What Is Lead Generation?
Posted by Patrick Murphy on Mon, May 16, 2011
As an inbound marketing firm, sometimes we find that the best place to start with a client is with explaining what lead generation is and how it works for your business. We find that a great Lead Generation process will provide infinitely more value to a business then any kind of straight paid advertising for traffic option, provided it is carried out effectively and with a little bit of wisdom.
Lead generation is a marketing “phrase” that refers to making, creating, or “generating” potential interest or inquiry from consumers or potential clients into your product or service. There are many reasons we might want to generate leads, maybe for the building of a quality emailing list, perhaps a newsletter list or blog subscriber list, or for direct selling to customers. The beauty of using lead generation in the sales process is that once you have the lead, you know that they have already registered an interest in your product or service.
There are many different strategies for generating leads, and a creative marketer will be able to come up with new ways every day. Lead generation methods might traditionally fall under the umbrella of paid advertising, but also from organic search results or even existing customer referrals. In inbound marketing, we generate leads by focusing on specific target markets, and utilizing the power of social media and blogs with powerful calls to action.
The challenge behind lead generation is the idea of generating “quality” leads. A great marketer knows how to analyze a client’s target market and decide the best ways to approach the market. A more personalized approach is needed to generate quality leads, so it’s a good idea so consult a lead generation specialist for guidance on this.
Let’s face it; if you walk into your office on a Monday morning and find 10 great leads in your inbox, it’s a great start to your business week. It’s also a lot more time efficient than sitting at trade shows and fairs for hours, hoping that your target customers will approach you to fill out a form.
Contact SiliconCloud toay for expert advice on lead generation, or download our free guide “Lead Generation to Sale – Bridge the Gap” today, which will help you understand and manage the ever widening gap between 1st touch point and sales engagement.