8 Lead Generation Ideas for Startups

Lead generation can be challenging for startup companies. As you build your business and its operations, you need to employ efficient, scalable lead generation techniques to keep your sales funnel filled as your requirements and capacities increase. As a startup, you have to be smart about your lead generation strategies because you will likely have fewer resources to spend on marketing functions.

When they’re just starting, generating leads is a trial-and-error process for companies, and a premium needs to be placed on market visibility. Getting your name in front of people while filling your sales funnel can be a demanding process, especially when your business lacks the economies of scale that larger companies enjoy.

Here are some lead generation ideas that can help make life a little easier for your startup:

1. Make Your Company Visible on Social Media

Take advantage of the mass-adoption of social media platforms. Put your brand on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to increase your exposure and build a loyal following. Leverage online communities that hang out on social media platforms. They can help spread the good word about your company, and you can utilize them to gain valuable insights into your target market and the industry in general.

Be active and consistent across the platforms you choose to use. Pick at least 3 or 4 different social media channels to promote your brand. Which ones you should choose is dependent on who your target market is and what platforms they tend to use.

2. Increase the Opt-In Offers On Your Website

Make use of content offers that require contact details for users to access them. This will help you to quickly grow your contact list and kick-off the lead generation process. Provide various resources such as eBooks, guides, whitepapers, checklists, tutorials, tools, and anything else you can produce that provides value to your audience members.

Other opt-in offers like newsletters and webinars should also be utilized if possible. Whatever you choose to produce, make sure that it’s useful for your audience whether it comes in the form of education, problem-solving or entertainment.

3. Create Hassle-Free Signup Forms

You’re going to need to use forms if you want to capture your visitors’ contact information. The best practice is to minimize the number of required fields and only ask for the information that your sales team really needs. If your form is too demanding, you’ll scare off potential leads regularly.

4. Answer Queries Through Q&A Sites and Forums

Promote your startup business and make waves in your field by responding to queries via Q&A sites like Quora and other relevant forums. It is a great way to build a platform for your brand and get in front of those seeking relevant solutions.

5. Get Your CTAs Right

Your Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons can make a big difference in whether or not someone clicks through to your landing page. Make sure you have the right colors, shapes, sizes, positioning and any other attributes that affect how users see your buttons. A/B test your CTA buttons to determine which combinations work best to improve your conversion rates.

6. Create Relevant and Interactive Content

Instead of bombarding your potential customers with information overload, create meaningful and interactive content for them. Include images and videos to complement your content.

Attractive content adds to your credibility and lets people know your brand is more than just another information provider. Write catchy headlines that reflect the content and avoid being too promotional. Back up your findings with statistical evidence and impress your visitors with your industry knowledge.

7. Redirect Wandering Visitors to Your Site

Use retargeting cookies such as Adroll to target users who have already visited your site and left. Put up ads that show a variety of content (soft sell vs. hard sell). Prospects who aren’t ready to make a purchase might be convinced to buy if your brand stays top-of-mind.

8. Optimize Your Landing Pages

Following SEO best practices, focus your content on the value of your offering, and optimize your landing pages for lead generation. Simplify your signup form for engagement and implement a customer testimonial campaign. These strategies will make your offer more compelling to your visitors and increase the likelihood of conversions. Use software like LeadPages or Unbounce for assistance.

Takeaway

High performing lead generation strategies are hard to come by unless you’re constantly researching and testing new ways to attract prospective customers. Implementing these strategies can also require a great deal of time and effort, but if you stick to the process, you’ll eventually see your leads tick up and higher conversion rates, which will significantly improve your bottom line.

All startups should be thinking about aligning their sales and marketing departments to maximize process efficiency. Download our free whitepaper, “How Marketers are Tackling Sales Pipeline Ownership” to learn more.