What is leadgeneration?
The definition of lead generation
The meaning of lead generation is fairly simple to explain, but the entire process behind it is extensive and complex. Lead generation is the process of identifying, attracting, and gathering potential customers for your business or organization. The goal is to collect contact information from individuals or companies who show interest in your services or products. These potential customers can then be approached to turn them into clients of your business.
To collect leads, strategies such as content marketing, online advertising, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO) are used. The focus can be on either qualitative or quantitative leads. Qualitative lead generation targets leads that specifically match your business, with a high chance of converting them into customers. Quantitative lead generation aims to collect as many leads as possible, without paying much attention to their quality.
What is a lead?
A lead is someone who has shown interest in the services or products of your business but hasn’t made a purchase yet. It is a potential customer with whom you haven’t done business before, but who has indicated that they are interested. This person could still become a customer in the future.
What is an appointment?
Within lead generation, an appointment is a concrete and confirmed moment to have a conversation with the potential customer. This conversation is often conducted by a salesperson or account manager. During this conversation, the specific needs of the lead are explored and it is assessed whether they can be converted into a customer.
The difference between a lead and an appointment
A lead has indicated interest in your products or services, but is not yet involved in the sales process. An appointment is the next step in the lead generation process, where the lead has agreed to schedule a meeting to talk with your business. The appointment offers a great opportunity to turn the lead into a customer.
Lead generation over the years
The development of lead generation is closely linked to the evolution of online technologies. Where it used to involve cold calling, direct mail, and printed advertising, the focus now lies entirely on the endless digital possibilities. Think of social media channels, content marketing, SEO, email marketing, video marketing, and AI. The latter, for example, enables chatbots and automated follow-ups that open new doors in lead generation. Due to the rapid development of digital tools, the possibilities for online lead generation have grown enormously. At the same time, this has made the process much larger and more complex. In the past, generating a lead was relatively simple, whereas now much higher demands are placed on the proposition and message. That’s why lead generation isn’t something you just do on the side. It requires specific knowledge, skills, and time to be successful in attracting leads.
How is lead generation used?
There are many tools and channels available today to use in online lead generation. We will describe some of the most common and valuable methods.
SEO
SEA
Social Media
Content marketing
E-mailmarketing
Using a lead magnet
In addition to the various communication channels, it is also possible to reach potential customers through so-called lead magnets. The goal is for the person to leave their contact details, after which the lead can be followed up. These tools or documents are usually free. Commonly used lead magnets include:
- A how-to video series
- Free trial period
- Webinar
- E-book
- Whitepaper
- Interview with an expert
For a potential customer, these are very appealing tools. They cover a topic the person is interested in and wants to learn more about. It is important, however, that the content offered is of high quality. When someone leaves their contact details and you follow up with the lead, you’ve already made a good first impression and laid a strong foundation for the next step.
The difference between B2B and B2C lead generation
The difference between B2B and B2C lead generation lies in the target audience, approach, and sales process. B2B lead generation is aimed at businesses and organizations, while B2C lead generation focuses on consumers. In B2B, the sales process is often longer and more complex, as decisions usually involve multiple people. The sales process in B2C is simpler, as it typically involves just one person and purchases are often more driven by emotion.
B2B lead generation
When you opt for qualitative B2B lead generation, there are several tools you can use. For example, you can use inbound marketing by publishing valuable content to attract potential customers. Email campaigns can also be used, where you send targeted emails with information that is valuable to your audience. With referral marketing, you encourage existing customers to recommend your business to others. Paid advertising can be used to reach high-level decision-makers through targeted ads on LinkedIn, Meta, or Google Ads. Finally, organizing (free) webinars and events is an effective way to attract potential customers.
B2C lead generation
B2C lead generation also has specific tools that can be used to reach your target audience and generate leads. Content marketing is widely used, where valuable content is created and shared with the audience. You collect leads through content downloads or sign-ups. Other commonly used and successful methods include social media advertising, SEO and SEA, influencer marketing, retargeting, email marketing, and lead magnets.
Inbound vs outbound lead generation
With inbound lead generation, the goal is for a lead to reach out on their own, driven by interest in the products or services you offer. Outbound lead generation works the other way around. An outbound lead ends up at your company after you have taken the first step in making contact.
Inbound lead generation
For effective inbound lead generation, you think from the perspective of your potential customers. What are their specific needs, questions, and desires, and how can you help with them? A crucial part of this is answering the questions a lead might have about your products or services. You can incorporate this information into blog articles on your website, posts on Facebook and Instagram, YouTube videos, or Meta Ads. The content should primarily be valuable to your potential customer.
Outbound lead generation
Outbound lead generation can be done through proactive contact, such as telemarketing, telesales, LinkedIn outreach, personal visits, and direct mailing. These outbound lead generation methods are initiated from your own company, product, or service. This means that all campaigns and actions focus on the added value of what you offer. Outbound lead generation is nowadays often seen as a classic or old strategy. However, this method of lead generation can still be very valuable.
Lead generation: marketing or sales?
Both marketing and sales are crucial when it comes to generating leads. It’s a collaboration between both aspects, each approaching lead generation in a different way. Marketing is responsible for attracting leads through campaigns, content, and advertisements. Sales is responsible for qualifying these leads, following up on them, and converting them into customers.
For effective and successful lead generation, strong cooperation between marketing and sales is essential, without one being more important than the other. For instance, sales cannot work with leads if they haven’t been attracted through marketing efforts. And marketing activities will have little impact if the generated leads are not followed up.
Moreover, departments such as product development or customer service also play a role in the bigger picture. They provide valuable insights that can be used by both marketing and sales. That’s why clear communication and a shared CRM system are important for a smooth handover and proper follow-up of leads.
Lead scoring & automation
When a lead comes in, it’s important that it is followed up quickly and effectively. This increases the chances of converting the lead into a customer. Automated workflows can be set up with personalized content. Leads are also called back and scheduled for an appointment. This approach increases the likelihood that a potential customer becomes an actual customer.
CRM and marketing automation software
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) collects and manages customer information, giving you insight into behavior and preferences. Marketing automation automates email campaigns, lead scoring, and nurturing processes. CRM and marketing automation software help collect high-quality leads for your business by centralizing customer data, tracking interactions, and automating marketing campaigns. By combining the two, high-quality leads can be generated more efficiently, and you can respond more effectively to the needs and questions of your customers.
Lead scoring by Rocket Leads
At Rocket Leads, we use our successful 3-step framework for lead generation.
Lead generation summarized
For almost every business, lead generation is essential to attract new customers and achieve more revenue. Thanks to numerous technological advancements, the ways to generate leads have significantly increased. At the same time, this has made the process much more complex and challenging. It also requires collaboration between different areas within a company. And lead generation alone is not enough, as automation and follow-up play just as important a role in the overall process.
Rocket Leads specializes in lead generation and knows exactly how to use the latest and most effective tools for your business. Are you considering outsourcing your lead generation and curious about what we can do for you? Feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rocket Leads and what exactly do you do?
After years of experience in lead generation and countless trials, we've perfected a framework that delivers qualified appointments for our clients daily. This 3-step approach involves targeted digital ads, automated workflows, and phone-based lead qualification. In essence, we generate leads, automate processes, qualify them by phone, and schedule appointments directly in your calendar. This proven framework has successfully supported over 1,000 companies worldwide.
What does your guarantee include?
We are confident in our unique framework, which is why we offer a guarantee policy: if we don't deliver the promised results, you can get your investment back. We ensure a minimum of 10-30 qualified appointments in the first month. During the demo call, we can discuss the specific criteria that you set for your appointments.
How am I sure these appointments are qualified?
Our lead nurturing team qualifies each prospect according to your specific criteria, ensuring that only those who meet your requirements are scheduled for appointments. This guarantees that every appointment we book is with a qualified lead.
What is the average conversion rate?
It is extremely difficult to provide an exact conversion rate in advance. Conversion rates depend on various factors such as the target audience, price point of your product/service, you offer, lead follow-up, etc. On average, the conversion rate is within 25-40% on the appointments that we set.
What is the initial investment to get started with Rocket Leads?
The investment consists of a fixed monthly fee for our services, along with a variable advertising budget. This means that the cost varies depending on your specific needs and preferences. To provide you with a more accurate investment estimate, it is recommended to schedule a demo using the form below.
How fast can I expect results?
The duration before we see the first results can vary depending on the specific strategy and goals of the campaign. In general, you can expect the first appointments being scheduled in the first week of the collaboration.