Five Free Lead Generation Strategies
No budget? No problem.
Try these five free lead generation strategies on for size.
Free Lead Generation Strategy #1: SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of making the information on your website easy to find via the search engines and improving the position that it gets displayed.
You will find a great introduction to SEO in our free report. It covers five basic SEO techniques that every business should know:
- Using the right keywords
- Having a simple, logical site structure
- Describing your pages
- Having lots of quality content
- Building links from other websites
Free Lead Generation Strategy #2: Articles
When people are in search of solutions to their problems, their first choice is normally not a company’s sales brochure. They want simple, informative and largely unbiased information. Writing articles on your industry – specifically how customers can solve common problems or improve the results they achieve – cannot only get you found, but also positions you as a trusted resource. Articles can be written for your own website, for popular 3rd party websites or for offline use like your local paper or industry trade magazine.
Free Lead Generation Strategy #3: Networking Events
Networking is a great way to build contacts, get yourself known and develop new leads. Attending networking events should be part of your ongoing free marketing strategy. The first tip for networking events is to make sure you network – there’s no point in standing in the corner talking to people you already know. Go with a goal in mind to meet certain kinds of people – they may be your customer type or they may be people who come into contact with your customer type. For example, if you target students then they are not likely to be at a networking event – but teachers from the local university might be. This could lead to their support with your project. Go with an open mind, a willingness to meet new people and plenty of business cards.
Free Lead Generation Strategy #4: Run a Workshop
People looking for solutions like information. However, written content is not always the best way to present certain information. Live events are also a great opportunity to meet people in person and include more of your personality in the information you deliver. Consider working with a community group, business groups like the Chamber of Commerce,or other businesses to help save costs and ensure a good turnout. Make it easy for attendees to opt in to receiving more information.
Free Lead Generation Strategy #5: Start a Referral Program
Referrals can come from satisfied clients and customers, professional and personal acquaintances and even arranged referral partners. Referrals are generally free but you need to put some time into increasing the chances that people will refer business to you:
- Create simple marketing materials that they can give away to others
- Reward those that do refer business to you
- Make sure you let everyone know that you do appreciate referrals
Generating leads for your business doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, with a little thought you can create a great free leads program but you’ll still need to put the time in to make it work.
What Next?
We do it for you: If you need help choosing the right free lead generation strategies, click here for more info about the lead generation services we provide
Do it yourself: For more lead generation ideas Download our free report