7 Lead Generation Mistakes You Need to Avoid
Lead generation has taken over the digital world lately. So, no matter what industry you’re in, you can always benefit from lessons on lead generation.
By raising brand awareness and driving traffic to your site, lead gen gives you an edge over your competitors if the quality is high and the leads eventually convert to sales.
A strong lead gen program helps you communicate your unique value from awareness to interest while the leads say, “tell me more.”
Here are seven mistakes to avoid in lead generation:
1. Not verifying the leads you’ve generated
One of the most common mistakes many people make is not verifying their generated leads. Before handing an MQL (marketing qualified lead) to sales, you must verify that their email address is valid. Some email addresses may no longer be working, or used, even though they still exist.
Filtering these will help you save money you’re otherwise spending on sending messages that will never be read. Are the leads business emails or personal?
Make sure you give your team clear directions on verifying the lead. There are several companies like Zoominfo. Here is a helpful video from OptinMonster, another provider.
2. Not using a dedicated landing page
If you want to generate more leads, then having a dedicated landing page is an essential tool that you need to use to succeed. A landing page’s function is mainly to get visitors to complete a specific objective.
You also need to have a landing page for every promotional campaign you’re running and one that’s linked to every single one of your ads. Many people mistake linking lead gen promotions to your website’s homepage. Driving leads to a home page will typically kill conversions. Always link to a landing page.
What a landing page does is that it simplifies that conversion phase towards the primary goal.
3. Placing your form below the fold
Another mistake is placing your form below the fold. Website visitors must see your CTA and form as soon as they get on your page. That means that you need to place your lead capture form on the top half of the page so that people won’t miss it.
As Jakob Nielsen puts in, most users spend 80% of their time looking above the page fold. While they scroll, they pay very little attention to what’s written below.
4. Not optimizing your top pages for lead generation
If you track the traffic from specific pages on your site, you’ll find out that most of your site traffic comes from a particular landing page. It could be from one or two popular blog posts, your homepage, and your contact page.
Since a lot of people are on these pages, you need to come up with ways how you can convert them into these pages.
To fix this:
- Single out your favored web pages.
- Optimize these pages for leads.
- Make sure that call-to-action stands out from your page. It would be best if these looked like they’re naturally placed on your site.
5. Not using social media strategically
Social media is a low-cost source for generating leads, so make sure you use it strategically.
To generate more leads from these platforms, sprinkle blog posts and offers that have previously developed higher than average leads with new posts and offers. Another way is linking directly to an offer’s landing page.
6. Not delivering value with your content
Creating high-quality and profoundly engaging content is difficult for many marketers. Take note that users’ needs are also ever-changing. Most businesses make the mistake of simply making content for its sake. But does it resonate well with readers?
That’s why you need to develop a lot of high-quality content. Take your time writing blogs and articles that convert, causing people to land on your page and turn into leads. Creating content offers value. More importantly, create content that helps your customers answer their questions or solve their problems.
Hint: If you ask customers what questions they have, answering them in a blog provides valuable content if your solution can solve their problem.
7. Not growing your email marketing list
How many times have you heard that email marketing is dead? Nothing could be further from the truth. An email lead generation strategy is essential to grow your existing customer base and generate more sales.
If you don’t have an effective strategy to collect leads, you’ll struggle to make sales and grow your business. Also, according to data, 48% of marketers believe that email marketing is the most effective strategy for collecting leads online.
You need to grow your email marketing list to garner more leads. More leads equal more customers, which generates more revenue.
In Sum
Make sure that you avoid these seven common mistakes. You’ll be on the right path to success by generating more leads for your business that convert into paying customers.
This guest post on The Marketing Sage Blog is from Gia Keasler, who writes about marketing issues, including stories on attracting investors for startups and brand strategy.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
