You’re probably already well aware that leads drive your business forward. The more you have, the more clients you can get. So they’re pretty integral to your business development. It’s simple!
But what’s not so simple is actually getting that constant flow of leads trickling into your business.
Often finding a rhythm for lead generation takes a lot of time and focus. But once you learn the ropes, it’s a matter of tying it all together.
See also: How to win new clients with digital marketing
Here are my top 5 tips for generating new business with your digital marketing:
1. Know who you want to work with
I know, I know… It sounds pretty obvious, right?
But knowing exactly who your ideal clients are is even more important than you probably think. It’s crucial for your business’s lead generation.
This is because there exists a very straightforward principle: the better you know your client, the better you’ll be able to appeal to them.
Ask yourself: what is the BIGGEST and most COMMON problem your potential clients face?
The answer to that question will form the foundation for your whole digital marketing strategy.
For example, the biggest and most common problem we solve for our clients is “not having predictable sales appointments each month.” So, we repeatedly mention this in all of our advertising.
In your business, write down the answer to that question, and then read the rest of the tips to learn what to do next.
2. Focus on one platform
In the beginning of my business I made a big mistake of trying to do EVERYTHING all at once.
I thought… more = better.
So, I would:
- Post regularly on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok (back when it still existed)
- Post Instagram/Facebook stories
- Record a new episode for my marketing podcast on iTunes & Spotify every day
- Create YouTube videos every few weeks
- Create a new webinar every month
- Create new blog content as often as I could
- And a lot more…
None of these things are bad—in fact, they all help grow your business. But when you try to do everything in the beginning, you risk spreading yourself too thin (which is what happened to me) and then not doing anything extremely well.
Later, I realized that 80% of my results came from 20% of my digital marketing activities.
So I decided to use the Pareto principle and focus my time, resources and money on 20% of the work that actually generated the most (and best) leads.
If you can focus your energy and invest your time in mastering one channel first, you’ll be better off for it. It means you have one, reliable source of leads.
Then once you’ve mastered that, scale up and add another channel.
So it’s a fairly simple method: start small, master each platform one by one, then scale up.
The most popular channels to focus on for lead generation (for myself and most of my clients) are Facebook, LinkedIn and Google.
3. Build trust with a simple video presentation
You could generate hundreds of leads every month, but if people don’t trust you, then how many prospects are likely to do business with you? Zero.
So, building trust is essential to your lead generation strategy if you want to convert these leads into paying clients. (And who doesn’t, right?)
There are a lot of ways to build trust and my favorite is by having a 5-10 minute video sales presentation that educates your potential clients about how to solve a big and common problem they have (see tip #1 above).
In your video presentation, you want to talk about:
- The big problem your clients have (to show you understand them)
- Possible alternative solutions to that problem (doing it themselves, using a competitor, etc)
- How is your solution better vs the alternative solutions
- Call-to-action to schedule a call with you if they to learn more about working with you
The video presentation doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as some slides in PowerPoint or Keynote with your voice speaking over them. You don’t need to be on camera or need any fancy video equipment or software.
It’s also a good idea to host this video presentation on a sales appointment funnel (a series of landing pages specifically designed to take people from a lead to a booked sales appointment).
It’s no secret that video is very powerful on every major social media platform. It’s also one of the most common Facebook marketing tips you’ll hear marketers talk about all the time. So be sure to use video in your digital marketing strategy to help you get more leads in your business.
4. Follow up with leads through email marketing
Whatever channel you choose to focus your lead generation energy on, email marketing is something you’ll be doing regardless—and it’s a great way to build trust with potential clients.
Although some leads will convert into clients quickly, the majority will not. Often, you will need to follow up with your leads multiple times over a long period of time (sometimes months or even years) before they convert into clients.
If you don’t regularly follow up with leads via email, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to convert them into clients over the long term.
Top tip: Another effective way to follow up with your leads and stay top of mind is through retargeting
5. Get expert help when needed
There’s a lot you can learn on your own regarding lead generation.
But consuming free content can only take you so far….
You’ll eventually need to work with someone to explain how to implement what you’re learning for your specific and unique business.
You’ll need someone to check your work and make sure you’re definitely doing things the right way.
You may even need someone to help you implement everything you’ve been learning (especially if you’re too busy to do it all yourself).
So how can you get expert help?
It’s by working with someone who has a proven system and has already done what you want to do.
It reminds me of this quote from Tony Robbins:
“If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the result you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same result.” – Tony Robbins
Over the years, I have developed a system that has been proven to generate predictable sales appointments while automating 80% of the work through different systems and software.
If you want to get my help and learn more about working together, click here to sign up for a free masterclass I’m running.
In the masterclass, I’ll explain how each of these 5 tips can help you generate more leads in more detail. At the end of the free masterclass, I’ll also explain how you can work with me directly if you want additional help.
Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, Ash has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month with automated digital marketing strategies. Learn more about the author here.
