by By Joanna Ellis-Escobar
This post is part of our COVID-19 blog series, which includes practical tips about how your business can survive and thrive through the coronavirus pandemic.
Many of our clients find it difficult to generate and nurture leads even during stable, relatively predictable economic times. Couple this struggle with the newly turbulent days of COVID-19, and we know it’s hard to focus on the seemingly abstract concept of why, now more than ever, you need to focus on generating leads.
Sales may be down, workforce may be strapped (or largely eliminated) and morale may be waning, but that’s precisely why you should be taking the time to attract, stimulate and nurture leads.
When (and yes, we mean when) things return to normal, whatever that may mean, be or look like, a strong effort now will pay off ten-fold as you slowly make your way back to business as usual.
So what are our favorite lead gen practices to better position yourself for a strong come back?
We’ve got a few ideas on how you can continue generating leads even if sales are expected to dip for the foreseeable future.
Check out our top 7 lead generation tactics that’ll give you the opportunity to nurture prospects and make that sale…one day soon.
1. Webinars
Webinars are a great way to establish your position as a thought leader and provide engaging, fun, different ways of presenting information. This alone is enough to attract leads. But the best part about doing a live webinar? It’s an opportunity to interact with your audience, often in real time. That’s not something you can always do in the digital world. And once the webinar is over? It’s the gift that keeps on giving…reference the On-demand version in new content and continue to promote it via social to get the most bang for your buck.
TOP TIPS FOR WEBINARS: Be sure to plan your webinar far enough out that you have time to promote it. Most registrants will sign up within the last week before your event, but you should give yourself plenty of time to promote several weeks in advance. Promote your webinar via:
- Social
- Emails
- A banner on your homepage
- On your blog
2. Social media
It’s simply not enough to have a social media profile. You need to be regularly active, too. Post unique content for each site, and be sure to review the days, times and frequencies that are recommended for each platform.
Don’t solely post self-promotional content. Curate, repost and offer useful information for your target audience. Of course you want to promote your blogs, webinars, offers and more, but users are turned off by overtly self-beneficial posters.
TOP TIPS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA: Best days and times to post can vary by platform, industry, audience and more. Keep in mind, these aren’t 100 percent, must-do, always-a-given rules by any means. There are instances when you need to use common sense, too. And you should trust yourself on that. But according to Hootsuite, here’s a good place to start when deciding when to post:
Twitter
B2B:
Mondays or Thursdays
9 am – 4 pm EST, but 11 am – 1 pm is best
B2C:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
12 pm – 1 pm EST
Facebook
B2B:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
9 am – 2 pm EST
B2C:
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays
12pm EST
LinkedIn
B2B:
Tuesdays or Wednesdays
7:45 am; 10:45 am; 12:45 pm; 5:45 pm
B2C:
Mondays and Wednesdays
7:45 am; 10:45 am; 12:45 pm; 5:45 pm
Instagram
Instagram is an interesting platform in that their algorithm-based feed makes it more difficult to pinpoint best times to post. Industry also makes a difference. Hootsuite has a great post specifically about Instagram posting.
3. Landing pages
Of course your landing pages are a great way to capture leads. But how do you create a landing page that converts? Luckily, the process is pretty straightforward, with platforms that rate and suggest improvements for your content, layout and CTAs, so you can create pages that are more likely to convert.
TOP TIPS FOR LANDING PAGES: Landing pages should be value-oriented. You’re solving a problem in exchange for a user’s information. Think about adding any of these great components that are proven effective:
- Great photos or images
- Social proof
- Explainer videos
- A “what to expect next” blurb
4. Exit polls
Exit polls can be an amazingly effective lead gen tool. When a user is about to leave your site, a pop up that encourages engagement appears. There, users can leave feedback, suggestions or requests. While there are some cons to exit polls (some users find them intrusive), we’ve found they’re really useful in learning what types of questions your users most have. And that tends to be incredibly powerful information.
TOP TIPS FOR EXIT POLLS: Use responses to learn what people can’t find on your site. And then? Give them what they’re looking for! Consider including messaging like “Would you like more information?” or “Can we contact you to share more about xyz?” Remember to keep polls short.
5. CTAs
Start with your homepage, but review your entire site to see where you can enhance your messaging and include CTAs to garner leads. Do you have eBooks, whitepapers or case studies? Do you blog regularly? Do you have a newsletter people can sign up for? Do you have an active YouTube channel? First, your answer to any of these should be “yes” (spoiler alert: if it’s not, you now have a good place to start focusing).
TOP TIPS FOR EXIT POLL: Keep your CTAs short and action-oriented. Think about the benefits you’re offering. Resist the temptation to “do the norm.” Quick tweaks can make your CTAs more powerful and effective.
- Instead of “Download Now” try “Read Case Studies”
- Rather than “Click Here” use “Read the Blog”
- If you’ve been saying “Submit,” try changing it to “Let’s Chat”
- Don’t use “Enter,” but try “Watch Now” instead
6. Create (and gate) premium content
Now is the perfect time to invest in creating premium, valuable content that will resonate with users. Gated content takes time to create, so be sure you’re not rushing the process. It must be truly valuable for it to generate leads.
TOP TIPS FOR CREATING (AND GATING) PREMIUM CONTENT: Make sure you’re only gating content that’s worthy. It would be better to not gate something than it would be to end up with a disappointed prospect who will likely unsubscribe shortly after giving up their information opting in. What works well for gated content?
- Videos
- Whitepapers
- Case studies
- Evergreen content
- eBooks
- Webinars
- Demos
- Courses
- Checklists
7. Promote a contest, offer or giveaway
Contests and giveaways are notoriously good ways to establish and promote brand awareness. An added bonus? They’re also effective ways to attract leads.
TOP TIPS FOR CONTESTS, OFFERS AND GIVEAWAYS: Not sure where to start? Referral contests are great for social media boosts. Limited-time-offers create a sense of urgency and encourage users to act now, rather than wait. Try a countdown timer next to the offer.
- Identify your target audience so you can promote on the proper channels
- Make prizes, offers or giveaways relevant to your user and your brand
- Be sure to follow up both during and after the promotion ends
Lead gen can feel daunting. We get it. But we cannot stress it enough. It’s an absolutely necessary part of growing your business. And perhaps more importantly, it’s what allows us to survive valleys like the one we’re dredging through right now. Put in the time, stay your course, continue to focus on the other side, and we really believe, you can come out of this stronger.
Need help with lead generation? Flair’s got you covered. Reach out for more information about how you can strengthen your lead gen efforts now to prepare for tomorrow. We can help you design and implement strategies that will help you connect with prospects and leads so you can continue growing your brand and making those connections.
Ready to get started with or ramp up your lead generation efforts? If you need help, reach out – we’d love to be there for you. Contact Flair today to learn more about how we can help you put into place lead generation efforts today that will get you results tomorrow.
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