Small Business Lead Generation; Best Strategies with Case Studies

One of two things is that you own a small company or that you’re in charge of producing leads for small business customers.

With a larger budget, some businesses have been successful in increasing their small business leads. However, in terms of advertising and public relations, they outspend their competition.

Other businesses, often newer and have lesser revenue sources, are more risk-averse than others. They go on their journey with severe financial restrictions, attempting to generate leads using low-cost or no-cost methods. Instead of outspending the opponent, they want to outwit them instead. Marketers across the small company spectrum achieve success in this manner daily – particularly in the digital arena.

In any situation, whether operating on a large or small budget or even with no budget at all, every small firm must adhere to a common, straightforward, and essential formula. If you can get your mind around this, the sooner you will be able to put it into action:

Traffic x Conversion Rate = Leads

Let’s take a look at some arithmetic terminology from elementary school once again. Factors are the numbers that appear on the left-hand side of a multiplication equation. In this scenario, the criteria to consider are traffic and conversion rate. The product is the number that appears after the equals sign on the right-hand side of the equation.

Consider the multiplication property of zero, which is a fundamental mathematical truth that we should keep in mind at all times. It reads as follows:

In mathematics, the product of any two numbers equals zero.

In practice, it works like this: ANY traffic volume times ZERO conversion rate equals ZERO leads. ZERO traffic multiplied by ANY conversion rate results in ZERO leads.

While we recommend reading our recent posts, which include a guide on how to generate leads and a list of 21 Winning Lead Generation Strategies, stay tuned for a helpful breakdown of ideas to help you drive traffic and conversions to improve online lead generation for your small business in the coming weeks.

What is Small Business Lead Generation?

It is the practice of a small company using numerous techniques to generate interest in their product or service and attract individuals interested with the expectation that they would ultimately become clients.

Some of these techniques and methods will be discussed in detail below and how they relate to small enterprises.

Small Business Lead Generation Best Practices

Set up a referral program with incentives

Word-of-mouth advertising is still as vital as it has always been. However, the methods by which consumers spread the word about their favorite companies have evolved dramatically due to technological advancements. On the other hand, customer referral programs have grown even more valuable as part of effective lead generation tactics because they are now simpler than ever to measure and monitor.

As a result, you may opt to implement an incentive-based referral system to generate leads for your company. For example, suppose you offer a product or service online. In that case, you may create unique referral codes for particular customers and prospects—a new client receives a discount on their first purchase, and your loyal client gets a discount on their next purchase due to this recommendation.

Although you may be able to implement this idea in a brick-and-mortar business, it’s a particularly effective online lead generation technique since consumers can quickly send their referral code to a friend by email, SMS, or social media messaging services.

Broadcasting to a niche market

Recently, podcasts have gained enormous popularity, and content producers want advertisements, which means you have the opportunity to convert listeners into leads—possibly with even higher potential than you would have with a traditional radio ad. In addition, because podcasts are often focused on specific subjects, and listeners pick which ones to listen to, you already have a decent notion of what this audience would find intriguing and relevant to their lives based on your previous research.

In this way, you can find the podcasts that speak to your target demographic the most effectively and concentrate your lead generation approach there, collaborating with the podcast to run your advertisements and bring people to your website or shop—yet another popular online lead generating strategy—especially when paired with our first method. You provide podcast listeners with a referral code good for a discount on their purchase—this one is very effective.

Furthermore, with the rise in popularity of streaming sites, another variation on this lead generation method is the creation of video advertisements that may be used to fill the “commercial spaces” that appear during streaming videos or on websites such as YouTube. However, by selecting a specific podcast or program depending on the audience, you can better target the clients you’re searching for, those who are most likely to be interested in your product or service. Although this seems to be a straightforward advertising technique, it is anything but.

Adapt your direct mail strategy

Even though it may seem to be an out-of-date technique, putting a fresh twist on direct mail campaigns may be an extraordinarily effective lead-generating method.

As an alternative to sending an unwanted voucher to “the present resident,” you may do one of the following:

• Send out eye-catching flyers that include valuable offers.
• Make use of referral codes that are based on data.
• Smaller, more focused audiences should be targeted.

It is possible to put a greater emphasis on the actual object you are sending out by being judicious with your direct mail efforts. Furthermore, you might give more significant discounts, coupons, or other enticements to new leads to encourage them to go to the next stage. When it comes to gaining new customers, you could think of direct mail as the initial step in encouraging someone to visit your company’s website or contact you rather than the last step in closing the deal.

Optimize your website and use CTAs

The days when only digitally-focused enterprises, media corporations, and technology organizations needed to amaze with appealing websites are over. Now, everyone can make an impression with a great website. However, it is still necessary to have a website that combines stylish, intelligent design with speed and efficiency even if you operate a brick-and-mortar establishment.

That said, you shouldn’t simply have a website for the sake of having one; your website should tell visitors the who, what, where, and why of your organization while also compelling them to take some form of action on your behalf. Think about what you want people to do when they arrive at your website and how you might persuade them to take that action.

If you want people to come into your business in person, you may create a call to action, or CTA, that directs them to a “location” or “contact us” page on your website or social media accounts. A CTA that directs customers to specific product pages, or maybe even a discount landing page for first-time consumers, will be necessary if you want a customer to complete an online purchase on your website.

Rethink deals and offers

To encourage new consumers to make a purchase, you’ve most certainly provided deals or promotions to tempt them in. However, if no one is aware of your company and the fantastic bargains you are giving, none of this will be helpful to you whatsoever.

Consequently, if you want to be more creative with your discount plan, you may consider collaborating with sites specializing in bargains and discounts, such as Groupon, and using them as a lead-generating tool.

Furthermore, you may consider teaming up with other related organizations more experienced in the deal-making environment. Because these websites are dedicated to acquiring new consumers, they will perform the effort of identifying potential clients to whom you can market your product or service—and they will do it on a budget and with a reach that you may not be able to match.

Even though profits on deals sites are not the highest, this is a top lead generation approach for businesses that want to get their name and brand in front of as many people as possible. In addition, by providing good discounts today, you will, ideally, be able to convert leads into long-term consumers in the future.

Learn search engine optimization

Only 10% of search users get beyond the first page of search results when seeking information, making it very tough for any company to get their website before prospective leads, no matter how well-designed or informative it is.

This is why search engine optimization (SEO) continues to be one of the most effective lead-generating tactics, particularly for internet companies, B2B organizations, and even B2C enterprises. Of course, understanding and crafting the proper SEO plan is not always straightforward; nonetheless, the first step is to make use of the resources available to you (most website builders contain SEO optimization tools) and to maintain search engine visibility at the forefront of your thoughts.

On a fundamental level, you may begin by ensuring that your website meets the following requirements:

• It provides valuable information.
• Answers to commonly asked questions are provided.
• Written straightforwardly and concisely is included.

It is possible to learn SEO best practices on your own for free—but if your company operates in a very competitive industry, investing in a consultation with SEO specialists might provide significant value to your organization. However, for most businesses, investing in content marketing and SEO-savvy writers should be sufficient to offer you a distinct competitive edge.

Create and publish high-quality content

In the same way that investing in SEO helps your website generate more leads, investing in content for your website is an effective lead-generating technique.

In their most basic form, material-based lead generation marketing methods enable you to boost your visibility in search as long as the content you provide is well-optimized. According to this theory, the more high-quality material you provide, the more you’ll be rewarded by search engines.

It boils down to this: search engines appreciate websites that are fast and simple to use and that provide answers to frequently asked topics. So, for example, if you write a blog article that explains the who, what, where, and why of something your organization is an expert in, you will enjoy the benefits of high search engine rankings.

You’ll also profit from lead generation strategies that link your content to your actual location, which will become more critical as search grows more local. Then you may be on your way to being the undisputed leader in local online marketing.

Use social media in new ways.

Even though organic social media marketing may be one of the most effective lead generation techniques for startups, particularly in local markets, there are other ways to get creative with these platforms that may be more beneficial to your company’s needs.

First and foremost, you may consider investing in sponsored social media marketing, which is quite affordable and typically reaches a larger audience than organic postings, which naturally only get a small number of followers. To this point, social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, via their paid ad solutions, enable you to target highly particular audiences as well as retarget audiences who have previously connected with your brand.

Many of these platforms also include one-click email submission, enabling users to submit their information with a single click of a button and providing companies with an easy method to gather information on prospective leads with the least effort.

If you want to go creative, you may consider establishing partnerships with influencers, who can assist draw attention to your firm by acting as a trustworthy third-party source of information. As a result, influencer marketing is one of the most lucrative segments of digital advertising. According to a recent poll, 67 percent of respondents claimed that influencer marketing campaigns helped them reach more particular and targeted audiences with their messages.

Start a business newsletter.

You may consider using email marketing as a tool for your small company similar to content marketing and social media lead generating tactics.

It is possible to see your email marketing plan as a combination of a content strategy and social lead acquisition strategies. If everything goes according to plan, you will have a system for delivering a steady stream of information from your business or sector to a captive audience. They get notifications directly in their email, and you aren’t competing for their attention among a sea of social network posts.

To maximize the effectiveness of newsletter lead-generating tactics, it is critical to create compelling reasons for individuals to subscribe. Selling the promise of exclusive deals, experiences, or information are all excellent incentives. First, however, you must continue to send out newsletters since the benefits of targeting a captive audience may immediately translate into the acquisition of significantly valuable leads.

If you’re not sure where to begin, email marketing platforms such as MailChimp and Constant Contact provide tools to aid in developing this sort of lead-generating campaign.

Small Business Lead Generation Case Studies

Then, let’s examine some small businesses that use innovative lead generation strategies to fuel their growth.

Databox

Taking a look at one of my personal favorites, Databox is a key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard that pulls data in real-time for organizations to analyze.

Although the web page’s message had changed a few months earlier, it still did not accurately represent who they were genuinely marketing to.

For example, according to Databox’s Director of Marketing, “in the years prior, Databox had been positioned more toward executives and the analysts who work for them within enterprise companies, enabling them to understand how their business was performing at any time, on any device–but with a strong emphasis on mobile.”

Selling to corporate corporations proved problematic. So by mid-2016, the firm began to shift its focus to selling to the general public by adopting a freemium business model that enabled customers to join up and use the product for free for a limited time.

Why it works;

• Messages that are tailored to their target audience. Continuing down the page, you’ll notice parts that alternate between sections that address some of the most prevalent issues their target audience is experiencing at the time of writing. As company owners, marketers, and sales leaders, we’re always pressed for time, and Databox takes use of this feeling to its advantage… We are all aware that we must evaluate our data to make educated choices that will drive sales and marketing, but how can we find the time to do so throughout the workday?
• To maintain your attention, dynamic messaging is used. For example, the introductory question changes to “Do you know how your marketing did today?” and “Do you know how your sales performed today?”
• There’s an opt-in to get started right away, with the additional sale language informing you that it’s “Free Forever.”

RedShelf

RedShelf is a company that produces eTextbooks for students and publishers in the ever-expanding digital world. My first reaction when I first heard about RedShelf was to think it was brilliant. However, I couldn’t help but wonder: why would a textbook publisher want to offer eBooks? They would earn 60 percent less for each book sold if they did not do so.

RedShelf, on the other hand, was able to apply its methodology to assist publishers in making more money in the long term. Considering that eBooks cannot be sold or transferred to other students, “publishers earn more money by selling books every year, as opposed to when the books disintegrate from wear or when the books have yet another edition boost to entice students to purchase new books.”

Why it works;

• Calls to action that are unambiguous (CTA). After a brief tutorial, I understood how to search for a particular title and am taken to a website to locate and buy the book.
• Separate your message according to your target audience. Making an effort to sell to a variety of audiences with varying demands might be difficult. However, redShelf does a fantastic job of keeping its navigation simple and providing a clear description of why publishers, institutions, and students would all benefit from its product and services.
• Support and sales should have their contact information. While attempting to sift through sales prospects, nothing is more unpleasant than getting a support inquiry, especially when your clients are looking for solutions to their problems as soon as possible. Therefore, making a clear distinction between how to contact support and sales is critical for both parties.

Evernote

It is possible to sync your ideas and notes across numerous devices with Evernote’s digital notepad. I’ve been using this product for quite some time and am pretty pleased with it. For example, taking notes on a book, I’m reading while traveling and bringing them up on my PC during our company’s book club meeting is a breeze with this technology.

Why it works;

• Messaging that changes on the go. Different messages run over the screen in the same area before the hero line, “Meet Evernote, your second brain.” appears to keep the user interested — “Remember everything. Get your act together. “We’ll be successful if we work together.”
• Simple statements that assist in explaining what the product allows you to perform are most effective.
• Signing up is simple. Additionally to the standard email and password registration, Evernote allows users to join up using their Google account as an alternative method of registering.

Ellevest

Ellevest is a digital investing company that caters primarily to female investors. Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and co-founder of Sallie Mae, recalls having an “a-ha” moment when she recognized that the financial sector had been founded “by men, for men.”

Women have radically different income life cycles than males, which many investment institutions and corporations were not aware of at the time. For example, did you know that women’s incomes peak at 40 years old whereas men’s earnings are 55?

Ellevest’s marketing targets women’s financial challenges straight on. The company has developed tools to do the same, allowing it to assist women in preparing for a future in which they may earn less money but live longer lives than males.

Because of their website, this is the only investment firm with whom I would consider doing business.

Why it works;

• Ellevest understands and caters to its target market. The message is targeted specifically towards women and is written in a conversational and authentic tone, rather than the stuffy and cliched tone seen on most financial advisers and investment websites.
• A straightforward call to action. The “Get Yours” message is compelling, as it pushes the visitor to make an account on the site right now.
• Social Proof. This is an excellent example of how they use a few phrases just under the header to highlight favorable press coverage of the organization. In addition, two of the three periodicals have a majority of female readers.

Basecamp

Over the years, this project management system has developed exponentially, with more than 2.5 million accounts presently registered on the platform.

Why it works;

• A picture that has a substantial emotional impact. All too often, businesses depend on stock imagery or photographs that have nothing to do with the product or target demographic — yet.
• Basecamp nails it every time. They take advantage of the all-too-common sense of being overburdened when it comes to project management.
• The free offer illustrates the advantages of becoming a member. The simple checkmarks under the call-to-action “Try Basecamp for FREE” provide an unspoken solution to the question of why motivating people to join up for the free trial.
• Customer service is conspicuous. Three statistics and supporting remarks from customers are shown on the homepage, which serves as a validation component for site visitors.

Book of the Month

I should disclose that I am a major book geek. I requested Book of the Month as a Christmas present last year and have been hooked on the series since then. If you join the club, you will get five hardback books each month, which you may pick from and have delivered right to your home for a monthly, quarterly, or yearly charge.

Why it works;

• Messages that are specific to the process are used. For example, the phrase “Read. Love. Repeat” is an apparent reference to the monthly subscription model that Book of the Month provides, and it makes it seem like a lot of fun.
• The pick for this month is a tease for the users. In a section farther down the webpage, you may view the books that have been selected for this month; however, you must first register an account to access the books that have been chosen. This piqued interest contributed to the motivation to join up.
• A clear explanation of “how it works.” This is a must-have since there is no other place on the website explaining how the club’s procedure works.

Charity: water

This non-profit organization’s mission is to provide people in developing nations with access to clean and safe drinking water.

Why it works;

• Messages are sent directly to the recipient. According to the hero motto on the site, everyone on the earth needs clean water — something that can’t be argued against. It also contains a simple
• CTA asks you to physically say “I agree,” which takes you directly to the donation page.
• Pop-up indicates the user’s intention to leave the site. Pop-ups are something I don’t particularly appreciate since they disrupt my user experience. However, the ones that work for me are exit-intent pop-ups. Charity: water offers you the possibility to remain engaged even if you do not want to make a financial contribution.
• Participation opportunities are available. There is a whole section on the webpage dedicated to demonstrating how you can become involved. Giving your users a variety of alternatives for taking action can enhance your chances of converting them.

Warby Parker

I’m completely fascinated with Warby Parker — and I don’t even need glasses to be that addicted.

Their business strategy allows customers to pick from five different eyewear designs and have them sent right to their house so they may try them on at their convenience. Then, once consumers have decided on a style, they may buy the frames (which are often far less expensive than what brick-and-mortar stores provide) and have their prescriptions filled.

Since its inception, the firm has grown to include prescription sunglasses that can be tried on at home, as well as actual storefronts for individuals who want to buy in person and schedule an appointment with an eye doctor.

Why it works;

• An interactive quiz to test your knowledge. A Warby Parker interactive quiz that customers may complete gaining suggestions on spectacles they might like to put on at home has been developed to encourage enrollment for the company’s 30-day free trial. An entertaining and low-friction method of converting visitors and obtaining their consent to receive marketing emails is created.
• Users will like it if an online shop also has physical store locations, and if they can locate one near them, they will appreciate it much more.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp claims to be the world’s biggest marketing automation platform, making it one of the most well-known email marketing solutions (particularly for those on a tight budget).

Why it works;

• Actionable messages. Each of the critical parts on the webpage starts with an action verb — “send,” “find,” or “automate.” The action verbs vary depending on the segment.
• Photographs of the products. Using visuals to demonstrate your product is an excellent approach to offer consumers a sneak preview of what they can anticipate after signing up for an account.
• CTA for navigation. Signing up for an account with Mailchimp is made extra easy with an in-nav call-to-action that follows you as you scroll, making it even easier to sign up for an account with them.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a tool that allows you to schedule all of your company’s social media updates in one convenient location.

Why it works;

• The firm’s mission statement outlines precisely what the company performs. In addition, you can use Hootsuite even if you’ve never heard of it before since the hero statement clearly outlines how you can benefit from the platform — “manage all of your social media in one location.”
• Call-to-action alternatives are available. Not everyone is instantly ready to join up for a free trial, and that is understandable. The ability to “Compare Plans” is an excellent approach to direct consumers to a second step if they are not ready to commit at the time of the first purchase.

Quickbooks

In the world of accounting software for small companies, Quickbooks is one of the most popular options.

Why it works;

• Video is being used as a backdrop. In addition, customers utilizing the program are featured in the video backdrop in the hero area of the site, which demonstrates how user-friendly the platform is across all devices, from desktop to mobile.
• This is a limited-time promotion. Offering a discount or a limited-time offer to users might make them feel more compelled to buy.

Final Thoughts

When a small business initially gets off the ground, it has very few customers.

However, there are several methods for expanding your small firm.

Lead generation is something that some small companies can afford, but not all can.

If you start with what you already own, you may create content that is completely cost-free for your audience.

By customizing your material, you’ll be able to provide a better user experience for them while also benefiting yourself.

Start small, however, make significant contributions to your company’s success to move it forward.