This is the Best Inbound Lead Generation Strategy

Selling is a multi-faceted skill.

There are steps and layers to get through to close most deals. Everyone may have varied approaches, but there is little doubt that we all start from the same place.

On the other hand, all leads are not created equal.

A sales lead is the lifeblood of every deal. It's important to utilize as many strategies as possible when gathering leads. But remember, all leads need to be qualified so that you're not wasting your time on leads that will lead you nowhere.

This article will discuss inbound leads, and which strategy is best suited to get the desired results you are looking for.

Starting your sales process off right will help ensure it ends with the outcome that you ultimately want.

There are many inbound lead generation strategies that will add value to your sales organization. Some may be better than others but in reality, it depends on your business and what your goals are.

Choose the right strategies for you and your business so that following them will be something you are comfortable with and will give you the best results possible.

Inbound leads are leads that seek you out and contact your business. In some ways, they're the easiest leads to work with because they found you. You did little to nothing at all to get this person interested in your company but yet here they are.

This doesn't always mean that they are the best leads though.

Just because they are interested in your product or service does not mean they are in the market to buy or can even afford to make a purchase. Sifting through which leads are good and which leads are not is almost as important as getting the lead in the first place.

Sometimes interest is nothing more than interest.

That being said, you must have a solid strategy for how you will handle these leads so you can determine which ones are worth pursuing. These strategies can vary as often as the leads come in if need be, but you must know how you're going to handle them regardless.

You always want potential customers to find you and reach out to you.

Think of it this way, if a customer reaches out to you, as opposed to you implementing an outbound lead strategy, it's an immediate sign they have some level of interest.

This can be done through your advertising and marketing efforts, word of mouth from current or past customers, or just someone surfing the web and stumbling upon you via a solid SEO strategy. All of this matters.

But once they demonstrate interest, you need to act quickly to keep their interest peaked and try and start the sales cycle in the hopes of turning this lead into a new customer.

After all, sales is a very competitive field and if you don't jump on this opportunity fast and with tact, someone else most certainly will. The prospect won't just sit idly by and wait for you. They will approach one of your competitors if you take too long to respond. Time is of the essence so make sure not to waste a moment.

To be a successful salesperson, your pipeline must remain full of qualified prospects. Not all leads will turn into customers, but it is your responsibility to qualify and then try and convert as many as possible. This requires thought, precision, and proven strategies that have worked for you in the past.

Having a game plan for what you want to do from the beginning of the sales cycle right through the end is something that you should devote a good deal of time to for each product or service you offer. Not only should it lead to better results, but it will help you focus on each aspect along the way.

Inbound sales are one of the best ways to reach your bottom line.

Your job will become much easier if you focus your efforts on the inbound leads you receive so that your close ratios are always improving. This will serve you well when it's time to work on the more difficult lead generation processes.

It is clear that your inbound lead strategy matters and if you have a good one, those leads should be on their way to becoming customers.

Your job isn't done, however.

Once you have a good inbound lead generation strategy, what will you need to execute it?

You have researched, gone over, thought about, and practiced your inbound lead generation strategy to gain new customers. If you are really diligent, you probably have done this drill with a few strategies.

Now it is time to choose one to use in a real-life situation.

When I use the word "one", understand that there need to be several components to the strategy you choose to work on.

So, what do you need to turn all of that preparation into actionable success?

We discussed qualified leads and their importance to your sales goals. We also mentioned that this would be a time-consuming process. This is why you have done the research and come up with an initial strategy.

It is now time to put your plan into action. But to do that, you will need some key components.

One of the best things you can do is have an SDR at your disposal. An SDR, or Sales Development Representative, can be crucial to the overall success of your business as well as the initial task of qualifying your inbound leads.

Not only will an SDR work on qualifying your inbound leads, but they will also prospect, cold call, cold email, or social sell your product or service. Hiring an SDR can prove invaluable to reaching your sales goals so you should absolutely consider hiring one.

Something else you should consider when thinking about the best inbound lead generation strategy is to make significant investments in the content marketing space.

An article from Mailchimp about Content marketing describes this strategy as attracting, engaging, and retaining an audience by using various marketing methods such as writing and sharing articles, creating videos, starting podcasts, and other related media.

You will promote brand awareness, show expertise, and place your business at the top of the prospect's minds when making buying decisions. And show up on the front page of Google search results.

According to an article from searchengineland, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key component in today's ever-changing business landscape. It is the process of improving your website, blog, or article by increasing visibility on the internet. When we search for something online using Google, Bing, or other search engines, we typically use the information we find on the first page that comes up.

This is exactly where you want your information to be.

You can do this by using keywords and smart, relevant content in your page title, URL, headers, image tags, and body copy that will help ensure the highest possible placement on the search results. I know you want your prospective customers to see your content as soon as the search is complete, so concentrate on SEO when posting online.

There are countless ways to create all of the above options, but one surefire way to do it is to hire experts whose business it is to get that information out for you.

Let's say you have decided that you want to start sharing blogs about your company but do not employ professional writers and bloggers or know where to start. You can choose an external blogging company to do it for you or hire freelance blog writers.

Even though we have been talking about inbound lead generation and the strategies to use for maximizing them, we cannot forget the importance of outbound. Combining inbound strategies with your outbound lead generation tactics is where you will truly see the leads come in.

The idea behind this strategy is that the prospects who receive your emails will research your company if it isn't already known to them. They will see all of the content and marketing you are involved in and this will boost the chances of them contacting you.

Information is king, as they say.

So why not get as much information as you possibly can from your prospective customers?

A great way to do this is to create and share an easy form on your website to be filled out by those researching your company. Make it simple and straightforward so it is quick and easy to fill out. It will give your SDRs valuable information about that prospect that can help them qualify for the lead and know how to best approach the prospect to turn them into a customer.

While we are on the topic of websites, we should discuss the importance of your website for inbound lead generation possible.

It is not enough to have a website in 2022. You need an optimized website that actually works for you, almost like an employee would.

Growth-driven website design is an approach to building a website that minimizes the risks of traditional website design by using real-time data, intuitive learning, and improvement techniques that will keep your website ahead of the competition.

Did you know that a staggering 97% of first-time website visitors leave without making a purchase? Letting these potential customers slip away forever should be avoided. That's why investing in retargeting ads can be helpful to bring them back to your website and increase your chances of making a sale.

According to Business Insider, retargeting ads can be a game-changer for your company's success. By using paid ads to target audiences who have previously visited your website or social media profiles, you can re-engage with these potential customers and encourage them to return.

Every successful sale begins with a lead.

After that, it is up to you as to how you go about working your leads.

Inbound leads are one of the best starting points we have as salespeople.

But they are not enough by themselves to get the deals done. We need great inbound lead generation strategies to obtain and work on those leads.

Remember, just because a prospect has contacted you does not mean that you have necessarily closed the deal. Far from it.

Being creative and putting to good use the tips, suggestions, and strategies we discussed here will help you turn that interested prospect into a bonafide customer.

For more information on this and other sales techniques that will help you close deals and exceed your goals, get in touch with us, and let's see how we can help you do just that!