Among the most crucial aspects of any business is lead generation.
The better you are at identifying those who are most likely to buy your product or service, the greater your chances are of building a successful business. However, lead generation is one area where many small business owners and entrepreneurs struggle. With so many tools and tactics out there on how to grow your list, it can quickly become overwhelming. Here are three branding hacks to help build a bigger generation list today.
Hack #1: It all starts at home (page)
The best place to start building your list is at home—the home page of your website, that is. If someone has landed on your homepage, they have either been directed there through a link or found you through a search for something they needed. That means they already have an interest in what you have to offer. Take advantage of that by ensuring that you have a call-to-action (CTA) on your homepage that allows you to capture their information.
Creating a CTA does not need to be difficult. In fact, if you use a tool like SumoMe you can create dynamic, high-converting branded lead boxes that integrate with your email marketing service in just minutes and without any coding or design experience.
Here are three “musts” for your CTA:
- Clearly demonstrate the value of what you’re offering. Whether you are offering an opt-in sign up to your newsletter or a free download, the better you show the value of your offering, the more leads you will generate.
- Make it easy to sign up. Limit the amount of information you need from people to sign up to further increase the number of sign-ups you get. Also, allow visitors to sign up using Google or Facebook.
- Keep it fresh and test. Don’t think of your CTA as “set it and forget it.” You will want to test different CTAs to see what converts best and also to keep your site fresh, which shows that you have more to offer.
Hack #2: Optimize your email signature
Think about how many emails you and your business send each day. While most of us put the necessary information in our email signatures (name, title, URL, phone, social accounts, etc.), not many of us are optimizing our signatures and utilizing them as a lead generation or sales tool.
There are tools, like WiseStamp, that can help. This easy-to-use software lets you create a customized email signature that can be used in any email client and on any device. Not only can you provide your basic contact information, you also can create links to the products or services you sell, your latest blog post, your online store, or even offer links to discounts and coupons. By putting this option directly in all the communications you send, you will surely see a rise in the amount of people signing up for your offer. To learn more, check out this list of free email signature generators.
Hack #3: Drive more leads with your business card
Much like your email signature, business cards can serve as the perfect lead-generation and brand-building tool if you get very smart about what information you include on them. Instead of handing out a boring card with your basic business information, put a CTA directly on your business card that allows them to subscribe to your list via text messaging.
Leadpages is a software tool that allows businesses to grow large, devoted audiences by using high-converting lead generation pages that integrate with your email marketing service. In addition to their lead pages, they also have another great tool called Lead Digits, which allows you to create a customized text to opt-in code that people can use when not online to subscribe to your list or get your download. (For more on what works for lead generation page development, check out Instapage’s 30 Great Lead Gen Landing Page Examples to Follow.
With a text opt-in CTA on your card, people can immediately sign up to your list versus just sticking your card in a pile to be entered into their database at a later date. In addition to being a great lead generation tool, you will also look pretty slick and cutting edge, which can go a long way in converting customers.
Each of the brand and list-building hacks outlined above is not only extremely effective but easy and inexpensive to implement for your business. Take a few minutes to think about a solid strategy for each, including whom you are trying to target and what you will offer. And, of course, once you get them on your list, the real work begins! Take time to develop a solid engagement strategy that helps you to convert these prospects into customers or clients for life.
