Neil Patel co-founded Crazy Egg in 2005. 300,000 websites use Crazy Egg to understand what’s working on their website (with features like Heatmaps, Scrollmaps, Referral Maps, and User Recordings), fix what isn’t (with a WYSIWYG Editor), and test new ideas (with a robust A/B Testing tool).
Business owners are always looking for specific lead generation ideas for gyms, grocery stores, e-commerce sites, direct-to-consumer subscriptions, and more.
In reality, though, most lead generation strategies work well for all types of businesses, especially when we’re talking about the B2C space.
The challenge? Figuring out how those lead generation ideas will look when you present them to your specific audience.
It’s all about personalization these days, and I’m not talking about using a subscriber’s name in the subject line of an email.
I mean getting to know your audience down to what size shoes they wear and what cars they drive.
Every nugget of data you glean from your audience can become a map point on your journey to success.
You want more leads, so you fine-tune specific lead generation ideas so they match what your audience expects from you.
Today, I’m going to share some of my favorite lead generation techniques and show you how to customize each one for specific audience groups.
Let’s dive in!
Why Do You Need to Try Lead Generation Strategies?
Most businesses fail to innovate when it comes to lead generation ideas. They throw together a whitepaper and advertise it on their website in exchange for contact information.
That might very well work, but it’s also boring — and your competitors are probably doing the same thing.
The companies that truly master lead generation ideas for B2C or B2B understand that they have to surprise their audiences. They need to set themselves apart from the competition in a visceral way through strategic branding, better content, and tremendous value.
Imagine that you’re a DIY enthusiast who constantly Googles information on cutting the perfect mitered edge or mounting shiplap properly. Every time you Google, one website turns up in the Search Engine Results Page (SERPs) and blows you away with its helpful content.
That website also sells home decor. When you need a new mirror for your remodeled bathroom or a vintage-inspired set of candlesticks for your mantle, you’ll likely return to the site and make a purchase.
It’s very simple. The more you give, the more you can ask. The best lead generation ideas revolve around providing tremendous value for your audience so you can later ask them to give you their money in exchange for a product or service.
So, how do you generate sales leads?
9 B2C Lead Generation Ideas to Get More Conversions
The most effective lead generation strategies are customized for your audience and tailor-made to lead to sales. You might not get a sale today, tomorrow, or next year, but your efforts now can pay off several months or years down the line.
One of the best mindsets I’ve found is to think like a nonprofit. These organizations ask for money in exchange for nothing. They’re not selling a product — they’re selling a cause.
You can do the same thing. By putting yourself in the mindset of a nonprofit and not asking for anything specific right now, you can engender goodwill among your target audience and generate leads that turn into recurring sales.
With that said, you’re likely looking for specific lead generation ideas you can implement for your business today. You want more conversions and sales. I’ve come up with nine great lead generation ideas to spark your imagination and set you on the road to success.
1. Provide a Solution to a Problem in a Video
Video marketing is huge right now. It’s why I create lots of videos for my audience. They show up on my website as well as on YouTube, and I post them on Facebook and LinkedIn.
In fact, I recently created a video about A/B testing and the best ways to optimize your website for existing traffic. You can watch it below, and it might help you with lead generation and conversions.
The problem is that many businesses and entrepreneurs are posting videos that don’t actually provide any value. They’re often entertainment-based or promotional.
That’s okay for some of your videos, but you also want to help your target audience solve real problems. Whether you post those videos for everyone to see or use them as lead magnets, you’ll demonstrate your credibility, instill gratitude in viewers, and build brand awareness and loyalty.
If you’re not sure what to create a video on, mine your customer support requests, blog comments, and top Google searches. What are people looking for?
For instance, if you run a steam cleaning business, you could create a video on why pet stains are so difficult to remove from carpet and how to increase your chances of restoring rugs.
Don’t actively promote your business until the very end. Just provide actionable, sound advice for the consumer.
What if you’re an e-commerce company that sells activewear for women? You could create a video about the best fabrics for running in hot weather. Alternatively, you could give people tips on how to avoid injury while working out.
2. Create a Quiz to Promote Self-Awareness
Quizzes have a major benefit over other lead generation ideas: They’re highly interactive and they appeal to people’s desire for more self-awareness.
You’ve seen all those quizzes that populate throughout Facebook. Which Harry Potter character are you? What does your sleep position say about your personality?
Consumers eat it up.
You can leverage people’s magnetic attraction to quizzes by creating one yourself. Using a tool like Hello Bar, you can even create a quiz that leads to an email signup form.
The quiz, however, needs to appeal to your target audience as specifically as possible. Sure, lots of people love Taylor Swift, but if your business has nothing to do with the music industry, evoking her name won’t help you generate leads.
Maybe your business sells art kits. Create a quiz like “What kind of artist are you?” Create different categories — don’t be afraid to use humor — and let your visitors have fun with it.
3. Document Tackling a Problem From Start to Finish
Everybody’s an expert these days. You just have to put it in your Facebook profile to establish yourself as an authority. However, true experts know that they’re also always learning.
Maybe you’re starting something new in your business, such as launching a product. Document the entire process, whether through text, audio, or video. Share the successes, the failures, the frustrations, and the celebrations.
People are hungry for real voices. They don’t want the overhyped, motivational drivel that never really says anything.
And consumers respect a company that’s willing to show itself, warts and all, for the betterment of its community. If you’re willing to be that transparent, you’ll build trust — and leads — much faster than you could otherwise.
How does this become a lead generation strategy?
Conclude every episode of your documenting process with a call to action. It could be as simple as, “Leave a comment below to tell us what you think.” You could also make a few of your CTAs more salesy.
The point is to provide something of immense value, then ask for something in return.
4. Cross-Promote Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing
Growth hacking is all about rapidly experimenting with lead generation ideas and pivoting when necessary to try new things. Growth hackers use every resource at their disposal, including existing audiences.
People who follow you on social might not get your email newsletter, and vice versa. That’s a problem because you want them as embedded in your ecosystem as possible.
Use social sharing buttons in your emails so subscribers can share your content with others. Invite them to forward your emails to friends.
On social, let people know you have an email list. Tell them exactly what to expect: more content from you in the same voice and style that you use for more public platforms.
Many entrepreneurs are too focused on the number of subscribers they have, the number of likes they get on Facebook, the number of followers they’ve accrued on Instagram, and so forth. Switch out of that mentality.
Instead of agonizing over follower counts, look for ways to bring people from one platform to another. Then you can ask them to convert and turn them into leads.
5. Create a Tumblr
In my opinion, Tumblr is vastly underutilized by marketers and entrepreneurs. The format gives you a unique way to connect with your audience and share content.
I wrote about Denny’s Tumblr blog back in 2016 for the Content Marketing Institute. It’s still very much active and continues to produce tons of engagement because the company has used humor to connect with its customers.
A Tumblr blog can serve as your regular blog or as a separate entity that drives traffic back to your site. By engaging with people who are active on Tumblr, you can reach a new audience of potential leads.
As with all social media, don’t revolve every post around lead generation or selling. That’s counter-productive. Instead, entertain or educate your audience in an engaging way. Then ask.
6. Correspond on Twitter and Facebook
Here’s the thing: Social media is supposed to be a way to hold conversations with people online. Too many marketers post and forget — or obsessively watch their likes.
If you visit any of my social media accounts, you’ll notice that I respond to everyone. A few might slip through the cracks, but I’m pretty committed to showing my audience gratitude.
If you’re not answering your comments, even if it’s just with a simple emoji, you’re doing your brand a disservice. Worse, you’re sending the message that you don’t care about your audience.
One of the best lead generation ideas goes beyond just answering comments. Actively seek out conversations on Twitter and Facebook that have something to do with your industry. Contribute something of value, whether it’s an opinion, advice, or a link to a resource.
7. Start Affiliate and Loyalty Programs
Some of the most successful brands, such as Dropbox, have built their companies based on word of mouth. In other words, they encourage their user base to get others on board for some sort of benefit.
In Dropbox’s case, it was more storage for the referrer. People wanted more storage without having to pay for it, so they actively recruited leads for the business.
Loyalty and affiliate programs let other people do the work for you. Encourage people to spread the word about your business, but make sure you offer an incentive.
8. Utilize Safe Language
This is one of the most underrated lead generation ideas because most people don’t understand its power. People are extremely wary of companies on the Internet, so you have to fight their objections from the get-go.
Safe language, in marketing, refers to language that reassures customers. For instance, when you tell email subscribers that their contact information is 100 percent secure and will never be shared, they’ll be more likely to subscribe.
The same goes for trust and safety indicators on other pages of your site. Make sure you have an active SSL certificate. Display trust badges on your sales pages. Use safe language to reassure your customers that you care about their security.
Why is this an important lead generation idea?
Because it starts with that first conversion. Before you can convince someone to buy from you, they need to become a lead. If they’re not willing to take that step because they’re wary of your intentions, they’ll never type a credit card number into your sales form.
9. Optimize Your Landing Pages for Intent
Intent is extremely important when it comes to lead generation ideas. If you don’t know why a visitor has landed on a specific page, how can you speak directly to them?
This is why I recommend setting up different lead magnets for different parts of your site. For instance, your blog posts should be categorized by funnel stage. Your lead magnet or other lead generation strategy would be different on posts meant for the top of the funnel than those for the bottom.
You can take it a step further by analyzing your landing pages for intent. Why did someone see your post on Facebook and click through to your landing page? What did they want to achieve?
Once you figure that out, tailor your landing page to that precise thing, whether it’s gathering information, comparison shopping, buying, or something else.
Then — and this is crucial — conduct thorough A/B testing. Refine those landing pages based on intent and action so you can leverage each visitor as a potential lead.
How to Test Different Lead Generation Techniques
I’m excited for you to try these lead generation ideas, but I don’t want you to miss out on a key piece of the puzzle. Yes, these ideas might work for you, but they might not.
Testing your lead generation ideas is the next step toward greatness. Try two or more approaches and pit them against one another. Which gets you the most leads?
You won’t know unless you use a tool like Crazy Egg to test them out.
A/B testing is one of the most underrated strategies for vetting lead generation ideas. You get to see the data in black and white — and not from someone else, but from your own audience.
Start Using Crazy Egg Tools for Free
There’s no reason to put off signing up for a free Crazy Egg trial. You can generate user behavior reports, watch how people navigate your site, run A/B tests, and more.
Lead generation ideas are great, but you won’t know if they work for your audience until you test them. Maybe a quiz generates lots of leads, but what if a loyalty program would work better?
Every business has a unique target audience. Depending on someone else’s data to make decisions for your business is dangerous because you risk missing out on opportunities that would delight your target customers.
Conclusion
It’s true: 2019 is just around the corner. If you’re ready to implement some unique lead generation ideas, this is the best time to start.
Figuring out how to generate leads takes time and experimentation. You need the right ideas and tools at your disposal if you want to take your business to the next level.
It’s true that it’s harder to generate sales leads than it was years ago. There’s more competition in the market and more voices to drown out so you can be heard.
But there’s a flipside to that, too. It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur because your creativity, innovation, and courage can bear fruit much faster than it could in the early days of the Internet.
For more fantastic tips about how to generate leads and more, sign up for the Crazy Egg email list. We don’t spam you. We just send awesome content your way so you can make the most of your website and business.
