When it comes to lead generation, there’s one question that’s more important than any other. That question is, “Where’s the value?”
Sure, as marketers and business owners we like to think that we’re adding value to people with the products and services that we provide or with the whitepapers and webinars that we create and offer up to people in exchange for them filling out our data capture forms. But just because we think we’re adding value, it doesn’t mean we actually are.
In fact, you could argue that webinars, whitepapers, ebooks and other gated content are getting less and less relevant as time goes on. That’s because there’s such a widespread proliferation of informational and educational content thanks to the internet that it can be difficult for brands to offer something truly unique that people can’t find elsewhere.
Then there’s the fact that not all content is equal. Not all of it is relevant, either. In fact, if you’re using content marketing for lead generation but you’re not matching it up to buyer personas then you’re basically flushing your money down the toilet.
The most common problem for lead gen
What it all comes down to is this: both the content that you offer and the service that you provide will need to address your customers’ pain points. It needs to take what keeps them up at night and offer them a solution, even if that means telling them how to do something that you’d usually charge them for. If it doesn’t add value, it’s pointless.
Most people like to think they know their customers, but most people are also wrong. Unless you’ve carried out in-depth research into your target audience through everything from questionnaires to one-on-one interviews, you don’t really know them. You know who you want your customers to be, but you don’t know who they actually are.
We all know how important personalisation and relevance are to modern marketers, so why do we forget about it as soon as it comes to generating leads? And if we’re not offering relevant, targeted content that caters to their pain points then why should we expect to generate relevant, targeted leads that will go on to become customers?
Conclusion
If you think you know your customers, think again. We’re creating and sharing more data than ever before which means it’s the best time in history for companies to understand consumers and to tailor their messaging accordingly. It’s an exciting time to be alive, but it also means that brands are under more pressure than ever. Consumers actually want to become leads – but only to the brands that can help them. Are you one of those brands?
Struggling with lead gen? Don’t worry – we’re here to help you to gather the leads you need to boost your business. Request a demo of Bant.io to find out how we can help your company to grow by sending hot B2B leads directly to your inbox. You won’t regret it.
Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.