So, you want to generate leads. Firstly, you need to ask yourself, what is lead generation to you?
In the broad sense lead generation is any marketing activity that provides your business with potential customers (prospects). These prospects can be driven to you through a variety of marketing channels, including but not only: mail, email, display, surveys, television, cold-calling, printed publications, and more.
So really lead generation can be considered simple marketing, however in our experience this is not the general consensus of what lead generation is and so far, the understanding of what lead generation really is has been split.
Below are some of the ideas of what people are expecting when they ask for lead generation:
Prospects who have specifically said they want to be contacted by the organisation to either purchase or donate.
This type of lead is usually generated through a survey platform, whether that be: online, via mail or face to face. This process involves simply asking a targeted number of people if they are interested in purchasing/ donating and if they would like to be contacted.
More often than not this is what organisation want when they say lead generation. It certainly cuts to the chase; the only downfall is that you reduce the chance to build the relationship with the prospect by cutting straight to ‘the ask’. The success of this type of lead generation is usually founded on a lot on previous branding and mass marketing campaigns.
Prospects who have joined a mailing list or signed up to learn more about the organisation.
This is a softer form of leave generation and a great way to develop a relationship with you end customer/ donor before they contribute financially to your organisation. These prospects or leads are interested in your organisation, and want to know more.
Prospects who have been exposed to an offer.
Some consider a ‘lead’ to be anyone who has been exposed to the organisation’s most recent marketing campaign. There is usually a time-sensitive offer aimed for a specific target market. All these people are assumed to be aware of the offer and a potential customers/ leads in the time frame of the campaign.
Prospects who you know would require the organisation’s product/services.
This form of lead generation is more predominant for in B2B lead generation, where one organisation has recognised another organisation’s need for their product/ service and then endeavours to contact them to make them aware of their service offering. Although this is cold approach to contacting potential customers these contacts are still considered leads, and finding them is still considered a form of lead generation.
What else do you consider to be a form of lead generation? Have we missed it off the list, comment below and let us know. And that’s another rhyme just in time.
