Are your current lead generation ideas costly, hard to sustain and leading to a dead end? Then you should try some of the proven ideas thriving business owners and stakeholders in the PR industry use to generate profit.
If you don’t get your lead generation strategies right, you’ll waste valuable time and resources trying to attract people who don’t really want your service.
Firstly, though, what is lead generation from a PR point of view?
It is the process by which you reach out to business prospects and attract them to your business with the goal of converting them into customers. And to ensure you’re getting value from your content marketing, you’ll need to make sure you get your lead generation strategies right.
It is more about the quality of your leads than the number, as attracting the right PR and marketing prospects will determine how fast and easy those leads can turn into profit for your business. Quality leads will not only guarantee continuous profits with a satisfied customer, they also mean the generation of more quality leads from referrals by that same customer.
So, your primary goal must be generating the right leads, and not just more leads. That is, quality over quantity. Here are 10 smart ways to attract qualified prospects this year:
1. Do a website audit
A website audit is a comprehensive review of your site to determine what may be wrong with it and why your lead generation efforts may not be producing the desired results. Even if you buy a domain namethat appears attractive, it’s important to also check to see any imperfections on your website and generally improve its traffic generation potentials: These could include:
- Missing pages
- Broken links
- Missing meta descriptions
- Poor quality content, images, and videos
- Slow load time
- Poor site security
2. Research the competition
To stay in the loop of trends in your industry and make your product or service appealing to prospects, you need to be aware of what your competitors are doing. What are their unique PR strategies? What keywords do they promote in their content marketing? What’s their activity like on social media? Which platforms are they most visible on and why? What topics do they often blog on, and how often do they share on social media and when? What are their brand positioning and messaging?
3. Blog consistently
You’ve very likely read that consistent blogging is the best strategy for inbound marketing; and that’s very true. But don’t forget to make your blogs relevant, useful, and engaging. Mix up the focus, providing a variety of topics on educational how-to, special series and round ups that offer value to your site readers.
The biggest benefit of consistent quality blogging is that you can earn the trust of your first-time reader and convert him or her into a repeat visitor and potential customer, especially if they subscribe to your newsletter.
4. Use social proof to persuade prospects to subscribe to your newsletter
Target audiences often feel like they are overstuffed with newsletter subscription requests from different brands/business vying for their attention. You need to differentiate your request by offering added value to the prospect, such as evidence from present subscribers who have had real success using your service or product.
5. Compile a list of the most valuable influencers in your niche
An influencer is like a PR person that is generally trusted and seen as an authority in your industry; and this could be an individual or a business brand. People love to hear from them and they often have a large following on their social media platforms. Do an audit of the top social influencers in your industry and propose your PR and lead generation ideas to them with enticing rewards for their efforts.
6. Be open to guest blogging
According to hosting gurus, one of the most effective ways to utilize an influencer’s network is to ask them to write a guest blog for your site (in return for payment or some kind of promotion).
They explain that this way you’re offering them several benefits as reward, including a backlink, a blogging platform and possibly payment. You gain a quality guest post, which the influencer will very likely share with his audience. It is also a fantastic way to establish a solid relationship.
7. Include a referral bonus in your marketing email
Nothing inspires people more than a freebie and a chance to win great prizes; and adding this incentive in your email marketing contents is a real motivator. So, try including a referral bonus for your prospect when they share content with their friends, family, colleagues or peers via email or their social media handles.
A bonus doesn’t always have to be a tangible gift (if you cannot afford a gift to give your target audience). Sometimes, a simple link that offers them real value is enough to want to make them share with their loved ones.
8. Create a short promo video
While most of your target audience can read, it doesn’t remove the fact that humans are by nature visual creatures and the average person will choose watching and listening over reading the same information.
Make sure to integrate nice and short video promoson YouTube and Facebook into your content marketing and PR strategy. They are faster and more persuasive. Don’t forget to use digital tools like Wistia to add a call-to-action in the middle of the short film.
9. Use remarketing techniques for site visitors that don’t convert
Not all users who visit your website will commit first time. In truth, converting a prospect typically takes some nurturing, especially in the B2B market space. You simply have to re-strategize and retarget them with content recommendations to bring them into your content funnel.
10. Attend and network at key industry events
The online space is key to successful brand marketing and lead generation today, but the offline marketing space is still as important. Find important industry conferences in your city, attend and network with industry influencers and potential customers. If possible, seek speaking opportunities at these events to help give you and your business increased exposure and value.
Conclusion
Every creative PR and marketing tool is potentially a lead generation winner. You’ll get more value and quicker conversion with some initiatives than others; so, you should weigh your options well and know where to channel more of your time and resources.
The impact of your PR efforts may not always be instant, and customers may come later than expected. But, hopefully, applying a combination of these proven techniques will help fill your present funnel with lots of new prospects.
