What is Lead Generation?

Lead generation, or “lead gen” for short, is the process of converting potential customers into qualified leads (ie. someone who has a genuine interest in what you have to offer). In short, lead gen is a way to funnel-in eventual purchasers of your product or service down the path of buying. The end result is to find qualified leads for your company so that they then be added to a lead nurturing process or so that a salesperson can follow up. Lead gen typically involves creating “gated” content and then asking for someone’s contact information in order for them to receive that piece of content. Types of lead generation content include:

• Any type of gated content (such as an eBook, PDF, checklist, cheat sheet, whitepaper, etc.)

• Courses

• Free-Trials

• Product Demos

• Viral Contests (where someone needs to enter their email or other contact information to enter)

• Email Subscriptions

• Events

In order to receive access to this content, the person must enter in their email and/or other contact information that the company wants to collect. To learn more, this guide breaks down the basics of lead generation and why it’s so important.

Lead Generation Ideas:

To get you started, here are a few lead generation ideas you can use:

Create an eBook

If you have yet to create any type of lead magnet on your site, an eBook is a good one to start with. Most eBooks tackle a broad topic in your industry, thus you can promote it across multiple blog posts on your site.

Create a Content Upgrade

A content upgrade is another type of lead magnet that is there to entice people to enter their email and/or other contact information in exchange for the content upgrade. Rather than an eBook which is typically more general, a content upgrade is typically specific to a particular blog post. This increases the conversion rate of signups since the content is more closely related to the blog post the person is reading. Examples of a content upgrade might include:

• A PDF version of that same blog post

• A checklist

• Step-by-step instructions

• A cheat sheet

Host a Webinar

Hosting a webinar with experts in your industry can be another way to collect contact information from your audience by requiring them to sign up in advance for the webinar. Software such as WebinarJam and Demio can help you get this set up.

Use a Lead Analytics Platform

****

While collecting contact information from potential leads via lead magnets and webinars are viable lead generation tactics, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Not everyone is willing to fork over their email or phone number. This is when a direct outreach approach can be helpful. For people who don’t submit contact information but still might be qualified leads, a lead analytics platform like LeadBoxer can help you to identify these people and find their contact information so you can reach out directly. For more lead generation ideas, we recommend the following resources:

• “13 Amazing Lead Generation Ideas That Work” – by LeadBoxer

• “7 Creative Lead Generation Ideas That Work” – by Digital Marketing Institute

• “12 Lead Generation Ideas to Attract Qualified Prospects in 2018” – by Outbrain

https://www.leadboxer.com/blog/demand-generation-vs-lead-generation/#:~:text=Demand%20generation%20is%20used%20to,your%20marketing%20or%20sales%20process.&text=Both%20lead%20gen%20and%20demand,within%20your%20overall%20marketing%20strategy.