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What is lead generation?
Lead generation is a key marketing strategy aimed at collecting contact information from potential customers. These contacts can range from a simple name and phone number to more detailed information, including email address, place of residence, and social media links. For example, "Tinkoff Bank" actively collects leads on its website, focusing on those interested in obtaining a credit card.
Types of leads
In the context of advertising and sales, a lead is any person who has shown interest in a product or service after seeing an advertisement and taking a targeted action. This could be visiting a website, subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a callback form, or participating in a loyalty program. However, it is important to understand that leads vary in terms of interest and quality.
Marketing leads and qualified leads
Leads in advertising can be divided into several categories:
- Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) - these are users who have shown interest but are not ready to buy.
- Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) - these are individuals who are actively interested in making a purchase and have submitted a request on the website, filled out a questionnaire, or activated a free trial of the product.
When a lead is classified as a potential buyer, it is passed to the sales department for further processing. If the interest is not sufficiently high, the lead can be "warmed up" through content and free offers, such as email newsletters or invitations on social media.
How to generate leads online?
There are many methods for collecting leads in the digital space. Here are six of the most common ways:
- Application form on the website: Place a form on your site so users can easily leave their information.
- Email series: Use email newsletters to offer surveys and free webinars to learn about subscribers' interests and maintain their engagement.
- Phone calls: Use call tracking to analyze conversations and improve sales effectiveness when working with cold leads.
- Lead magnets: Offer valuable rewards in exchange for contact information, such as discounts or free webinars.
- Product links in videos: Post educational videos with links to your offers to attract potential customers' attention.
- Hiring specialists: If you do not want to handle lead generation yourself, you can hire an agency or specialist to set up lead collection and assessment processes.
How to assess lead quality?
Lead qualification is an important stage in working with them. Evaluating applications allows you to categorize them and determine the level of interest. There are several criteria for assessing lead quality:
- Interest in the product: Leads are categorized into cold, warm, and hot based on their level of interest.
- Fit for the ideal customer profile: Assess how well the lead matches your target market, including geographic location and company size.
- Activity: Leads that show more activity (opening emails, filling out forms) are given higher priority.
Each type of activity can be assigned points for more accurate qualification, allowing the sales department to focus on the most promising clients. The more complex the action, the more points are assigned. For example, cold leads can become warm after receiving information, and warm leads can become hot after a consultation or small order.