7February 2021
In direct marketing, lead generation is basically the initiating of interest or inquiry into a company’s products or services. Leads can also be generated for other purposes like e-newsletter, list building or for generating sales leads. Lead generation in this context refers to the process by which qualified leads are acquired. The term ‘qualified lead’ is generally used in direct marketing because it implies that the person to whom the lead is being directed had opted in to receive information about the company and its offerings. This decision to opt in indicates that he or she is actually interested in the product and service.
Direct marketing through telemarketing or cold calling has been considered outdated by many in the past because of the lack of success it has usually garnered. While it did bring in some leads, the cost was too high for most entrepreneurs to bear. With new technologies and improved marketing strategies though, lead generation has managed to reinvent itself. This process of acquiring qualified leads is now a part of the sales cycle.
In today’s highly competitive world, marketers have many ways to attract prospects and convert them into actual customers. Lead generation is one of these ways through which prospects are acquired. There are many ways in which this can be achieved; through different marketing strategies, through different kinds of personal selling techniques, and through different kinds of offers. Each of these ways is important in their own right.
In marketing, lead generation typically involves the creation of lead lists. These lists are made of contact information of prospective prospects. When these people are already aware of your offerings, they are more likely to consider making a purchase at some point. The more information you have about your prospects, the better your chances of making a sale will be. The lead creation phase is typically involved in collecting the contact information.
A part from lead generation, another important role in this process is that of nurturing. This is the process of communicating with these leads to ensure that they are interested in what you are offering them. Often times, the leads you are generating will not be suitable ones for conversion because they are not really prospects in the true sense of the term. In order to make sure that you are able to create quality leads, nurturing is extremely important.
Leads generated from lead generation are usually not ready for conversion, especially if they came via unsolicited email or telemarketing call. In order to ensure that you are able to generate leads that are going to eventually become customers, you need to have a lead nurturing process in place. It is during this stage where a relationship with the lead will develop; after all, without a relationship, there will be no sales pitch.
If you are looking for ways in which to nurture leads, the best way would be to get inbound from your list of subscribers. You can do this by using your autoresponder series. Using these autoresponders, you will be able to send out emails that are targeted to your specific niche and to your subscribers specifically. These emails should contain relevant content such as tips on digital marketing, tips on how to generate more sales, etc.
Once you have those emails, you can add something else that is also interesting. For example, you can add a lead magnet to the bottom of the email. The lead magnet should offer something of value to the reader, like a free report or a free video tutorial. This will entice the reader into clicking on your link and into becoming a customer. Through lead generation strategies, you will be able to convert these leads into actual customers of your product or service.