Recently we came across an article in Forbes entitled “Why B2B Lead Generation is Dying a Slow Death – and What to Do About It.” The piece argued that traditional methods of generating leads are not working anymore, and new ideas are necessary for companies that rely on leads to grow their business.
If you are a 360Circuits lead generation client, you already heard some of those new ideas. We saw what was coming and changed our approach years ago.
Decision By Committee
The Forbes article observed that decisions today are made by groups, not individuals. We agree. And that is why we create marketing materials and documents that can be easily shared. Once we have a profile of a promising lead, we’ll create content for that person, as well as content customized to other decision-makers within that company, from the CEO to the IT team to the Director of Communications. The sooner we can get everyone on the same page, the sooner we can close that lead.
But how do you create that profile of a promising lead?
It Still Starts With Your Website
Your website plays a key role in lead generation. But if you are still tailoring your site to provide information about why your product or service is best, holding just enough content back to entice a visitor to fill out a form and find out more, you are likely losing business.
Why? Because seeing that link to a form is like seeing a police car in your rearview mirror. It makes you tense – it forces you to question what you’re about to do next, to avoid any unpleasant consequences. Filling out that form, most people now believe, is going to result in that company coming after them like a used car salesman.
So a form is not enough – especially when most potential customers have already decided before they fill it out.
The challenge now is to proactively seek out the types of people who would be your most promising leads – and you can’t do that unless you know where to look, and what you’re looking for.
Where do you begin that search? Yes – it’s still on your website. You can find your best prospects by identifying specific actions they take when they visit your site, whether they fill out a form or not. You don’t have to know who they are or what position they hold in their business – just by their actions they are giving you data to capture and use in your marketing efforts.
And once you have that clear picture of who your best leads are, you can further customize your website to appeal directly to their needs and their interests.
You can also use that lead profile as a road map to finding leads before they visit your website, and market directly to them. Say, for instance, that your website suggests your best leads are mid-level executives at smaller companies that are looking to expand. Use those criteria to acquire a mailing list. Also, think about the seminars, events, and trade shows that these folks are likely to attend – and make sure you’re there as well.
From social media to email marketing, we have a multitude of strategies designed to generate online leads and sales. 360Circuits can help you make sure that every lead is managed appropriately to maximize your return. Even if a lead isn’t ready to purchase from you today, we’ll give you the tools and process you need to win their business tomorrow.