How to Build a Killer Lead Generation Strategy for Small Business in 2018 (Step by Step)

Leads are everything a small business wants . Lots of them. All high quality and all engaged.

But what is lead generation?

Lead generation is the process of attracting strangers to your business, making them interested, and ultimately get them to take same form of action to confirm that exact interest.

Although it seems simple, it’s not all that easy. So how do you build an effective lead generation strategy going into 2018?

Here’s a step by step process you can take to start getting those leads through the door:

Step 1
Pick The Right Type of Content

Yes, you’ve heard it before, but it’s worth re-emphasizing. Providing your prospects with free, high value content is the best strategy to get interested in you.

Your audience no longer wants their attention bought. This is why it’s so important to earn their attention through the content you put out.

But more importantly than creating content is making sure you create it in the right format. How do you do this? Ask yourself these 2 questions:

1. What kind of content is my ideal customer most likely to spend the most time consuming? Written, Audio, or Video?
2. What am I naturally best at? Am I a great writer and can communicate supremely through the written word? Or am I more of a verbal communicator and get my ideas across better through talking? Or am I a charismatic entertaining character that enjoys being in front of a camera and easily capture the audience’s attention?

If both answers align, then you have your perfect situation. Focus on that content type and put it out in both High Quality and High Quantity. If your audience’s preferred content type is one that you’re not good at, hire someone to do it for you. If you can’t afford it, learn it. But be prepared to spend a large amount of time on it until you’re good.

Now that you got your prospects interested in you through your awesome content, how do you get them to take some form of action?

Step 2
Develop an Irresistible Lead Magnet

You got your visitor consuming your content, he or she is loving it and wants more. What do you do? Give them more! But this time, ask for their contact information in exchange.

Lead Magnets are none other than tools that provide further value for your visitors in exchange for some form of contact information or action by the user. Some of the best and simplest lead magnets are:

• eBooks
• Guides
• Webinars
• Video Training Series
• Free Trials
• Free Consultation
• Etc. You have to come up with the best for your specific business.

So pick the lead magnet that you think your audience will be more inclined to want and get to work on creating it!

Step 3
Don’t Forget the CTA (Call to Action)

You have spent hours creating the perfect lead magnet and can’t wait to offer it to your interest visitor! But how do you let them know they can have it? Using a call to action!

No matter if you’re distributing your content on your website or social media, having a good CTA will be determinant in converting prospects into leads. When deciding what to write and how to design your CTA, remember:

• Use contrasting colors and white space so that the CTA stands out in comparison to the rest of your page
• Make sure that the CTA is relevant to the content
• Use action oriented language such as “Download”, “Follow”, “Click”, “Get Access To”
• Keep the copy brief – rule of thumb is no more than 5 words, preferable 1–3
• Be clear in what you are asking the prospect to do as well as what they will get in return

When deciding where to place your CTA on your website, remember:

• Preferably have 2 CTAs: one above the fold, another one below the fold
• If your page is long, use multiple CTAs strategically placed throughout it to keep it in the buyer’s mind as he’s reading through
• A/B test where you place your CTA
• Ultimately, it is a matter of placing it wherever it makes the most sense in context, depending on your content piece
• Don’t fill your page with loads of CTAs, it will drive people away. Keep it simple, yet effective.

Now, before writing your CTA, remember:

Step 4
Pick the Right Thing to Ask for in Exchange

You have spent hours creating the perfect lead magnet and can’t wait to offer it to your interest visitor! But what do you ask for in return? Most people would say email, but that’s not all there is.

There’s 3 things you can ask for in exchange for the freebie lead magnet:

• To optin to your email list by providing you with their email
• To optin to your business Chat Bot updates (mostly Facebook Messenger Bot)
• To like or follow your social media page

A youngster may be more inclined to subscribe to your Messenger Bot daily updates or follow you on Twitter in exchange for a freebie, while a 50 year old business professional might be more inclined to give you their email and become a part of your list. So make sure you know exactly who your target lead is and ask for what they’re more likely to give you.

OK, your content, lead magnet and CTA are created and in place, your whole process is set up. What is there left to do? Get traffic to that content!

Step 5
Pick the Right Channels To Distribute Your Content

To most people this is the trickiest part. But it doesn’t have to be. If you have great content, it’s a matter of picking the right platform to distribute in on. These days all the main distributing channels are social media channels, the best ones being Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Medium, and Pinterest. Make sure you consider all of those, because the masses are using them.

When picking your channel/s consider the following questions:

• Who is my ideal lead and which social platform is he or she spending the most time on daily?
• What format of content do I have and which platform will make it shine the most?
• On which platform is it easier to reach a bigger audience?

A 30 second video targeted at 25 year olds will probably work well on Instagram and Facebook but not so much on YouTube or LinkedIn. A 1500 word article will likely work well on Medium but not so much on Instagram. An infographic with tips for recent moms will likely explode on Pinterest but not work at all on Medium.

The punchline is to always have in mind your audience and your content. Then pick the platform that’s optimal for those two together. Don’t just post it on Instagram because it’s hot right now, post it on where it makes the most sense to post.

EXTRA
Pick the Right Business Tools to Help You Set Up and Manage your Entire Lead Generation Process

1) Automate your content distribution with Buffer

Buffer is a simpler and easier way to schedule posts, track the performance of your content, and manage all your accounts in one place. The perfect place to manage the social media platforms you pick after analysing and realizing which ones your customer is using the most

2) Manage your process, leads, and newly acquired customers with Ninjodo

Ninjodo makes capturing leads from your awesome content and then nuture them through to clients and beyond a breeze. If you’re a solopreneur, startup or small team, this tool offers a simple and easy to navigate interface, while not skimping out on great features like automated workflows, fully integrated email, and sales & pipeline tracking.

3) Build landing pages and create CTAs with Leadpages

Leadpages is the web’s most popular landing page builder. It comes with 130+ free, mobile-responsive landing page templates for every industry. Just drag and drop to make them perfect for you.

4) Check your grammar with Grammarly

Grammarly makes sure everything you type is clear, effective, and mistake-free. It is absolutely crucial to keep your copy clean in any business setting, especially when content is at the center of it.

What’s the right content for your business? Take the quiz!