marketing automation

5 Ways of Generating Leads for Small Businesses Using Marketing Automation

Introduction

A steady stream of leads is vital for any small business. It allows you to grow your email list, customer base, and increase revenue year over year. But without a lead generation strategy, you’ll lose valuable market share to those that have refined this process.

The good news is there is more potential than ever to reach your audience. If you’re wondering what strategies work to generate more leads, you’re in the right place. We’re going to cover some of the Ways of Generating Leads for Small Businesses Using Marketing Automation that you can implement today to attract more prospects. In this blog, we’ll learn generating leads for small businesses using marketing automation.

5 Ways of Generating Leads for Small Businesses Using Marketing Automation

1.Gather Customer Data

The fact is, that most small businesses don’t gather customer data. And this is a mistake. When businesses collect customer data in a structured way, they are able to serve their clients better.

The benefits of having a data-driven culture are numerous. For instance, a small enterprise can segment customers by location, demographics, or interests. They can also track customer behavior over time. This allows businesses to give their customers what they want when they want it. In short, gathering customer data is essential to running a successful business.

When data is integrated into every aspect of a company’s operations, everyone from the sales team to the marketing teams can reap the benefits. Perhaps most importantly, a data-driven culture can help a company anticipate the needs of its customers and create products and services that address those needs. In addition, data can be used to create more targeted and effective marketing messages. By harnessing the power of data, companies can become more nimble, responsive, and customer-focused. That’s how you can be generating leads for small businesses using marketing automation.

2.Utilize an Email Marketing Strategy

The beauty of email marketing is that it’s a powerful, flexible and measurable marketing channel. It’s a conversion-rich strategy that enables brands to reach new customers and grow revenue on a minimal budget.

To generate email leads, you have to first identify your ideal clients and understand their pain points. Then, tailor an offer that solves those problems and create a landing page to direct leads to, and make sure it includes an opt-in form.

Lastly, take the offer where your potential customers are. This could mean promoting the offer on social media and running some paid ads. The idea is to gently nudge potential customers to agree to share their contact information with you, like their names, email addresses and any other tidbits you may need to help you qualify your leads and get to know them better.

Once you get a few leads, the process doesn’t end there. Give them a reason not to resist the service or product you offer. Send them personalized yet valuable content to reel them in and turn them into customers. Email marketing software can help you create customized emails and perform A/B testing to tweak the strategy where necessary and so emails can help in generating leads for small businesses using marketing automation.

3. Join Social Media Groups and Communities

When you find a social media group and community that aligns with your industry, you’re able to directly tap into potential customers. For example, a CRM group on Facebook is probably made up of people who use CRM software, like sales professionals, marketing teams, and customer support representatives. If you’re in the business of creating CRMs, or if your company targets these individuals, it makes sense to join this group.

All you have to do is dive in and establish real connections with these people. Share the content you create that you think will be helpful. Even try sharing some special promos or offers you have, as well as a link to join your email list. But remember, these communities and groups have unique rules of engagement, so make sure you respect them.

As you engage in these groups, if you don’t adhere to the stipulated guidelines the moderators will flag you, delete your content or kick you out of the group altogether. Hrishikesh Pardeshi recommends a contribute first, market later rule, where you ask and answer questions 90 percent of the time and share links to your products ten percent of the time.

4. Build Your Own Community

Online communities are a good source of high-potential leads. A study by The University of Michigan found that customers spend 19% more when they become a member of a brand’s online community.

If you create a branded community or a public social network, the principal aim is to pull together a group of staunch followers who care about your brand and want to engage further with it. It doesn’t necessarily mean it has to consist of people who use your product or services, but those who trust you and look up to you as an authority in your niche.

This way, when you post an offer in the channel, you’ll have some people taking it up while others will act as supporters, sharing it with friends and associates who may not be part of the community. This can also help in generating Leads for Small Businesses Using Marketing Automation.

5.Make Personalized Videos

Personalized videos are a great way to stand out from the competition and wow your customers. Small businesses that send personalized videos by email as part of their marketing campaigns have a definite advantage over the competition.

Customers are more likely to remember a video than they are to remember an email or even a social media post. A video is more personal, and it gives the customer a chance to see the product or service in use. It also allows small business owners to show off their personalities and build a relationship with the customer.

Conclusion

Generating leads is the key to growing any business. Implement the lead generation techniques as outlined above, but be sure to keep a close eye on your analytics. This will help you identify what works and what doesn’t.

As you start seeing results, consider implementing business process automation software to automate parts of the lead generation process. This will allow your sales team to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on higher-value work like qualifying leads.