January, 21 2020 3:29 pm
There are so many approaches to outbound lead generation for contact centers and similar large businesses. However, not all of these strategies are equally effective.
Here’s your guide to finding the right outbound lead generation approaches to meet your company’s needs and create the sales that will sustain your business:
Is paid advertisement the way to go for your lead generation approach? This method involves the solicitation of advertisements placed on websites or in applications that your target audience is already using or aware of. This way, they will encounter your information in a way that feels organic and piques their interest naturally. When this happens, they are more likely to grant you some return on your investment by interacting with your ads.
Word of mouth advertisement is something that most people only think of in association with small, local businesses. But companies of every size can make use of this approach - even your outbound sales facility.
Reward word of mouth advertisement by loyal customers by offering a referral program. This kind of simple incentive makes it easier and more desirable to share a positive experience and make it more likely that consumers will participate in doing so.
This is perhaps the most traditional method of lead generation for most contact centers. However, it is one that the market of today has somewhat outgrown. What was once standard practice for marketing agencies everywhere can now be seen as archaic in nature.
The trick to implementing this technique is understanding its limitations of the method and using it correctly. Understand that cold emailing has a relatively low cost and is easy to implement, but is also not highly effective. If you are willing to make this trade-off, it could be an important component of your overall strategy.
If cold calling and emailing is outdated, surely direct mail advertising is as well, right? Not so. If you check out the efforts made by some of the largest and most popular businesses in the world today, you will see that they are still relying heavily on direct, physical pieces of mail to market their goods and services.
An example might be your favorite grocery store, mailing you paper coupons to use on some of your favorite products. You gladly open and accept the gift of the coupons, deciding to do your shopping that week at that particular store instead of their nearest competitor. In doing so, you pick up the items for which you have coupons, as well as a basket full of other groceries that appeal to you that day. Before you know it, you have a cart full of purchases - and your grocery store has dozens of reasons to be glad they sent you that mailer!
There are many ways that social media can be used for outbound lead generation. These days, consumers expect to see advertisements and brand presences while spending time on their favorite social media platforms. As such, it only makes sense to add your company to the list of those that are reaching out to consumers this way.
Whether you are allowing consumers access to your company through messaging and comments on posts or you are using social media as a form of advertisement through interactive posts, being part of the social media experience for your consumers is an excellent way to build positive regard, boost brand recognition, and drive the number of leads skyward.
Whether you know it or not, there are tons of events that your company could participate in that will help boost leads and eventually sales - all within your current community. The trade show is the best example of this. Since trade shows are created as a way for professionals to network and interested investors and consumers to support them, they are a prime opportunity to get your message out to those who might be more inclined to receive it than the average consumer. These events can be difficult to prepare for - especially if you are on a budget - but they can yield major rewards for your participation.
Non-trade events are also a great way to get your company’s name into the public consciousness and build both positive regard and brand recognition. Show up to community fundraisers and charity events and create a presence at sponsored holiday events. Invest in advertisement or volunteer your time for a community festival or fair. Get your staff out into the public eye and make people aware of who you are and what you do. You’ll generate leads - and maybe have some fun while doing it.
These days, fewer businesses go to the extent of conducting a PR “stunt” to gain consumer attention. After all, in today’s hyper-aware media culture, it can be difficult to pull tricks on your audience, however innocent they may be. However, there are a few successful examples of this working in the modern day - and when it does work, it’s big!
The popular restaurant chain IHOP made an announcement one day that they were changing their name to “IHOB”, or the “International House of Burgers”. The name change was met with mixed reactions - some consumers were furious, others were excited, but most were confused. However, it was met with tons of attention, which was exactly what the company had planned. Several weeks later, they announced that they would not actually be changing their name, but that their new burger menu was there to stay. Whatever consumers had thought of the stunt, the store had become a popular topic of conversation!
Regardless of what type of publicity and marketing you are looking to use for outbound lead generation, you’ll need the technology to back up your efforts. Talk to the industry leaders at ChaseData for the software and solutions you need to make outbound lead generation easier than you ever imagined. Before long, you’ll be turning more contacts into consumers and driving business through the roof. Give us a call today to learn more!