Lead Generation 101: Converting From Offline & Online Sources

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You’ve spent countless hours on a flawless product or service—a solution you know solves problems for your target audience. But regardless of how unique your solution is, efforts to attract customers aren’t hitting the bull’s eye.

You’re not alone. Sixty-one percent of marketers say lead generation is their biggest challenge. Yet 85% of B2B companies think lead generation is their biggest goal.

So, where does this put you?

If you’re good at it, congratulations, you’re on the right track. If you’re still not up to the mark regarding lead generation, you’ve got to do something.

In this article, we’ll explain lead generation, its goals, the two main types of lead generation, the ways to do it, and the tools you need.

What is lead generation (and leads)?

How does the lead generation process work?

Why does lead generation matter?

Offline vs online lead generation methods

Toolkit for lead generation

Best practices for lead generation

Try QR codes and digital business cards for lead generation

Frequently asked questions

What is lead generation (and leads)?

Leads are people or organizations interested in your business, products, or services. They are not paying customers but are prime candidates for becoming one.

Marketers categorize leads based on three primary channels from where they qualify (or originate):

Marketing qualified leads (MQL): Those who have shown interest in your brand by signing up for a newsletter or ebook

Sales qualified leads (SQL): Those who have expressed a clear need for your product or service, such as by requesting a demo

Product qualified leads (PQL): Those who have experienced the value of a product and are likely to become a paying customer, such as by opting for a free trial

Service-qualified leads (also SQL): Those who have used your product or service and are willing to take the next step to upgrade, such as by requesting quotations

These people are interested in your offering. How do you convert them into paying customers?

Lead generation involves identifying, attracting, and nurturing leads into prospects and boosting their interest in your product or services.

This process involves moving leads down an imaginary funnel (more on that later), with each stage achieving a specific goal. This helps fill your sales funnel with high-quality leads who are primed and ready to buy.

By generating leads, you’re making your sales team’s job easier. Instead of pelting in the dark like cold-calling or prospecting, they can focus on nurturing qualified leads and closing deals, ultimately leading to increased revenue and business growth.

How does the lead generation process work?

Think of lead generation as a funnel. At the wide opening, you have the people just starting to consider your product (leads).

As leads move down, this crowd narrows as you cancel out those not qualified to spend on your offering. At the narrowest end of the funnel, you have people closest to buying.

The graphic shows where different lead generation methods fit in. This can help you choose the right ones for your business.

Top of the funnel (awareness stage)

At this stage, you’re trying to get people to know about your product or service. This is called awareness. To do so, you may:

Create high-quality content: Publish blog posts, update social media, and optimize your website for search engines to attract potential customers.

To reach a wider audience, utilize paid advertising: Run targeted ads on platforms such as Google Ads and social media.

Leverage public relations: Build relationships with media outlets to generate press coverage and increase brand visibility.

Middle of the funnel (interest stage)

At this stage, people are interested and want to learn more about your product. To boost their interest, you may:

Provide helpful resources: Webinars, whitepapers, and ebooks to educate prospects and establish yourself as an industry expert.

Nurture leads with email marketing: Targeted emails with relevant content to keep leads engaged and move them further down the funnel.

Demonstrate value: Product demonstrations or share case studies to show the benefits of your product or service.

Bottom of the funnel (decision stage)

At this stage, people are ready to buy or make a decision. They might add your product to their cart or sign up for a subscription. Here’s what you can do:

Offer free trials or demos: Allow potential customers to experience your product or service firsthand before purchasing.

Provide incentives: Offer exclusive discounts or limited-time promotions to encourage conversions.

Personalize the experience: Provide personalized consultations or recommendations to address specific needs and concerns.

Why does lead generation matter?

Every business needs customers to stay afloat. Lead generation ensures your sales team has enough people in the pipeline to convert them into paying customers. That’s the primary goal. Apart from that, lead generation is critical for:

1. Increasing revenue

Imagine having a steady stream of people ready to buy your product or service. That’s possible with lead generation. The more leads you have in your pipeline, the more sales you’ll likely close, boosting your revenue.

2. Building brand awareness

When people become familiar with your brand through interactions on your website or social media, they are more likely to recognize, trust, and consider your business over competitors. This positive impression can increase engagement, such as following your social media or subscribing to your newsletter, ultimately resulting in conversions and new leads.

3. Improved targeting

Not all leads are the same. Some are more likely to convert than others. You have to target the ones most likely to convert. Lead generation filters out the noise and focuses on the leads most likely to become customers. This saves you time and resources and improves your chances of success.

For example, a company selling luxury yachts could use lead generation tools to identify individuals with high net worths and a history of boating or marine lifestyle interest.

4. Optimizing marketing efforts

By tracking the performance of your lead generation efforts, you can see what’s working and what’s not. This helps you optimize your marketing strategy and allocate your resources more effectively, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck. For example, a company that sells a new fitness app could track the performance of different marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, and influencer partnerships. Analyzing click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition can give the company an idea of which channels are most effective in generating leads and allocate a larger portion of its marketing budget to those channels.

5. Improved customer acquisition costs (CAC)

By generating a larger pool of qualified leads, you can allocate your marketing and sales resources more efficiently, resulting in a lower cost per acquired customer. This is especially important for businesses operating in competitive markets, such as ecommerce, where acquiring new customers can be expensive.

For example, let’s take the case of a SaaS company that sells customer relationship management (CRM) software. To attract potential customers, this company can use less expensive lead-generation methods like SEO, content marketing, organic socials, and email marketing.

This can result in a lower CAC, as the company can acquire new customers at a lower cost than a scenario with fewer leads.

Offline vs. online lead generation methods

Most lead-generation advice focuses disproportionately on online channels. However, a vast lead opportunity remains offline.

Studies find that offline leads convert faster than online leads: 40% of offline leads become customers, compared to 18% online. So, lead generation is best not limited to an online channel (even if your business is fully digital). We have categorized lead generation into online and offline methods.

Offline lead generation

Offline lead generation is particularly suitable for businesses looking to build personal connections. In-person interactions, such as attending industry events or networking, can help establish personal relationships with potential customers.

It will also suit businesses with limited online resources, as offline lead generation can be a more cost-effective way to generate leads.

Here’s a breakdown of the offline lead generation process:

🆔 Identifying the target group: Understand who will most likely benefit from your product or service. Identify whether they are businesses, individuals, or a specific demographic.

✅ Choosing the right channel: Where can you find your target group? Consider events, conferences, direct mail, or cold calling. For example, if you’re targeting businesses in a specific industry, attending industry conferences could be a great way to connect with potential leads.

🛠️ Developing the campaign: Create content or offers that resonate with your target group. This could be a brochure, postcard, presentation, or even a free sample of your product.

🎯 Executing the campaign: Put your plan into action. This might involve attending events, sending direct mailers, or making cold calls.

🧺 Collecting leads: Gather contact information from potential customers. This could be through sign-ups, business cards, or forms.

📦 Exporting leads to CRM: Input your leads into a CRM system to organize them. This will help you track their progress and follow up effectively.

Top 3 ways to generate leads offline

1. Networking at industry events

Networking is one of the most important ways to find and keep leads. According to a study, the close rate for meetings is 40%, meaning in-person meetings end in a sale or deal almost half the time. With the right tools and strategy, you can expand your professional network and generate new leads.

🏆 Key benefits:

Establish personal connections with prospects and industry professionals.

💡Example: If you’re in real estate, you can benefit from networking at industry events to connect with prospects and stay up-to-date on market trends. You can meet with property buyers, sellers, and other industry professionals by attending home shows, expos, and real estate conferences.

Identify leads and gather their contact information during face-to-face meetings.

Gain valuable insights into market trends, challenges, and opportunities.

🚀 How to get started

Choose an event relevant to your business (for example, a tech expo if you’re in tech).

Set up a booth (if applicable). If you’re exhibiting at an event, create a professional and inviting booth to attract visitors.

Craft a clear elevator pitch. Prepare a compelling introduction that highlights your business and value proposition.

Identify potential prospects or partners who align with your target audience.

Develop talking points that address each potential lead’s specific interests or needs.

Share your digital business card and request their contact details in return (it’s much less awkward with a digital card, and you’ll get warm leads).

Reach out to potential leads with any light communication within 24 hours of meeting them. You can export leads from digital cards to CRM.

Tailor your message to their interests or needs, referencing a topic you discussed during the conversation.

Offer to send relevant information, schedule a follow-up meeting, or invite them to a relevant event.

Continue to engage with the lead through email, phone calls, or social media to build a lasting relationship.

🔥Instantly capture warm leads with digital business cards

Digital business cards are encrypted, eco-friendly, get ready in minutes, save card-printing dollars, and integrate with your existing tech infrastructure.

Use two-way contact sharing to capture leads the instant you share yours

Access leads in your digital address book and sort and analyze them

Share your e-business cards via Apple Wallet or Google Wallet

Track leads and their details on an intuitive dashboard

Export leads to your existing CRM and nurtures them further

2. Direct mail campaigns

Direct mail is a potent offline lead-generation tactic that several businesses swear by, even in this digital age. And they have all the reasons to do so. A study found that direct mail leads generated six times more revenue than leads from online sources.

The efficacy of direct mail lies in precise and personalized audience targeting; being tangible helps capture attention and generate interest in your products or services more efficiently than online channels.

🏆 Key benefits:

Reach specific demographics and geographic locations because direct mail campaigns are highly targeted.

Cut through the digital clutter and fatigue with tangible materials that invigorate the senses and make your business more memorable.

💡Example: A university can use direct mail campaigns to target prospective students and their parents. They can attract qualified leads by sending personalized brochures highlighting the university’s unique programs, campus life, and available financial aid. Additionally, they can include a QR Code in direct mail that points to a landing page with more information or an application form.

Conduct highly targeted communications that lead to better activation and response rates.

Track response rates and conversion to understand the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns.

🚀 How to get started

Define your target audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. You can also consider account-based direct mail.

Tailor direct mail materials to your target audience’s preferences. For example, younger demographics may respond better to beautifully designed postcards, while older audiences may prefer tri-fold brochures.

Offer a clear and compelling value proposition that benefits your target audience.

Create a sense of urgency with a time-sensitive offer or discount. You can also tailor your offer to your target audience’s needs and interests.

Incorporate trackable QR Codes in your materials to monitor the number of recipients who open, read, and respond to your direct mail pieces. Here’s a case study for inspiration.

Use high-quality visuals and keep your message clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Ensure your mailing list is clean and accurate to avoid undeliverable mail.

Consider the best time of year or day to send your direct mail campaign. Adhere to postal regulations and best practices to improve deliverability.

3. Cold calling

Cold calling involves contacting prospects directly to introduce your business and generate interest. It can help you connect with prospects directly, and studies say there’s a 75% chance that the prospect will pick up on the first attempt. So, it is essential to make the most of it.

🏆 Key benefits:

Contact potential clients directly and address their needs.

💡Example: A field sales representative selling software solutions can use cold calling to reach prospects in their target industries. By researching their prospects’ businesses and preparing a tailored pitch, they can increase their chances of generating interest and scheduling a meeting. Using a CRM system to track their interactions and follow up effectively, they can improve their sales efficiency and close more deals.

Get immediate feedback on your message and address any concerns or objections.

Expedite the sales process by allowing you to address questions and concerns directly.

Bypass gatekeepers and connect directly with decision-makers.

Gain a competitive edge by allowing you to connect with potential customers before competitors have approached them.

Generate leads quickly, especially for businesses that require immediate sales.

Cultivate long-term client relationships because successful cold calling can help snag valuable leads.

🚀 How to get started

Develop a concise script outlining your key message and value proposition. Anticipate common objections and prepare responses.

Gather information about your target audience, including their needs, pain points, and decision-making process. Compile a list of potential prospects based on your target audience criteria.

Determine the best times to call based on their industry and location. Avoid calling during peak business hours or when your prospects are likely busy.

Don’t give up after one call. Follow up with prospects who don’t answer or decline your initial call. Be mindful of your prospects’ time and avoid being overly persistent.

Gather information about your prospects’ business and recent news.

Customize your pitch to address their specific needs and interests.

Use a CRM to track your interactions with prospects and follow up effectively. Automate tasks like scheduling follow-up calls and sending email reminders.

Online lead generation

Online lead generation attracts potential customers to your business through digital channels like websites, search engines, social media, and email marketing. With this approach, you can reach a wider audience and generate leads.

Online lead generation is suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries. It is particularly suitable for those with websites or social media profiles.

⚙️ Here’s a breakdown of the online lead generation process:

🔎 Discovery: Make your brand visible online through search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, and paid advertising. This will help prospects easily find you when searching for your products or services.

🥂 Engagement: Keep visitors interested in your brand by creating engaging content such as blog posts, landing pages, webinars, and social media posts.

👉 Call-to-action (CTA): Include clear calls to action, such as “Sign up for a webinar” or “Download our guide,” to encourage visitors to take the next step.

🧺 Lead collection: Capture lead information through forms, chatbots, or email sign-ups.

🚢 Exporting leads to CRM: Sync your online form submissions to your customer relationship management (CRM) tool for smooth lead nurturing.

Top 5 ways to generate leads online

1. Content marketing

Content marketing is consistently creating and distributing valuable and relevant content your target audience finds helpful.

The goal is to attract and retain a defined audience—the people you want to reach and engage with your content.

This audience is characterized by shared demographics (age, gender, location), interests, behaviors, and needs.

This lead-generation method can help you stand out by producing unique blogs, case studies, and other content.

🏆 Key benefits:

If done correctly, you can double the impact: Address customer pain points with content and promote your offering to capture leads.

Establish yourself as a credible source of information and as an industry expert. Like what HubSpot is for content marketing and Salesforce for CRM.

Create brand awareness and recognition for your product or services.

🚀 How to get started:

Define your target audience in consultation with your different teams (if any) and fixate on your ideal customers.

If you have resources, dig deeper into their details and identify pain points using market research, ICP analysis, and cohort analysis.

With clear pain points, sketch how you can help them solve their problems (with or without your products, depending on your marketing motion).

Keeping your target audience’s problems in mind, create a content strategy around your product or services to solve people’s problems.

💡Example: Experiment with different content formats, such as blog posts, infographics, videos, and podcasts, to cater to different preferences. For example, a law firm could publish a blog post titled “Understanding legal implications of remote work.” This would be valuable to businesses and individuals navigating the new normal of remote work.

Share your content on relevant social media platforms to reach a wider audience.

Use analytics to identify what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.

2. Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is akin to making your house visible on Google Maps. Your house being the product or service.

You look for the most-searched-for keywords, optimize your website using them, and make your web pages visible and rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs).

🏆 Key benefits:

Rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more visitors to your website without paying for advertising.

SEO best practices often involve improving your website’s user experience, which can lead to higher conversion rates.

Generate results over time because SEO is a long-term strategy and yields positive outcomes even after you stop actively optimizing your website.

🚀 How to get started:

Involve your sales, marketing, and customer support teams and identify words and phrases your customers search online or while communicating in person.

Use SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs and run “keyword” research using the words and phrases you identified. Check if they have “search volume,” indicating people are searching about it online.

If exact words and phrases don’t match, look for the next best alternative or something related to your business.

Download the relevant keywords in an Excel sheet, their monthly search volume, keyword variation (if any), and “keyword difficulty.”

Analyze your competitors’ keywords to consider what they’re doing and incorporate them into your list.

Create content according to the keywords you narrowed down.

💡Example: As a real estate agency, you can use SEO to attract prospects by optimizing your website (creating content) for keywords such as “homes for sale in (city),” “best neighborhoods in (city),” and “real estate agent (city).”
Content types can vary from YouTube videos to listicles in your blog to carousels on Instagram.

If done correctly, SEO can increase its visibility and generate leads. Here are some critical SEO practices to keep in mind:

Optimize your website’s title tags and meta descriptions.

Structure your content with clear headings, use descriptive file names and alt text for images, and link to relevant pages within your website (internal linking) to improve navigation.

Optimize your website for faster loading times and ensure it is accessible on mobile devices.

Optimize your Google My Business listing with accurate information. Also, ensure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online listings.

3. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising

PPC advertising is a form of online advertising in which you pay a fee each time someone clicks on one of your ads.

It is similar to placing an ad in a newspaper with a more targeted reach and measurable results (because people can click your links). Pay-per-click advertising can yield $2 for every $1 spent—a 200% return on ad spend (ROAS)!

🏆 Key benefits:

Precision targeting: The right people see your ads if you target specific keywords, demographics, and locations.

Immediate visibility: Your ad will feature on top of the SERPs as soon as you publish them, unlike the downtime of SEO

💡Example: If you’re in ecommerce, you will benefit from PPC as a lead generation strategy. Let’s say you are an online retailer selling designer handbags.

You can create PPC ads for specific products targeting keywords such as “best designer handbags” or “black leather handbags” for a middle-aged demographic. You could target keywords like “designer handbags for work” to target the working population.

Accurately measure your ROAS and optimize your campaigns for better results because PPC campaigns are highly trackable.

Get results and see positive outcomes because PPC campaigns can be executed quickly.

🚀 How to get started

Clearly outline your objectives and identify your ideal customers.

Conduct keyword research with tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner to find relevant terms.

Write compelling ad copy with a solid call to action.

Create relevant and conversion-optimized landing pages.

Manage your bids to maximize ROI.

Regularly monitor and analyze your campaign performance to make data-driven decisions.

4. Email marketing

Email marketing is a digital marketing strategy that sends personalized messages to a targeted audience via email.

According to a study, there are four billion daily email users, and 37% of the brands are increasing their email budget. This indicates that using email marketing to generate leads is a sound approach.

It’s a powerful tool for building relationships, providing value, generating leads, and driving sales.

🏆 Key benefits:

If done correctly, you can build a personalized relationship with your audience.

Nurturing leads through email marketing increases your chances of converting them into paying customers.

Email marketing is a cost-effective option, making it an excellent option for businesses of all sizes.

Relatively low-cost marketing channel.

🚀 How to get started:

Start by building a high-quality email list via opt-in forms on your website, social media, and events for email addresses.

Divide your email list into segments based on demographics, interests, or behavior to send targeted messages.

Tailor your emails to the interests and needs of your subscribers.

💡Example: There are various types of email marketing. What you choose depends on your audience. For example, if you use email marketing to generate leads, lead-generation emails will be your choice. If you aim for lead nurturing, newsletter emails will be your go-to. Similarly, there are welcome emails, confirmation emails, dedicated emails, invite, promotional, survey, and seasonal marketing emails.

Provide genuinely helpful information, tips, or solutions to your subscribers’ problems. Also, send emails regularly to keep your brand in the prospects’ minds.

Use a well-crafted subject line to pique curiosity and encourage recipients to open your email.

Include a clear call to action (CTA) in each email. Align your CTA with your desired outcome (e.g., signing up for a webinar, downloading a resource, or purchasing).

Monitor metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates.

A/B test with different email subject lines, content, and CTAs to optimize your campaigns.

Use analytics to identify what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.

💡Example: If you’re in financial advisory, you can use email marketing to nurture leads and build client relationships. Send personalized newsletters with market updates, investment tips, and information about new products so that your services are the first thing that comes to their mind. Additionally, you can use email marketing to schedule follow-up appointments, send personalized recommendations, and provide valuable resources to your clients.

5. Webinars and virtual events

Webinars are live seminars or workshops conducted over the internet. They typically involve a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. You can use webinars to educate, inform, or promote your products or services.

The primary goal of virtual events like webinars is to engage with and educate your audience more effectively and personally than traditional marketing methods. Fifty-three percent of marketers say webinars are the best top-of-the-funnel approach to generating high-quality leads.

Webinars and other virtual events (trade shows, summits, job fairs, and so on) are easy ways to connect with prospects, share valuable information, and generate leads.

🏆 Key benefits:

Showcase your expertise and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your industry.

Generate leads by offering helpful content and capturing attendee information.

Interact with your audience, gather valuable feedback, and increase customer engagement with your product or service in webinars.

🚀 How to get started

First, consult with your sales team and gather insights on problems your customers deal with, the questions they often ask, and the kind of resources that will help them.

Identify your ideal attendees and tailor your content to their interests and needs.

💡Example: If your law firm wants to share legal advice on personal finance or estate planning, you could host a webinar on “Estate planning essentials.” This will attract prospects interested in planning for their future. If you offer services that can help them with personal planning, leave a link to book an appointment with you in the webinar.

Select a relevant topic for your target audience and address their pain points.

Outline the key points and topics you will cover during your webinar or virtual event. Ensure that attendees leave with clear takeaways and action-oriented insights.

Get the word out about your webinar via email marketing, social media posts, paid advertising, and collaborations.

Once the word is out, prospects will sign up for your webinar. Using UTM trackers, try to track the channels that received the most signups.

After the events, nurture your leads by following up with “Thank you” emails. Provide additional resources or content related to the webinar topic.

🔥Pro tip: Add a digital business card QR Code to your webinar background. Attendees can scan the QR Code and access your contact details with an option to share their contacts using the same card. The sales team at Uniqode uses digital business cards as a second layer of lead collection mechanism besides emails during sales calls. The same tactic works for our webinars as well.

Generate a QR Code for your e-business card and use it in follow-up email signatures, social media, and anywhere else
Export your digital business card leads into a CRM for further nurturing
Create your first digital business card and try all the features free for 14 days! No credit cards are needed

Toolkit for lead generation

1. Customer relationship management (CRM)

Once you have the leads, the next step is to nurture and engage them. CRM (customer relationship management) is software that helps you manage interactions with existing and potential customers.

A CRM is essential for organizing and managing leads, tracking interactions and conversions, and automating tasks. It streamlines sales processes, provides a centralized view of customer data, and improves lead nurturing.

Examples: HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM

If you use Uniqode digital business cards: You can export the leads you and your team collect with cards to Salesforce natively.

Integrate with Zapier and connect with other CRMs, such as HubSpot, Pipedrive, Insightly, etc., to easily export and manage your contacts.

2. QR Code generators

You can use QR Code for various lead generation purposes, such as directing people to your website, landing pages, or social media profiles.

With a QR Code generator, you can create custom QR codes for your marketing materials and track their performance with a QR Code generator.

3. Marketing automation tools

Lead generation and nurturing involve many recurrent tasks, such as posting regularly on social media, sending out email sequences triggered by pre-set actions, or launching ads. Marketing automation software helps automate such tasks without human intervention.

For example, if a person signed up for your newsletter after reading your blog, you can use marketing automation tools to send them the welcome message and subsequent newsletters to engage them.

Examples: HubSpot Marketing Hub, Marketo, Mailchimp

4. Content management systems (CMS)

You need a CMS to push content on your website. This software makes it easy to upload, manage, and modify content on different channels without technical knowledge.

For example, without a CMS, you must write content in an HTML file and upload it to your servers. A CMS does the job for you so you can focus on the public-facing aspects and create quality content.

Choose a CMS that fits with your team’s expertise. Some CMS are more user-friendly than others.

Examples: WordPress, Wix, Squarespace

5. Analytics tools

What is happening to the content you’re creating and uploading?

Analytics tools provide valuable insights into your content, such as website traffic, lead conversions, and campaign performance.

This data helps you measure the effectiveness of your lead-generation efforts and make data-driven decisions.

Examples: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel

6. Social media management tools

How do you measure your social media efforts’ overall impact and conversions?

Social media management tools can also help you track conversations and respond to comments without much human intervention. You can also schedule posts, analyze engagement, and manage your social media campaigns.

Examples: Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social

7. Design tools

Do you need to prepare an announcement for the upcoming webinar or publish a carousel on LinkedIn quickly? You cannot always rely on designers to finish things at the 11th hour, which is where design tools come in handy.

You can create appealing graphics and content for marketing materials without professional training. If you’re a business without a dedicated design team, these tools can help you maintain brand consistency and make your content more memorable.

Examples: Canva, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator

8. Email marketing tools

Email marketing tools help you send and track email campaigns, segment your audience, and personalize your messages. They can also help you automate email workflows and nurture leads.

Examples: Mailchimp, Constant Contact, AWeber

9. Digital business card solutions

If you rely on offline lead generation, it is necessary to have a tool to capture leads from physical setups, store, segregate, and push them into CRM. With paper business cards, this process is siloed and disparate.

Try a digital business card in your next in-person networking venture. Unlike paper cards, you can create them in minutes and share with prospects without any party having to download an app.

With the right platform, you can also capture leads using your cards and collect the zero- and first-party data in a digital address book and card analytics.

Examples: Pick from the best digital business card solutions in the market

10. Automation lead generation tools

Using automation software, you can automate many recurring parts of lead generation, such as capturing, scoring, and nurturing.

For example, let’s say someone visits your website. After scrolling a certain depth, you can use a tool to set a pop-up to collect their email and name. If they respond positively, the tool will automatically export the lead to your CRM, where you can nurture them further.

Examples: Leadfeeder, Drift, HubSpot Sales Hub

Best practices for lead generation

1. Optimize for mobile

HubSpot data says that 59% of shoppers feel that being able to transact on mobile devices determines their choices regarding where to buy. The message is clear: we’re in a mobile-first era, and whatever digital avenues you want to use for lead generation must be optimized for mobile devices for the best user experience.

Your lead generation forms, landing pages, ads, etc., must be optimized for mobile devices to look and feel good when users view them.

Ensure your websites and apps load fast, have an intuitive user interface, are easy to navigate, and have explicit content. All these factors lead to a good user experience, which increases the likelihood of conversions.

2. Use clear CTAs

Your call-to-action (CTA) buttons (in online channels) should be visible, relevant, and compelling. They should encourage users to take the desired action, whether signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or scheduling a consultation.

For offline channels, a QR Code is an excellent CTA. Ensure they have a “Scan for <resource>” or similar CTA nearby telling users what to expect after scanning.

For example, a SaaS company offering a project management tool might have a prominent “Start Free Trial” button on its homepage. The button should be large, brightly colored, and positioned above the fold so it’s easily visible to visitors. Including a clear benefit, such as “No credit card required,” to encourage users to try the product without commitment could also boost clicks.

Test various CTAs to see which ones perform better. For example, for an account creation CTA on your platform, experiment with “Get Started Free” vs. “ Register” to see which drives more clicks.

3. Segment your audience

Not all leads are equal. You can segment your audience based on their behavior, interests, and demographics for more targeted and relevant content that is more likely to convert.

For example, you might segment leads into three groups: “high-value,” “mid-value,” and “low-value.” High-value leads have visited your pricing page multiple times and started a free trial, while Low-value leads have only visited the homepage. Tailoring your content to each segment (e.g., sending case studies to high-value leads and product demos to mid-value leads) can increase conversion rates.

Set up automated email campaigns that trigger based on specific actions, such as visiting a particular page on your website or downloading a resource. This allows you to send personalized content tailored to their needs and interests.

4. Track and analyze

Tracking and analyzing key metrics is essential to measuring the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts. What metrics you will track depends on your business.

For example, if you’re running paid ads on search and social for your gym, you should measure the number of leads generated from social media. If you notice that one channel brings more leads into your pipeline than the other, investing more time and effort is a cue.

Based on your analytics data, make data-driven decisions to refine your campaigns and optimize for better results.

5. Focus on quality over quantity

Generating as many leads as possible is tempting. But it’s more important to generate qualified leads who are more likely to convert.

For example, as a SaaS company, you might have sent a newsletter to many subscribers, generating many leads. However, sending personalized emails to a smaller segment of leads who visited your pricing page or signed up for a free trial could more likely result in conversions.

Alternatively, you can try lead scoring. Use a scoring model to identify leads that fit your business well. Here’s a model lead scoring sheet. If you use a CRM or other lead-generating system, it might come with built-in lead scoring.

Attribute	High Score	Low Score
Industry	SaaS, Technology	Retail, Agriculture
Company Size	100+ Employees	1-10 Employees
Geographic Location	United States, Europe	Asia, Africa
Number of Website Visits	5+	1-2
Time Spent on Site	5+ minutes	<2 minutes
Pages Viewed	5+	1-2
Content Downloads	3+	0
Emails Opened and Clicked	70%+	<30%
Social Media Interactions	5+	0
Number of Calls	3+	0
Meetings Attended	1	0
Responses to Emails	Prompt, Detailed	No response, Brief

6. Nurture your leads

Even if a lead doesn’t convert immediately, it’s important to continue nurturing them through the sales funnel.

Send them relevant content, such as blog posts, webinars, or case studies. Stay in touch with leads at regular intervals to keep your brand top-of-mind.

7. Hire a lead generation expert

A dedicated lead generation expert can streamline your efforts and ensure your campaigns are set up for success. These professionals bring expertise in creating targeted strategies, optimizing tools, and analyzing data to maximize results. Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise, hiring an expert can save time, improve efficiency, and deliver higher-quality leads.

If you’re hoping to recruit someone from an overseas market, such as India, for your team, using a platform like Remote allows you to hire globally while easily navigating the complexities of international employment and compliance.

Try QR Codes and digital business cards for offline and online lead generation

There you go, you’ve had a mini crash course on the basics of lead generation.

If you’re just getting started, we suggest using the less expensive lead generation strategies, such as content marketing, newsletters, organic socials, and SEO.

For offline channels, we recommend using Uniqode for QR Codes and digital business cards to capture demand from the physical world and transport them into your digital world.

As your business grows and you get used to things, you can incorporate other strategies and experiment if they work for you. The idea is to have more than one lead generation strategy.

Invest in a good CRM, hire better talent, and give your best until you land the lead generation strategy that works for you.

Frequently asked questions

1. How can I measure the effectiveness of my lead generation efforts?

You can track key metrics such as website traffic, lead conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs to measure the effectiveness of your lead generation campaigns.

2. How can I use social media for lead generation?

Create engaging content, run targeted ads, and participate in relevant online communities.

3. What are some common mistakes to avoid in lead generation?

Some common mistakes include targeting the wrong audience, creating low-quality content, and not measuring your results.

4. What are some tips for creating high-quality content for lead generation?

Create informative, engaging, and relevant content for your target audience.

Optimize your content for search engines using relevant keywords.

Promote your content through social media and other channels.

Author Details

Sukanya VS

Sukanya is a content marketer who previously worked as a journalist. She has been passionate about writing from a young age and now helps businesses boost engagement through content. Currently, she is exploring innovative tools, such as digital business cards, and their transformative impact on various aspects of business.

sukanya.v@uniqode.com