Tips for Local Lead Generation
Roughly 2 years ago to this day I met a very interesting individual. I call him interesting because he was running a particular type of business which I actually hate, but in all fairness I had to sit back and admire his business model. This individual had set-up a series of automated telephone systems which would ring potential customers asking if they had “had a trip or fall at work in the last x years”.
My friend (I can call him that now) had made a number of connections with local law firms; every time an individual got back in touch as a result one of these automated telephone “conversations”, he could retain their details and pass them on to one of the law firms he had set-up a lead chain with. He generates roughly eight leads per day and he makes roughly $300 per lead.
Alarm bells started to go off inside my head.
Local Lead Generation Can Be Hugely Profitable:
This was my first “a-ha” moment in regards to the power of local lead generation – it was an “a-ha” moment mainly because the power of such an approach could lend itself very well to the online space.
The thing about local lead generation is that it typically takes away the traditional online “home business” model which every “do it yourself” marketer subscribes to – you need to get out there, network, and make connections.
So, How Do You Actually Do This?
The first thing you need to do is actually explore your options; think about who you know and think about the industries in which you can generate a high cost per lead. For example, selling leads on to appliance repair companies probably won’t be all that profitable – however, if you happen to know a local laser eye surgery specialist, then you may have just uncovered your first target.
The next step is to think about how you actually want to generate the leads – the first thing I will say here is that when it comes to local lead generation, in fact when it comes to any form of internet marketing for that matter, landing page optimization is absolutely crucial. Before you even think about marketing a service, make sure your landing pages are optimized.
- Give the user as few options as possible – one page websites are perfect for this purpose.
- Lead them as quickly as possible to where you need them to go – you may want to set up call tracking (take a look at a company called Ad Insights) and charge them per call.
- Clearly articulate the service and conduct split testing (use a service like Google Website Optimizer for this process).
The Next Step: Generating Targeted Traffic:
I’ve used one of two methods (or both) of promotion for just about every local lead generation campaign I’ve set up to date: Facebook Ads or SEO.
In terms of Search Engine Optimization, you are playing the long game. However, one of the main benefits with search and local lead generation is that competition can, for the large part, be relatively low (depending on the particular niche or locality you are targeting).
With Facebook Ads, you are essentially entering into a new ball game – landing page optimization is a big factor in acquiring the necessary conversions (as it is with SEO). However, the main benefit to be had with Facebook Advertising is the opportunity to target the granular level.
For example, with Facebook Ads you can conceivably market your Wedding Photography business to Women who have been engaged less than 6 months and are under the age of 30 years old (or whatever criteria you choose to set – you can obviously target by location, too).
Local Lead Generation represents a fantastic opportunity to capture leads for businesses in your local area, particularly when you apply the strategy creatively.
About the Guest Blogger: Gareth Mailer is an SEO Professional. Visit Clickwork Media for link building packages and all the SEO tips you will ever need!