Lead generation: The complete guide to a successful strategy

Setting the scene for lead generation

Imagine the following scenario. One evening, you're sitting comfortably in front of the TV, a delicious slice of apple pie in your hands. Just as you're about to take the first bite of your favorite dessert, you bring the fork close to your lips and... the phone rings.

"May I speak to Marie bla-bla-bla?" asks the agent on the other end of the line. "I'm calling to let you know about our mobile device enhancement offer." Have you ever experienced something similar? This kind of frustrating interruption is why we've created a series of articles on inbound lead generation, or more commonly, inbound marketing.

What is lead generation?

What is inbound lead generation? It's a strategy that can save your company from imposing that annoying agent on your prospects that ruins everyone's evening. We'll start with the definition of a lead, then talk about lead generation strategies on the web, the importance of having a lead generation strategy and methods for qualifying and generating leads. Finally, we'll explain why generating inbound leads is much more effective than simply buying them.

In the following lines, you'll find 5 articles from our series on the subject, with a summary for each. You can also consult a total of 20 links on the subject of lead generation. We've carefully selected them for you.

• How to generate leads

Lead generation is all about attracting strangers to your brand without you having to solicit them directly. There are many ways of doing this. However, it's always through the creation of free content that you can achieve your goal. Called leadmagnet , this content, which is used to attract prospects to you, can be a blog, a white paper or even a checklist. The aim is to offer enough value to your target audience to entice them to provide you with their contact information. The whole thing is executed via a landing page.

To reach and then attract your customers and prospects to your content, you can send them e-mails. You can also target them on social media, or offer them a free trial, if applicable. These are just a handful of examples of all the possibilities available to you. In the following article, you'll learn the basics of inbound marketing. You'll be able to familiarize yourself with the terminology used when talking about it. You'll also have the opportunity to get some ideas on how to get started with an inbound marketing strategy, by looking at the types of content to focus on and the potential distribution channels.

• Why not just buy leads, and how to qualify them

Buying leads is practically the opposite of the very definition of inbound marketing. Since the aim of this method is to get people to contact you without you having to approach them. When you buy leads, it's highly likely that these prospects don't know you. What can greatly help you sell your services is the trust people will have in your offer. If a lead doesn't know you, you're going to have to work a lot harder to make the sale. If the potential customer already knows you, your conversion rate will be much higher.

You'll be able to focus on the customer's needs and personalize your offer and approach, rather than putting all your efforts into gaining their trust. In this article, you'll have the chance to learn more about the importance of qualifying leads and how to go about it. It's just as important to measure a lead's interest in order to rank them on a value scale .

• Trends and standards in lead generation

In your lead generation strategy, it's important to take certain factors into account. Your strategy is based on data from your industry in general. It's important to monitor your market and the competition. You also need to analyze your current customers and the behavior of your website visitors. Throughout this article, you'll learn about the marketing tools used to collect and organize leads. With the right platforms, marketing teams will be able to obtain more in-depth information about prospects.

Knowing your target audience so you can deliver dynamic, engaging content should be your primary objective. The marketing tools at your disposal will help you get to the heart of your target. They also offer ways to improve your lead conversion rate.

• Lead generation strategies

There are a number of ways to attract the attention of Internet users during the buying process. Have you considered advertising on social networks? These platforms can offer great opportunities in the process of identifying prospects and then generating leads. The first step is always to identify your targets' expectations and raise their awareness. This step is crucial for lead generationon social networks. In short, your strategy needs to be relevant to reach the right people, at the right time, on the right platforms.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all offer simple tools specially adapted to lead generation strategies. This article will share with you a list of tips and processes for generatinginboundleadson these social platforms.

• Tips for creating effective lead generation campaigns

In order to increase your Inbound Marketing performance, your lead generation campaigns need to be effective. We know that this can be a challenge for many marketers. That's why in this article we've put together some valuable tips for optimizing your campaign strategies.

Many platforms have developed lead generation tools and software. The Call To Action (CTA) is a button to incite the user to take an action on a web page, Visitor Tracking allows you to observe how the user navigates on your website. Take the time to discover these platforms and their tools to find out what best suits your company, its market and its audience. At the same time, offer your website visitors relevant, varied content, and always keep in mind that your lead generation campaignmust speak to your target audience and reflect your brand.

For effective lead generation campaigns, your strategy needs to be captivating. We invite you to read this article in full to discover the tips we've put together.

Going a step further

Below you'll find links we've selected to help you learn more about the concepts covered in our series of articles.

WHITE PAPER Lead nurturing in B2B: how to turn your leads into customers
Lead nurturing is all about nurturing the relationship with your leads by providing qualitative, explanatory content. This white paper gives you the keys to understanding how this process works. All thanks to the testimonials of B2B marketing experts.

Lead generation: 16 techniques for attracting and converting qualified prospects
The Markentive blog shares new techniques for lead generation campaigns that meet the expectations of B2B consumers.

The 5 fundamentals of effective lead generation
This article explains how lead generation is all about driving qualified traffic to your website. But how can I create the right content to turn my visitors into leads? Inbound Marketing agency DigitaWeb guides you through the process.

Marketing lead generation checklist
Internet users are constantly comparing your products with those of your competitors. Find out how you can stand out from the crowd with this comprehensive marketing lead generation checklist.

What is lead generation? What is it? What's it all about?
In this video, Ludovic Salenne, CEO of Inbound Marketing agency SLN Web, explains the 3 stages of lead generation strategy: attracting qualified visitors, collecting their contact details and bringing leads to maturity.

Lead generation: 3 practices that make the difference in B2B
In this episode of the #BeMagnetic series produced by digital marketing agency Magnetic Way, discover the best practices used in B2B to maximize your lead generation performance.

What is Marketing Automation?
What's the point of Marketing Automation? To attract traffic to your content and automate campaigns, among other things. Find out how this technology can help your business generate qualified leads.

Qualified lead generation (Lead Marketing). Acquiring leads through your content
Inbound marketing, prospecting, private networks, etc. This article shares with you the many methods you can use to generate qualified leads.

The lead generation form, the link between marketing and sales
The form your visitors fill in on your website should be given much more consideration. A well-constructed form, worked on by Marketing and Sales, will help you to obtain leads.

Lead generation: harness the power of digital marketing
To ensure its development, a company is constantly looking to generate leads. This article highlights 13 techniques to consider when designing a website to engage visitors and help businesses generate leads.

10 Awesome Lead Generation Strategies for Small Business in 2019
Video Marketing is one of the best lead generation tools according to Antoine Dupont. In this video, Antoine Dupont, founder of an award-winning marketing agency, shares his 10 lead generation strategies for small businesses.

Lead Generation Strategies: Tracking Leads
In this video, you'll discover how Marketing and Sales work together towards a common goal. Combining these two departments into one continuous process will help each team visualize lead progress.

What is lead scoring?
In this video, HubSpot highlights the importance of lead scoring and how it works. Lead scoring is the process of assigning a value to each lead. Following this, your sales team can establish an appropriate order of priority.

10 Creative Lead Gen Examples Sourced from Marketing Legends
Editor Luke Bailey shares 10 creative lead generation ideas sourced from marketing legends. You can use these examples to create much more innovative lead generation strategies.

What is Lead Generation Marketing and How is it Useful?
In this article from Lyfe Marketing, you'll learn more about the most effective content tactics for implementing a structured plan to capture leads.

The State of Lead Generation in 2019 [Trends + Expert Tips]
Filled with tips and tricks, this is the ultimate guide for all marketers looking to gather the most useful information regarding the 4 phases of the lead generation process: Content Strategy, Visual, Promotional, Nurturing.

10 Steps to a Killer Lead Generation and Lead Management Process
If you currently have a lead generation and lead management process in place and are looking to improve it, this article will give you the 10 steps to follow. With the right resources and tools, companies that follow these steps tend to outperform their competitors.

Six lead generation strategies that work
With the rise of e-commerce, this article from "The Globe and Mail" informs us how companies can set up a profitable online lead generation process by knowing their target audience and creating the right content.

8 Simple Ways to Generate Leads With Social Media
Social media campaigns are ideal for attracting potential customers. Organize webinars, contests, advertise. Learn more about the best tactics and tools social media has to offer.

11 Super Efficient Lead Generation Tactics You Can Implement
Attracting attention to your brand is a key step for companies looking to generate leads. Digital Marketing consultant Shane Barker shares an article on his blog dedicated to lead generation tactics used by brands.

And there you have it! Now that you know more about lead generation , we recommend you try HubSpot's free tool to get your strategy up and running.

We can advise you on how to set up such a tool. We offer the first consultation free of charge.

It will help you insert simple CTAs on your site to drive conversion (or to collect information from your existing forms). This tool will help you get to know your prospects better and identify your content more effectively.

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Running out of time? Download our white paper on lead generation!