Lead Generation-Digital Marketing Services

Lead generation strategy is a lot like fishing for new customers. First, just as you would go to the type of water pool (river, lake, ocean) where the fish you are fishing for live, you must also go to where your target audience lives online. 

Next, just as you would cast different fishing lines out to catch fish, you create different educational marketing materials (like ads, text, audio, and video content, and/or events) for the purpose of attracting your ultimate prospect from within your target audience. 

While fishing, a fish that bites your bait is demonstrating their desire to take that bait and eat it. Similarly, when someone shows interest in your educational marketing materials, they "bite" by providing you with their contact information, (letting you hook them). This is when the ultimate prospect has become a lead.

These "leads" are then nurtured through the lead generation “funnel” with more valuable information, educational marketing materials, and offers.  The goal and purpose of this activity is to gradually draw them in closer to becoming paying customers. Just as in fishing, by using the right content (bait) and technique (lead generation “funnel steps), you can consistently reel in new leads, create more sales, and boost your business growth.

Have you ever used a funnel to pour a liquid into a small opening?  Well, we use a lead generation process that is similar to a metaphorical funnel.

Just like a funnel is broad and wide at the top, and narrows down as it gets towards the bottom of the funnel, a lead generation funnel is essentially designed with the same shape. The funnel is a strategic framework or structure you use to attract your ultimate prospects, engage and inform them, and convert these potential customers into your paying customers.

The funnel is often looked at as several sections for different processes or leads mindset. 

At the top of the funnel, you cast a wide net of awareness-building activities like blog posts, social media engagement, or informative webinars. At this stage, you want to attract a large audience of potential customers who would love your products and services.  Then you help them to become interested in the problems you solve with your offerings. 

In the middle of the funnel, you continue to interact and engage with these leads.  As they interact with your content and show interest in the educational marketing materials you are providing, they move down through the funnel. In this section of the funnel, you nurture them with marketing materials like lead magnets, e-books, guides, or consultations, providing valuable information in exchange for their contact details.

At the bottom of the funnel, you now have identified qualified leads who understand your offerings and are in the process of considering a purchase of your offerings.  Your activity at this stage is typically providing them with targeted emails, personalized recommendations, and/or special offers that will help nudge them towards the final step: conversion, also known as a sale.

When you continually optimize each stage of the funnel and analyze how your funnel performs, you will attract more, higher-quality leads. This helps you sell them more efficiently, which grows your business.

In our Lead Generation Made Simple™ process, we say that your websites is like a bicycle's frame, because it forms the foundation of a user's experience. 

In bicycling, there are different types of bicycles like road racing bikes you might see in the Tour Du France, or mountain bikes for riding off-road, to toddler bikes like we all had as a child. 

With websites there are large information websites, small websites, sales websites, and much more. Just as a sturdy frame provides the support and structure for a smooth bicycle ride, a well-designed website’s architecture and navigation will create a clear and intuitive user experience.

Both website designs and bicycle frames require careful consideration of various elements:

• Balance and stability: A website’s layout and visual structure should guide users effortlessly, as a balanced bike frame distributes weight evenly for optimal control.

• Durability and performance: A website should be built to withstand varying amounts of traffic and deliver information quickly and efficiently, similar to how a strong bike frame endures wear and tear and enables efficient pedaling.

• Adaptability and customization: Websites, like bikes, come in various shapes and sizes to cater to diverse needs and audiences. When you design a website to be flexible and handle change over time, you will be better prepared for future growth.

Ultimately, both your website design, just like a bicycle frame, should help you assist your users to meet their needs.

In our Lead Generation Made Simple™ process, we say that paid ads is like the pedal and rear wheel of a bicycle. When riding a bicycle, the amount of effort that you put into pedaling determines how fast your bike will go. 

Similarly, in PPC, the amount of money you spend and how fast you are willing to spend it determines how fast and many potential leads you can generate.

Since PPC is about generating leads, it is also very much like fishing.  In PPC, the key challenge lies in pinpointing where the "fish" (ultimate prospects) you are fishing for swim within the vast online "ocean" (internet). Once you decide on the type of fish to fish for (target audience) and whether they live in a lake or sea (marketing platform), success hinges on using the right "bait" (ads), "fishing line" (call to action), and "hook" (offer).

In PPC, we use the knowledge of our target audience to identify where they reside on the internet looking to solve their issues or achieve their goals. 

We use the keywords this audience uses to search for these answers, to create ads that guide a potential lead to share their personal information in exchange for receiving some sort of offering, typically a freebie of some sort.  

This offering varies, and is dependent upon which stage of the buying cycle they are in. The offering might be an e-book when they are just beginning to learn at the awareness stage. A webinar is an example of an offering used when they are in the interest stage, and discounts are an example of when they are in the deciding to take action stage.

By targeting the right audience, using relevant bait, and measuring the right metrics, you increase your chances of "landing" the perfect lead, just as a skilled fisherman reels in the desired catch.

LSEO is Local SEO. In our Lead Generation Made Simple™ process, LSEO is one of the spokes of the free-spinning organic front bicycle wheel.

Now, let’s continue with our fishing analogy. LSEO is like fishing in local pond instead of the Pacific ocean. LSEO optimizes your "baited hook" (local web presence) to be easily spotted by nearby "fish" (potential customers).

In other words, unlike regular organic SEO that optimizes your website for anyone online, LSEO focuses on optimizing your online presence to attract nearby customers searching for your products or services. 

Here are the 4 steps to casting your line and baited hook:

• We claim and optimize your Google My Business listing for you with accurate information, enticing descriptions, and high-quality photos.
• We build your local citations by getting your business listed in online directories and local websites to boost credibility.
• We set up the process of earning you positive online reviews:. We help you to encourage happy customers to leave glowing reviews on Google, Yelp, and other platforms, building trust and attracting new customers.
• We help you to engage with your local community, by showing you ways to (or we get you) involved online and offline, connecting with local organizations, participating in relevant events, and building relationships with other businesses.

By implementing and consistently optimizing these factors, you increase your chances of appearing in local search results. This will make it easier for potential customers to find you online and helps you attract customers who are ready to buy from your business over your competitors.

It's not just about getting your website more traffic; it's about attracting the right traffic – customers who are actively searching for what you offer and are just around the corner.

Imagine a vast library with millions of books, and you want yours to be the first one someone grabs. That's where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in to play for websites online. 

According to Wikipedia, Search Engine Optimization also known as “SEO is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines. It focuses on "natural" or "organic" search results, rather than paid advertisements. By optimizing your website for search engines, you aim to increase its visibility and ranking for relevant keywords, ultimately leading to more organic traffic.”

Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing content to help your website climb Google's and all other search engine results pages (SERPs) so that potential customers find you.

In other words, organic SEO optimizes your website to be found on a search engine ranking page (S.E.R.P.) by anyone searching online for your products or services. 

In our Lead Generation Made Simple™ process, SEO is one of the main spokes of the free-spinning organic front bicycle wheel.

Think of SEO like climbing a ladder to the roof of a house. There are 4 primary rungs of the SEO ladder.  Each rung represents an element you need to improve:

• Content: You must create high-quality, informative content relevant and interesting to your target audience and search terms.

• Keywords: You will sprinkle relevant keywords in the content throughout your website, but include them naturally, in sentences that make sense. Do not overuse them making the content read abnormally in what is known as “keyword stuffing.”

• Technical SEO: It is important to ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy for search engines to understand.  Search engines will reward websites that perform technical SEO the best.

• Backlinks: Imagine librarians recommending your book, the more important the library, the more powerful the referral.  In the same way, other more high-quality websites that link to your website create your backlinks. The better your backlinks, the better your website ranking climbs.

SEO isn't a quick fix; it's a continuous process of optimization and adaptation. When you consistently improve your website, you'll attract more traffic organically, you'll generate leads, and most importantly, you'll grow your business. Remember, the higher you climb on the Google ladder, the more likely you are to be seen and chosen!

Another spoke of the free-spinning organic front bicycle wheel in our Lead Generation Made Simple™ process, is Social Media Optimization (SMO). If we refer back to our fishing analogy, then social media content is ‘bait’ for the ‘fish’ we hope to catch.  

Imagine social media as a vibrant party, and your content is the invitation to the party. In this scenario, social media optimization is the art of crafting that invitation to attract the right crowd and ensure they have a memorable experience. Social media content is more than simply creating videos, images, and blog posts. When created for social media optimization, it involves:

• Understanding your audience: You need to know who you trying to reach, which platforms they use, and what content your audience is attracted to and engaged with.

• Crafting compelling content: Create eye-catching visuals, engaging text, and relevant information that sparks conversation.

• Optimizing profiles and posts: To increase your visibility, you need to use relevant keywords, hashtags, and calls to action.

• Engaging with your community: Things that will make you stand out are responding to comments on your posts, participating in discussions, and building relationships.

• Tracking and analyzing: Measure your activity’s performance to see what works and adapt your strategies to be successful.

When you master SMO, you turn your social media presence from unread content, to content that attracts new followers, boosts brand awareness, and helps you achieve your marketing goals.Use social media optimization to interact and connect with your audience.

Video marketing is so powerful because it captivates your audience with a mini-movie. Then it promotes your brand or product engagingly and memorably. It harnesses the power of sight, sound, and storytelling to:

• Grab attention: Compared to static images, videos instantly capture your viewer's attention, stop their scrolling, and draw them in. 

• Boost engagement: With moving visuals and emotional connections, videos resonate deeply with your viewers, fostering stronger engagement than text alone.

• Explain complex topics: Videos can break down complex ideas or showcase your product in action, making it easier for your viewers to understand and remember.

• Build trust and credibility: Authentic video content allows you to connect with your audience, fostering trust and credibility.

• Drive results: Videos can be powerful tools for conversions, leading viewers to visit your website, make a purchase, or subscribe for more information.

Video marketing also has two other benefits it:

• Improves SEO: Search engines love engaging video content, potentially boosting your website's ranking in search results.

• Fits any budget: From professional productions to user-generated content, video marketing can be tailored to your resources and goals.

From explainer videos to product demos and customer testimonials, video marketing offers a versatile way to reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.