How is lead generation done? Understand the marketing funnel and brand awareness

What is lead generation?

Gaining interest for a potential future customer or client.

How can lead generation be done?

1. Quality content- get people thinking, "I want that too!" When they see or hear about your product or service.

2. Influencer marketing- quite literally, influence people to use your product or service.

3. Networking- expressing what your product or service is on numerous social media outlets to followers and non-followers.

Increasing brand awareness plays an important part in generating leads.

For example, If I saw a Nike advertisement, I'd be like, "I have to get this!" or I'd save it for later because I know Nike and love their sports-ware clothing.

If I saw a boutique's advertisement to purchase a pair of earrings on sale my interest would be piqued, but I wouldn't be likely to act if this is the first time I am hearing of it.

Making a name for your brand is mandatory. When people recognize your business and think, "oh, wait! I have heard about that before?"

Don't try to skip forward to the sales, of course everyone wants sales, but skipping forward can do more harm than good to your campaign and marketing efforts.

Understanding the Marketing Funnel

We start with brand awareness for all the reasons you just read.

Then we tap into the consideration phase. Here people know of your brand, and are thinking of making a purchase maybe they saved it for later or are ready to act now. The consideration phase lies heavy on your reputation, what reviews are there? When people see someone was happy with their purchase of an item or service they're more likely to purchase.

Conversions happen when people flowed through awareness into consideration and now, they are ready to buy. Congratulations! Although, you went through all of that work... It isn't over now. It's time to build and nourish a relationship with this customer or client. Are they satisfied with the product or service? Will they recommend it to others? Will they become a returning customer?

Lowering customer acquisition costs is the goal. After all the time and effort to get that customer or client it is in the businesses best interest to keep them. That ties into CRM customer relationship management.

Email marketing can be spammy, and that is exactly what we don't want. We want to occasionally remind customers about sales to provoke another purchase, offer special discounts for birthdays or holidays and send blog-like emails with real relatable information that these people will enjoy.

The biggest takeaway, is knowing who your audience is and connecting on a real level.