Digital lead generation: how to generate more valuable leads?

In business, a lead is defined as any potential enquirer or prospective customer who has expressed an interest in a company's products or services. Leads are early in the process of becoming a customer, but they have already taken the first step by contacting the company. They are, if you like, diamonds in the rough, with the potential for a win-win deal. When we talk about lead generation, we are talking about how to convert your target audience into leads and ultimately into customers. Read on and our blog post will tell you all about the importance of lead generation, its practices, and even a sure-fire  Meraki tip if you want to get leads pouring in!

Leads are extremely valuable to any business, as they are the source of new business and revenue. A well-run business is constantly "generating" new leads, which it then tries to convert into customers through a multi-step process. This process is lead generation.

In a B2B environment, the process of acquiring prospective customers can be particularly long and complex, as interested parties often must go through several decision-makers and internal approval rounds before they get the green light. Therefore, B2B companies need to carefully develop their lead generation and nurturing strategy.

The importance of lead generation in sales

Lead generation is the first step in the sales process. It is the first step in a long sales pipeline, where potential customers are identified, and their interest is aroused. 

From a sales perspective, a high-quality and steady flow of leads ensures that there are always enough potential customers for salespeople to work with. Lead generation thus "feeds" the whole sales process.

It is through the coordinated work of the marketing and sales teams that this can all be successful. It is the job of marketers to develop content and tools that attract the target audience and encourage them to become leads. Then, they need to be guided through targeted communication to the point of purchase.

Today, lead generation is mostly done in the online space, which offers the opportunity to capture leads in a data-driven, measurable way.

Online vs. offline lead generation

Both traditional and digital marketing tools can be used for lead generation. While the online space is more automated and scalable in terms of reaching and engaging with your target audience, offline methods are better at creating a personalised relationship with interested parties.

For most businesses, a combination of the two approaches will deliver the best results. For example, we can use online advertising to generate initial interest, followed by a personalised email series or even a personal sales contact to help the potential buyer decide.

Offline channels can be particularly useful for higher-value B2B purchases where more personalised contact building is required. Trade meetings, conferences, or even product launches can help.

A big advantage of lead generation in the online space is that it is much more measurable and optimisable. We can constantly monitor which channels and messages are delivering the best results and adjust our strategy accordingly to attract more quality leads.

You can never have enough leads

Lead generation is a multi-step process that aims to convert potential customers into valuable prospects and ultimately into customers. 

The first step in the process is to define your target audience. Who is your ideal customer? What are their characteristics, problems, and needs? It's important to get to know them as well as possible, as this is the only way to create relevant, attention-grabbing messages.

The next phase is to develop lead magnets to collect contact details of the target group. These can be e-books, tips, templates, or trial versions - the idea is to add value and get the contact details of the potential enquirer in return.

Once we have a lead database, we need to qualify the prospects based on different criteria. How close are they to buying? What is the expected business value? How do they behave on the website or in emails? Based on the rating, we can send personalised communication and offers.

To measure the success of lead generation, it is important to track key indicators. How many visitors register? What percentage of leads become customers? What is the average spend per new customer? How long does it take to recover the cost of acquiring them? This data will help you fine-tune your campaigns.

Although marketing is responsible for collecting leads, the conversion into customers is managed by sales. This requires collaboration and information sharing between the two teams. The common goal is to turn every high-quality lead into a satisfied customer.

What is a good lead magnet?

A lead magnet is a special offer to attract potential customers using online marketing tools. This could be a free e-book, a newsletter with useful tips, or any other valuable content in exchange for which the prospect is willing to provide their contact details.

An effective lead magnet must be relevant and useful to the target audience. It must summarise the essential information in an easy-to-consume format and in a concise manner. Its title and description should be attractive and arouse interest and curiosity. The visual presentation should give a sophisticated, professional impression.

Depending on the profile of the business and the preferences of the target group, a wide range of lead magnets can be used. Some popular examples:

• Thematic e-book or report, 
• a checklist with practical tips,
• a problem-solving case study,
• inspirational guide, how-to guide,
• exclusive video material, webinar,
• valuable coupons, and discounts.

To ensure that our lead magnets can play their role of attracting interest and increasing conversions, it is worth testing and fine-tuning. Monitor entry rates, measure click-throughs, and analyse data. If necessary, modify content, title, visuals, or placement for better results.

Qualify leads

To turn leads into customers, the lead qualification process is essential. Qualification is the process of identifying the best prospects to engage with.

One possible tool for qualification is lead scoring. This is a scoring system that helps rank leads based on various factors. Points are assigned to each important aspect (e.g. demographics, level of interest, activity). The higher the score, the more valuable the lead.

Explicit and implicit qualifying factors should be considered in the process. Explicit factors clearly show the intent of the enquirer, such as requesting a quote or demo. Implicit factors are indirect signals, such as downloading a whitepaper on a particular topic. Both types of information should be considered in the rating.

Apollo is a complete, state-of-the-art sales support platform that helps companies grow from lead generation to deal closure. It is particularly recommended for B2B companies looking to acquire new customers in a data-driven and automated way.

At Meraki, we are passionate about using and recommending the Apollo system. Several of our clients use it to send emails and enquiries with great success. In our experience, the average open rate is very high, 25-30%, compared to traditional newsletters, and the response rate is 3-5%, which is a visible and tangible result on a list of hundreds or thousands of people. 

If you want to take your lead generation to the next level, contact us and we'll introduce you to the mysteries of Apollo!

There are the so-called marketing qualified leads (MQL), who are already showing interest but are not yet ready to buy, they need further nurturing. Sales-qualified leads (SQL), on the other hand, are already showing a willingness to buy. The distinction between the two statuses is important.

Qualified, truly potential buyers (VPV) should be handed over to the sales team. This requires a clearly defined set of criteria. Before the handover, the MQLs are "trained" by the marketing team, while the SQLs are passed on to the sales colleagues.

Meraki's tip for lead generation: the Apollo

Apollo software offers a comprehensive solution for efficient lead generation and sales process optimisation. Its key features help you to identify quality leads, contact them, and nurture the relationship through to closure.

Apollo's database covers more than 200 million business contacts and 60 million companies, providing the basis for lead generation. The software helps identify the most promising prospects through AI-based scoring and signalling. 

Automated sales processes such as email campaigns and social media interactions significantly increase sales team efficiency. Built-in CRM functionality, meeting scheduling and deal management in one interface can make your work smoother. In addition, Apollo's data analysis and reporting features provide visibility into performance so you can iteratively optimise processes.