Hopefully, you have read our Introduction to Lead Generation and downloaded the collateral for building stronger relationships and categorizing the leads you encounter. Now let’s talk about the buyers’ journey and setting up a lead generation campaign.
Lead generation needs to be cost-effective, helpful in finding high-quality leads, and a good experience for your clients.
There are five main steps a lead goes through during a buyer's journey.
Awareness
At this stage, the person realizes they have a problem that needs resolution. They come to this conclusion independently or encounter content informing them of a particular situation. Typically, the person is researching to diagnose their problem or need further.
Consideration
The buyers determine how to define their problem, utilizing specific search terms to gain results. Then, they continue researching, looking for the best answer to their questions. Finally, they create a list of companies, products, and services that fill their need.
Decision
People narrow down the list of companies that can meet their needs and then choose the company they will use for their final purchase.
Loyalty
The buyer has made a purchase and had a positive experience. At this stage, they are loyal to your brand and prefer your service/product over others without additional research.
Advocacy
Once a buyer is loyal to your business, you want them to tell others about their positive experiences. Buyers will then promote your brand and products through word-of-mouth.
Buyers will respond differently to your various offers depending on where they are in their journey. Keep in mind that what works during one part of the journey will not be successful in another part. Some leads will be more likely to discover offers throughout your website, and others may be interested in an eBook. Leads further along the buyer journey may be ready for a free trial or demonstration.
The potential client/buyer moves along their journey while your company is also on a lead generation journey. You want to ensure your company is doing everything it can to meet the needs of your potential clients and help them have a positive experience. An essential part of your company’s journey is to create a lead generation campaign to guide you on your journey with the potential client/buyer.
The first step is to set up a campaign objective based on your desired outcome. For example, you may wish to gain a specific number of leads or acquire a certain revenue. Or maybe you want a certain number of registrants at your next event.
Next, evaluate and select your campaign target. You want to identify the buyer persona who is likely to utilize your services/products. Consider demographics (age, gender, type of company they work for, and where they live) and psychographics (personality, values, attitudes, interests, and lifestyle). Think about the daily problems or challenges people face and determine if your products/services solve their problems.
Also, consider where your target market is searching for answers to their needs. Then determine which media outlet you will use to promote your offer to the public. It will be essential to ensure you align your campaign objective with your target audience.
Once you have determined your campaign target and where your potential buyer is looking for answers, it’s time to develop an offer or your lead magnet. First, consider an offer that will attract your potential buyer. Then promote your content and offer it on the media platform you feel will be the most beneficial. Finally, ensure you have optimized your lead capture mechanism and the landing page so your potential client is sent to the correct link.
Throughout the journey of building your campaign, you want to verify that your sales and marketing team are aligned and have the necessary details. When everyone involved is on the same page, the journey will be more seamless. Create a roadmap for your outbound and inbound marketing and determine who has what responsibility.
Perform lead scoring to help you determine which leads are more likely to become paying clients. Once you decide who are the strong leads, you will want to concentrate on nurturing those leads. When a prospect responds to your offer, they become a lead and move into the nurturing phase of the buyer journey. Take time to form a relationship, answer their questions and do your best to help move them to close the deal, which equates to making a sale.
As you move leads through the journey to becoming a client, you will want to test the components of your lead generation campaign. Closely examine your campaign’s vital elements to ensure everything is working smoothly. Then, change what isn’t working and optimize what does work.
If you would like some help navigating this journey and optimizing the experience for your potential clients, please contact MLC Expert Consulting at 843.819.0103 or contact us through our website. Don’t miss next month’s topic; Qualifying and Nurturing Leads.
Lead Generation: The Journey
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