Lead Generation Campaign

Running a successful lead generation campaign aims to generate leads, making it a crucial objective. It involves categorizing potential customers and assessing their likelihood of purchasing or initiating a sales call. 

The purposes of lead generation may range from boosting sales leads to enhancing webinar registrations. However, the ultimate goal remains consistent: encouraging prospects to express interest and engage in the process.

This blog discusses lead generation in-depth and highlights the steps to curate a profitable campaign. Also, we cover why companies need to generate leads.

Lead generation involves drawing potential customers to your business and boosting their interest through nurturing to convert them into customers. Various methods to generate qualified leads include job applications, blog posts, coupons, live events, and online content.

These lead generators represent only a handful of the strategies for lead generation to draw in potential customers and steer them toward your offerings.

Avoid simply saying, “I create content for lead generation campaigns,” as it might confuse people. Instead, focus on discovering distinctive methods to attract individuals to your business. Offer them enticing incentives to pique their interest in your company, leading them to warm up to the brand and express a desire to stay connected with us!

This approach generally connects more effectively, and that’s precisely what lead generation campaign examples aim to achieve: It’s a method of gradually engaging potential customers with your business, setting them on the course toward making a purchase.

Leads play a role in the process of transitioning visitors into customers. However, not all leads are identical. They come in various types, depending on how you assess them and their stage in the lifecycle.

A Marketing-Qualified Lead (MQL)

Marketing-qualified leads refer to contacts who have interacted with your marketing team’s initiatives but aren’t ready for a sales call. A typical example of an MQL is a contact who completes a landing page form to access an offer.

A Sales-Qualified Lead (SQL)

Sales-qualified leads are contacts who have demonstrated actions that explicitly show their interest in becoming paying customers. A common example of SQL in lead generation campaigns is a contact who fills out a form to inquire about your product or service.

A Product-Qualified Lead (PQL)

Product-qualified leads are contacts who have utilized your product and demonstrated actions that suggest an interest in becoming a paying customer. PQLs are usually relevant for companies providing a product trial or a free/limited version with upgrade options.

A typical example of a PQL is a customer who utilizes your free version but inquires about features exclusive to the paid version.

A Service-Qualified Lead

Service-qualified leads are individuals or customers who have contacted your service team about their interest in becoming paying customers.

For instance, customers might inform their customer service representative about their intention to upgrade their product subscription. In response, the customer service representative would escalate this customer to the relevant sales team or representative under a lead generation campaign or program.

Marketers and salespeople share the common goal of quickly filling their sales funnel. It often leads to the temptation to purchase leads. Buying leads is less challenging and time-consuming than generating them organically, even though it can be more expensive. If you’re already investing in advertising, why not consider buying leads?

Primarily, the leads you acquire through purchase are unfamiliar with your company, making your lead generation campaigns less profitable. Generally, they have opted in on another site while signing up for something. And they haven’t chosen to receive information from your company.

The messages your brands send are unsolicited, making them intrusive. Sending messages without their prior interest or visit to your website interrupts them straightforwardly. If they have yet to specifically opt-in to receive your messages, there’s a high risk they might label your messages as spam, which can be problematic.

When many people mark your lead generation campaign messages as spam, your company might appear in the spam list. Once flagged, it becomes challenging to regain credibility. Furthermore, your mail deliverability and brand reputation are likely to suffer.

It’s consistently preferable to cultivate leads organically rather than purchasing them. Discover how to build an opt-in mailing list instead of opting for a bought one.

As discussed in the initial section, a lead is an individual who has expressed interest in your company’s product or service. Now, let’s discuss how someone can demonstrate that interest.

Businesses create a sales lead through the collection of information. It might occur when a job seeker applies for an open role, a shopper provides contact details for a coupon, or someone fills out a form to download educational content.

Here are several methods to qualify someone as a prospect before learning how to create a lead-generation campaign that produces results. Each of these instances illustrates that the degree of collected information to qualify a lead and their level of interest can differ.

Let’s evaluate each scenario:

• Job Application: Candidates share their data with companies they want to interview for and get job offers. It shows their interest in the position, making them a suitable candidate. HR departments consider such people as leads. 
• Content: Getting a coupon indicates someone is directly interested in your product. However, it’s unclear when it comes to content like an ebook or webinar. You might need to gather additional information to grasp the nature of the person’s interest.
• Coupon: When a shopper discovers a valuable coupon, they might be ready to share their name and email for a deal. While it’s not a ton of info, it’s sufficient for a business to recognize that someone is interested in their company.

These three broad examples underscore the variability of lead generation campaigns from one company or individual to another.

Determining whether someone has a genuine interest in your product or service requires collecting sufficient information. The amount of information needed varies depending on your specific business.

Now that we grasp the role of lead generation campaigns in the inbound marketing methodology, let’s go through all stages.

• Initially, a visitor comes across your business via one of your marketing channels, such as your website, blog, or social media platform. Subsequently, the visitor clicks on your call-to-action (CTA) – an image, button, or message designed to prompt website visitors to engage in some form of action.
• The CTA guides your visitor to a landing page, a webpage specifically created to collect lead information in return for an offer.
• Upon reaching the landing page, your visitor completes a form to receive the offer. You’ve acquired a new lead—assuming, of course, that you adhere to best practices for lead capture.

An offer refers to the content or resource you promote on the landing page, such as an ebook, a course, or a template. The lead generation campaign offer must provide sufficient value for visitors- to prompt them to share their personal information in exchange for access.

When you integrate all these components- you can leverage your diverse promotional channels to direct traffic to your landing page and kickstart lead generation.

However, which channels should you employ to publicize your landing page? Let’s discuss the initial phase of lead generation campaigns— lead gen marketing.

If you’re thinking about how to generate leads using digital marketing, it’s time to assess your current online platforms and pinpoint conversion opportunities. It involves everything from your website to your organic and paid social media activities.

You can curate and execute a successful lead-generation campaign using these steps. They guide you about what techniques to use for the best results.

1. Develop offers that cater to various stages of the buying cycle.

Only a few site visitors want to engage with your sales team or explore a demo of your product.

Those in the early stages of the buyer’s journey may find value in informational content such as an ebook or guide. On the other hand, individuals well-acquainted with your company and nearing the end of their journey might prefer a free trial or demo. Please generate offers tailored to each phase and provide clear calls-to-action (CTAs) for these offers across your site.

Crafting valuable lead-generation campaign content to guide your leads through the funnel takes time. However, if you don’t provide anything for visitors who aren’t ready to purchase, they might not return to your website. 

For an extra touch of personalization, experiment with smart CTAs. These intelligent CTAs identify a person’s position in the buyer’s journey – whether a new visitor, a lead, or a customer – and display CTAs accordingly. Personalized CTAs show a conversion rate that is 202% higher than basic ones.

2. Maintain consistency in your messaging and fulfill your commitments.

The most successful lead generation campaigns smoothly transition from ad copy and design to the actual deliverable. Please maintain a unified message throughout the process, delivering value to everyone involved in your lead capture.

All elements of your lead generation campaign should align with the rest of your website, blog, and the product you intend to sell eventually. Otherwise, moving your lead to the next stage in the lifecycle can become more challenging.

3. Rely on your databases

If you aim to establish an engine for all lead-generation campaign examples, begin by leveraging the vast database you already have. Start by cataloging posts that consistently rank high, attract traffic, and have a clear relevance to your product. Once you identify successful performers, you can decide where to position your CTAs.

For these posts, consider the connecting piece between what someone is reading and what you can provide. It might be an actionable template, a more detailed guide, or even a demo if the content suits those in the later stages of the buying cycle.

Please note that your lead generation campaign CTA shouldn’t be a stretch from the post’s topic. Try keeping it direct and logical, and the leads will naturally follow.

4. Utilize appropriate lead generation tools

The most effective marketing teams employ a structured system for managing and storing leads. It is where lead generation tools and software become crucial.

How well-acquainted are you with the individuals browsing your website? Do you possess information such as their names or email addresses? Are you aware of the pages they explored, their navigation patterns, and their activities before and after completing a lead conversion form?

If you couldn’t answer these questions, you might find engaging with the individuals who visit your site a task. You must be capable of addressing these queries. And you can achieve this with the appropriate lead-generation campaign tools.

Several tools and templates are available to assist you in creating various lead-generation assets for your site:

• Templates for Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Develop clickable CTA buttons for implementation on your blog, landing pages, and other site areas.
• Lead Generation Software Tools: HubSpot offers this free tool with features like lead capture insights, which extract information from existing forms and add contacts to your database. Additionally, you can design pop-ups, hello bars, or slide-ins known as “lead flows” to convert visitors into leads. Thankfully, PostGrid’s direct mail API integrates with HubSpot, allowing you to send appealing lead-generation campaign mailers using your existing workflows.
• Form-Scraping Tool: A tool that extracts information from submissions on your website’s current forms and aids in merging all your leads into your contact database. Companies can generate and insert forms that seamlessly integrate into their CMS. Alternatively, they can employ a form creation tool such as Contact Form 7, JetPack, or Google Forms to automatically capture form submissions and transfer them to a contact database.

5. Connect your CTA to a designated landing page.

While this may appear straightforward, many marketers overlook creating dedicated landing pages for their offers. CTAs must direct visitors to a landing page to access a specific offer.

For example, avoid using lead generation campaign CTAs to direct people to your homepage. Even if your CTA is related to your brand or product, guide them to a focused landing page with an opt-in form. Try leading them to a page through your CTA that encourages conversion into a lead.

6. Involve your sales team

Stay open to changing how you work with sales and guide leads through your process. The terms you use may need adjustments over time; just ensure everyone involved stays informed.

Sales teams have better knowledge of what your clients desire and need. They also have information about which prospective customers are most likely to buy from you. Hence, collaborate with your marketing and sales department for the best results. 

It lets you align everyone, curate high-quality databases, and increase sales.

7. Stay adaptable and consistently refine

Please ensure your strategy mirrors your target audience’s preferences and requirements. Your lead generation campaigns should evolve according to the latest trends, behavior changes, and updated client needs.

Employ A/B split testing to determine the most effective CTAs and identify landing pages with higher conversion rates. Also, pinpoint the copy that resonates with your target audience. Experiment with adjustments in layout, design, user experience (UX), content, and advertising channels until you discover the strategies that yield optimal results.

8. Strategically leverage social media

While marketers usually view social media as a tool for initial marketing stages, it can still serve as a valuable and cost-effective channel for lead-generation campaigns.

Conduct a lead generation campaign analysis of your blog to identify posts that consistently generate the most leads and regularly link social media posts to them.

Another effective method for generating leads from social media is to organize contests. Contests are enjoyable and engaging for your followers. They also provide valuable insights into your audience. It’s a win-win situation.

Businesses can begin by incorporating links directly to the landing pages of successful offers in their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media posts. They must inform visitors that they’re being directed to a landing page to manage expectations.

9. Leverage partnerships

In lead generation campaigns, collaborative marketing can be highly effective. If your team collaborates with partner companies, join forces and devise mutually advantageous offers.

You can partner with local businesses to spread the word about your products and services. It is the best way to improve your reputation, make genuine connections, and boost sales. 

PostGrid’s print and mail API can help you send partnership letters to local businesses, asking them to collaborate. 

10. Create blog posts

If your website doesn’t already have a business blog, it’s worth considering starting one. Blog posts are excellent to draw people to your site and convert them into leads. Write about topics relevant to your business that align with primary search terms on Google to boost your B2B lead generation campaigns’ results.

You can create and publish different posts on every blog topic you think your target audience will find helpful. Also, try embedding the primary SEO keywords to rank on Google and help people discover your website without hassles. 

Since individuals are attracted to sites with your compelling blog content, they’ll become familiar with your business and, hopefully, develop an interest in what you offer.

Most firms commence their lead generation campaign by brainstorming topics relevant to what they offer. They leverage tools like Google Trends or KeywordsFX to identify ideas that generate significant search traffic. 

11. Create diverse multimedia content

In a lead generation campaign, don’t limit yourself to just blog posts.

After all, not everyone is inclined to read a page filled with text. Captivating multimedia, on the other hand, tells a different story. By generating multimedia content for your business, you get a chance to connect with individuals who may not be drawn to your blog posts.

Videos, in particular, are an excellent method to grab people’s attention.

You can share videos on YouTube and your website. Other forms of multimedia content suitable for a lead generation campaign include visuals like images and infographics. Some of your multimedia content can focus mostly on providing information, similar to your blog posts, while others can have a more sales-oriented approach.

12. Initiate paid advertising campaigns

An additional method to acquire more leads is by launching paid lead generation campaigns through Google Ads, a reliable strategy for small businesses. Through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, you can showcase ads at the top of pertinent Google search results, making them easily accessible to users.

In Google Ads, you can compile a list of keywords to direct your ads towards. Subsequently, you can place bids on these keywords. You can ensure your ads appear in search results by bidding sufficiently high and maintaining a commendable Quality Score (Google’s evaluation of your ad quality).

While PPC is an effective method for boosting conversions, it also proves beneficial for lead-generation campaigns. When a user encounters an ad for your products or services, they may not make an immediate purchase. However, they could still retain that information for future reference when they are ready to make a purchase.

13. Conduct email marketing

How does automating potential leads function? Consider this scenario: A parent comes across your Tweet, which offers students a free study plan for the SAT. Upon clicking the link provided in the Tweet, they reach a landing page featuring a straightforward form. Mailchimp and other tools can automatically incorporate the lead generation campaign information into your database.

When the parent shares their email, they get a PDF study plan and a welcome package, including prices, services, success stories, and a coupon. Clicking the coupon link leads them to your booking calendar. The calendar informs the tutor and confirms the appointment, all automatically. The best part? The customer doesn’t see this process. Setting up the automation takes time, but once it’s complete, it saves hours by avoiding missed calls, checking calendars, and confirming appointments.

14. Get referrals

Referrals are an excellent way of acquiring high-quality leads. When individuals experience positive outcomes from using your product, they tend to recommend it to their peers and friends. 

Typically, they won’t share this information with those who have minimal interest in your product, as it would be a futile effort. Instead, they approach someone they believe possesses the financial means and a genuine need for your product—characteristics that define a quality lead.

Yet, quality leads won’t be handed to you by customers automatically. Seeking referrals from your customers under B2B lead generation campaigns is essential. You can encourage this by providing an incentive, such as a discount on their next purchase.

For instance, Airbnb grants credits to both the new user and the user making the referral. They’ve instituted a referral system that motivates customers to generate quality leads.

If you manage to connect with a company owner or executive, you might propose providing your product for free in return for valuable leads. Senior executives frequently network with one another. Establishing a positive relationship with one company owner could lead to introductions to other owners and executives who may find interest in your product.

15. Send cold messages to prospects

Sending a cold email to a potential client remains a successful approach for generating valuable leads. Many companies shy away from cold outreach due to concerns about being perceived as spammers, but when executed properly, it can secure high-quality, carefully selected leads.

In cold outreach, you conduct research on companies that would gain the most from utilizing your product. For instance, if you sell commercial ovens, your focus would be on researching restaurants that are well-suited to benefit from your product and then contacting them via email.

Avoid sending the same email to every Shopify or eCommerce store indiscriminately since that would be considered spam. Refine your new lead generation campaign list to focus exclusively on Shopify stores that genuinely need your software.

Once you prepare, you can then dispatch tailored cold emails. Customization is crucial, and you can only achieve it by gathering as much information about the prospect as possible.

You can use our direct mail API to send appealing and eye-catching mailers to your targeted audience. Integrating our API is seamless and less time-consuming with our detailed API docs and 24×7 technical assistance. 

These zero-code and native integrations let you plan your lead generation campaigns without hassles. You can incorporate our automated mailing features into your HubSpot, Salesforce, QuickBooks, Marketo, and other accounts. 

Also, you can use our direct mail automation software to upload your files and contacts and place direct mail orders. Most features are the same, helping you use PostGrid however you want.

PostGrid’s direct mailing solutions offer many more features, like address verification API, mailing list compilation, and tracking. You can stay informed about your lead generation campaigns, saving time and effort.

The good news is that we offer the most affordable rates across the US and other countries. Thus, you can generate high-quality leads using direct mail without burning a hole in your pockets. 

Contact us for more details on how to create a lead generation campaign using PostGrid’s direct mail automation services!