Whether you’re starting your career in a firm or working on building your blog, digital marketing is a marketing aspect you will encounter. If the concept is unfamiliar it can be an anxiety-inducing, stress-creating task when the time comes to begin implementation and generate leads. To be successful, it’s important to rely on more than one or two methods. You need a plan and schedule in place to make sure you’re utilizing your time correctly, generating the most leads you can for your company or client. Here is a quick first timer’s guide to help generate leads.
Guest Blogging
Utilize the strong follower count of other blogs and websites by submitting guest posts that relate to your industry. Seek websites that have a high reach. Aim for the high thousands; even a smaller reach of 3,000 people is going to benefit your company when it comes to generating leads. Some websites have guidelines for guest bloggers, so ensure that you understand all requirements before submitting a post. By following the guidelines, you stand a better chance of having your post published. Prior to writing your piece, generate some content topics. Select the best ones, flesh them out, and pitch them to the website. There may be some back and forth communication and editing before posts are published.
A site like Buzzfeed allows Community Members to generate their own posts by having an account. You do not have to go through an individual to have your blog posted on the website. However, Buzzfeed will not promote it unless the post is particularly interesting or has received a high number of shares. In this case, all promotion is your responsibility.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is similar to guest blogging in that it utilizes the reach of other websites, except with influencer marketing, the post about a product or service is written by one individual, often those who run their own blogs and have a large following. Look for individuals who write about your industry or whose blog closely relates to the products or services you offer.
A business that does custom party decorations can offer a mommy blogger free decorations for her four-year-old son’s upcoming birthday party. The mommy blogger would use these decorations, take photos, and write about her experience using them as well. She will indicate that the post was in part sponsored by this business and link to their website so her followers may look at what they have to sell.
When it comes to influencer marketing, the product or service still must be pitched. In the pitch is the free product or service you are offering for review as well as what you expect, such as an article with a link back to your company’s website.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) should be utilized throughout your website/blog and any other marketing efforts you make. SEO affects how a website shows up in a search engine’s unpaid (organic/natural) results. While this takes more effort than paid results, it can be extremely beneficial for those with a small marketing budget. Not to mention it helps generate leads from a variety of sources, which is better at verifying your website in search engine algorithms.
SEO involves researching keywords, or the words, terms, and/or phrases that people input into search engines when they want to find something. These keywords are related to your industry (“engineering firm,” “digital marketing firm,” “natural body products”). You want to find keywords that are a balance of a high search rate and low competition. A keyword such as “car” or “blue car” will have a high search rate but a high competition rate. Consider making the search more detailed by include make, model, and year. Though these keywords will have a lower search rate, the competition rate is also low.
Create a spreadsheet to list your keywords. Include a column for descriptions of the keyword (such as the department, service, or product it targets), the keyword, its competition rate, and its search rate. Include these keywords appropriately in content, such as blog posts or product description. Having these keywords in your content will improve the visibility of your webpage showing up in the search results.
Video Marketing
Create videos that showcase the best aspects of your company and its products or services. Blender company Blendtec showcases the power of its products with a video series called “Will It Blend?” The company asks for suggestions for things to blend. Items have included an Apple Watch, Bucky Balls, Bic Lighters, laser pointers, and a golf club. These views have generated millions of views while also showcasing the product in a fun, interesting manner.
Base your videos on your industry. If you have a crafting blog, you’ll want to create a series of how-to videos. If you work for a digital marketing firm, you’ll want to create a video series that discusses industry trends or as educational pieces. Have a consistent schedule, such as always posting a new video on Wednesday, which keeps viewers subscribed and invested in your channel.
Shareable Content
Infographics
Having a well written and well-designed infographic can quickly pique the interest of potential consumers. Infographics can be posted in place of an article, shared easily on social sites like Pinterest or Facebook, or included in an email blast to a company’s mailing list. All information regarding a product or service is arranged in a visually appealing manner; it can easily be printed for reference, if needed.
A cooking blog can generate a lead by create a handy volume conversion infographic. Because this content is interesting, usable, shareable, and helpful, a potential consumer is more encouraged to find the creator of the content. Including one’s logo and a link back allows individuals to find the blog and discover similar content.
eBooks
Showcase your expertise in your industry by writing eBooks that provide more information about the industry in general, aspects of the industry, or new trends. These are not brochures or promotional pieces, so avoid talking too much about your company and what it’s trying to sell. Making it too promotional is off-putting and will prevent your potential readers from wanting to return and read more.
Provide your eBooks on your website but be sure to include a landing page—this is about lead generating, after all! The landing page will include a form to collect visitor information, such as name and email. They can be added to an email list of visitors and sent newsletters or newly written eBooks.
Webinars
Like eBooks, webinars allow you to showcase your and your business’ expertise in a certain industry. The beauty of webinars is that you can directly interact with potential customers, answering their questions on the spot. These videos can also be recorded and saved for later. Add them to YouTube or list them in the Resource section on your website. Turn the video slides into a shareable slideshow, uploading to a website like SlideShare or referencing it in your company’s next blog post.
Find Leads with Social Media
Social media is more than a place to share cat pictures or talk about your new blog post. It is a great lead-generator as well as helpful tool to find leads. All social media platforms allow the opportunity to search for leads, but some may be more preferred than others.
Find Influencers.
Use social media to find influencers who can talk about your company or its products. You can gauge their website following by looking at their numbers on Facebook or Twitter. Also, how often do they interact with their followers? Are followers engaged with the original content they post? Knowing this information will also give you an idea of the potential engagement on posts you sponsor.
Discover Trends.
What are the trending topics on Facebook? What are the most used hashtags on Twitter? Find out what people are talking about at this moment and find a way to tailor your company’s marketing messages to match these trends. Have a graphic design company and everyone is buzzing about the new Star Wars movie? Make your company’s mascot into Yoda. By aligning with what is trending, you are able to ride on the hype and promote your company as well.
Join the Conversation.
On the same note as identifying trending topics, you want to showcase your thoughts as well. Utilize popular hashtags in your Tweets or Facebook posts, meaning your content will show up in the feed. More individuals will come across your content, leading to higher chance of generating leads. You may also want to make comments. If you blog about baking and #Christmascookies are trending, you can link to a blog post you wrote about the best icing for cookies.
These are just some of the options available to digital marketers when it comes to lead generation. The goal is to develop interest around your company, its services, or its products, encouraging potential customers to reach out, ask questions, and engage with your business. Use this interest to help build lists for newsletters or email blasts and convert them to customers.
Remember that while these work, they may not work for all companies. Develop a plan that best suits your company and stay consistent. You will need to keep searching for influencers, writing several guest blogs weekly, and scanning social media for new trends and opportunities for conversations. Now go generate some leads!
