7 Lead Generation Ideas to Boost Your Digital Marketing Strategy

Generating new leads is an ongoing process for businesses today.

As marketers, you are the ones tasked with finding additional ways to locate potential customers and sway them to learn more about the products or services you offer.

Yet, the longer you’re at it, the more challenging it can become.

You constantly need to create and incorporate different methods to attract those high-quality leads and convert them into customers.

While these lead conversions are indeed the ultimate goal, it all has to start with knowing how to reach people first and get them interested in you.

So, what is the key to a successful lead generation strategy these days?

It is the use of different marketing platforms and channels, which requires planning and monitoring.

To help you get going, try incorporating the following effective lead generation ideas into your marketing strategy.

1. Create High-Quality Content for Your Blog

Your blog is an important part of your brand and your website. It can also be a formidable lead generation tool.

Making the best possible use of it then is imperative, and that means providing high-quality blog content that is meaningful and engaging.

With this high-quality content, you can increase brand awareness, inform and educate readers about your service or product, and pique their interest enough for them to take action.

While you want to speak directly to your current customers and keep them coming back for more, you also want to spark interest in those that are not yet to that stage.

Balancing the two needs will require time, commitment, and dedication.

Get to know your customers. Also, understand your target audience and build your buyer personas to guide you. Then, cater your content to each.

When it comes to your content marketing strategy, always keep in mind that while informing, educating, or entertaining your audience, you also want them to become a lead and eventual customer.

A few tips to incorporate when it comes to creating that irresistible content are:

• Always include keywords.
• Break up the text by adding visuals.
• Create informative headlines.
• Always include strong, compelling CTAs.
• Make it readable and scannable.
• Include content for each stage of the buyers’ journey

High-quality content boosts your credibility, builds authority and trust with readers, and lets potential customers know more about your product or service.

2. Spend Time on Social Media

While social media is crowded and overrun today, you can still use it to your advantage in a smart, efficient way.

The various social media platforms serve as valuable lead generation channels, allowing you to express your distinct brand voice and personality. 

Use it to expand your reach, maintain customer loyalty, and gain new leads.

Post often and find ways to engage viewers. Three ways to accomplish this include:

• Offering gated content.
• Running contests.
• Enticing with interactive content.

Doing so can redirect new traffic to your website landing pages or web forms.

Also, utilize the social media ad features. These ads make it easy to target your audience on a platform, such as Facebook or LinkedIn.

Monitor the comments to your posts and interact. Be helpful. Find ways to encourage your followers or connections to share your post, too.

3. Become Active in Online Communities and Make Genuine Connections

Social interactions can boost your lead-generating efforts, and one way to accomplish this is through becoming active in online communities.

Online communities are destinations where people go to connect with others and to seek answers or solutions for issues they are experiencing.

In other words, they may contain your target audience already, so you need to be available to show them that you can help solve what needs solving.

What’s important to understand about these communities, however, is that genuine connections are essential. 

You want to focus on being helpful with no ulterior motive. You’ll need to avoid brand promotion in general.

As you interact within each community, such as answering questions on Quora, you begin to show your expertise and, in turn, build relationships. 

The community members will become comfortable and familiar with you and remember you when they need what you offer.

4. Create Helpful Videos

Videos continue to be one of the most popular types of content online, so make the most of them in your digital marketing strategy.

In particular, focus on creating helpful videos that show your target audience how to solve an issue. Keep the video format light and entertaining but also professional.

Add these videos to your blog posts and social media accounts.

To increase your chances of generating leads, make your videos interactive.

Embed lead generation forms within the videos without making them overwhelming or overly distracting. Viewers do not need to opt-in, but it gives them a chance to take action right away.

People are busy today, and what time they do spend looking for information and solutions needs to be quick and reliable. Videos can provide this for them if they are in the right place at the right time.

So, in addition to creating such helpful videos, also consider how to optimize each one, so they show up high on organic search result pages, in more social media feeds, and anywhere else your target audience hangs out.

Make your video marketing strategy the best it can be and grow your leads at the same time.

5. Optimize Landing Pages

Make the most of your landing pages by including them in your SEO strategy.

Once traffic reaches a landing page, provide them with the best experience possible and include important information on your product or service, customer testimonials, any specials or discounts, and, of course, a way to opt-in for more information.

You can achieve this in a variety of ways, such as:

• A form for visitors to fill out.
• Sign-ups for a newsletter.
• Offers for free trials.
• Easy purchasing ability.

When possible, also include personalization, as this can lead to even higher conversion rates.

An optimized landing page is one of the best tools for generating leads and increasing lead conversions. Update it regularly and monitor what works to bring in more traffic, leads, and conversions.

6. Provide Content for Simplifying a Need or Process

Finding ways to simplify a process or need for your target audience can increase your brand awareness while also showing potential customers you understand their questions, confusion, or pain points.

Let’s face it, every business or individual needs to complete tasks that may seem downright confusing or difficult to master.

To help them and boost your lead generation potential, create a worksheet, checklist, or other type of content that they can download in exchange for contact information.

Consider providing more interactive content for your audience, also. Involving them and letting them see the results first-hand can win them over and keep you top of mind whenever they need what you offer.

Examples of interactive content that can help solve or simplify a need or process include interactive calculators and interactive infographics.

By providing something your target audience will value, you create a trustworthy relationship and make a positive impression.

7. Offer Free Trials

Offering free trials is not only beneficial to the customer but also to your business. 

The potential customer doesn’t feel pressured to make a quick decision, and instead can take their time and try out your product or service.

By offering these free trials, you create a chance to showcase the value of what you offer while also gaining a high-quality lead. 

Nurturing that lead comes next and can lead to a boost in sales.

While they may not buy right away, they will remember the experience and may circle back to you and make a purchase. 

They can also recommend you to others now that they know what you have to offer.

Lead generation today can be challenging, and marketing teams are pulling out all the stops to reach a wider audience. Yet, more is not always better or more successful. 

Strategically looking at what you offer, who your target audience is, and where you can best reach potential customers can make all the difference.

Not sure what the difference is between demand generation and lead generation, or which one you need more of? Check out our blog post for guidance!