THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TOLEAD GENERATION WORKBOOK

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TOLEAD GENERATION WORKBOOK

Lead generation describes the marketing process of stimulating and capturing interest in a product or service for the purpose of developing a sales pipeline.

WHAT IS LEAD GENERATION;WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

WHAT IS LEAD GENERATION;WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

WHAT LEAD GEN IS: WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:

Content marketing and blogging

Website and SEO

Social media

PPC

Content syndication

Direct mail

Telesales

Email marketing

Lead nurturing and lead scoring

Find more leads

Find better leads

Enhance prospect relationships

Close deals faster

Cross-sell and upsell to your current customers

Maximize your spend on all marketing campaigns

Be more strategic in your marketing strategy

Leverage cross-channel marketing

Align with sales for a closed-loop deal process

LIST A PRIMARY GOAL YOU BELIEVE LEAD GEN CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.

Traditional lead generation has undergone substantial changes in recent years, thanks to new online and social marketing techniques. In particular, the abundance of information readily available online has led to the rise of the “self-directed buyer” and the emergence of new ways to develop and qualify potential leads before passing them to sales.

HOW HAS LEAD GENERATION EVOLVED?

HOW HAS LEAD GENERATION EVOLVED?To show how lead generation has changed, use the key phrases at the bottom to fill in the blank boxes on the right. The words on the left represent lead generation in the past, and the blank boxes on theright represent lead generation now.

TRANSFORMATION OF MARKETING

MISSION

Represent the company

Find customers

CUSTOMER INTELLIGENCE

Mass advertising

Demographic

MECHANICS & TACTICS

Point-in-time blasts

Few/isolated channels

MEASUREMENT

Third-party data (Nielsen)

Intuitive decision making

Being foundContinuous relationshipExploding/integrated channelsBehavioral

1:1 Targeting Represent the customer Owned, big data Fact-based decision making

KEY PHRASES

IN THE PAST NOW

STEPS TO DEFINING A LEADTo build out your lead generation strategy, you must start with the basics. Every organization will have its own definition of a “good lead”. If you don’t know yours, begin with lead generation 101.

STEPS TO DEFINING A LEAD

Sales and marketing teams must create and agree upon a universal lead definition.

Schedule some time to meet. Gather all your key stakeholders in a room, and pick each other’s brains.

Ask the hard questions. For marketing: What does your target market look like? Who do you have in your system, and what are they engaging with? For sales: What prospects are you speaking to? What types of buyers are closing?

Decide how good is “good enough”. Set a base level. What does marketing consider a good enough lead to pass to sales? Conversely, what does sales think is a lead worth following up on?

Get the flip side of the story. What leads does marketing consider bad? And what leads does sales consider not worth their time?

Agree on a definition, and write it down. Once you have written down your definition, abide by it. Add it to your marketing automation system; post it up on walls—do whatever is necessary to keep both teams on point.

Iterate. Meet regularly to review this definition. You should iterate and change your definition as your company grows and priorities shift.

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DEFINING A LEADUse the 6 steps below to help shape the definition of a true lead.

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6 Iterate. Meet regularly to review this definition. You should iterate and change yourdefinition as your company grows and priorities shift.

Write down when and where the sales and marketing teams will meet.

What does your target market look like?

What type of leads are in your system currently, and what are they engaging with?

What types of leads are closing? What size companies do they work for? Where are they located?

What does marketing consider a good enough lead to pass to sales?

What does sales consider a bad lead?

Agree on a definition, and write it down.

CREATING YOUR BUYER PERSONASContent is the foundation of your inbound marketing e�orts, and a great way to generate leads. The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as “the marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience—with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

Your content marketing will be what fuels most, if not all, of your lead generationcampaigns, so you need to make sure you get it right.

BUYER PERSONA EXERCISE

Conduct interviews with customers, prospects, sales, and your customer service teams to come up with at least 1-2 personas. Focus on the following topics when creating each persona:

• Background: Basic details about your ideal customer and his or her company

• Job details: Key job responsibilities, likes and dislikes about job

• Main sources of information: Where your persona does his or her research

• Goals: Persona’s primary and secondary goals

• Challenges/pain points: Your persona’s challenges, and the emotions which accompany those challenges

Don't dive into content marketing without a strategy. You need to understand your buyer so you can set the tone, style, and delivery strategy for your content.

BUYER PERSONA EXERCISE continued

• Preferred content medium: How your persona likes to absorb content

• Quotes: Bring your personas to life. Gather actual quotes during interviews

• Objections: The objections you anticipate from personas during the sales process

• Role in purchase process: Persona’s influence in the decision making process

• Marketing message: The messaging that speaks directly to this persona

BUYER JOURNEY EXERCISETo map your own persona buying journeys, create a spreadsheet with a separate tab for each buying phase, and fill in the following items:

BUYING PHASE

ACTIONS &QUESTIONS

BUYER ACTION QUESTIONS BUYER ASKSBUYERDOING(Y/N)?

KEY BUYERACTIONS

EVENT #1

EVENT #2

EVENT #3

PROBLEM #1

PROBLEM #2

PROBLEM #3

EVENT OCCURS

PHASE EXIT CRITERIA

PROBLEMSURFACES

CONSEQUENCESOF PROBLEMIDENTIFIED

CONSIDERALTERNATIVESFOR SOLVING

THE PROBLEM

CONTENT MARKETING WORD SEARCHContent marketing comes in many forms. See how many you can find below.

Kits PodcastsInfographicsEmailGuides

Slide Decks Surveys Templates Videos Webinar

eBooksArticle Blog Posts Case Studies Checklists

When it comes to converting leads and making lasting impressions, your website is where the magic happens. Analytics and testing company KISSmetrics stated it best on its blog: “Your leads are only as good as the website that produces them.”

WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION FOR LEAD GENERATION

WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION FOR LEAD GENERATION

Below is a handy SEO checklist for the different types of content on your site.Use this as a reference while reviewing your website content.

HOMEPAGEWEBSITECONTENT

LANDINGPAGES

PRODUCT/SERVICEPAGES

RESOURCESPAGES

Highlight the latest /hottest content

Use eye-catchingvisuals

Write catchy copy

Include ways for peopleto opt-in to content

Use strong calls-to-action on each product page

Make contactinformation clear on the page

List pricinginformation (ifapplicable)

Address customer pain points

Organize your contentlogically

Make your contenteasily accessiblewith one click

Include visual thumbnails of each asset

Make sure each pageis optimized for SEO

Use attention-grabbingheadlines

Include your logo

Write a great headline

Focus on a singlecall to action

Entice readers to respond to your offer

Use plenty of bulletpoints

Feature relevantvisuals

Include a short formto capture leads

Display a “Thank You”page that points to a related offer

Tie customer needs to solution benefits

Make calls-to-action clear and prominent

Use consistent voice

Write clear andconcise copy

Copy edit for typos and grammatical mistakes

Keep paragraphs short

Use easy-to-read font

Make contentscannable

Use compellingimagery (little or nostock imagery)

Landing pages are customized pages that your leads are directed to from social media pages, received emails, event invitations, paid ads, or search engine results. For e�ective lead generation, specifically create new landing pages for each program.

LANDING PAGES

LANDING PAGESUse the tips below to create landing page

content that is guaranteed to convert.

WRITE YOUR LANDING PAGE COPY USING THESE 5 STEPS AS A GUIDE

Set up the problem.1

Talk about the solution.2

Add a clear call-to-action.4

Point out the WIIFM (What’s In It For Me).3

Deliver the goods (such as an ebook, video, or webinar registration).5

Your prospects are searching for what you sell, but will they find you? Search marketing is about prospects discovering you through search results and converting them into opportunities. The higher you rank in organic searches, the more people will find you.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Write 5 keyword phrases that are valuable to your business. Then use the Google Adwords Keyword tool to research CPC, CTR, and Conversion Rate.

KEYWORD COST PERCLICK (CPC)

CLICKTHROUGHRATE (CTR)

CONVERSIONRATE

URL

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SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

The MOZ guide below is an example of a perfectly optimized webpage.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Use the MOZ guide on the previous page to create your own perfectly optimized webpage.

HEADLINE

BODY COPY

IMAGE NAMES

URLMETA DESCRIPTION

PAGE TITLE

TARGETED KEYWORD

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Use the clues below to find the most important aspects of on-page SEO.

1. Text supporting the keyword focus for the page2. Google uses these to understand what your webpage is about3. What shows up in Google SERPs4. _______ is king

1. The explanation of a webpage; also shown in SERPs2. Direct path to a webpage3. Abbreviation for a link4. Time it takes to open a page5. Synonymous with picture

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CLUES

DOWN ACROSS

Using social media to brand your business isn’t groundbreaking anymore. Been there, done that. Although social is still important for branding and generating buzz, it’s also increasingly used for lead generation.

SOCIAL MEDIA & LEAD GENERATION

FACEBOOKFacebook ads provide highly targeted opportunities to reach your audience. They appear on the right side of a user’s screen and are similar to traditional PPC ads: you place a bid on how much you want to pay per click, or you can pay per thousand people who see your ad.

TAKE SOME TIME TO CREATE 3 DIFFERENT FACEBOOKADS FOR VARIOUS ASPECTS OF YOUR BUSINESS.

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

TWITTERWe’ve had great success placing Promoted Tweets in user feeds, targeted to followers and users who fit our criteria. We use Promoted Tweets to create demand for new content assets, upcoming events, or demos. Every Promoted Tweet that we run leads to a form, which improves our chances of gaining user data.

CREATE 3 PROMOTED TWEETS THAT YOU CAN USE ON YOURCOMPANY’S TWITTER ACCOUNT. REMEMBER, ONLY 140 CHARACTERS.

PROMOTED TWEET:

PROMOTED TWEET:

PROMOTED TWEET:

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

AD TITLE:

CALL-TO-ACTION:

BRIEF BODY COPY:

LINKEDINLinkedIn ads give companies the chance to target their audiences in powerful, unique ways. The information found on a user’s LinkedIn profile is di�erent from other social networks, and it’s particularly helpful for businesses.

CREATE 3 LINKEDIN ADS, AND REMEMBER LINKEDIN’S AUDIENCEIS MORE PROFESSIONAL. MAKE SURE THESE ADS ARE DIFFERENT

FROM YOUR FACEBOOK AND TWITTER ADS.

Email is a cornerstone and key component of many marketing campaigns. Whether you’re hosting an event, publicizing a new piece of content, or promoting a new service o�ering, email can deliver relationship-building communication at every stage of the funnel, especially to those leads already in your database.

EMAIL MARKETING

EMAIL MARKETINGFollow these pro tips to write the perfect subject line for your email.

FRAME YOUR SUBJECT LINE AS A QUESTION.

Questions compel readers to open your emails as they pause to consider the answer.

BE CONVERSATIONAL.

Don’t be afraid to use conversational language in a subject line.

TRY A LIST.

This is where your “Top 10”, “5 Tips”, etc., subject lines come in. People gravitate toward short, easily digestible information.

MAKE A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPEAL.

According to Copyblogger, the subject line “You are not alone” gets an average open rate of 90%. As you write your subject lines, keep basic human psychology in mind.

TRY WRITING A FEW SAMPLE SUBJECT LINES FOR YOUR NEXT EMAIL SEND HERE:

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PAID PROGRAMSInbound marketing has been getting a lot of buzz lately, but a well-rounded marketing mix should include both inbound and paid techniques. Inbound marketing alone can’t always drive people to buy, so smart marketers use outbound and paid techniques to introduce their businesses, amplify their messaging, and expose their content to leads.

KEYWORD ORPHRASE

AD COPY URL

PAID PROGRAMSUse the table below to create 5 pay-per-click (PPC) ads. You only have

25 characters for your headlines, and 70 characters for your copy. Remember to research keywords and track conversion rate regularly.

TELEPHONE-BASED LEAD GENERATION

Telesales, or inside sales reps, can contribute greatly to successful lead generation. Your sales team qualifies your leads and adds a personal touch.

An important distinction here: Telephone-based lead generation isn’t the same as telemarketing. Telesales provides the human interaction needed to turn your marketing leads into opportunities and sales.

TELEPHONE-BASED LEAD GENERATIONUse the worksheet below to help set expectations within your sales team.

How many meaningful activities (email, calls, etc.) do you want each sales rep to perform per day?

How many business days, on average, does your sales team work?

What percentage of the day does your sales team work on their inbound queue?

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C

Figure out how many meaningful activities each inside sales rep should complete every month.

A B C The number of activities an inside sales rep should complete every month:

(A x B x C) / 2.6 = The number of quality leads an inside sales rep can work per month:

Now, divide that number by 2.6 (the number of times, on average, an inside sales rep will call each lead).

Once you’ve invested in your lead generation strategy, you’ll want to get the most out of every lead. Many companies do a great job of generating Top-of-Funnel (TOFU) leads, but most new leads aren’t yet ready to buy. That’s where a solid Middle-of-Funnel (MOFU) strategy comes in.

LEAD NURTURING

CREATE A STAY-IN-TOUCH LEAD NURTURING CAMPAIGN

DAY 1: INTRODUCTORY EMAIL

Draft an email that provides an interesting look into your business.

DAY 10

Draft an email o�ering new content related to first download and Web activity.

DAY 15

Draft a sales email that explains your products and services.

DAY 30

Draft an email o�ering a best practices ebook or video.

DAY 75

Draft a personal email from sales rep o�ering a demo.

DAY 45

Call from your sales rep to “check in”.

Check the boxes after you complete each step and begin tostrategically think about nurturing leads through the sales funnel.

When it comes to lead generation, the more you test, the more you know. You can’t optimize your lead generation without first testing it, but many marketers don’t know where to start testing. You need a clear plan of attack.

TESTING & OPTIMIZATION

TESTING & OPTIMIZATIONUse the 5 steps below to identify a testing strategy relevant to yourbusiness in order to increase the success of your campaigns.

STEP 1: DEFINE SUCCESS.What are your ultimate success metrics? List 3 macro-conversions (end goals like clicks, conversions, and leads) and 3 micro-conversions (smaller steps you want leads to take, like watching a video or sharing a blog post).

STEP 5: TEST.Testing is crucial! Turn to the next section to decide what type of tests you'll perform.

STEP 2: IDENTIFY BOTTLENECKS.Identify what isn’t working. Perhaps you’re getting a lot of tra�c to a key website page, but people aren’t actually converting or downloading your gated ebook. Ultimately, it’s the bottleneck that you will want to test.

STEP 3: CONSTRUCT A HYPOTHESIS.If no one’s filling out your form, maybe you need to shorten the number of fields, move the form to a di�erent part of the page, or change the download button color. Your first hypothesis might be that your forms will work better with 3 fields instead of 5.

STEP 4: PRIORITIZE.Prioritize your hypotheses based on predicted impact. For instance, you might predict that moving your form will have more impact than shortening it, so test the new form location first. Depending on your resources, you can always run multiple tests.

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TESTING & OPTIMIZATIONNow that you know the steps to take before you test, choose one of these types of tests for a few of your current campaigns.

A/B TESTING MULTIVARIATE TESTINGTYPES OF TESTING:

WHAT YOU WANT

TO TESTTESTING TYPE

Compares the conversion rates of two assets by splitting the tra�c or email sends.

Compares a much larger number of variables to show a statistical significance.

If you can confidently identify how your lead generation campaigns truly deliver financial returns, you’ll lift your marketing team’s influence and credibility even further. If you understand how your campaigns perform, you can also make the right strategic investments to improve results over time.

METRICS

METRICSBelow are some common metrics used when tracking lead generation.

Check all below that could apply to your marketing campaigns.

Marketing % of contribution to sales pipeline: The % of revenue in the sales pipeline (opportunities) that originated from marketing e�orts

Marketing % of contribution to closed revenue: The % of revenue in closed won deals that originated from marketing e�orts

Quantity of Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs): The number of SQLs passed on to your sales teams

Quality of SQLs: The % of SQLs not rejected by sales

Investment per Inquiry: Total lead acquisition investment, divided by the total number of inquiries

Cost per Lead: Total campaign costs, divided by quantity of leads

Inquiry to Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL): Conversion of initial inquiry to MQL

MQL to Sales Accepted Lead (SAL): Conversion from MQL to SAL

SAL to SQL: Conversion from SAL to SQL

SQL to Opportunity: Conversion from SQL to Opportunity

We know that marketing is a tough job—after all, we’re marketers ourselves. Marketing to marketers is no easy task, but it’s one we love. That’s why we’re happy to share our knowledge about lead generation via both inbound and outbound marketing. There’s

no perfect, one-size-fits-all approach to lead generation. Just use the channels and tactics that help you reach and engage your target audience. Keep their challenges,

goals, and concerns top of mind; deliver information and content that solves their pain points; nurture those relationships, and engage them over time. You’ll soon be filling

your funnel with high-quality leads.

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