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Finding quality leads is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for small businesses. Did you know that 61% of marketers rank lead generation as their top challenge? (Source: HubSpot). But don’t worry—you’re not alone, and you’re definitely not out of options!
In this guide, we’ll uncover 17 practical, proven, and downright genius strategies to help you search for leads online.
Whether you’re a social media enthusiast or just getting started, these tips will make your efforts faster, easier, and more effective.
What Are Leads?
Leads are individuals or organizations that have shown interest in a product or service offered by a business. This interest is typically expressed through actions like filling out a contact form, subscribing to a newsletter, attending a webinar, or engaging with the company's content online. A well-crafted lead generation strategy ensures you attract the right prospects at the right time.
Differences Between Leads and Clients
17 Ways for Effective Lead Searching
1. Make sure your social media accounts are up to date.
When was the last time you actually updated your LinkedIn or Twitter profile? Keeping your social media profiles up to date is an easy method to gain new leads.
For salespeople, LinkedIn is hands-down the most useful social networking site. Make a strong LinkedIn headline and description that informs those who look at your profile what you do and who you serve by making your profile stand out (and potentially showing up in search queries).
Another social media platform that salespeople may use to contact leads and build interest in their business is Twitter.
To get the most out of your Twitter profile, select a professional-looking profile photo, connect your firm's account, including a link to your LinkedIn profile, and add a few relevant hashtags.
Using a chrome extension can streamline your process of identifying and contacting leads.
2. Use social media to search leads
Salespeople are on LinkedIn, but they may not be utilizing it properly to produce top-of-the-funnel action.
It's a salesperson's fantasy to be able to connect with potential customers in a high-value, low-effort manner via social media.
A few quick recommendations to leverage your social media presence for lead generation:
- Discover contacts efficiently by using LinkedIn's advanced search features.
- Make an effort to connect with as many individuals as possible. The broader your reach, the more connections you have.
- You don't need to be the best pals with the people you meet through social media. Potential prospects may be interested in tangential connections.
- Fill in the "Share an Update" area with the name of the prospect you're seeking to identify and help with a specific sort of problem by a particular date.
- "We are looking to work with three new commercial landscaping firms interested in establishing their business in the greater Phoenix, Arizona region by September 1," for example.
- Three current customers will recommend you if they felt your work was of high quality and could vouch for your value, professionalism, and effectiveness.
3. Create a LinkedIn post with an invitation to book a 15-minute consultation.
Blogging is really nothing more than a discussion, and a blog topic may be as easy as answering the typical questions about your product that you answer every day, such as "The Beginner's Guide to [Common Business Challenge]" or "X Things You Need to Know About [Business Area]."
CRM tools can help small businesses manage leads efficiently and improve customer relationships.
4. Ask for referrals.
I frequently ask my customers the last time they pinged their present clients, thanked them for their business, and requested assistance to elevate sales throughout my work assisting digital firms to fill their sales funnel.
Explore software solutions to simplify your lead management process.
5. Identify possible leads by working with your personal network.
Working your personal network is another frequently neglected choice that is simple to get started with because you have built-in trust.
There are certain people you'll meet in a personal setting that you wouldn't think of as a lead-generating machine but who may be quite useful.
The secret is to simply let potentially helpful acquaintances know if you're at the point where business can be discussed comfortably.
Identify the kind of business you're searching for (size, employee number, revenue amount, location, etc.) and send them an email to pass along. Target ideal prospects by creating buyer personas tailored to your business goals.
It's effective and polite to mix personal and professional in this manner; however, it's a fantastic method to expand your reach.
6. Engage actively with new leads at networking events.
In addition, attending as many of these events as possible (both in-person and online) should be a part of your routine since they are an excellent method to expand your network while also potentially bringing in business.
7. Review closed/missed opportunities.
These are companies that have previously heard about what your firm does. They may have seen a product demo or participated in a discovery call, but it wasn't the right time to buy.
Every six months, touch base with these prospects. Inquire about their new priorities, if their company and team objectives have changed, and what their challenges are.
Invest in marketing to these leads since they are already more qualified than new, warm leads. Enroll them in useful marketing email drops, distribute them relevant blog entries, and keep communication personal.
It may not be the case the first or third time you contact them, but it might work to your benefit the fifth.
And you never know when a prospect will find a new job with extra money for your solution. You'll be the first vendor they call if you remain top of mind for them.
Updating your search results regularly ensures you stay ahead of competitors in identifying new leads.
8. Create automated email newsletters to be sent on your behalf.
Sam Blond, CRO of Rainforest QA, advised at SaaSt Annual 2018, "Define your outreach strategy. Then get creative with the email copy — be clever."
Blond went on to explain that one of Rainforest's most effective email campaigns is sent from their CTO.
The SDRs at Rainforest send an email to the CTO of a prospect's company posing it as if the CTO had requested them to contact him.
To send a successful email sequence, have a clear purpose for each one. For example:
- Email 1: Address pain points
- Email 2: Explain a value message
- Email 3: Name drop a big client
- Email 4: Qualify your message
- Email 5: Include a product message
- Email 6: Reach out one last time
Create a comprehensive, purposeful email sequence and see how it works for you.
9. Guest posts to other websites and blogs as well.
Have you started blogging yet? Yes, you should. Begin by writing about a topic in which you have expertise.
It could be sales process improvement, referral marketing, or your product/service; whatever it is, start writing and sharing it on your company's blog, as well as on your personal social media sites and with your clients. Fuel your lead pipeline by consistently sharing educational content and case studies.
It's critical for you to be an obvious authority in your area. Not only will it demonstrate your competence, but you'll also educate your prospects.
Need assistance with your first post? For quick training, contact your resident marketer or blog editor. They could even volunteer to assist you to develop a few posts for you.
10. Include a meeting planner on your website.
If you're a rep in charge of bringing in your own leads, you don't have the resources to send three back-and-forth emails coordinating schedules with a prospect. It's a waste of your time and theirs.
11. Use the live chat to engage with people on your website.
A simple chatbot builder can also be used to vet leads. Make your widget customizable to fit the design and aesthetic of your business, and then display it on your prospect's screen with a welcome message that is immediately useful.
Use your chatbot to qualify prospects, schedule appointments, answer FAQs, and more. Leverage the power of advanced analytics to gain insights into lead behaviors and preferences.
12. Organize an online session or webinar.
Nothing compares to getting the opportunity to actually teach. Focus on business growth by leveraging digital tools like email campaigns and webinars.
Hosting a webinar or conducting an online workshop and educating people on a relevant subject is an excellent method to gain leads online.
By presenting your expertise in a personal setting, such as video, you're quickly establishing rapport with prospects.
13. To get more exposure in the search engines, create content for your blog.
By writing on your own domain, you'll get long-term SEO benefits, but guest posting to other blogs and websites may help you build brand recognition with new audiences.
Over time, a blog content strategy won't produce instant results, but it will help you discover a nice spot of keywords and off-page promotion methods that will help you develop a devoted following of followers who may eventually turn into leads.
Technical SEO techniques can significantly boost your online visibility when searching for leads.
14. In exchange for a lead, offer a free product or service.
Free stuff is something that everyone likes, isn't it? Promote the introduction of a new product or service with a giveaway.
In exchange for a lead form, you may give your audience the opportunity to win a free consultation, product, or service from your company.
You may include individuals who took part in the promotion to your email nurture campaigns so that they can learn more about your company and eventually join as customers.
15. To cross-promote your products, join forces with other firms on the internet.
Both you and the other business will benefit from a partnership.
You'll be more likely to make a good first impression on the other audience if your brand corresponds with their demands, as well as gain exposure in two distinct audiences.
16. Join networking communities to talk with people in your field.
Women in Revenue, the Revenue Collective, and other networking communities are only a few of them.
To network with people who share your interests, you can join these groups.
While providing services may be prohibited in these groups, you'll almost certainly find someone looking for assistance with an issue that you can assist with.
You may also use your relationships in these organizations to search leads on the internet.
17. Create a Google My Business account and ask current or past clients for feedback.
Google processes more than 5 billion queries each day. That's "billion" with a "B." Because of the massive volume of people visiting Google search every day, it's a good idea to increase your presence there.
Any company may use Google My Business for free.
Once you've confirmed a valid physical address where your firm does business, you'll notice an increase in visitors to your website once your account is enabled.
Conclusion
You may create high-quality leads online to enhance revenue, whatever your company's size. Whether you're a writer, networker, or public speaker, connecting with individuals and search leads online is well worth your time. This quarter, try using these internet approaches to finalize more deals.
