Thinking of investing in a lead generation marketing company to get your business out of a tight spot?
In my many years as a digital marketer, I’ve seen the same story over and over again:
You’ve worked hard to build up your business over the years, but as times have changed, so have your customers. Gradually you’ve noticed it’s becoming harder and harder to reach them. Customer referrals can only get you so far, whilst your competitors always seem to be one step ahead.
You’ve even tried a bit of marketing, but it’s just not growing your business as you expected. You need more leads, so where do you turn for help? The internet is full of potential solutions, and you’re drawn to the places that sound like they have the answer to all of your problems.
You’re not alone. All too many businesses find themselves panicking when their leads start to dry up, which is why turning to a so-called lead generation marketing company may seem like the best way forward.
However, before you do anything, let me tell you why there could be a much better solution.
Is a lead generation marketing company the answer?
Well, it’s a little bit more complicated than you might think. The answer really depends on what you think a lead generation company should do for you.
For instance, many businesses calling themselves ‘lead generation’ companies simply offer up ready-made lists of contacts that you can then get in touch with in order to try and sell your products or services.
Unfortunately, when it’s time to get in touch with these so-called leads, you’ll find that a lot of them just aren’t ready to buy. In fact, most of them probably haven’t even heard of your company. The result? You end up wasting your time and money on poor quality leads that aren’t interested.
Here’s an example of how this works in practice, as demonstrated by Three Deep Marketing:
“Last year I was doing some research on home mortgage rates. I found a site that asked me to register to check rates in my area. Within the first 30 minutes of filling out that form I got calls from 3 mortgage companies; 3 more called me within the first hour. I couldn’t believe I fell for my own lead generation tactics!“
My advice is this: think about what lead generation means to you. If it means just being given a list of ready-made contacts, I can guarantee you’re looking at it the wrong way.
Is there a better way to generate leads for your business?
If you don’t want to spend your time calling up people who aren’t interested in your products or services, there’s a much more effective way to get the leads you need to grow your business.
Most digital marketing agencies will be able to offer you a more sustainable and reliable way to increase your leads and sales. How? By incorporating a more holistic process to help you achieve your goals.
A typical digital marketing strategy consists of many elements. These include: content marketing, SEO, landing pages, email nurturing, testing and analytics, and more. This not only ensures you’re getting a steady stream of quality leads, but it also doesn’t include tactics like the one mentioned above.
So, whether you’re hiring a digital marketing agency, or a lead generation company, ensure you’re getting leads the smart way, as part of a wider, more holistic process.
Any company you hire to generate you leads should be able to sit down with you and work out your goals, along with how they’re going to help you get there – not just hand you a list of email addresses. Their plan should include all of the methods mentioned in this blog.
Conclusion
By now you should have a better idea of the type of lead generation that can help your company grow. A digital marketing agency with a holistic process can help you generate a steady, sustainable stream of good quality leads who will be ready to buy when you call – unlike the leads you’re likely to get with a lead generation marketing company.
Have you ever bought leads from an online lead generation marketing company? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments section. Alternatively, if you have any questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them.