Lead generation is both the most important and the most challenging task businesses face. In fact, over 60 percent of marketers say they struggle to generate leads. But this trend is reversible if companies are willing to both work for it and make the necessary investments. Brands will succeed in 2019 by targeting leads more precisely and retaining them with smart marketing. Here are six tips marketers can leverage to ensure lead generation success in the coming year.
Personalize Lead Scoring
Not all leads are created equal, so businesses need to find out how serious their customers really are. The solution? Predictive lead scoring. Predictive lead scoring analyzes a user’s activity (such as the pages they view and the links they click) making their time on-site more personal, while providing the ability to determine their potential as a lead. As an added benefit, lead scoring gives users what they want while never intruding on PII.
AI and chatbots will also be a bigger part of the lead scoring experience in 2019, since these Marketing Automation tools increase lead quality and quantity. Companies can automate email subject lines for drip campaigns based on what users have consumed. That way, the firm has a path to potential leads both on and off the site.
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Analyze Audience Behavior
Brands can narrow inbound paid media traffic and optimize for leads in real time next year by layering audience data into campaigns to ensure they’re chasing the right people.
Google offers several ad targeting options every company should use. In-Market Audiences leverages a user’s search and browsing history to determine whether they’re in the market for a good or service. It then aggregates that data (without taking personal information) and serves up personalized ads to likely leads. Businesses can even make different versions of the same ad and gauge the impact of those ads by tracking click-through and conversion rates.
The newer Custom Intent Audiences tool tracks a user’s search history over a rolling five-day period, and then targets ads on Google and YouTube to fit their perceived needs (even if the customer hasn’t clicked on a specific brand’s ad before). With this data, companies can directly reach the most promising leads and turn display advertising into action both this year and beyond.
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Augment SEO With Semantic Search
All marketers know SEO is an essential tool for organically funneling sales leads to a site. But while keywords and long-tail search hacks are important, they only work if they’re applied semantically.
The most successful brands in 2019 will use semantic search, which mirrors human speech by employing words or phrases that are related to a page’s core focus. For example, a search for “prescription glasses” would show results for “vision,” “eyesight,” and “frames” as well. Adding semantically relevant labels to the base keyword makes it easier for Google to determine a page’s content.
Companies that want a piece of the $40 billion voice-based shopping industry also need to investigate semantic speech this year. Amazon Echo and Google Home have a much more conversational style than classic search engines, so businesses should ensure their keywords match common queries that show up at the top of search. Both shoppers and smart speakers will reward brands that get right to the point.
Use Account-Based Marketing (Especially LinkedIn)
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) can now be implemented at lower cost and greater scale so firms can concentrate sales resources on personalized, relevant campaigns. Businesses can use ABM to target the leads that are most likely to generate revenue, and then make them feel like a “market of one” by tailoring products and services to specific attributes and needs.
Optimized social media messages also increase ABM, and the most popular platform is LinkedIn, which offers companies the option of sending targeted ads through InMail. Customers respond to personal outreach: The job site accounts for 80 percent of B2B social media leads. Any firms not using this crucial resource should make LinkedIn a part of their core lead generation strategy this year.
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Customized Content Is King
Users who see resonant content that’s personalized to fit their interests are 80 percent more likely to become full-fledged leads. Companies can take a data-driven approach to this work by integrating CRM data, analytics, and user behavior to dynamically change what a user sees and make it more engaging and relevant.
Any content that a business promotes should be retrofitted for platforms like email newsletters, social media posts and blogs. Prospective leads who see relevant articles on email and social feeds will realize this company has its finger on the pulse of the industry.
Of course, firms can also take things one step further and make the company blog a Content Marketing tool in itself. Executives who give expert insight on industry topics will establish themselves as thought leaders. Putting CTAs in the post will further increase lead generation and user engagement.
Make Everything Look Pretty Across Platforms
In a world dominated by smartphones and tablets, customers often switch between devices during the lead generation process, so sites must be attractive and easy to navigate everywhere. Businesses doing multi-platform work in 2019 need focused homepages and landing pages.
Analytics services like Google Signals, Adobe Marketing Cloud, and Drawbridge allow companies to track customer habits and preferences, so firms can remarket to users who start on one platform and switch to another. If the click-through rate on one iteration of the site is higher than the others, take another look at the platform’s design to increase lead generation.
Companies that are smart about generating leads can reduce sales cycles and improve ROI. Predictive lead scoring, behavioral data, semantic search, Account-based Marketing, customized content, and smart design should all be part of the marketer’s toolbox. If brands emphasize these points throughout 2019, they’re guaranteed to increase lead generation this year and beyond.
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