Marketing Based Lead Generation is selling through the back door.
Very simply, this is a way to get your name to the public without making even one cold call.
Generate free exposure by writing what you know. Authoring articles in your knowledge wheel house is a great way to get your name out as an expert in your field. You can write for trade magazines, which is good for B2B sales, but to reach the general public, a publication with broader appeal or a blog is the way to go.
Don’t be intimidated by the task of writing, you’re putting yourself out as an expert on your subject, not on writing.
If writing isn’t your thing how about talking? Interviews, YouTube Videos and Podcasts are all ways you can talk your way into lead generation. Again, it’s flexing your expertise muscle in public.
In writing and talking, less is always more. Edit yourself. I try to use as few words as possible.
Has enough been said about social media? It seems the social media emphasis is overdone but people really are reading , responding and ‘liking’ information put out on social media. You can’t drum up a following overnight; it does require a strategy, but the effort really is worth it. Who knew 144 characters could be so powerful? There are entire ad campaigns built around the constraints of twitter.
All this lead generation is completely free. Your own YouTube account, Facebook Fan Page or Blog are all free and require little expertise to set up. They do need to be maintained, though. If your message is compelling, people will come back often to hear what else you have to say, so keep talking. The next thing you know, you’ll have a captive audience, and the phone will start to ring.
Thanks for the great post. Lead generation is all we need in business!