engagement, you can transform your customers into enthusiastic brand advocates. These advocates contribute to your business by sharing positive experiences on social media, leaving favorable reviews, and recommending your products or services to others (spreading good word of mouth).

A proven method to achieve this is by implementing a referral program for existing customers. Offer incentives such as complimentary products, discounts, or other perks to motivate them to spread the word about your business.  

Additionally, an effective customer loyalty program not only fosters referrals by ensuring customer satisfaction but also fosters repeat purchases, further solidifying brand loyalty. 

6. Implement Live Chat Features

Many individuals actively seek alternatives to engaging in live phone conversations, particularly when it comes to interacting with sales reps.  

Currently, people often prefer to conduct independent research on products, services, and companies before they buy, rather than listening to a pitch.  

However, in situations where immediate assistance is needed, integrating a live chat feature on your website provides a convenient avenue for addressing inquiries without necessitating a phone call.

Capable of answering questions, directing users, and gathering information around the clock, chatbots operate independently of sales or marketing personnel, ensuring continuous support and engagement without direct human intervention. But everything said to chatbot can be tracked to help your marketing and sales teams further down the road. 

7. Build a PPC Ads Strategy

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) ads are a digital advertising method where you incur charges for each click on your ad, effectively purchasing targeted traffic for your website, content, or landing pages.  

When executed effectively, PPC ads offer a cost-efficient, easily manageable, and traceable means of reaching your desired audience online. But it’s important to remember key information like your target audience, branding, and the overall message you want to convey because each ad you put out reflects directly on your business.