Generating New Leads

Generating new leads requires gaining the trust of your prospects. It is not enough to have an online presence. Prospects need to see you as a brand they can trust. Trust in a brand is created by showing expertise using blogs, webinars, videos, and other tools.

Become a Brand

Never underestimate the power of branding. Your brand is how your customers view you, so it needs to be authentic. Begin by defining your brand. 

1. Review your company mission statement (company goals)
2. Determine how the product benefits the customer
3. Choose how you want customers to see the company (luxury, reliable, affordable, etc.)

Once you determine your brand, it is important that you express it clearly. Integrate it into every aspect of business. This includes the voice in communications, décor, and employee activity. For example, you would not want to write casual communications for a luxury retail brand. 

Make sure that the brand is communicated in advertising. This includes marketing materials, logos, and tag lines. Once the brand is communicated, you need to be consistent in the execution. 

Webinars

Webinars are wonderful tools that you can use to generate new leads and demonstrate your expertise. Webinars require a great deal of work and preparation, but they are worth the effort. 

Webinar Advertising:

1. Create a webinar with a title that is likely to be searched by prospective customers. 
2. Choose a provider such as Adobe Connect, brightTALK, and WebEx. 
3. Develop a landing page for registration.
4. Advertise the webinar. Use social media, ads, blogs, and newsletters. 

The webinar needs to be prepared well in advance and completed flawlessly. A well-executed webinar should be rehearsed. Additionally, the technology should be tested beforehand to ensure that there are no surprises.

Blogs

Blogs are effective marketing tools. Blogs may be written or done on video, so anyone can create a blog. Do not create a blog unless you are committed to it. Blog posts need to be well-written or filmed, and blogs should be updated regularly. Your content should show your expertise and engage your audience. 

Increasing blog exposure:

• Comment on other blogs
• Ask for comments
• Guest blog
• Make the link easy to share
• Choose topics that customers are likely to search

Engaging Video

Many companies benefit from creating videos for various purposes. They may be entertaining or educational. When you create videos, however, it is important that you make them quality videos so that they will become visible in the rankings. There are specific steps that must be taken to create effective and engaging videos.

• Create videos that will appeal to your audience
• Introduce your topic immediately (the first 10 seconds)
• Spend adequate time planning the production
• Choose intriguing titles that are likely key words in search engines

Case Study 

Max decided to create a blog to generate new leads. He observes Jenny’s blog, which is very popular among his peers. He notices that she posts twice a week and links the posts to social media where it is often shared by her followers. Max decides that he needs to post regularly and share it on social media. He posts twice a week for two months, but his blog is not gaining attention. Max asks Jenny for her advice. She tells him that the posts are too broad and not clear.