Is your business looking to generate more leads? Nearly every business would say yes. More customers is always a good thing!
But the cost of acquisition can easily blow out your budget, leaving you out of options and under target. We’re sharing some creative (and mostly free) ways to connect with more leads without spending more money. These are proven ways to grow your business and expand your reach without using your entire marketing budget.
Offer something of value
People are always asking the question of “what’s in it for me?” Offering free tools and resources can help your prospects learn more about your company and your products or services. A resource that makes their life easier is a great way to connect with more leads.
You can offer them something for free, or at a low cost, to show them how your products will improve their life.Here are a few examples of value-adding offers you can create for free:
Ebooks / Whitepapers: ebooks, case studies, and whitepapers are perfect opportunities to provide value. These can be exchanged for an email address and start a sales funnel that leads to a bigger sale. This resource is a great opportunity to show off the real-life benefits of your product or service.
Calculators / Wizards: A calculator or wizard is designed to help solve a small problem. This can give customers a first-hand experience of your full services. Think of this like the free samples that restaurants hand out. Even if you’re not hungry, a free sample is hard to say no to. And if they love it, chances of them coming in for a full meal skyrocket.
Buyer’s Guides: A buyer’s guide is your opportunity to share what makes your company stand out. Your buyer’s guide is your opportunity to share info that inspires and informs your potential buyers. The guide should simplify your buying process and clarify why your offer is the best one available.
Lookbooks: A lookbook is just what it sounds like—a resource that shows the visual appeals of your business. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we agree. Your lookbook can display your products and highlight stand-out features. It can also show the results of your services, whether you have a salon, or interior decorating company. People love to see products in action and look at before and after shots.
Creating valuable content takes time, but it’s well worth the investment. Content marketing has been shown to generate 3 times more leads than traditional marketing, and it costs 62% less (DemandMetric).
Repurpose the content you already have
Repurposing content that already exists is a great way to connect with a broader audience at little to no cost. Your digital marketing plan can be simplified when you realize the full potential of one piece of content. You already have the ingredients, and now you just need to present them in different ways.
Repurposing your content broadens your reach because people enjoy consuming content in different ways. Some people will enjoy reading your blogs, while others want to get smaller amounts of information on social media.
One blog post can be cut up into smaller pieces that are perfect for you to post on Twitter, LinkedIn, or your Facebook page. All you need to do is cut and paste. You can also take the same blog post and similar posts to create your eBook.
Another great tip to reuse your content is to make it downloadable. This is super easy and quick! Most people on the internet are in a rush, and they don’t have the time to read and digest the information on your website. Turning your blog posts, case studies, and pillar website pages into PDFs is a great way to get people to revisit your content. They might not remember your website, so a PDF is a great way to get them to come back and read more about your company and products.
Optimize your landing pages
When new visitors arrive on your site, you only have a few seconds to make an impact. People need to know and understand your purpose, and they will decide very quickly if they want to stick around.
Your landing page can be catchy and look nice, but it’s best to keep it simple. What are you offering, and who is it for? Your visitors shouldn’t need to scroll and click around to find out what you’re selling. If you visit a big name brand website like Apple, Nike, or Tesla, they all have one featured product that takes up your entire screen, leaving no room for questions.
Once you have people’s attention and introduce them to your offer, they need a next step or call to action. Do you want them to schedule a free consultation call? Or make a reservation? Or download a free eBook?
You’ll want to include your call to action button in multiple places on your landing page. Some people will fall in love right away, while others will want to read all of the nitty-gritty details. And keep in mind people are skimming and looking for the bold headlines.
Your call to action buttons should be consistent and eye-catching. A tiny “Sign Up Here” button at the bottom of the page won’t draw much attention. A brightly colored button that says “Get My Free 7-Day Meal Plan” tells people exactly what they’re getting, tells them the value of your offer, and stands out.
When it comes to taking people’s information, make it as simple as possible. People are hesitant to give away their info online, so you don’t need to ask 20 questions. Make sure your form is easy to find and easy to fill out. Most people are used to giving their email and first name in exchange for a freebie.
Optimizing your website
How does your website compare to your competition? When people are searching for something in Google, they rarely scroll past the first few results. That means all of your competitors are fighting for the top spots on Google. You can take steps to improve your Google ranking and be discovered by more people.
SEO can be a complex topic, but it doesn’t need to be over complicated or expensive. Think of what makes a website enjoyable: it’s fast, well-organized, and it answers your questions. Google knows that when people type in a question, they want to find an answer quickly. Make sure your website is answering the questions people are asking.
When compared to PPC ads, Databox reported that 70% of marketers say SEO generated more sales.
When people search “bakery near me”, Google will show them all of the bakeries that they know of. When you create a Google My Business listing, your business can start showing up in the local search results. You’ll need to add your business’ location, hours, and a short description, and you’ll be able to start collecting customer reviews.
Lastly, you can use chat to engage with your website visitors. A chat can make your website feel more interactive and help guide people in the right direction. Your chat widget can offer a simple welcome message, ask what people are looking for, and answer commonly asked questions.
Our final thoughts
We believe that marketing and lead generation doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg, and we offer marketing support that fits every budget.
While connecting with potential leads will require some effort, it’s not out of reach for anyone. And after putting in some work upfront to get the ball rolling, lead generation can be automated. Creating content, optimizing your landing pages, and SEO all offer benefits that last for months.Not sure how to get started? Make sure to download your full guide with 30+ Lead Generation Tips and Tricks. This guide will help you take the first steps to connect with more leads.
