Inbound Leads - What are they and how can you use networking to gain them?

You have created content, you have marketed your products - you are making all the right moves, but what is your next step to getting those all-important leads and sales conversions? In this article we are looking at inbound leads – what they are, why they are important to your lead generation strategy, and how you can use networking along with the right tools to be more effective with your conversion rates.

What are inbound leads, and why do they matter?

When a potential customer initiates contact with you, either directly or through a referral channel, then this is an inbound lead. There are many different places where these individuals may have discovered you – such as personal referrals from friends and family, accessing your website or online content, finding you on social media, etc.

Gitnux found that inbound marketing generates three times more leads per dollar than traditional marketing methods, and that inbound leads cost (on average) 61% less than outbound leads.

Inbound lead development should be an essential part of your sales strategy - as you are building your brand image, developing a positive reputation, and generating more sales opportunities more effectively and with less pressure on your budget, you should be seeing more inbound leads as a result.

Why should inbound lead generation be a part of your strategy?

The content you produce and put out for your audience as part of an inbound lead campaign should be designed to push customers into action, creating a relationship that can be nurtured and developed so it results not only in an initial sale, but repeat custom as well.

According to Oberlo, 81% of consumers conduct research online before making a purchase.

In order to capture the attention of your target audience, and make them want to reach out and connect with you – your inbound lead generation strategy needs to:

• Identify your customer demographics and target audience.
• Be planned to reach one or two of those groups at a time.
• Offer content that is interesting, engaging, and valuable.
• Balance ever-green content with regularly updated content.
• Be available where the potential customers will see it.
• Have a multi-outreach strategy which maximises visibility and availability.

Why is networking an effective tool for inbound lead generation?

Networking is essentially a form of mutually beneficial interaction that exchanges some form of idea or information between connected individuals. In terms of a business reaching out to a customer, you are offering the information and data on a product or service that meets their wants or needs – and they are providing you with either sales, or data on how to improve your offerings.

Inbound lead generation handled through networking can:

• Establish brand reputation and trust.
• Increase company visibility.
• Generate brand awareness.
• Identify potential partners and collaborators.
• Build meaningful connections.
• Encourage learning opportunities.
• Increase sales, reviews, and peer recommendations.

How can you generate inbound leads with networking?

The key to obtaining inbound leads is to be visible and offer value – this is where networking plays a significant role in the process.

The way in which you network will depend on your industry, your business model, and what you want to do as a company. You should look at:

• Conduct customer care connections – This might be done through calls, emails, text messages, social media, or other similar channels.
  
  
• Launch engagement campaigns on social media – These are campaigns that are specifically designed to entice audiences into responding and engaging in conversation, so might include asking questions, conducting surveys or polls, or asking for opinions.
  
  
• Host webinars or interactive video content – By making yourself visible and available, and showcasing both your products / services and your industry experience, you can attract more attention and generate more inbound leads.
  
  
• Improve your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – Not everyone who searches online will come through to your webpages if they can find the answer in the search results (zero click searches). You need to make your content rank high, be exactly what your customers want, and make it appeal enough that they follow through with the connection.
  
  
• Measure and adapt your campaigns – Flexibility is a must, and you should be measuring and utilising metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to learn from your campaigns, so you can improve and optimise your offerings each time.

Top tips for improving your inbound lead generation

In order to improve your lead generation, you need to take a strategic approach – and it needs to be repeatable, measurable, and flexible.

Some of the ways you can achieve this include:

• Create regular blog content which encourages return visits to your website.
• Improve and develop your social media presence, making sure to respond to comments and highlighting audience interaction.
• Generate quality one-on-one engagement.
• Encourage and showcase User Generated Content (UCG).
• Follow up on customer interactions.

Your networking process will take time and effort to build, establish, and grow – it is not a ‘one and done’ campaign – you need to commit resources to the process, and monitor what works – and what does not.

Using appropriate tools and software, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools and Lead Management software can help you develop your strategy, compare metrics with historical data – and identify incoming trends that you can capitalise on.

The more appealing and visible your brand is, the more inbound leads you should see as a result.

How can TEB help you with your inbound lead management?

TEB Cloud services are an ideal support for you and your business. Designed by experts who understand how your business works and optimised for your specific requirements – this is no ordinary ‘off the shelf’ solution, this is exactly what you need now and for the future.

When you introduce TEB into your business, you can be sure of:

• Centralised lead data that keeps your team connected with centralised lead data to ensure efficiency and alignment with your team.
  
• Personalised options for your diary which tracks your sales activities, notifies you of upcoming events, and opportunities that are coming up in your pipeline. Your team can customise their calendars and diaries, so they manage their time and your resources better.
  
• Business and unit management so you can configure your digital business structure to match your needs – whether you are local, national, or international – our solutions scale to meet your needs.
• Sales tracking and relationship management that uses interactive dashboards and calendars, so you are always up-to-date and ready to make the most of your customer network.

Request a call today, and discover the world of difference TEB Cloud can make for your business and taking your sales networking to the next level.