Yes, you’re right: the title of this article is a bit…strange. Doesn’t every lead generation process create customers? After all, certain things in life should be safe to assume.
Unfortunately however, most articles that promise to help businesses map out a lead generation process are theoretically appealing, but impractical and sometimes even counter-productive. So yes they sound nice, but no, they don’t work in the real world – and the only folks who aren’t bothered by this are consultants who sell (believe it or not) nice-sounding but unworkable lead generation process advice.
And so with that being said, we’re pleased to highlight 5 steps to creating a lead generation process that actually does what it’s supposed to: create profitable customers.
- Identify Buyer Personas
Not all leads are created equal – and sometimes, not all leads are even leads! Some are individuals and organizations that influence leads, and others are not profitable leads in the first place. Businesses chase after them more because that’s what they’ve always done, and it hasn’t yet occurred to them that there’s a better, bigger fish to catch elsewhere.
And so, before even starting to figure out workflows and systems, it’s vital to identify all buyer personas, and ultimately identify the types of people that should be captured, developed and converted by the lead management process.
- Create Relevant and Quality Content
The fuel that drives the lead generation process is one thing: relevant and quality content! Not SEO, SEM, PPC, or any other tactic or element. That’s not to say that these pieces aren’t important parts of the overall puzzle – because they certainly can be (and we implement them in many of our inbound marketing campaigns).
However, as mentioned, great content makes lead generation management work, because it’s what ushers leads through the process. It’s the next best thing to a personal conversation, which frankly, many leads aren’t willing to have until they’re well into the process – often near the decision-making line. Until they get there, content keeps them engaged, interested and moving forward.
- Capture Leads
Some business do a pretty good job on buyer persona development and content creation, but they fall short -- and undermine their entire lead generation process – when it comes to capturing leads.
Often (though not always) the biggest culprits here are forms and landing pages. Specifically, forms either ask leads too much or too little, and landing pages are under-developed or non-existent.
- Score Leads
An extremely common problem – we’d even say that it’s the norm rather than the exception – is that businesses have a pool of leads in their system, but they all basically look the same.
In reality, however, some are marketing qualified leads (MQLs), and some are sales qualified leads (SQLs). MQLs are legitimate prospects who aren’t yet ready to buy. For example, they may be researching or exploring their options. SQLs, however, are close to making a decision and open to being engaged by sales teams (either over the phone, email, or in person if it’s practical and agreeable to do so).
Through criteria-based scoring – which is a key component of the lead generation process – businesses clearly see which leads are MQLs and which are SQLs, and can therefore engage them and allocate resources accordingly. To learn more about SQLs and MQLs, read our blog post.
- Track & Analyze
And of course, a lead generation process should be constantly tracked and analyzed, to see which pieces are working as expected, which are over-achieving, and which need to be adjusted or re-built.
For example, it’s common for businesses to discover through engagement with leads that they need to create new kinds of content and/or make it more easily available. Businesses may also learn that certain landing pages are doing an excellent job of pulling in quality leads, and can use that design to optimize existing/future pages.
Learn More
At Leap Clixx, we create customized lead generation processes that do what they’re supposed to: create profitable customers! Our team handles every aspect of content creation, lead capturing, lead scoring, tracking and analyzing. We handle all of the details, so that our customers can focus on leading and growing their business.
To learn more, contact us today and schedule your free consultation.
Using these tips and more can help you create a more efficient lead generation process. Download our FREE eBook to learn how you can turn your website into a lead generation machine also:
Topics: Lead Generation
