There is that moment of horror that hits countless small and mid-sized businesses: you are staring at your HubSpot dashboard or CRM database, and you realize that you don't have any leads in the pipeline. Website visits are down. Social media engagement is non-existent. Is it time to panic?
Of course not.
The truth is that every business experiences moments when lead generation declines. Fortunately for you, lead generation for small businesses isn't rocket science. Instead, it's a matter of understanding what lead generation is, why it is so important, and what tactics you can use to increase your leads.
We're here to tell you that there are always things you can do to increase lead generation. This may involve optimizing content, improving your CTAs, or partnering with an inbound marketing agency that understands your needs. Keep reading for insights!
What Is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is when businesses identify potential customers and begin pulling them through the sales pipeline on the way to becoming customers. Leads can come from highly advanced technological sources or old-fashioned "shoe leather" methods, including:
- Clicks on your website that result in acquiring contact information
- Paid social media or Google advertising
- Business cards from networking events
- New business listings in a chamber of commerce guide
- Working with an inbound marketing agency to develop digital strategies that bring more traffic to your website
While a high volume of leads can be good, high quality leads are better!
Why Is Lead Generation for Small Businesses So Important?
Your small business cannot succeed unless you have a constant stream of new leads in your pipeline. Lead generation is about creating a steady flow of prospects and nurturing them from a "lead" to a "sale."
A formal lead generation process allows you to create and maintain this pipeline. It will enable your business to focus its marketing efforts on data-driven, proven methods. This allows you to develop the best tactics for growing your business to maximize lead volume and quality.
Remember, lead generation is about more than money. When done right, you can build trust, demonstrate expertise, and ultimately prove your value to a prospect.
Successful lead strategies help you do much more than monetize a customer: it turns them into long-term clients, thus allowing a healthier (and more profitable!) relationship.
Critical Lead Generation Tactics
So, how can you generate leads for your business? When the pipeline seems to dry up, review these tactics (or implement them for the first time) to see more leads again!
Develop High-Quality Content
Quality content can pull in users searching for what your business offers. High-quality content for your inbound marketing strategy must meet Google's expertise, authority, and trustworthiness requirements. This can be achieved by having well-written, well-researched, and helpful content. When combined with a call-to-action, you can use high-quality content to get information on prospective customers.
High-quality content can also be user-generated. For example, customer reviews can increase customer support, enhance credibility, and result in more business.
Optimize Keywords
If you don't know what keywords people use when searching for your business, you can't figure out how to optimize your SEO. Marketers must first research the keywords people search for when finding your business, businesses in your local area, or your region.
This can be done with resources, including SEMrush or Google Analytics. Once this is done, tweak your website and enhance the presence of these keywords in your content, social media, and metadata.
Develop and Adhere to the Brand Guide
A brand guide should consist of how you talk about your business, the keywords you use, and the physical appearance of your brand. This guide can ensure a cohesive presentation of your business, thus creating a consistent brand across the internet. In addition, a consistent brand enhances your appearance as a trustworthy and relevant business.
Optimize CTAs
Some techniques ensure that your customers will be more likely to come across your CTAs and click through them. For example:
- Make your CTAs appealing, ensure they have the correct language, and make them simple.
- Place CTAs on the right web pages and in the right spot on each page.
- Track which CTAs work and which don't, and adjust accordingly.
- Consider a live or automated chat service that can allow you to collect more contact information.
Using CTAs strategically improves click-through and conversion rates for leads!
Create Valuable Lead-Generation Offers
Lead-generation offers can give your customer a sample of your services. This can include white papers, free resources, guides, or more.
However, the CTA should be relevant to your business and allow you to capture vital contact information. You also must ensure that the content you give out is timely, relevant, and consistently refreshed. 
The Right Inbound Marketing Agency is the Best "Hack" to Generate More Leads
Partnering with an inbound marketing agency is the best "hack" to generate more (and better) leads! For example, A HubSpot Diamond Agency (like Geekly Media) has the experience you need to optimize your CRM and develop inbound marketing strategies (and implement them) to generate more leads for your business.
If you are looking for the right team, Geekly Media can help fulfill your needs. Reach out to Speak to a Geek about seeing more leads.
Check out our free "Inbound Marketing Starter Kit" to learn more about the best ways to bring more leads to your business!
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