Free Offers And Inbound Marketing Automation...Gotta Have 'Em!
Posted by Andy Xhignesse on Wed, Dec 14, 2011 @ 08:33 AM
Don't Rely On "Contact us" For Your Internet Lead Generation
Do you remember when there used to be 'free samples' that would come in the mail? Maybe toothpaste, soup (the dehydrated kind that you just add water to), soap, moisturizer, shampoo or something that was likely used regularly in your home. It was cool wasn't it? The reason behind those marketing tactics? Pretty obvious, branding, generate some product interest, and of course, win over some new customers. It still is neat when you get something free, but it seems tp have been a long time since I got something like that in the mail. However, in the online world there's all sorts of cool stuff available for 'free' and your compnay needs to have something to offer your web visitors too for the very same reasons. The most powerful aspect of this is that when this sort of campaign is done right with inbound marketing automation, your campaign can last and last, and, after you've done the initial work to set it up, it's 'free' marketing for your company. Since most companies that we speak with want more internet leads, our series on inbound marketing automation continues today by talking about how to set up and use a free offer to generate internet leads...automatically!
A 'Lead' Is Not A Qualified Prospect
First off, let's be clear about the difference between a lead and a qualified prospect because they're not the same thing! Many companies get very excited when the first leads start coming through from a campaign and want to jump on the phone and 'close' them. Bad idea probably. A lead is just an expression of interest. In fact, what we propose for internet lead generation may mean that all you'll get is an email address...pretty hard to call an email address! It may be that there is more than just casual interest but you don't know that...yet. The whole idea behind generating internet leads is to find people who are interested in finding the sort of solution that your company offers, for whatever reason, and follow these leads up with automated lead nurturing (more on this in a future post) to qualify those leads into prospects who are actively looking to buy your solution. A lead becomes a prospect after you've got the information that you need that qualifies their interest such as budget, timeline, decision maker, decision process etc. Ok, so let's generate internet leads!
Assumption:
- From the previous recent posts on inbound marketing automation you've assembled some information that is of general interest to your audience and it's formatted for the web. General interest information may be an industry report, a "How to" guide, a calculator of some sort, a free service etc. As a 'top of the funnel' lead, this information shouldn't be sales oriented, or talk about your company and how you are 'the best' solution, all of that comes later. (Be patient!)
6 Basic Steps To Generate Internet Leads With Inbound Marketing Automation 'Free Offers'
1. Create a call to action (cta)- A cta is a simple button or display that links to further information. For example:
are both examples of simple cta's.
2. Create a link from the cta to a special 'landing page' that expands on the offer. If you click on either of the links above you'll be taken through to pages that describe more fully what the offer is, and also notice that there isn't a navigation menu on them to distract the visitor. You should also be sure to apply basic SEO actions to this page.
3. Insert or create a form for the visitor to fill out on the landing page and only ask for the information you need in order to fill the request. This is an exchange where you provide something for free (information, sample service etc.) and in return your visitor allows you to begin an online relationship, the fewer questions you ask the more likely the visitor will take advantage of the offer. Remember, what you're looking for are 'interested people' and a way to continue a relationship with them. The lower the barrier, the more likely that the visitor will go over it. The simplest form would require just an email address.
4. Link the form (think 'Submit' button although there are better words) to your offering. This could be direct, or it may generate a notification or email that contains the link to the information.
5. Make certain that the information you're gathering is being collected and stored for future communication. Remember, the idea is that this process provides your company with information at the top of the sales/marketing funnel and you will nurture this lead into a qualified prospect with future information offerings. (we'll be covering lead nurturing in an upcoming post, stay tuned!)
6. Position your cta on your website pages that are relevant to the free offer. When a visitor is on a page that is talking about 'X' provide a free offer that's related to 'X'. If your offer is about 'Y' there's less of a chance that they'll be interested since what brought them to the page in the first palce was their interest in 'X'.
If you're ready and have the resources lined up, don't wait, do this today and you may be surprised to find new leads in your funnel very quickly. One final word. A lot of companies have been disappointed by poor results. What we've laid out for your company here are the very basic steps to start generating internet leads, but there are other factors at play for every business and we don't know what those are in your case. Without the more specific knowledge that you have about your business, all we can offer you here are general guidelines, but by testing and re-testing you can come up with a program that's right for your company. It's not a matter of luck, it's a matter of time and effort.
We're at the edge of the future!
If your interested in talking with someone about how your business can use inbound marketing automation, we'd like to help!