When asked, 85% of marketers say that lead generation is a vital element to their digital marketing arsenal, yet only 42% of marketers and business owners actually have a sound lead generation strategy in place. So, what is lead generation marketing really?

Let’s take a look:

What is lead generation in digital marketing?

In the world of digital marketing, a lead constitutes a potential customer in your target audience who is interested in the product or service that you are offering. So, in simple terms, lead generation is the act of attracting a potential customer to your business resulting in a conversion, or sale.

Marketing agencies employ a variety of methods to capture these leads, which is known as lead generation marketing. This form of marketing leverages tactics that will encourage a user from a pre-defined target audience to complete a form, contact the business directly or even visit a store.

So, why is lead generation a good idea for your business?

All businesses need customers to grow and to get those customers, you need to market to them so as to gain their attention. This is where lead generation marketing comes into play.

Leads can be passed on to the sales team to convert them into a buying customer. This generally involves adding them to a CRM, like Hubspot, for further nurturing through other touchpoints, such as emailers. This kind of technology can even track your product demand and customer trends from the lead generation marketing data.

How to capture a lead

 In the past, your potential customer would see your ad in the local newspaper and pick up the phone to further enquire about your product or service. With the expansion of technology and advertising channels, customers are now able to shift from traditional media outlets like newspapers and television to social media and websites. This gave rise to various marketing and advertising tactics online, from selling on social media giants like Facebook and Instagram, to search engines like Google and even local online stores with delivery options on Shopify.

How much does lead generation marketing cost?

 The answer is, how long is a piece of string? It depends on how willing you are to engage your audience and invest in lead capturing tactics, whether one time or an ongoing strategy. Ultimately, the more you invest, the more qualified leads you’ll receive to nurture towards a sale.

Here are 5 ways that Ole!Connect can execute lead generation marketing for your business

1. Capture leads through a form on your website – we can place a simple form on your website pages and ask interested parties to complete it in exchange for valuable content like a whitepaper or ebook, checklist, how-to video or monthly newsletter to keep up-to-date with your business’s services and offering.
    
2. Generate leads through Google Ads – We can run targeted ads around important keywords on Google that will capture your potential lead’s attention while searching using the keywords that relate to your business. The user is then directed to your website or landing page where we will employ additional tactics to capture the lead. We have helped many businesses kickstart their lead generation marketing on Google.
    
3. Using direct emails to convert a qualified lead – We can send personalised emailers to your CRM database to continue nurturing the lead and push them to convert through a sale.
    
4. Use email lists to capture new leads – We cannot stress enough how important it is to have an email marketing campaign in your overall marketing plan as this method can be a great way to capture new leads and customers. We can craft an email marketing campaign for your business that targets your existing customers and email lists to upsell and cross-sell on products, services or sign-ups.
    
5. Get leads through social media – Social media is a simple, yet effective way of capturing new leads for your business. People spend on average between 5 – 6 hours a day on social media, so if your lead generation marketing does not include social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you are missing out on a big opportunity to attract qualified leads that have a high propensity to convert. People use these platforms, not only for entertainment and keeping in touch with their friends and family but also as a catalyst to share opinions on brand products and experiences. This use alone gives businesses that have social media in their marketing mix the upper hand, as it allows them the ability to listen to the opinions of their customers and engage with potential customers. A great tool for market research! 

We can execute lead generation marketing on social media for your business in groups, on pages and content, and even direct messages. A great way to engage and capture leads in a fun way on social media is through contests where the user is required to give information, answer questions or refer a friend in order to be entered.

We have had the pleasure of helping many reputable brands like Wesbank, Viva Gym and Medihelp generate highly qualified leads at a low CPL, ensuring ROI and ultimately lots of revenue for the business all with digital tools and channels. Lead generation is something that we take very seriously at Ole!Connect, employing conscious and healthy lead generation marketing tactics.