9 Creative Lead Generation Ideas to Attract and Convert

A critical component to the success of any content marketing strategy is lead generation. Having unique and high-quality content is great, but it’s really only benefiting your company if you’re reaching potential customers. If you want to sell to the people who are reading your content, you have to actually capture their contact information.

This is, of course, easier said than done. After all, your prospective customers are asked for their email address hundreds of times – why should they give it to you?

If you’re struggling to come up with creative lead generation ideas, we’re here to help. Read on to discover the two critical steps of lead generation and 9 unique ideas to help you succeed with both. 

What Is Lead Generation? 

Lead generation is the process by which you capture the contact information of prospective customers. Rather than cold calling (read: annoying) potential customers, a good content marketing strategy helps you generate leads from people who express interest in your company first. 

Why is Lead Generation Important?

The benefits are twofold: Your brand doesn’t become associated with unwanted cold calls, and you’ll find it’s much easier to engage and sell to a prospect who has already heard of and demonstrated an interest in your brand. 

How Does Lead Generation Marketing Work?

There are essentially two steps to lead generation marketing: attract and convert. First, you have to attract visitors to your brand. This means getting eyeballs on your website and/or social media profiles. But you can’t continue to sell to those visitors if they leave your website without sharing their information. That’s why the second step is to convert. By giving a compelling reason for a visitor to volunteer their information, you can convert the visitor to a lead.

Today, people are more protective of their information than ever before—even their email address. That means you’re going to need some creative lead generation ideas incorporated into a meaningful web design if you’re ever going to attract and convert your future customers. Read on for 9 lead generation marketing ideas to help you attract and convert new leads every single day. 

#1: Start a business blog and post regularly

Perhaps one of the simplest ways to attract viewers and nurture lead generation is by blogging consistently. In fact, it’s one of the most accessible content marketing strategies available to you.

Your business blog provides your company with a bump in search engine optimization, sure. But consistently showing that you “know your stuff” as you blog about industry trends, challenges, and even industry basics will also provide a bump in lead generation.

Before you start posting, build a blog homepage that will entice viewers. A well-thought-out website is just as important as the content on the page. A blog title might get them to the site, but easy navigation and intuitive web design will keep them there even after they finish their read.

Aim to update your blog as often as possible. Some businesses blog once per day. Maybe it’s once a week or once a month for you. Whatever is reasonable and sustainable for your team is what we recommend when it comes to blogging frequency. The main point is to be consistent about it! As you schedule your content, ensure that your posts are timely, relevant to your customer base, and include a call to action, such as asking your readers to subscribe.

As you get more confident in your blogging abilities, attract even more visitors by guest blogging. Look for brands your target audience already admires and follows, then offer to provide free content as a guest blogger. Most brands appreciate receiving free content their audience will enjoy, and you can get valuable exposure with their audience in return. 

#2: Create a quiz to convert customers

You can give your B2C lead generation a generous boost with content marketing by taking advantage of human nature: people love to talk about themselves. Give them the opportunity to do just that by creating a quiz.

Check out this Zapier blog on online quizzes for lead generation.

Your quiz can take the form of a direct email, a social media post or an addition to your website. Test your prospective customers’ knowledge of your industry or just survey them, asking what they’d like to gain for their own business. Be sure, of course, to ask to provide their email address, informing them that you’ll follow up if you have questions about their survey answers.

#3: Provide exclusive content

We all know the thrill of getting our hands on something exclusive. Whether it’s tickets to a movie premier or a limited edition pair of sneakers, there’s something irresistible about getting access to something we can’t get anywhere else. The same is true for content. You can add value for your visitors by giving them information they’ve never read before. Maybe that’s an interview with an industry hero or a quote from a thought-leader. Whatever it is, you’re the only one who can share it with them. Tapping successful people in your field will also position your company as a leader and build trust with potential customers. 

Implement this idea as you develop your content marketing strategy and social media posts. Brainstorm ways to promote this exclusive content across your channels and on your website that will showcase your brand just as much as the special guest you’re featuring.  

#4: Just ask!

The premise behind this lead generation idea is simple: you can’t get a lead if you don’t ask for it. The right website feature can be an easy win for your company, while the wrong one can cause viewers to click away from your site in a split second. Using something simple like a slide-in scroll box is a great way to ask for contact information without distracting or annoying visitors to your website.

Here are 14 popup design examples Unbounce pulled together to check out for inspiration.

Slide-in scroll boxes are unobtrusive, and they won’t interrupt the user experience. Your visitor may either enter their information or simply click the box away. To prevent your reader from closing out, it’s recommended that you entice them with an offer, such as a discount, a download, or even a free consultation. 

#5: Share how you overcome challenges

Every business faces challenges, whether those challenges relate to marketing, branding or even employee retention. Has your company overcome stagnant growth? Learned valuable lessons regarding outsourcing?

Share those lessons on your blog, social media posts, or as a guest blogger to help with B2B lead generation. Doing so will not only inspire other businesses who are experiencing similar obstacles but will also demonstrate that your business is transparent and approachable. 

#6: Offer to help solve a problem

Once you’re attracting visitors who are interested in how you solved a particular problem, convert them to leads by helping them solve that problem themselves. Use this for B2C or B2B lead generation by offering a resource in exchange for their contact information. That resource may be as complex as an online course or as simple as a worksheet; what’s important is that it provides value to your prospective customer.

Once you decide which resource you will offer, highlight it in any of your blog posts that speak to a related problem. Because any reader of those posts is likely searching for solutions to that same problem, your offer will be especially enticing and effective at generating leads. 

#7: Take advantage of review platforms

Your leads can’t become your leads until they find you. As your potential customers search for your industry on Google, they’ll see your business among many of your competitors. What can set you apart is your reviews.