So what are the best practices for Lead Generation?
Everyone involved in generating sales leads for their business has a method that works for them, well at least some of the time. But whilst each one of us is different and therefore will have techniques which we like and those that we dislike, can we learn “best practices” from others? 
Well there are certainly some fundamentals we should make note of. These have been summarised below in a recent post by Dawn Papandrea, NewsCred Contributor –
No matter what type of product or service a company offers, generating a steady flow of leads – prospective customers or clients – is a key for growth. But as consumers become more savvy and skeptical of giving up their information online, it’s important to have a solid lead generation game plan from the start. Here’s a step-by-step guide for finding, nurturing, and converting your leads into loyal customers.
1. Who is your lead?
Beyond just picking a target demographic based on age, gender, or location, think about your leads as people. What need are they trying to fulfill; what problem are they trying to solve? How do they prefer to get their information? What values are important to them (B2C), or what is their role in the workplace (B2B)?
Start by thinking about the solutions that your product offers, and then make a list of all the types of people who would be most likely to benefit from working with your company.
2. What would you like your lead to do?
Think about where you’d like your lead to go. Make like a GPS, and map out your lead’s journey. Ultimately, you want to be ready with content that is most fitting for the path they end up choosing. While instinctively you may want to guide them down the sales funnel, you don’t want to force your leads down a path they might not prefer. Instead, be ready for what they want to hear.
For instance, you could host a free webinar or create a video that demystifies what it is your company actually does, with some calls to action peppered in to encourage the prospect to get in touch. Or, you might frequently update a blog or power an online community that solidifies your company as a go-to source of information.
Remember, though, while your ideal outcome is to land a sale, you don’t want to do is hit them over the head right away with a sales pitch.
“Too many campaigns make the mistake of launching into every detail of the product or service being offered, without first addressing why the prospect might be interested,” says Dayna Rothman, content marketing manager for Marketo, in her blog post “Best Practices for Marketing Automation from 11 Experts.”
To read the original post please visit the NewsCred Blog
The remaining 4 Best Practices for Lead Generation follow:-
