Lead Generation Feeds into Email Marketing
Lead generation is important for any business. At the same time, a strong email marketing program will enhance your lead generation. Think of it as two sides of the same coin. In a recent article on email marketing and crisis control, this author wrote about a tree falling down in an empty forest and I would like to return to this metaphor once again as we talk about and plan for the best lead generation campaigns.
You need to create your lead generation funnel in a methodical way, or else you risk having a lead magnet that no one sees. I was advising a peer this week on the topic of taking action and incorporating lead generation campaigns into his own business. And without a doubt, the first thing I suggested to him was making sure you have the “behind the scene” roles in place.
What do I mean?
How Not to Own Lead Generation
Well, for starters it’s very easy to just throw up a lead generation campaign, pat yourself on the back, and declare, “I’m owning this lead gen game!”
This, of course, would be futile — especially if you are putting money where your mouth is and paying for traffic, be it on Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn Ads. Before setting up the top-end lead generation funnel, you have to first figure out what you are going to tell your prospects further down the funnel.
Are you going to sell them something? I sure hope so! But when? How far along the funnel does this happen? 5 minutes? 2 weeks? 1 year?
What Ryan Deiss and Dave Ramsey Have in Common
Think about all the stages you take before you pop the question. Ryan Deiss, a digital marketing legend, talks about “proposing on a first date.” Not a good idea.
Same with lead gen. Think of it as dating, you need to first become acquainted with your prospects – or better yet, your prospects need to get familiar with you. The only difference is that “you need to be intentional.”
Intentional is the key word; like Dave Ramsey, a financial guru and life coach, professes about personal finance, you have to be intentional. Great funnels simply do not just appear.
Become an Intentional Marketer
Combine and apply these two principles to lead generation. Naturally, I believe this will require you to start thinking about your funnels backward. For example, if you’re a B2B marketer, think about the entire sales cycle from the point of closing the deal. What were the steps that it took you or your sales team took to get here? Now reverse engineer the process.
Another great place to get business intelligence is from your customer support and client service teams. Lean on them to understand the steps needed to onboard a 5-star customer — the ones that are in it for the long-haul — an “in-it-to-win-it” customer is the one you want to market for.
Once you start building your funnels backward, eventually you will work your way up the funnel all the way to the lead generation ad. Only now are you fully equipped with the knowledge to know what lead magnet you will use on your “first date.”
