Collecting leads is an effective method of acquiring customers online. Contact details for potential buyers of goods or services offered are worth their weight in gold for both individual and business customers. Lead generation - what is it and what does it look like in practice?
Lead generation - what is it?
An explanation of what lead generation is all about should be preceded by a characterisation of the term 'sales lead' itself. This term boils down to contact information about a customer (individual or business) who is potentially interested in a product or service offered by a given company. In practice, this could include a name, email address or telephone number. A lead is therefore a person or company that is willing to purchase a particular product or is interested in it in some way.
Lead generation is a series of activities aimed at obtaining information about a potential customer so that salespeople can make contact with them. Ultimately, this is supposed to translate into building a relationship with the brand's audience, creating its image and, finally, encouraging a purchase and finalising the sale, thus achieving the financial goals of the company in question.
Lead generation - why is it important?
Lead generation is an extremely important process, which is usually one of the primary objectives of sales-related Internet marketing activities. Although receiving the contact details of a person interested in a company's offer is not always synonymous with a purchase, it is a key step in acquiring customers via the web.
It is worth adding that generated leads, depending on their nature, can be divided into three categories. The first of these are so-called cold or long leads, i.e. receiving contact details from a person who has not yet made a decision to make a purchase and is not convinced about purchasing a given good or service. This is the least favourable situation from a marketer's perspective and requires establishing a dialogue with the recipient and observing their subsequent attitude.
Another type is warm leads, i.e. data from customers with a keen interest in a given offer, who have no plans to complete a transaction in the near future. This is a major challenge for company representatives - they should take care to make contact with the potential customer and send them messages prompting them to take up the given offer.
The last option is a hot lead, i.e. data from a determined potential customer, i.e. a person showing interest in the product and who is willing to purchase it. In this case, an immediate response is necessary in order not to make the potential recipient impatient, which in the worst case scenario could result in them abandoning the purchase.
How to generate leads - ways
There are many different types of lead generation campaigns. When choosing one (or several) types of lead generation activities, it is best to consider the inclinations, habits and needs of your target group. Only then will it be possible to adjust the channel used to acquire leads accordingly.
One way of getting the word out about potential customers is to use content marketing. This refers to publishing valuable and engaging content that is useful from the perspective of a brand's potential customer. Such activities can be carried out, for example, via one's own website or blog, external portals and social media profiles.
An example of this being put into practice is the blog of the well-known Polish courier company, InPost. Recipients will find there, among other things, tips for customers or articles on ecology and e-commerce.
Upon entering the site, the user is immediately prompted to join the newsletter in the form of a short call to action. Once the recipient decides to enter their email address, the company generates a lead.
Effective content marketing in the form of expert articles or how-to guides will contribute to building customer relationships, establishing yourself as a specialist in your field and increasing brand recognition. In addition, customers who receive interesting and engaging content are more likely to share their contact details.
Furthermore, in order to encourage a potential customer to share their email address or phone number, it is worth offering them a so-called lead magnet, i.e. an incentive factor. This could be access to content such as an e-book, webinar or course.
Other channels for acquiring leads on the internet
Social media, e.g. Facebook with its Facebook Ads campaigns, Instagram or LinkedIn, as well as campaigns generated using Google's search engine, can also prove useful in collecting leads.
Of course, SEO measures are also important in this case. These include, for example, the inclusion of relevant keywords in published content, optimisation of the website or link building.
Generating leads - what influences the success of a campaign?
Simply creating a campaign to generate leads is not a guarantee of success. After all, the basis for any marketing effort is the previously mentioned knowledge of your target group.
What is more, in order for the leads generated to translate into sales of the good offered, and thus meet the company's financial objectives, the product must respond to the requirements of the target group. If there is insufficient demand, collecting leads will therefore be pointless. 
In addition, prior optimisation of the website is extremely important in order for the planned activities to produce the expected results. Consideration should be given to loading speed, transparency, intuitiveness and responsiveness, i.e. automatic adaptation to different types of devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets).
In this case, the essence is the landing page, i.e. the first page a potential customer goes to. It is extremely important that there are no unnecessary elements that can generate chaos. The content should be clear and unambiguous for the recipient so that he has no doubts about where to enter his contact details. Of course, an appropriate call to action, i.e. a concise and effective call to action for the recipient, is also crucial.
As the type of lead (cold, warm or hot) is directly related to the expected course of action of the person to whom the acquired data belongs, the effectiveness of the campaign is also dependent on the correct understanding and classification of the acquired contacts. This will enable the appropriate steps to be taken, such as immediate contact or gradual, non-intrusive interactions with the potential recipient.
B2B, B2C leads - what is the difference?
It is important to realise that the way in which we communicate with potential business customers is different from the way in which we communicate with individual customers. Establishing a B2B relationship is more often than not a serious long-term relationship, so gaining the trust and attention of such a client requires more commitment, effort and time.
Furthermore, when sourcing B2B leads, it is important to bear in mind that the messages sent should reach the decision-makers in terms of undertaking the collaboration. It is therefore best to generate them when these employees are performing their job duties, for example via LinkedIn. For B2C lead generation, on the other hand, more freedom and discretion in the choice of channels is possible. However, it is always advisable to opt for differentiated tools and media.
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