Do you ever wonder how businesses manage to find new customers or clients? Well, that’s lead generation — the matchmaker of the business world, connecting businesses with potential customers who are already interested.

But, let’s be honest, most of these leads gathered are pretty useless unless it’s done right. Some marketing strategies use lead generation correctly, and others that take the easy way out. 

So how do you generate leads the right way? Let’s get into what it is and what we have found to be really effective for our clients.

Let’s Get on The Same Page

Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to generate leads, we need to be on the same page and understand what lead generation truly is. Let’s break it down piece by piece. 

What is a Lead?

When people have shown interest in your business and the service you provide, they’re then called a lead. These are people who:

• Fill out a contact form on your website.
• Call for a quote.
• Download information from your website.
• Give you their business card at an event.

You may have multiple levels of leads — sometimes classified as “cold” or “warm” — which help you prioritize who to pursue. Whatever the case, these leads are the people who later could convert into sales and even repeat customers. 

What is Lead Generation?

Now, let’s talk about what lead generation is. These are the steps or methods you take to gather said leads’ contact information. 

Simple, right? Wrong! 

The process of lead generation will vary based on the business you run. Sometimes it can take up to a year to acquire a lead, where sometimes it’s just a few weeks. Either way, remember that it takes a lot of time and nurturing to collect these leads just to have a chance of them becoming a sale. 

Brands and businesses today use strategies such as:

• Blogging 
• Email Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• And more!

The Right Way to Gather Leads

Gathering leads for a business, when done right, can significantly boost your sales pipeline.

First, you need to identify your target audience. Understand who they are, what they need, and where they spend their time online. Conduct some audience research through Google Analytics (GA4), where you can take a look at your site’s visitor demographics. 

Next, create valuable content tailored to their interests, such as informative blog posts, engaging social media content, and helpful videos. Conduct keyword research on what people are searching about related to your line.

Make sure your website is optimized for your users and includes the keywords that ranked highest from your research. Offer something of value — like a free ebook, webinar or discount — in exchange for their contact information. You can have these offers show up on your site through well-designed landing pages and forms.

The Wrong Way to Gather Leads

Gathering your leads the wrong way can actually hurt your business more than help it. 

Picture this: bombarding people with spammy emails they never signed up for, or pestering them with aggressive sales pitches on social media. It’s not just annoying — it can turn potential customers away for good. (Plus, talk about a waste of time and money!) 

Another mistake is using clickbait to lure people in, only to offer them low-quality content or irrelevant products. This breaks trust and makes your business look unprofessional. It’s a fast way to make people leave and never return.

Let’s not forget about buying email lists. 👎 Sure, it might seem like a shortcut, but it usually results in low-quality leads and can even get you flagged for spam — making it harder for you to send emails to leads in the future.

Instead of taking these misguided approaches, focus on building genuine connections with your audience and providing real value. That way, your leads are more likely to be interested and engaged.

Staying Visible with Email: Ways to Avoid Spam Folders and Unsubscribes

How to Generate More Leads

It’s cool to understand lead generation, but now you need to know how to keep the momentum. 

Consistency is key. 

1. Make sure you keep feeding the masses by having your brand show up wherever it can online (like Google Business Profile, and social media).
2. Keep your digital marketing game running steadily on whatever platforms your customers are on.
3. Retarget potential leads on social media and Google.

And don’t write off cold leads. Use email marketing to nurture relationships and turn them into a warm lead. You can easily set up an email workflow that automatically reaches out to people who haven’t engaged in a while or ask a past customer if they’re ready for another purchase. Bring forward special offers to reel them back in. 

Generate Leads with 9 Clouds

Do you need help generating more leads? That’s what we do.  

Let us be your ally in generating more leads for your business. We’ll help you identify opportunities for where to find more leads online and create a custom plan that’s right for your budget and goals.

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