Lead generation is the process of creating interest in a product or service to turn that interest into a sale. It involves capturing visitors' contact information (called leads) through different channels, such as online marketing, cold outreach, and face-to-face meetings. Lead generation strategies are used to identify, attract, and convert people into leads. By creating a lead generation strategy, companies can earn more revenue compared to their plan.
Organic lead generation takes time to get results, but once it is set up, it can attract a steady number of leads without paying for ads. Understanding the different types of leads and how new leads turn into qualified leads is just the beginning. Online lead generation covers a wide range of tactics, campaigns, and strategies depending on the platform on which you want to engage leads. Inbound marketing delivers better costs and results, so most lead generation strategies focus on inbound channels.
By focusing on generating high-quality leads, it provides sales teams with a consumer contact base that fits their ideal customer profile. The higher a lead's score, the closer they are to becoming a sales-qualified lead (SQL), who is just one step away from becoming a customer. Prospects are part of the larger lifecycle that consumers follow as they move from visitor to customer.