Start-ups are in a longstanding slump. To be
precise, the number of new US start-ups dropped
from 122,000 in 2005 to 77,000 by 2017.
What on
earth happened? Why the sudden decline?
It’s hard to say. Multiple factors have contributed to startups failure over the time. However, the volatility of the start-up world is unlikely to have helped. It is common knowledge that the vast majority of new businesses close after only a few years’ trading.
It begs the
question: what can new start-ups do to facilitate their success?
Generating
new leads is a central component. After all, leads are the life-blood of any
business. You could have the best product ever made. But if no-one knows about
it, then it’s guaranteed to fail.
More leads
translate to higher conversions; higher conversions equals greater revenue.
Are you
wondering how to accrue more leads for your new start-up?
Keep reading
to discover 5 top lead generation ideas to help it succeed.
1- Master Content Marketing
Content marketing is king of lead generation these days.
The
principle is simple. Create epic content that ranks highly in search engines,
and watch the traffic roll in. Of course, the truth of the matter is a little
more time-consuming and complex.
Mastering
content requires a solid insight into search engine optimization. That could be
another article in its own right. However, the fact of the matter remains:
creating epic content that provides true value to a user is sure to generate
interest in your business.
Likewise, the major benefit of focusing on content to generate leads is the cost involved. Aka, there is none! Sure, it takes time but requires zero expenditure. For bootstrapping start-ups that can be a godsend. This
proven formula might be of interest.
2- Guest Posts & Email Outreach
Exposure is
the name of the game.
You need
your brand and business to get out there into the world. You need to maximize
your reach to your target audience. Without this exposure, you’ll find it
difficult to generate leads.
Many businesses pay for exposure through things like Google Ads. And it can
work. You can skyrocket your website and content to the top of Google. That
effectively guarantees eyes on your business.
However, the money involved can throw a spanner in the works. Two alternative means of gaining exposure (that don’t cost a penny) include guest posting and email outreach.
Guest posts
entail writing content, for free, for other websites. In exchange, you expose
your brand to a new audience and get backlinks to your content (helping them
rank in search engines). People reading those posts may find themselves to your
site.
Email
outreach is exactly what it sounds like. Craft unmissable emails to influencers
and people who’d be interested in your business. You could promote your latest
content too. Otherwise, you could simply introduce yourself and what you do.
Again, it’s
about getting your name out there and making connections. Simple email outreach
can be an effective (and free!) lead-gen strategy.
3- Share on Online Platforms
The internet
is your friend.
Billions of
people are online these days. All of them have the potential to find themselves
on your business website.
Developing
an online presence pays off. It’s important to do two things:
- Share your content online
- Interact and engage in online communities
There’s no
point writing or filming something awesome if no-one is going to see it.
Sharing your content online is a cheap and effective way to engage people with
it. Pick your platform(s) of choice.
Again,
social media marketing could take up an entire article. It goes without saying
that mastering social platforms can be advantageous. Likewise, LinkedIn for B2B
services is a top tool at your disposal. Find where your target audience hangs
out online. Then direct your attention there.
Engaging in
forums and online communities is akin to networking in real life. It’s about
forming relationships, developing your brand, and gaining exposure by introducing
yourself to others.
Over time
you can become known as an authority in your niche. This automatically brings
leads to your door.
4- Provide Countless Ways to Opt-In
You want to convert traffic to your website into leads.
Sure, eyes
on your webpage may be nice.
But, in
reality, it means very little for your business if traffic alone isn’t the
result you’re after. Remember, ultimately, it’s your product that you want to
market.
Leads come
from collecting contact details. With these sorted, you can set about
cultivating the relationship with them. As trust builds, the chance of selling
your product increases too.
Attract
leads by providing opt-in opportunities on your website. Now, it isn’t enough
to have a one-off subscribe box hidden in the sidebar! Instead, it’s your job
to make it as easy as possible to collect someone’s details!
Incorporate
the chance to opt-in at every turn. Rub webinars, offer free downloads, create
PDFs, guides and unmissable resources…All of these encourage a user to give you
their details.
5- Test Your Way to Success
Testing is
key to business success.
Any marketer
will tell you the same thing: analytics are of paramount importance. It’s vital
that you constantly test, monitor and adjust accordingly.
Without
testing, you don’t know what works and what doesn’t. Sure, you may get lucky
off the bat. But it’s more likely that you’re missing out on leads for all
number of reasons.
Even the
slightest alteration can have a significant impact. Changing a word in the ad
copy, the color of your opt-in box, or the font on your webpage…it could all
make a serious difference.
Set up split tests to get objective data about your current set up. Make minor changes and assess the impact. Over time, you’ll learn exactly what you need to do to optimize your lead generation strategies.
Time to Employ these Lead Generation Ideas
There you have it: 5 top lead generation ideas for your start-up. Once you have hands on these basic techniques, little tweaks in your existing strategies and keeping up with the trends can help you grow further, and you can even consider starting lead generation business of your own.
The number
of new start-ups is dwindling compared to times gone by. One reason for that
may be the high likelihood of failure in the market.
To avoid
failure, it’s vital that businesses generate leads. Without leads, there’s no
way to convert. And with no conversions, even the best product in the world
will never become a success.
Hopefully,
this post has provided some top ideas for how to do it.
