10 strategies for generating leads

Lead generation is one of the most crucial challenges for sales managers. Finding innovative and effective ways to attract qualified leads can make all the difference in achieving sales objectives.

In this article, we'll explore ten original, tried and tested strategies that don't just follow conventional methods.

These techniques are designed to adapt to new market trends and changing consumer behaviors, while being explained in simple, accessible language.

1. Interactive webinars: more than just a presentation

Webinars have become a popular tool for sharing information, but they're often underutilized when it comes to generating qualified leads.

Rather than a one-way presentation, consider turning your webinars into interactive workshops. Actively involve participants by allowing them to ask questions in real time, take part in live polls, or even collaborate on case studies.

This level of engagement is essential to the success of your webinars.

This level of engagement not only captures participants' attention, but also establishes a stronger bond between them and your company. What's more, interactive webinars offer a unique opportunity to showcase your team's expertise, boosting credibility and encouraging attendees to sign up to learn more.

This level of engagement not only captures attendees' attention, but also establishes a stronger connection between them and your company.

By offering an engaging and personalized experience, you increase the chances of converting these participants into qualified leads, while gaining valuable insights into their needs and expectations.

2. Quizzes and personalized assessments

Online quizzes and personalized assessments are effective and often fun ways to generate leads. Not only do they grab prospects' attention, but they also collect valuable data about them.

By creating quizzes relevant to your industry, you can capture visitors' interest while providing an experience that actively engages them. For example, a quiz entitled "What type of sales solution is right for you?" could not only entertain users, but also provide you with critical insights into their specific needs. This data can then be used to segment your prospects and personalize future communications.

Assessments also offer the opportunity to diagnose your prospects' challenges or needs, strengthening their engagement. The key is to ensure that the quiz or assessment is directly related to your products or services, guaranteeing that the leads generated are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

The key is to ensure that the quiz or assessment is directly related to your products or services, guaranteeing that the leads generated are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.

3. Interactive video: personalized engagement

Video is already a powerful tool for attracting attention, but when it becomes interactive, it can completely transform the user experience. Interactive video allows viewers to actively engage with the content, choosing their own path, clicking on elements to get more information, or answering live questions. This type of video isn't just a way to present a product or service; it's a way to create a dialogue with your prospects.

For example, an interactive video that presents different sales scenarios allows users to familiarize themselves with your offerings while providing you with valuable data on their specific preferences and needs.

This personalized approach boosts prospects' engagement and encourages them to move forward in the sales cycle. What's more, interactive video is a great way to differentiate yourself from the competition, providing a memorable experience that stays in users' minds long after they've left your site.

4. Online challenges and competitions

Online challenges and contests are proven strategies for generating engagement and leads. However, to maximize their effectiveness, it's essential to align them closely with the interests and needs of your target audience.

For example, a "30 days to improve your sales techniques" challenge not only captures participants' attention, but also drives them to engage with your brand on a regular basis. This type of challenge encourages participants to share their progress on social networks, which increases your company's visibility and attracts even more prospects.

Also, by offering rewards or incentives for participation, you can further motivate prospects to sign up and stay engaged throughout the challenge. Contests, meanwhile, can be used to gather information about your prospects, such as their preferences or specific needs, which can then be used to personalize your future communications.

The key is to ensure that the challenge or contest is not only entertaining, but also brings real value to your participants.

5. Leveraging micro-influencers

Micro-influencers can be a major asset for sales managers looking to generate quality leads. Unlike macro-influencers, who often have very large but less targeted audiences, micro-influencers have niche, highly engaged, and often very loyal audiences. By collaborating with micro-influencers in your sector, you can benefit from their credibility and trusted relationship with their audience.

For example, a micro-influencer in the technology field could recommend your sales management software to their subscribers, which could generate interested and qualified leads.

In addition, collaborations with micro-influencers are often more authentic and less costly than those with macro-influencers, making them a cost-effective strategy for generating leads.

The key to success with micro-influencers lies in choosing a partner who shares your brand values and whose audience matches your target market.

6. Library of free resources

Creating a library of free resources is a long-term strategy for generating leads while reinforcing your position as an expert in your sector. Unlike a simple white paper or guide offering, a comprehensive library of e-books, videos, webinars, and infographics offers ongoing value to your prospects.

By offering them free access to this wealth of information, in exchange for their contact details, you can not only generate qualified leads, but also nurture them with relevant content over time.

This approach keeps your prospects interested throughout their buying journey, engaging them with content tailored to each stage of their thinking.

In addition, a well-designed resource library can also improve your SEO, attracting more organic traffic to your site. The goal is to position your company as a go-to source for reliable, valuable information, which will entice prospects to return regularly to learn more.

7. Campaigns to re-engage existing leads

Leads already generated, but not converted, represent an often overlooked opportunity. A targeted re-engagement campaign can rekindle the interest of these dormant prospects and bring them back into the sales cycle.

The key is to personalize content according to the current stage of the buying cycle these leads are in. For example, a lead who has expressed interest in a particular product but hasn't followed up might receive an update on that product, an invitation to an exclusive webinar, or a special offer for a free trial.

The key is to personalize content according to the current stage of the buying cycle these leads are in.

By re-engaging these leads with relevant, personalized content, you can not only increase your chances of conversion, but also maximize the ROI of your initial lead generation efforts.

In addition, these campaigns offer an excellent opportunity to collect feedback on why these leads didn't initially convert, which can provide valuable insights for refining your future lead generation strategies.

Collaborative content marketing

Finally, collaborative content marketing is an innovative strategy that involves co-creating content with other non-competing but complementary businesses. This approach doubles the potential audience and attracts leads for both parties involved. For example, if you sell sales management software, you could collaborate with a sales training company to create a comprehensive guide to best sales practices.

This co-branded content can be distributed across both companies' communication channels, increasing the campaign's reach and impact. Collaborative content can include blog posts, webinars, case studies, or even video series.

This co-branded content can be distributed across both companies' communication channels, increasing the reach and impact of the campaign.

By joining forces with another company, you can not only expand your audience, but also benefit from your partner's expertise and credibility. This collaborative approach is particularly effective for penetrating new markets or audience segments, while creating high-quality content that resonates with prospects.