Whether you’re a retail outlet marketing to end users or a B2B corporation with enterprise level clientele, lead gen in the 21st century can feel like a herculean task. To stay up to speed with the best in the business, you’ve got to incorporate the newest technologies into your marketing strategies. Here are some of the best techniques for lead generation using the latest technologies available.

Start with the Basics

Once the infrastructure to support incoming leads is in place, make sure you have the basic user interface modules necessary for lead generation, including:

• Lead Gen Form – must be user friendly with real time responses to errors and auto-complete capabilities.


• Lead Verification – filter out sub-standard leads, duplicates, and unusable leads. Cross-reference the data by matching zip codes with states, data checks on lead gen forms, and with phone and address books.


• Lead Scoring – rank your leads according to their likelihood of conversion. This can help to create a prediction model, as well as inform your future marketing strategies.


• Real-Time Reporting with Analytics – track your lead gen, how leads convert, and the cost of each lead generation. Analyze the data to improve your lead gen process.

Optimize

All businesses are different, which is why it’s so important to look at which technologies and strategies are bringing the most quality leads. Many companies swear by social media marketing as a means to save money on marketing while generating a great deal of leads. A study by MarketingProfs for 2014 revealed that for B2B businesses, however, some traditional lead gen strategies can be more effective: inside sales, executive events, telemarketing, tradeshows and conferences, as well as email or electronic newsletters.

This does not mean that a B2B company shouldn’t have a social media presence, as every led gen channel has its merits; the important takeaway is to know where your company’s efforts will be the most effective after analyzing the cost per acquisition and ROI per channel.

Embrace Social Media, SEM, and Mobile Marketing.

Social media marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), and mobile marketing are of course at the cutting edge of lead gen technology. There are several ways to maximize their effectiveness, but it begins with a presence and some proper content curation. To maximize effectiveness:

• Lead Gen Form – must be user friendly with real time responses to errors and auto-complete capabilities.


• Lead Verification – filter out sub-standard leads, duplicates, and unusable leads. Cross-reference the data by matching zip codes with states, data checks on lead gen forms, and with phone and address books.


• Lead Scoring – rank your leads according to their likelihood of conversion. This can help to create a prediction model, as well as inform your future marketing strategies.


• Real-Time Reporting with Analytics – track your lead gen, how leads convert, and the cost of each lead generation. Analyze the data to improve your lead gen process.


• Establish a presence across several social networks – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are among the most effective, preferred networks, followed closely by Tumblr, Pinterest, and YouTube. Make sure your branding is consistent and compelling, determine which networks are best for your business. Use this infographic for more information.


• Perform keyword and demographic research – search engine marketing, as well as social media, requires that you do a little research to maximize its effectiveness. Take the time to know the audience you are trying to reach, and cater your message to them using the right kind of language. Then analyze which messages are generating the most traffic.


• Cross promote your channels – if you pin something on Pinterest, provide a link back to your webpage. If you engage directly with a potential customer on Twitter, invite them to visit your Facebook page as well. Cross promotion solidifies your brand in the mind of the consumer, and allows them to engage with your product where they feel most comfortable. All channels should lead to a central led gen location, such as your main web site.


• Optimize your content for mobile viewing – locally and worldwide, customers are switching to mobile platforms to engage with brands. Make certain that your content is appropriate for mobile, and customize your marketing message for these users as well.


• Create expert content and constantly engage with users – when you take the time to foster connections between users, developing interactive and interesting content, leads are more likely to engage with your business online. Your business may become a trusted source that users turn to when looking for relevant information. This type of engagement may not only augment your presence in search engines, it may also incite users to share your content with friends across their own online social platforms.



Keep these points in mind when developing your lead gen strategies. As always, track the process as you develop so that you can optimize along the way. New technology tends to create more marketing strategies that will convert a wider range of potential customers while lower marketing costs per user. Hence, in today’s burgeoning tech environment, lead gen doesn’t have to be difficult. It just takes a little time, a bit of patience, and some creative thinking across multiple marketing channels.