Small business lead generation is the process of attracting potential customers or clients to your small business and prompting them to interact with your brand in some way—whether they heart your Instagram posts or tweets, sign up for your newsletter, or email you with a question. The goal is to build trust with that audience and nurture your leads into becoming buyers. But without generating leads, you’ll have no one to convert in the first place. So let’s talk strategy!
3 Small Business Lead Generation Strategies
There are lots of different ways to generate leads organically online, but here are the most common (and effective) ways to do so:
- Social media posts
- Landing pages
- Emails
- Paid advertisements
#1: Fix Your Homepage
Your homepage is the first impression people get of your brand—so make sure your message is clear! To get people to peruse the rest of your site and offer you their email address, you need to be specific and obvious about:
- The problem you are solving
- How you help fix that problem (your product or service)
- The benefits of your product or service
- Why you’re the best one to fix the issue (testimonials, statistics)
It’s also good etiquette to provide your client a goodie in exchange for their email, such as an eBook or discount code. Otherwise, your prospect may see little benefit in providing you with their information.
#2: Create a Customer Referral Program
While this strategy requires you to first develop a loyal client base, it’s an effective way to get clients to spread the word about your brand. One way to implement this strategy is to generate a referral code for a customer after they purchase your product or service. This customer shares their code with a friend or family member, who then buys from you. Once that purchase is made, your loyal customer will receive a discount or other enticing offer. Ultimately, you receive a new buyer and encourage repeat business.
#3: Develop a Robust SEO Strategy
If you’re a newbie to the SEO game, have no fear. The most basic principle of optimizing for Google is to provide clear, concise high-quality content to your target audience—the search giant strongly punishes duplicate content and spammy websites. Be sure to provide valuable information and answer the most common questions that customers ask. While you’re developing this content, remember to format it well:
- Use headers and subheaders.
- Use a clear font, not comic sans!
- Incorporate blank space throughout your page. Long walls of text will definitely scare off potential readers!
Another critical factor is website speed. The slower your website, the more frustrated your audience will be, and the more likely they are to click off.
Need Help with a Small Business Lead Generation Strategy?
Between running your business and building your network, you probably don’t have time to focus on getting your brand out there. But if you work with a team of marketing specialists who are dedicated to making you look great online, you’ll free up your schedule to focus on what you do best.
Ready to chat about your marketing strategy? Talk to us today.