In this post, our digital marketing experts break down everything these is to know about leads and lead generation in one handy guide. Feel free to reach out to our team by calling 01159 140 640 or visiting our contact page if you’d like to learn more. 

What is a lead?

It’s essentially a person who’s interested in your treatments, products or services. There are three types of lead: Information Qualified (IQL), Marketing Qualified (MQL) and Sales Qualified (SQL). 

* IQL are at the start of their buying journey and may not know who you are or what you offer. However, they show a level of interest. By engaging with them the right way, you can turn them into the leads explained below.

* MQL have already engaged or interacted with your marketing – so if you’ve had an IQL and encouraged them to download an ebook on a topic they’ve shown an interest in, you know they’re a lead, because it’s been qualified through your marketing. 

* SQL are ready to buy, and will have shown purchase intent. They might ask to speak to you further or get in touch with you some way.

How does the process work?

First, you need to attract leads. You can do this through advertising, search engine optimisation (using keywords), publishing on social media accounts, creating blog content and other methods. 

You’ll then need to convert interested parties through forms, dedicated landing pages (we’ve covered that here) and relevant calls to action (CTAs). 

How do I attract more leads?

There are lots of ways you can do this. Here are a few ideas:

* Create some useful information, which you can share for free, in exchange for some data. For example, you might offer website visitors some free downloadable content (such as an ebook on treating acne) if they fill out their email address. 

* Entice with an offer. For instance, you could send a coupon or discount to anyone who subscribes to your emails or shares a post.

* Social media is also a great way to generate new leads, as you can use Facebook ads to target users with a specific demographic, location and set of interests that are important to your business.

* Google Ads can help you target people actively searching for specific treatment keywords.

How do I generate leads on social media?

Facebook & Instagram Lead Adsappear across Facebook and Instagram, including the news feed, marketplace, stories, and in-stream videos. They help you to find potential leads and collect data about them, mainly through creating a form – with customisable fields – that encourages people to share their name, email address, contact number and more. You can then use this to collect subscriber information, including learning more about their interests, and can connect the data to other platforms, such as Mailchimp.

How do I generate leads with Google Ads?

Google Ads are placed at the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). To set up a successful Google Ad, you’ll need to incorporate the same keywords used by those searching for your treatments and services. Every time a keyword causes a visitor to click the ad, a cost is involved (PPC – or Pay Per Click), so you’ll have to set a daily budget. You’ll also need to choose keywords that are specific, such as including a location, to boost your chances of reaching the right audience.  Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that your competitors are likely choosing similar keywords. One way to ‘beat’ them to the lead is by including an offer, for instance including free whitening with Invisalign treatment. You can then use data to monitor your leads and check when they’re converting, where the traffic is coming from, whether your landing page is doing its job and general demographic information (gender, location etc).

How do I generate leads with email? 

The best way to use email marketing to generate leads is to identify your target audience, gather data on them in exchange for an offer, and then use this to target them with personalised emails. You can easily segment emails to target specific groups. Email marketing is a great way to reach potential new clients as it’s more low-cost than other marketing methods. 

How do I get started?

Give our expert team a call. We’ve got over 15 years’ experience in the aesthetics, healthcare and dental sectors and can help you maximise your budget for the best return on your business. Find all the details on our contact page or get in touch on 01159 140 640