There are thousands of marketing tools out there, each one claiming to do something new, innovative, or just plain amazing for your bottom line.
Sure, some of them are pretty cool, and yes, some might even do what they say. But should you try all of them? More importantly, should you buy all of them? Definitely not.
The truth is, no matter how many new-fangled gizmos and programs hit the scene, you really only need four basic tools to generate leads effectively on the web.
No matter what you sell or who you’re selling it to, you need a website – no questions asked. In today’s digital world, your website is your biggest marketing tool. It’s what will tell potential customers who you are and what you have to offer, and it’s what will put you in Google results when people search for your products and services.
But your website needs to be more than just a static marketing brochure. While it should sell your services and tout your expertise and skills; it also needs to be targeted to the audience you’re trying to reach – their unique problems, hurdles, needs, and even demographic.
This is where landing pages come in. These are designed with a very specific audience in mind and tailored from top to bottom to their needs. Landing pages break down the challenges an audience is facing and then position your product or service as the solution.
They also include some sort of lead-capturing form, where the customer can put in their email to get more information or possibly even a freebie, like a downloadable guide or a discount coupon code. We provide a few other examples of these types of “lead magnets” for the mortgage industry in this post.
If you’re not sure how to make a landing page, try a tool like Leadpages or Instapage, which simplifies the entire process.
Forms play a vital role in generating leads because 1) they let you learn more about your customer and 2) they give you their valuable contact information so you can follow up, deliver value, and close that deal.
You can place forms virtually anywhere on your website, and you can even work them into your Facebook page or landing pages. Just make sure to be detailed. Get their name and email (make these required fields) and have a few drop-down menus so they can indicate what their challenges are, what they need more information on, how they’d like to be contacted, etc.
If your website’s on WordPress, creating forms is super simple. Just try a plugin like WPForms (it’s drag-and-drop!), FormCraft or Ninja Forms
On the web, everything you do needs a call to action. There’s so much content and information out there; customers need to know why they should give you the time of day over another person's. What’s the point? What are you after? What do you have to give them that someone doesn’t?
Call-to-action buttons give users very specific directions on what action to take next. They can say something simple, like “Contact us,” “Buy now” or “Download,” or they can be more detailed, asking users to fill out a form, submit an idea, or just add a comment. The main point is to encourage the user to interact with your brand, so you can circle back, nurture the lead, and close the sale.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) plays a vital role in generating, identifying, and even cultivating leads, and they may even help you get more out of your existing customers.
CRMs can integrate with all sorts of tools and apps (including your website analytics, your email, your Facebook page, and more), bringing all those contacts and leads into one place for easy management. You can then use the tool to create nurturing campaigns that help convert the lead from passive to paying.
As you can see, you don’t need a lot of bells and whistles to generate leads online. With four basic tools, solid SEO, a content marketing strategy, and the right partner, you can leverage the web in a powerful, profitable way for your brand. Reach out to Tobe to learn more!