Lead Generation How to Build a Database of Contacts

It’s important to note that the meaning of lead generation can vary slightly depending on the business context. In B2C (business-to-customer) settings, lead generation often focuses on individual consumers. However, in B2B (business-to-business) environments, a lead could be an entire company. This distinction is crucial when crafting lead generation strategies.

Effective lead generation strategies take into account the nuances of lead generation meaning. These strategies might include content marketing, social media campaigns, or email marketing, all designed to attract and engage potential leads. However, it’s crucial to remember that while implementing these strategies, businesses must comply with regulations like GDPR to protect individuals’ personal information.

By fully grasping the meaning of lead generation, businesses can develop more targeted and successful lead generation strategies, ultimately driving growth and success in their respective markets.

 

 

B2B Lead Generation: Strategies for Business Growth

In the realm of lead generation strategies, B2B lead generation stands out as a crucial focus for companies targeting other businesses. Unlike B2C approaches, B2B lead generation often involves longer sales cycles, higher-value transactions, and more complex decision-making processes. This makes it essential for businesses to tailor their lead generation efforts specifically to the B2B landscape.

Effective B2B lead generation starts with understanding your target audience. This means identifying key decision-makers within organizations, understanding their pain points, and recognizing the challenges they face in their industries. By gaining this insight, you can create more targeted and relevant content that resonates with potential B2B leads.

Content marketing plays a pivotal role in B2B lead generation. White papers, case studies, and industry reports are particularly valuable in establishing thought leadership and attracting high-quality leads. These in-depth resources provide the detailed information that B2B buyers often seek when making purchasing decisions. Webinars and virtual events have also become increasingly important in the B2B space, offering opportunities for direct engagement with potential leads.

Advanced Marketing Channels and Performance Metrics

Networking remains a cornerstone of B2B lead generation. Industry conferences, trade shows, and professional associations provide valuable platforms for making connections and nurturing relationships. In the digital age, platforms like LinkedIn have become indispensable for B2B lead generation, allowing for targeted outreach and relationship-building with key industry professionals.

Account-based marketing (ABM) is another strategy gaining traction in B2B lead generation. This approach involves targeting specific high-value accounts with personalized marketing efforts. By focusing resources on a select group of potential clients, businesses can create highly tailored campaigns that speak directly to the needs and interests of their ideal customers.

Email marketing, when done right, continues to be a powerful tool for B2B lead generation. Segmented email lists and personalized content can help nurture leads through the sales funnel. However, it’s crucial to provide value in every communication to avoid being seen as spam in the increasingly crowded B2B inbox.

Search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising are also vital components of a comprehensive B2B lead generation strategy. By optimizing for industry-specific keywords and creating landing pages tailored to B2B audiences, businesses can attract qualified leads actively searching for solutions.

Measuring and analyzing the success of your B2B lead generation efforts is crucial. Key performance indicators might include metrics like conversion rates, cost per lead, and lead quality scores. Regularly reviewing these metrics allows for continuous refinement of your strategies.

It’s important to note that successful B2B lead generation often requires a mix of these strategies, tailored to your specific industry and target audience. By consistently providing value, building relationships, and staying attuned to the needs of your potential B2B clients, you can create a robust pipeline of qualified leads to drive your business growth.

Why is lead generation important?

As we all learnt at school, the basis of any business is to make a profit. But let’s ask the question, who generates profit in our business? Well, our customers who buy our products and services – we couldn’t do it without them. But customers don’t just fall from the sky, and that’s why online marketing needs to constantly attract them. So that one day, the lead will become our regular customer.

The whole process of lead acquisition consists of two parts:

• Attracting as many relevant users as possible to your website, where you have placed a contact form (or other type of lead generation format)
• Motivate and persuade the user you’ve got on the site to submit data to you voluntarily

Types of marketing leads

Throughout marketing, different types of leads help to drive sales and marketing activities effectively. These types are usually categorised according to how close they are to becoming customers.

• Cold Leads – are leads identified as potential customers but have not yet been contacted or communicated with. They are at the beginning of the sales process and usually require a lot of effort to become customers.

An example:

Imagine you are the marketing manager of a regional bank trying to increase the number of young customers, especially university students. As part of this strategy, you decide to use a competition to generate leads. You are organising a competition called “Plan your future with our bank”, which focuses on finance studies. All participants in the competition are considered cold leads because you have not communicated with them before, and their relationship with the bank is just starting to develop. These leads are potentially interested in the bank’s products and services due to their interest in the competition.

• Warm Leads – are leads that have already shown some interest in a product or service. These leads already have more than basic information about your product/service and are more likely to move forward in the sales process and become warm leads.

For example:

Let’s say you’re a marketing manager at a company that provides cloud solutions for businesses. Your company recently hosted a webinar on “Increasing Productivity with Cloud Technologies”. When registering for the webinar, attendees had to log in and provide their contact information, including name, email address, company name, and answer two questions about their current use of cloud technologies. One of the participants was an IT manager from a medium-sized company considering moving to cloud services. He was very active during the webinar and asked specific questions. After the webinar, he downloaded the materials made available to all attendees. This IT manager is considered a warm lead because he showed interest in the topic and actively participated in the discussion, indicating a higher level of interest in the solutions offered.

• Hot Leads – Leads that are ready to purchase in the near future. This type of lead has all the information necessary to make a purchase in the near future.

An example:

You have implemented an online marketing campaign to reach small and medium-sized businesses. One of the visitors to your website, the owner of a medium-sized accounting firm, clicked on an ad that caught his attention because it offered accounting process automation that could significantly streamline his business operations. After browsing the various product pages, this visitor downloaded a free ebook entitled “5 Ways Automation Will Simplify Your Daily Bookkeeping”. To download the ebook, he had to complete a form providing his name, email address and company name. In completing the form, he ticked a box indicating his agreement to receive additional product information. The owner of the accounting firm is considered a “warm lead” because he expressed interest in the company’s specific solutions and provided his contact information. The marketing team can now follow up with this lead, providing him with more personalised information and gradually moving him towards a purchase.

• Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) – These leads have been qualified as a good fit for further sales efforts based on their engagement and interest. MQLs are typically leads that have met specific marketing criteria or have engaged with marketing campaigns to a sufficient level.

For example

Let’s say you’re a marketing manager at a company that provides cloud storage for small businesses. As part of a marketing campaign, you recently launched a series of blog posts about the benefits of cloud storage for improving data security. A small business owner, one of the blog readers, filled out a form on your website after reading the article to get more information about pricing and plans. In the form, he stated that he was looking for a backup solution and wanted to implement the solution within the next three months.

• Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) – are leads that have been pushed to the sales department and prepared for a direct sales call. These leads usually have a very specific interest in buying and are close to becoming customers.

For example

Let’s say you’re a marketing manager at a company that provides project management software solutions for construction companies. As part of your marketing strategy, you’ve launched several online campaigns, including educational webinars on how project management software can improve efficiency and reduce costs on construction projects. During one of the webinars, a project manager from a large construction company actively asked specific questions about integrating your software with his company’s existing systems. After the webinar, this manager filled out a contact form on your website requesting a face-to-face meeting with a sales representative to discuss his company’s specific requirements and software customisation options.

Inbound and outbound Lead Generation

Understanding the difference between inbound and outbound lead generation is crucial for developing a comprehensive marketing strategy that maximizes your reach and effectiveness. Let’s explore each approach in detail:

Inbound Lead Generation

Inbound lead generation focuses on attracting potential customers to your business through valuable content and engaging experiences. This strategy is centered around creating high-quality content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience, encouraging them to seek out your products or services. Common methods include:

• Content Marketing: Producing blog posts, videos, and infographics that provide useful information, helping to establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website and content to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential leads to find you.
• Social Media Engagement: Utilizing platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to share content and interact with your audience, fostering relationships that can lead to conversions.
• Email Marketing: Sending targeted newsletters and promotional emails to nurture leads and keep them informed about your offerings.

Inbound lead generation’s main objective is to establish a self-sustaining cycle in which customers come to you because of the value you offer. This approach not only helps in generating leads but also builds trust and loyalty among customers.

Outbound Lead Generation

Outbound lead generation involves proactively reaching out to potential customers who may not yet be aware of your products or services. This strategy is more direct and often includes methods such as:

• Cold Calling: Sales representatives initiate contact with potential leads through phone calls, aiming to spark interest in the product or service.
• Cold Emailing: Sending unsolicited emails to prospects with the intent of generating interest and establishing a conversation.
• Social Selling: Engaging with potential leads on social media platforms like LinkedIn, where sales professionals can connect and build relationships.
• Direct Mail Campaigns: Sending physical marketing materials to targeted prospects as a way to capture their attention.

The outbound lead generation process typically involves identifying ideal customer profiles (ICPs), segmenting audiences, and crafting tailored messages that resonate with specific needs. Although some people might find this tactic intrusive, it enables businesses to communicate with decision-makers directly and can be very effective when done carefully.

The most common lead-generation strategies

Web (Lead Generation Landing Page)

One basic approach to lead generation is the landing page (i.e., a subpage of your website), which is specifically tailored to generate the necessary leads with the highest conversion rate. When creating a specific landing page, it is important to remember the following rules:

• The simplicity of the website – as they say, there is beauty in simplicity. Try to sell your product/service as clearly and simply as possible on the landing page. Users lose attention after a few seconds on the web, so engage them! You need to motivate them to leave a lead in a simple, clear and to-the-point way. This will increase your conversion rate.
• Form simplicity – follow the same rules when creating your form. Don’t ask for the user’s wife’s name, dog’s name or blood type. Stick to basic information, preferably email. This is worth its weight in gold to you. Of course, the form should include mandatory fields such as first name and surname. Alternatively, you can add a date of birth or any other question you like, which will help you create user segments in the database.
• Visual identity (branding) – do not underestimate the importance of appearance. Design the lead generation sub-page in your corporate colours. If you have a design manual, follow it. All elements such as forms, call-to-action buttons, etc. should be identical to your branding. This way the user doesn’t feel like they’re on a completely different site and loses visual contact with your brand.
• Social proof (reviews) – don’t be afraid to publish reviews from satisfied customers. This will add credibility to your product/service, which will ultimately help you increase your conversion rate. Post positive reviews for the world to see.
• Call-to-action buttons (CTA buttons) tell users on your site what to do, or they won’t do it! “Download,” “Free trial,” “Sign up now,” “I want to try,” “Watch demo video,” and “Download free ebook.” These are just a few phrases commonly used in CTA buttons.

Example:

The cloud company Dropbox knows how to make good landing pages. Note in particular the 2 CTA buttons (Find your plan & Sign up for free) and the simply placed information “Join over 700 million registered users…”.

Free subscription/trial

This principle of lead generation strategies is quite common today. It is mainly used in the world of services you subscribe to monthly, e.g. software, various marketing or IT tools, streaming services, etc. Offer your potential customers a free 7 or 14-day version of your tool. As this is a quid pro quo world, don’t be afraid to ask for their details in return. Use the trial version of your tool/software conditional on registration. Once registered, you already have the user’s details in your database and can use them in your marketing communications.

Example:

A great lead generation opportunity. Note the simple and minimalist landing page.

E-book

An e-book or electronic book is a digital version of a book that can be read on various digital devices. That’s why e-books are a great lead-generation tool for your marketing campaigns. How do you use e-books for lead generation? Here are some suggested tips.

• Target content: Create a valuable and attractive ebook to your target audience. It could be a solution to a specific problem, helpful tips, expert guidance and advice, or in-depth information on a topic your prospects may be interested in.
• Landing Page: Create a page (landing page) that will be used to promote the ebook. When creating the landing page, follow the rules we have summarised in the (web) landing page section.
• Form: The landing page must include a form to access the ebook download. This should be a requirement for any lead generation campaign you run.
• Media campaigns: Promote the ebook through various channels, such as social media, newsletters, PPC ads, blogs, and articles.
• Follow-up strategies: Once you have leads, remember to work with them! Implement a follow-up strategy to keep your contacts interested. For example, you can send a series of follow-up emails with additional information, offer consultations, or offer other services related to your product.
• Analyse and optimise: Evaluate the campaign’s performance and analyse how the ebook contributes to lead generation. Use tools such as Google Analytics or other CRM tools to evaluate how effectively you generate leads with your ebook.

Example:

This is what a well-designed ebook lead generation landing page looks like.

 Online Webinars

In recent years, Webinars have become one of the most popular marketing tools for lead generation. And why is that? Because they are an effective way to reach your target audience, reinforce your brand and generate quality business leads. Here are some key ways webinars can help you build a quality lead database.

• Build expertise and trust: Webinars provide a platform to showcase your expertise and strengthen your position in the industry. You can build trust and relationships with potential and existing customers by providing valuable and useful information.
• Generate qualified leads: Webinars require registration, which allows you to collect contact information from attendees, such as name, email, and sometimes details about their profession or industry. This information can then be used for targeted marketing campaigns and follow-up communications. This additional information also allows you to segment your database and communicate with them in a much more personalised way.
• Content creation: Webinar content can be recorded and used for various purposes, such as blog posts, social media videos, or even podcasts. This multiple use of content increases marketing campaigns’ ROI (ROAS, PNO).

Competitions

Contests are an excellent way to generate interest in your brand while effectively filling your lead database. However, this strategy has its own specific rules. Here are the key steps and strategies for using contests to generate leads:

• Set goals: Before running a lead generation contest, clearly define your KPIs (key performance indicators). Do you want to generate a certain number of leads, or are you primarily interested in cost per lead (CPL) or conversion rate?
• Choose an attractive prize for the winner: The prize should be enticing and motivating enough. The more the prize is related to your brand or products, the more likely it is to attract quality leads with a genuine interest in what you offer. If you’re selling coffee beans, don’t run a competition for a spa voucher(for example); you’ll only get poor-quality leads. Instead, run a competition for a coffee subscription or a set of coffees of your choice.
• You can’t do it without a form: The same rules apply here as for other strategies. The form is your best friend; without it, there would be no leads. In the same way, the competition itself needs to be conditional, so don’t just get the basic contact details (first name, last name), but feel free to experiment with two or three additional questions.
• Promoting the competition: Actively promote the competition through all available channels: social media, email campaigns, your website, blogs or advertising (e.g. PPC).
• Analysis and follow-up: After the competition, analyse its success and the data collected. Evaluate which channels and formats were most effective. Use this information to adjust future campaigns. Don’t forget to follow up with participants, such as thanking them for their participation, special offers or reminders about future contests.

Newsletter Subscription

Newsletters are one of the most important tools in digital marketing. They not only generate leads but also for follow-up, retention and further marketing communication.

• Motivate them to subscribe : Do you want to get people to sign up for your newsletter? Offer them something valuable and motivating in return! For example, access to exclusive content, a discount voucher, an interesting ebook or a free webinar (think of it as a link between different strategies).
• Create an attractive subscription form : Yes, another form, and again, you need to take the time. The sign-up form should be simple and visually appealing. Place it on the website where it can be seen at a glance. Don’t be afraid to use modern tools such as a pop-up window or other interactive format (such as a wheel of fortune). For the newsletter – keep it simple.

Top Lead Generation Tools 

Selecting the right lead generation software and lead management tools is crucial for maximizing your lead generation strategies. The process of finding the perfect lead capture tools requires time, investment, and thorough evaluation. To help streamline your search, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the most effective lead generation platforms and lead nurturing software used by successful marketers:

• HubSpot – An all-in-one inbound marketing platform offering robust lead generation software and CRM capabilities.
• Mailchimp – Renowned for email marketing automation, it’s excellent for lead nurturing and drip campaigns.
• Marketo – A comprehensive marketing automation tool ideal for medium to large businesses focusing on B2B lead generation.
• Salesforce – A powerful CRM system with integrated lead management tools and marketing features.
• Leadpages – Specializes in creating high-converting landing pages for effective lead capture.
• Unbounce – Focuses on A/B testing for landing pages, enhancing lead generation ROI.
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator – A premium tool for B2B lead generation and social selling on LinkedIn.
• Google Ads -Essential for PPC lead generation, allowing targeted online advertising campaigns.
• Meta Lead Ads – Facilitates lead generation across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms.
• OptinMonster – Specializes in popup creation and exit-intent technology for lead capture.
• Drip – Tailored for e-commerce, offering advanced email marketing automation and lead scoring.

When choosing your lead generation software, consider factors such as integration capabilities, scalability, and alignment with your specific lead generation goals. Remember, the most effective lead generation system is one that seamlessly fits into your overall marketing strategy and helps you attract, engage, and convert high-quality leads.

AI Lead Generation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the lead generation landscape, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses to identify, engage, and convert high-quality leads. AI-driven lead generation tools leverage machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, predict customer behavior, and personalize outreach at scale.

These advanced systems can automate lead scoring, prioritize the most promising prospects, and even generate predictive insights to guide marketing strategies. AI chatbots and virtual assistants are increasingly used to engage website visitors 24/7, qualifying leads through natural language processing.

Moreover, AI can optimize ad targeting, streamline email marketing campaigns, and enhance social media outreach by identifying the most effective content and timing for each potential lead. As AI technology continues to evolve, it’s becoming an indispensable component of modern lead generation strategies, enabling businesses to achieve higher conversion rates and ROI while reducing manual effort and human error.

E-commerce Lead Generation Examples

E-commerce businesses have unique opportunities for lead generation due to their digital nature and direct connection with consumers. Here are several effective lead generation strategies used by successful e-commerce companies:

1. Interactive Product Quiz

An online cosmetics retailer implements a “Skin Type Quiz” on their website. Visitors answer questions about their skin concerns, daily routines, and preferences. In exchange for their email address, participants receive personalized product recommendations and a special discount code for their first purchase.

2. Limited-Time Free Shipping Popup

A fashion e-commerce site uses an exit-intent popup offering free shipping on the first order in exchange for the visitor’s email address. This captures leads from users who might otherwise leave the site without making a purchase.

3. Exclusive Early Access

An electronics e-commerce store offers early access to new product launches for subscribers. Visitors can sign up with their email to be notified about upcoming releases before the general public, creating a sense of exclusivity and urgency.

4. User-Generated Content Contest

A home decor online store runs a social media contest where customers submit photos of their decorated spaces using the store’s products. To enter, participants must provide their email and link to the products used. This generates leads while also creating authentic content for marketing.

5. Virtual Try-On Tool

An eyewear e-commerce site offers a virtual try-on feature using augmented reality. To save their favorite styles or receive their virtual try-on images, users need to create an account or provide their email address.

 

6. Loyalty Program Pre-launch

A gourmet food e-commerce platform announces an upcoming loyalty program. Interested customers can join a waitlist by providing their email address, promising early access and bonus points when the program launches.

7. Abandoned Cart Email Series

An outdoor gear online store implements an abandoned cart recovery strategy. When a user adds items to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase, they’re prompted to enter their email to save their cart. This initiates a series of follow-up emails with reminders and potentially special offers.

8. Downloadable Buying Guide

A consumer electronics e-commerce site offers comprehensive buying guides for complex products like cameras or home theater systems. Users provide their email address to download these detailed PDFs, which include product comparisons and expert recommendations.

9. Flash Sale Notification List

A multi-brand fashion e-commerce platform allows users to sign up for flash sale notifications. By providing their email and fashion preferences, subscribers get early alerts about limited-time discounts on their favorite brands or product categories.

10. Subscription Box Teaser

An artisanal food e-commerce store introduces a monthly subscription box. They offer a free recipe e-book featuring products from past boxes in exchange for email sign-ups, generating leads from users interested in their curated offerings.

These examples demonstrate how e-commerce businesses can leverage their digital platforms, products, and customer interactions to generate leads. The key is to offer value that aligns with the customer’s interests and the products being sold, while making the lead capture process as smooth and enticing as possible.

What lead generation metrics should you track and evaluate for your campaigns?

CPL (Cost Per Lead)

Cost per lead (CPL) is one of the most important metrics in lead generation campaigns. It is a metric that shows the total cost of generating a lead in a marketing campaign. CPL is key to evaluating the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. CPL is very easy to calculate. You divide the total cost of the campaign by the number of leads.

 

For example, if you spend £10,000 on a lead generation campaign and collect 5,000 leads, your CPL will be £2.

In the same way, you can also calculate your CPL per final converted lead. This will show you the CPL per lead that you were able to sell something to.

For example, if you achieved a conversion rate of, say, 6%, you would have 300 converted leads in your database. So we calculate the CPL as 10,000 / 300 = 33.33 € / converted lead.

Why is CPL an important metric?

• ROI evaluation – helps determine which channels or strategies are most effective from a financial perspective.
• Budget planning – allocate resources more efficiently where they are most effective.
• Campaign optimisation – CPL analysis can reveal the need to adjust or improve existing campaigns. If the CPL is too high, it may indicate that the campaign is not sufficiently targeted or that the media and marketing tactics are not delivering the desired results.
• Conversion Rate – The conversion rate metric is another indicator of lead generation campaign performance. This metric measures the percentage of leads acquired into the database that were able to convert (buy our product or service).

How is the conversion rate calculated?

The conversion rate is calculated by dividing the number of successful conversions by the number of total leads. If we want a % expression, we multiply the result by x100.

For example, if we collect 5000 leads through a lead generation campaign and 500 of those 5000 leads are marketed (sold a product/service), the resulting conversion rate is 10%.

Why is the conversion rate an important metric?

The same rules apply to CPL. It depends on what metric you want to measure and evaluate your lead generation campaigns against.

• ROI evaluation
• Budget planning
• Campaign optimisation

Although lead generation can be challenging and requires patience and dedication, a properly constructed strategy can yield significant results and help you grow and develop as a business. Make sure you invest in analysing your results and regularly optimise your campaigns based on the insights you gain to maximise performance and achieve your business goals.

In conclusion, remember that the most successful lead generation strategies are those that provide genuine value to your potential customers while aligning with your business goals. Therefore, start small, measure carefully, and scale what works for your specific situation.

Ultimately, by staying committed to testing, measuring, and refining your approach, you’ll be well-positioned to generate high-quality leads that drive sustainable business growth in 2024 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Question