Creating a solid lead generation plan is essential to making your business work. Every brand has a different process and approach, but you could be sabotaging your lead generation process without even knowing you’re doing it.
Here are 8 lead generation mistakes you may be making and how to avoid making them in the future:
1. Not defining your target market and buyer personas
One of the largest lead generation mistakes brands make is not defining an audience. The first step to creating a solid lead generation strategy is knowing which audiences to go after to generate quality leads. Identifying audiences who are wrong for your brand is equally as important to your strategy as identifying the correct audiences because it allows you to hone in on the audiences that really need what you’re selling.
Consider this: your brand offers accounting services for SMBs that typically outsource accounting. You would not pitch your services to businesses with in-house accounting or business who offer the same services as your brand. You may be thinking, “Well, duh!” But it’s important to define this clearly. It’s easy to get into an outreach rhythm and overlook who you’re actually reaching out too.
While differentiating the correct audience from the incorrect audience may not be as cut and dry as that, it is critical to crafting your lead generation process. Having a defined market with designated buyer personas will save you time (and money!) in the long run.
2. Targeting incorrectly
Even if you have nailed down your target audience, crafted your buyer personas, and outlined your top ICPs (ideal customer profiles), it’s still possible to target too narrowly if your messaging is highly-specific or too widely, particularly if you are sending outreach in mass. Find the balance that works for you. Make sure that you are targeting the correct audience with the correct message at the correct time for the largest impact. Blanketed outreach can miss the mark because the messaging is too general, and highly-specific outreach can alienate buyers who actually need what you’re selling.
3. Planning poorly
Scalability and follow-through are key to successful lead generation. However, if you haven’t factored these into your lead generation plan, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Create a plan that includes a step-by-step direction from start to finish, and don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t working. Make a plan, execute on it, and learn from it. Once you’ve nailed down a plan that works for your brand, scale it for even more results.
4. Having no documented strategy
A great way to avoid a poorly-planned process is to document what you are doing. Having a strategy means nothing if you don’t document it. Aside from documenting your overall strategy, it’s important to document everything in between. From initial prospecting to follow-ups and closing, write it all down and keep track. This will help you see what is working, what isn’t, what is scalable, and what can be compounded. Skipping vital steps in the process can be damaging, so make sure that you are keeping track of your strategy and what the next steps are.
5. Not keeping your brand top-of-mind
A key component of a solid lead generation strategy is to keep your brand and branding as the central driver for everything you do. Consistent messaging and brand positioning helps establish a solid brand image that differentiates your brand while establishing yourself as a subject-matter expert. Consistent, clear messaging isn’t only for marketing; it is a must-have for any type of sales interactions, including pitches, demos, and collateral. Your audience informs your messaging, so pay attention to how they respond to it.
6. Implementing campaigns poorly
Depending on how your business is set up, lead generation implementation can vary. Starting a campaign is exciting and it’s easy to catch yourself checking progress constantly. However, a solid lead generation strategy requires time, patience, tweaking, and analysis. Two weeks isn’t enough time to determine if a plan is working. You probably won’t get enough data in a month either. Be patient and keep in mind that, with time, you will nail down a successful plan.
7. Using only one tactic
Lead generation is multifaceted. Email lead gen may work the best for you, but relying solely on one method is short-sighted and limiting. Never underestimate the power of traditional cold-calling, nor the power of more interactive types of lead generation, such as video and social media. Building a robust strategy takes time, effort, and a lot of trial and error, but it’s worth it to find the best ways to fill up your pipeline.
8. Failing to follow-up and nurture leads
Did you know that it takes about 8 touches to actually start a conversation with a prospect? That means that following up and nurturing leads, especially cold ones, is essential to your lead generation strategy. Without a follow-up plan in place, you’re shooting in the dark hoping to find that rare lead that responds immediately. Consider implementing automated follow-ups, incorporating video content into your outreach, and personalizing your lead gen process by focusing on each lead’s specific needs and pain points.
Want to learn how you create a scalable lead generation strategy that produces quality results? We’d love to show you how.
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