Tips for Effective Lead Generation Campaigns

I work with a lot of direct sales companies, helping them create and track effective lead generation campaigns, using online tools. And the results are always immediate and beneficial.

And in our work, we’ve definitely seen some variables that make a difference in lead conversion rates. It’s not enough to send traffic to a web page with a form. You have to make sure your landing page is optimized to convert that traffic into leads. And you have to be constantly tracking your ads to determine which ads result in the highest conversion rates (so you can write more like them!)

Are you planning a lead generation campaign? Here are some tips that will help you yield the highest conversion rates:

• Your Landing Page(s) Matters. A Lot. Keep your landing page short, and be sure to take into account color theory and page elements that will yield the greatest conversions. Create landing pages for each campaign, and make sure the language on the landing page matches the language in your ads. And once you think you’ve got it, create multiple versions and split test within Google Analytics so that you can see which version converts best. You cannot just do this by what you THINK works best. You will almost always be wrong. Split testing is the only way to know for sure if your landing page is giving you the best results possible.
  
• Track to the Ad Level. Google Analytics can give you SO MUCH information about your lead generation campaigns if you only set it up right. Use Google Tracking links and set up Goals for every campaign, and tag each ad individually, so that you can tell which of your ads are leading to the highest levels of conversion. And once you know, try to recreate those ads, testing both images and text and see how THEY convert.
• Pay Close Attention to Your Demographics. Facebook Ads are one of my favorite things for direct sales companies that want to generate recruiting leads, because we can get SO specific on who we want to reach. The lead quality that we generate is typically fantastic, because we have been so specific. Make sure you are VERY clear on who you want to reach. Know their interests, their education level, where they live, their lifestyle. The more you know, the more you can target, and the better your results will be. And then once you run your ads, continue to look at the demographics reports. Do you get better clickthrough rates from those who are 25-34? Or does an older group convert better? Do your ads resonate more with males or females? By paying attention, you can better direct your spend for optimal results.
• Watch Daily, Report Weekly. Those things that we track tend to grow. As direct sellers, we know this. And it holds true for lead generation campaigns as well. Watch your ads. Make sure they’re performing at optimal levels. When they don’t, turn them off. And report weekly on the results of your campaign. How much traffic are you generating? How much of it is converting? Which specific ads are performing best? This information will help you make sure your spend is being used wisely, and you’re getting the best results possible.
  
• Have a Process in Place for the Leads. Nothing is worse than generating a lead and then not following up with it in a timely, appropriate way. If your company currently sends leads to the field, be sure you have a process in place that ensures that that lead is followed up with in 12 hours or less, and receives some kind of communication immediately. People don’t have the patience for your process that takes a day or more. Make sure people hear from you immediately, and are moved down the path to ultimate conversion in a timely way.

Online lead generations campaigns are a no-brainer for direct selling companies today. They work, and they help companies recruit at higher levels. If you don’t have one, and aren’t sure where to start, let’s talk. We’ve helped companies create successful campaigns that lead to higher levels of recruiting. (In fact, we helped one company increase their recruiting 5x over the previous year, and they attribute it all to their Facebook Ads!) If you are a direct sales company executive, feel free to email me for a free 30-minute consultation. (Offer only available to corporate folks.) Let’s talk about how to get your lead generation program in place.

Do you have an online lead generation program in place for your company? How is it working for you? Would love to read your experiences in the comments below!