THE DIGITAL LEAD GENERATION 2016 GUIDE

Transcription

1

2 THE DIGITAL LEAD GENERATION 2016 GUIDE FOUR STRATEGIES TO BRING CUSTOMERS CLOSER These days it s not enough to have an online presence for the sake of it. Whether you re invested in your website or social media profiles, if you re not generating business, you re spinning your wheels and can do better. Creating the lead generation machine To transform your website into a lead generation machine, you need to be able to anticipate customer needs, what they search for and the type of web content that will bring them closer to you. In B2C, the goal might be to drive online sales and impulse buys, but for many organisations just getting visitors to identify themselves is a win enabling them to start drip marketing and lead nurturing until prospects are ready to buy. A customer-first strategy To establish the right lead generation strategy, it s essential to start with the right information who are your customers and what do they want? Understanding different customer personas the buyer types that you want to serve better than your competitors is the foundation of online lead generation. In this guide we ll discuss how to target those personas, how to capture leads on-page, how to nurture them down the funnel, and take advantage of social media and customer advocacy to boost referrals. What is your online activity and company website for if not to take your business further? Today, they must be more than just a brochure, however beautifully designed. Websites, and online engagement in general, must be grounded in the need to generate leads, bring customers closer and establish a competitive advantage over business rivals. Paul Watson Head of Content Attercopia Let s start with knowing your customer. In This Guide: Persona development Lead capture Lead nurturing Social media lead generation and presence -building Attercopia s services

3 1. Persona Development There is no average visitor. Your customers approach the buying process in different ways to design a website or marketing strategy for the average user is to leave the majority of your audience high and dry. A well thought-out customer journey strategy provides a detailed process for persuading your visitors to take action. If you provide visitors with the information they want, when they want it and how they want it, your website will be a lead generation machine not a static resource. To achieve this, you need to create a detailed picture of who your prospects are as individuals through personas. Introducing personas A persona is a sketch profile based on the attributes of your key customers and buyer-types. In B2B this might be based on individuals with certain job titles for example, a marketing director or a procurement manager. In B2C this might be more to do with demographics for example, people of different ages ranges, income levels and so on. By having a clear idea of who your different customer types are, understanding their buying habits, motivations, decision-making styles, sources of information they value, knowledge level and personal preferences, you can refine the content of your website to successfully address the needs of these different audiences. Persona development Careful planning, based on what we do know and what we can surmise, can ensure that you cater for all of these different buyer types, taking the random factor out of web design, content creation and lead generation strategy. Personas should underpin your content plan, tone of voice, site structure and even social media/ advertising strategy and set you up to attract, engage with, sell to and serve your ideal customers.

4 2. Lead Capture Once you know your target personas, you can move to incorporate calls to action (CTAs) that are relevant to their interests and preferred ways to engage. For example, in B2B this might include a downloadable guide targeted to one particular buyer type e.g. a guide to accounting for small business owners. In B2C, a CTA might be an invitation to sign up for a retailer newsletter, offering a discount code for those who do so. In both cases, data is captured on-site and the possibility opens up to nurture them further with more targeted marketing based on the information they provide and activity they subsequently carry out. Lead capture essentials Resolutely targeted advertising Segmented landing pages A/B testing Content aligned to personas Keeping up the tempo On-page assets and CTAs Consumer/Industry guides Newsletter sign-ups Interactive tools and calculators Member registration Discount code sign-ups Between a visitor filling in a contact form/making a purchase or doing nothing at all, there is a big opportunity gap. There is plenty of scope for companies of all types to get creative with the right offers and CTAs to persuade potential customer to give up some information. What s essential is that this data is worth sharing in exchange for information or offer of value to them but it all comes down to making the right offers, based on persona insight. Too many companies work hard with minimal results by targeting the wrong type of customers, or by missing out on opportunities to capture leads from their websites. Game-changing lead-generation strategies hinge on the combination of on-page content, expert targeting and the right strategy, to make sure potential customers don t slip through the net. That s why lead nurturing is the essential next part of the story

5 3. Lead Nurturing Outside of retail, few companies are lucky to have web visitors that they can immediately transform into customers. Lead nurturing is therefore essential to bring potential customers closer to that decision to buy. The most appropriate form of lead nurturing should be guided by the personas reflected in the leads you ve gathered. A segmented campaign of relevant offers and engaging content, planned rigorously and continuously improved by new data, will reap rewards. Successful lead nurturing strategies typically include: Super-focused marketing on a regular schedule that is all about adding value to the customer not relentlessly promoting your services. Content is critical. Retargeting dynamic online advertising that shows banner and text ads to your web visitors based on their previous internet actions. For example, a web visitor who browsed a certain product page could receive an ad showcasing just that product to encourage a return visit. Analysis of key buying signals and refinement of the lead nurturing strategy to ensure that you re constantly bringing leads down the funnel and closer to making a sale. Lead nurturing necessitates a data-led approach to the sales funnel and applying the techniques and targeting required to bring leads closer to making an enquiry or purchase. In this respect, it is the natural extension of knowing your customer and making sure you have the discipline and commitment to not let potential future business slip through your fingers. Most lead nurturing strategies hinge on using data to create a schedule of engagement with potential customers that feels tailor made, but is actually driven by process, commitment and creativity. The public face of your organisation shouldn t be neglected, though and that s why social media can t be overlooked as a vital engagement channel. Let s take a look at generating profit from social.

6 4. Social Media Management Social media is largely about reciprocity two-way communication and engagement. Being active is simply not enough. Just like attending a party doesn t guarantee a good time, being on a social media platform doesn t guarantee lead generation. Keeping up a regular schedule of tweeting, or posting incessantly to LinkedIn groups, can feel productive, but if you re not engaging your ideal audiences, you re wasting time and aggravating potential customers. Social media marketing lead generation hinges on identifying and understanding the channels that work for your company, your industry and your customers and subsequently developing an approach that can be measured and managed. The pressure is on to demonstrate ROI from social media marketing the true measure of success. You don t need to be everywhere on social media; you need to be where your customers are, and have something that adds value to their day and brings them closer to you. If you don t, you won t. Just as social media success should, in part, be measured by attribution of new leads, it has an important role to play in lead nurturing. A mixture of targeted, private and segmented lead nurturing, such as through marketing and retargeting, should be combined with public and inclusive social media outreach. In this way, you can build up a solid presence, never too far from the thoughts of potential customers. The challenge most companies face is to create and sustain this mixed methodology without aggravating customers the right tone and type of communications must be well understood. But the rewards are very significant for those who get their digital lead generation strategy right. Attercopia can help.

7 Digital Lead Generation in 2016 As this introduction has described, there can be a lot to manage when it comes to delivering a digital lead generation strategy that has a significant and positive impact on your company s future direction. Drawing on persona insight, content marketing, segmentation and a clear focus on how your sales funnel functions, you can benefit from a superior approach to online lead generation but it shouldn t be taken lightly. It s a fact that many digital marketing initiatives underperform when good intentions are not matched by sustained and continually improving strategies. Creating, capturing and nurturing leads requires a disciplined and integrated approach that feels seamless for potential and existing customers. Whatever your industry, Attercopia can help. Our digital lead generation services include: Practical lead generation strategy that s right for your company, industry and customers carried out by dedicated digital subject-matter experts Complete persona development, research and segmentation strategy for lead generation and nurturing Web development, conversion-rate-optimisation, digital design and content marketing to achieve consistent quality and quantity of leads Social media profile development, outreach and community management Transparent, target-driven reporting that removes the mystery from digital lead generation Contact Us Visit us on the web at or me directly at simon.hicks@attercopia.co.uk to take the discussion further. Simon Hicks Strategy Director About Attercopia Offices in Huddersfield, Dundee, Edinburgh, Northampton, Manchester and London 50+ digital experts Full-service agency - SEO, Paid Search, Web Design, Web Development, Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing, PR, Strategy, and much more We exist to help you profit from digital