Think about this famous quote: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
Then think about this:
The evolution of lead generation is like a story that starts with "Once upon a time…" then ends with "…and they all lived happily ever after."
Once upon a time…
But all good things must come to an end. None of those tactics are successful anymore. Not to mention the significant cost of direct mail pieces and salespeople traveling across America carrying encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, and sundry in their sample cases.
Today…
Back then, the goal for salespeople was to get in front of prospects who were potential buyers of the goods and services they were peddling. I would suggest that the goal today is precisely the same. We're still peddling goods and services. And we still need to get our message out to prospective buyers. We're still knocking on doors, but those doors are virtual. We use email instead of snail mail for a fraction of the cost. And most of all, we use inbound marketing tactics and tools that were not available once upon a time.
What's your lead generation story?
I hope you're not doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Unless what you were doing before is actually working for you. In which case, another axiom would apply: If it's not broken, don't fix it.
But if you're like most of us, you're looking for new and better ways to generate leads. So, let's start with that premise and look at what a successful inbound marketing lead generation program should include.
Optimized website – The goal of every inbound marketing campaign is to drive traffic to your website. Therefore, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical. Without that, you can't expect to come up on page 1 of the results for any searches that match your keywords or keyword phrases.
Track, Capture, Identify – Once your site is optimized, you need to track your visitors. They're of no use to you if you don't know who they are. There are several services that provide a wealth of information about visitors to your website, details that go well beyond traditional web analytics systems.
Metrics & Analytics – Even if you're using a service that identifies your site visitors, keeping an eye on your basic web metrics and analytics is still important. Google Analytics does a good job of providing the basic metrics you want to watch, although it also provides enhanced analytics. If you know where your visits are coming from, which pages they spend time on and how much time, you can continue to tweak your SEO accordingly.
Active blogging – Everyone has a blog today. So you might wonder, does that set you apart from the crowd? I'd say it does. Because it's not about having a blog, it's about using it to your full advantage. Most of my client's blog 2 or 3 times a month. And this is a decent pace. But I had a client who went from blogging once a week to blogging daily, and guess what? Traffic to their website tripled! I recommend a healthy mix of blog content that ranges from tech tips and product updates to industry analyses and thought leadership pieces.
Regularly scheduled social media posts – Did you know that services can automate your social posts? If you don't have time to blog frequently and stay on top of your SEO and your metrics and your analytics, maybe you also don't have time to post on a regular basis to your social platforms. You can solve that gap in your inbound marketing strategy by automating it! After all, this is the 21st century.
And they all lived happily ever after
There can be a happy ending to your lead generation story if you make the most of the tools and services that are readily available today. I don't promote any specific providers, but I can point in the right directions to find the services referenced above. Alternatively, if you're really looking for someone to manage all of the above, you've come to the right place. I can pull it all together for you so that your story can have the desired happy ending.
Visit Marketing Monarchs, email us at info@marketingmonarchs.com, or call us on 617.256.6178.