Generating leads is the lifeblood of any digital business. Without a steady stream of new leads, your brand will eventually fizzle out. So what makes a great lead generator? A great lead generator is: easy to digest and implement, provides value to your audience, and positions you as an expert. In this article, we'll discuss what makes a great lead generator and how you can use it to increase sales for your business.
A lead generator is a tool that helps you to find and attract new leads, typically through an email opt-in. It's a valuable resource for any business, as it allows you to connect with potential customers who may be interested in your products or services. Without a lead generator, it's pretty much impossible to get more email addresses, which can impact your ability to generate sales. There are many different types of lead generators, and there's no one "right" lead generator for your business. Whatever type of lead generator you choose, the goal is simple: collect email addresses to turn website visitors into leads and leads into customers.
There are 3 ingredients that make up the perfect lead generator. A great lead generator:
We'll discuss each of these ingredients in detail below. (Plus, a little bonus at the end!)
People buy from people and brands they trust. Your customer needs to know that you not only understand their problem, you also understand how to solve it.
Picture this: you decide you want to get in shape for the summer. You head to a local gym and meet with a trainer. During the meeting, they totally understand what you're struggling with. They know you need to drop some pounds and you want to feel more confident. Then, at the end of the meeting, the trainer looks at you and says, "I'd really like to drop some pounds and feel more confident too." Not super encouraging, is it?
Your customer needs to know that you are the best person to solve their problem. You have the knowledge and experience they need. Years ago, Donald Miller was starting StoryBrand. StoryBrand is a narrative-based framework that helps people create clear messaging. The problem is, there are many other narrative-based frameworks out there... Hero's Journey, Freytag's Pyramid, The 3-Act Structure, etc. Miller had to position StoryBrand as the expert in the narrative. He decided to create a lead generator aptly titled "How to Tell a Story." This lead generator quickly positioned StoryBrand as the leader in narrative marketing and helped catapult Donald Miller as one of the leading experts in storytelling. Your lead generator should do the same. Here are a few quick examples from our clients:
People are busy and they don't have time to waste. If you can provide them with information that is immediately useful, they will be more likely to trust you and buy from you. Your lead generator might be one of the first interactions a consumer has with your brand, so showing how you can improve their life with the information you provide is critical. Let's pause for just a second. One of the biggest concerns clients have with this topic is this: I don't want to give everything away! I want them to buy my product or course to get what they need. Maybe you're thinking the same. There's no such thing as "too generous" as a brand. Brands that give tons of value will win in the long run. They'll build reciprocity with their customers who trust them and know the value they provide. That starts in your lead generator. Here are a few quick examples from clients who do this well:
In addition to providing value and positioning yourself as an expert, you also need to make the experience of consuming your lead generator easy simple. Don't intimidate your audience with a 20-step process that's going to take 6 months for them to complete. Instead, give them the opportunity to get in immediately and start seeing quick wins. Here are a couple of examples from our clients:
In those examples, you'll notice they don't spend a lot of time digging into the science or theories of their specific topic. They don't give a ton of background or extra info. They simply say, "Our customer has a problem, here's a quick solution."
Here are a few things you might ask yourself as you create your lead gen:
If the answer to any of those is "yes," you might want to go back and simplify your lead generator.
If you've positioned yourself as an expert, provided value, and made it easy for people to understand and implement what you're teaching, the next step is making sure they buy. The lead generator is typically a band-aid fix for your customers, while your product or course is a long-term fix. Sprinkled throughout the lead generator, or in a separate section at the end, pivot the customer to your product (feel free to download one of our 9 client lead generators above to see examples). Lead generation is what generates sales for any digital company. Have a poor lead generator or not focusing on lead generation? You're missing out on sales. Instead, focus on the ingredients listed here and watch your sales (and your business) take off.
