OmniKick Blog

“Leads are the metric that, as marketers, we rely on. Because leads mean money.” – Kipp Bodnar

If you want to have a profitable and successful business then you need leads and lots of them.

Nothing happens in business without leads. No sales, no profit, no revenue, no nothing.

But, the main concern for the most marketers is generating both high quantity and high quality leads.

Today I am going to explain 29 actionable lead generation techniques that are proven to generate more leads. Though there are hundreds of techniques to generate leads, don’t hang your head with so many points.

#1. Blogging consistently

Blogging is one of the most effective lead generation techniques. According to HubSpot’s recent benchmarks report, companies that blog 6–8 times per month double their lead volume.

In spite of knowing this, not many companies have consistent content calendars.

You should post different type of content on your blog such as educational how to’s, and round-ups that educate your audience.

Make sure that your blog is optimized to generate leads by having a sign-up section for your newsletters. If you can offer high quality and valuable content then people will sign up for newsletters.

#2. Create a product video

People are not only learn by reading, some of them are visual learners and some are audible learners. According to the Social Science Research Network, 65 percent of us are visual learners.

By creating a product video, you can make people understand easily how to use your product more efficiently. By using technology like Wistia you can add a call to action in the middle of the video to collect the email address.

You need to ensure that the product video is not too long and complex and with the tools like Animoto you can easily make amazing product video.

#3. Optimize your call to action button

Is your call to action button prompts users to provide their name and email address?

Here are few things you need to consider while you craft your call to action button:

Your call to action must stand be contrasting with background color. If the color of your button blends with the background color, no one will notice it as a button.

The text of your call to action button must tell the visitors what will be the outcomes if they click. For example, if you use “submit” as a button text that does not mean anything.

If you offer an eBook the button text you may use “Download Free eBook”, which is meaningful and it clearly says what will happen if people click.

The placement of your call to action is also important. Make sure you place your button where the eyes go naturally.

Here is a neat example with a perfect call to action button.

#4. Use language wisely to boost confidence

We are all worried about the charge when we subscribe to any product or service. The biggest question is do I really need to pay if I want to subscribe?

You need to answer this question clearly. If you offer something free, you need to clearly state that it’s free because it adds confidence. Also, you need mention the offer ending time.

This strategy often increase the signups due to increased confidence.

#5. Statistics of success

No one want to jump into a murky lake alone as a first person. If people see someone is swimming, then it will make them feel safer of said lake as someone is already there.

It’s a natural tendency when we see the social proof that other people are doing one thing, we tend to follow suit.

We can take advantage of that fact by mentioning the number of people who have already signed up, purchased or downloaded.

Leadpage has perfectly used this technique. Just take a look at the below image.

#6. Use lead magnets

People do not buy the product or service at first visit in a website. They look around to find the best one with reasonable price.

But, if you can collect the email address at first visit that’s not a bad deal. Here lead magnet play a great role to capture the email address.

You can offer a free checklist, eBook or course that your potential customers are looking in exchange for their email address.

Then you can follow up with them until they become your customers.

#7. Include content upgrades

Content upgrade is an excellent technique out there to convert your readers into email subscribers. It provides additional value to the readers related to the blog post they read.

Recently, I have written a blog post on copywriting tips to boost conversions. On the blog post I also included a checklist which is downloadable in exchange for an email address. With the checklist people can get 2 Bonus tips. By using this technique we got a good response so far.

People won’t mind to give their email address in exchange of something valuable.

 #8. Make the form appear smaller

We all know the more field you keep on your form, the more conversion rates fall. However, based on your business or product, you may need to keep 4-5 fields in your form.

If it applies to your business, then try to make the form look smaller by adjusting the styling. Because, people often don’t just fill out a form when it looks longer and they think it will take a while to fill out the form.

Just take a look at the image below, both forms have the same number of field but the right side form appears smaller than left one.

#9. Minimize concern with trust elements

Because of the increase in spam, now-a-days people are not reluctant to provide their personal information through website.

Having the trust elements in your website can reduce your audience concern to give you their personal information.

Here are couple of points you may consider to implement in your website to boost the trust factor.

If you ask people to provide their sensitive information, include trust seals such as Verisign and Better Business Bureau etc. so that your audience know their information is secure and safe.

Adding a privacy message like “we respect you email privacy” indicates that their email addresses will not be shared with others.

#10. Include all necessary elements in your landing pages

You need to ensure that your landing pages have all the necessary information to convert the visitors into leads. If your audience can’t get all the necessary information then why would they give you their email address?

For example, your landing page must have a headline, sub headline, a brief description of the offer, product image, a form to capture leads and definitely a call to action.

Let me show you an example of a perfect landing page with all must have elements.

#11. Giveaway the full access to bloggers and influncers

Give away the full access of your product features to well respected bloggers and industry experts is the best way to get free promotion and additional leads.

All you need to do just find the bloggers and influencers, communicate with them and offer them a full access to your product. All you should ask in return is an honest review of your product.

It may cost you few bucks but if they like your product, they will promote it on their social network and you will also get an expert endorsement.

#12. Accepting guest post

Invite the famous bloggers and influencers to write for your blog. In exchange offer them a handsome amount of money and of course a backlink.

If you can have a guest post from famous bloggers and influencers you will get a quality article. Moreover, after publishing the post they will share the article on their network. You can expect to get some leads from their audience.

Eventually, you will get a brand exposure of your brand. Also, it will help you to build a long term relationship with them.

#13. Showcase the testimonials and reviews

One of the easiest way to build trust is by showing the positive testimonials and reviews from the existing customers.

To get the testimonials and reviews, you can ask your happy customers to write a testimonial or review to post on your website. They won’t mind to give you that if your product really had helped them.

When people will see others are happy with you then the new user will subscribe or sign up too.

Backlinko did a great job here. They are displaying the testimonials from industry experts.

#14. Remove the navigation menu from landing page

When your goal is conversion, having navigation menu on your landing page will reduce the chances of conversion. If you keep the menu on your dedicated landing page, people may consider to browse other pages instead of taking your desired action.

If it must then add a link to your homepage via your company logo. Make sure you remove all the distractions from the landing page which will help the visitors to be converted easily. The only option your visitors should get is to click on your call to action button.

Let me show you an example what I have explained. After landing on this page, visitors will be able to take only action which is to click on the call to action button.

#15. Make a presentation for slideshare

Slideshare is the world’s largest community for sharing presentations.

If you can make a well-designed and visually attractive presentation with interesting content then Slideshare may feature your presentation on their homepage which will provide greater exposure to your website.

Moreover, Slideshare have a premium tools that allow you to embed email opt in within your presentation. From there you will be able generate some leads.

#16. Arrange a quiz

Offer some kind of quick and interesting assessment online and ask people to sign up by using their email address to get their results delivered by email. People will surely attend the quiz if you can offer something valuable as a prize.

But, there are few things you must get right to arrange an effective quiz.

• The topic must be interesting and relevant to what you do
• You must giveaway something valuable as an award
• The questions should be super easy

#17. Use exit intent pop-up

We all know people hate pop-ups. Not surprisingly, many studies found that 90-95% people hate pop-ups.  If that many people hate pop-ups then why pop-ups are used all over the internet?

The honest truth is that, people also respond to them. Many website owners have seen an increase in sale after adding pop-ups up to 40%.

Pop-ups are not always bad if you can use it properly. Showing the pop-up just after arriving to your website is not a good strategy. You can use it with mouse tracking before they just leave the page. Show a visible way to quit the pop-up if people are not interested on it.

XeroShoes, increases sales 9.81% just by using exit intent pop-up. Here is the pop-up they have used.

#18. Use twitter lead cards

Twitter is one of the big social networks. You can generate leads easily by using this platform. They have a special feature for lead generation which is called “Lead Cards”.

By using the lead cards you can collect email addresses in exchange for an offer. This is one of the effective lead generation techniques. Let me show you an example how HP Cloud using this technique.

Similarly, you can create a Twitter campaign to offer an eBook or other resources to your followers that requires sign up to claim your offer.

#19. Focus on benefits

People love to hear the benefits rather than specification. Therefore, instead of focusing on specification of your product or service, you must emphasize the benefits on your landing page.

Make sure you include brief paragraph or bullet points to explain the benefits. Having the benefits on landing page will encourage the visitors to take your desired action.

Just take a look at the below screenshot, how beautifully they have highlighted the benefits with bullet points.

#20. Enable social sharing

Having the social sharing option on your landing page will allow people to share your landing page with their connections. Therefore, make sure you include the social sharing buttons to enable your prospect to share your offer or content.

 If more people share your landing page, then more people will land on the page and as a result more people will fill out your form and will become your leads.

#21. Email marketing

Many business owners are believe that email marketing no longer working to generate new leads. In my point of view this perception is wrong if you can do that in right way.

Let’s say, you brought a bunch of email addresses and if you send them your offer or content they will recognize it as a spam. This strategy will work only if you have happy subscribers to your business.

If you send the valuable offer to your subscribers whether it’s a discount, downloads or educational content they will share it with their friends and colleagues. As a result, you will get some new subscribers.

#22. Answer question on Quora

Quora is a popular question and answer site. This platform will allow you to create a profile with links backs to your site or landing page.

If you can answer questions in useful and effective way that gets you direct exposure to leads who are asking about your solution.

Let’s say someone is looking for best books for CRO in Quora and if you are a CRO expert and have a book for CRO then you can redirect him/her to your landing page. Then you can easily collect the email address in exchange of your book.

#23. Create scarcity

Scarcity is when something appears limited and going to be finished soon. It has a psychological influence on us and making us feel like we need to act immediately.

This technique can be used in many ways. Often people use this by showing limited time offers or limited quantity offers.

For example, using the phrases like 20% discount during weekends, order in the next 2 hours for free delivery, only 2 seats left etc. create scarcity and make people to act quickly.

#24. Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most cleverest and effective lead generation techniques. The more effective your SEO is, the higher your website ranks in search engine.

SEO help potential customers to discover your product and give you a chance to organically attract them to your product or service.

One of the exclusive advantages of SEO as a lead generation technique is that it can generate more qualified leads if you can do that in right way.

#25. Arrange webinars

A webinar is an online version of seminars. By arranging webinars you can generate some potential leads. But, you need to ensure that the discussion topic of the webinars should be interesting and educational but not promotional.

Make sure you keep a registration form to attend on your webinars. Via the online registration you can collect the basic information of the attendees. If people can learn from your webinars then they will invite others to join in your webinars.

This is also an excellent way to prove that you are one of the expert in your industry.

#26. Giveaway white papers or eBook

Offering white papers and eBooks are another way for you to show your expertise and thought leadership.

Pick the topics that are relevant to your target market and give the information regarding the common needs or challenges. People love to read when they find something interesting and useful for them.

Make sure that you have a landing page set up that needs visitors to input their name, email address for a chance to download the white paper or eBook.

#27. More landing pages means more leads

According to a study conducted by HubSpot, more landing pages means more leads. Companies capture 55% more leads when increasing their landing pages from 10 to 15.

The more offers, content and landing pages you create, the more chances to capture more leads for your business.

 #28. Craft an attention grabbing title

Having an attention grabbing headline is essential for generating leads. You might have a great content in your eBook or whitepaper but if the title is not interesting then no one even bother to have a look on it. People often judge a book by its title.

Don’t trust my words?

Hubspot changed an eBook title from “The Productivity Handbook for Busy Marketers” to “7 Apps That Will Change the Way You Do Marketing” and they found that the revised version outperformed the original title by 776% in terms of lead generation.

So, if you offer is content such as an eBook or white paper then make sure you create an amazing title.

#29. Give less choice

Increasing the number of choices in any decision will increase the amount of time required to make a decision. Therefore, giving less choice is always wise for conversions.

For example, if you keep several call to action button on your landing page then your audience will be confused where they should click. Eventually they will leave the page even without taking any action.

Less choice means less confusion and less confusion means more leads.

Final Thoughts

As a marketer, the pressure is always on to deliver more qualified leads. On top of the techniques described here, there are plenty of lead generation plugins as well which you can use. I hope by using the above 29 lead generation techniques you should be able to generate both high quantity and high quality leads.

What are some lead generation techniques have helped you generate most leads? Let me know in the comment box below 🙂

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