6 steps to pull the right leads your way this year
Mid-January is peak ‘new business mindset’ time of year. One of our students called it that and we knew exactly what he meant. Maybe you’re feeling that way too. Perhaps you’re wondering what can you do differently to draw in more of the right business this year.
Over the last couple of years, Covid has changed the lead generation game, along with everything else. When it comes to business development, content is THE way to reach our audiences,
As our friend Carlijn Postma so rightly says:
“In 2021 even more brands and organisations realised that, to survive everything that’s been thrown at them in the last two years, they are dependent on content marketing.
Lockdown travel restrictions have limited the physical movement of our audiences. Content is all we have to reach them. That means that every brand, every organisation must think about their story and the content they need to get that story out.”
So if you want to create more leads this year, focus on your content. But how? Where to focus? Here’s our view.
6 steps to power your lead generation this year
1. Why - Get clear on your goals. Set your intention.
What do you want to happen for your business this year? What will make 2022 your best year yet? Even if you feel like your goals haven’t changed since last year, it’s worth revisiting them in January.
Time away from the busyness of your desk is good. Maybe take yourself on a walk and take a different perspective on your life and business. Book a session with your coach, think the big picture through with someone that will ask you good questions.
We find visualisation helps too - try our creative goal setting writing exercise.
2. Who - Be clear on WHO you want to attract, and what problem you solve
This is SO important. You can’t be all things to all people. Try and appeal to everyone and your messages will fall between the cracks. So what type of clients/customers do you want to attract? And what problem do you solve for them?
Trust in the power of niche. It can feel like a hard decision to only target a very specific section of the market, solving a specific issue, but it always pays off.
And once you’ve found your niche, immerse yourself in it. Do your research. Seek customer feedback to understand these people. What are their challenges and what are their goals? How do they position you and what do they value?
Use these insights to shape your brand positioning and content strategy.
3. What - Say it clearly on your website
State clearly who you work for and what you do. Get your positioning straight, and set out your niche stall. Make it obvious who you want to attract. Write for those people, and those people alone.
Can your kind of ideal customers see themselves and their challenges reflected on your website? Are you for them? Is that crystal clear?
If not, consider an About you? page - like Newfangled - a love letter to those you want to do business with, and a brilliant way to make a positioning message come alive.
4. How - Plan a valuable content, lead generation campaign
With your niche in mind and positioning clear, think in terms of a body of useful content that will bring your story to life for your target clients.
Step back and set down your beliefs and perspective - your unique take on solving the challenges your audience faces. What will most help your ideal clients? What content will they be looking for?
Commit to sharing your knowledge and expertise. Plan a series of linked articles, blogs, guides, videos, that amplify your message and which can be used to start conversations over the next few months.
You can maximise your content efforts by thinking about repurposing from the outset. Maybe one cornerstone article could be reframed as a couple of blogs? Could your blogs have second lives as Twitter stories? Does a key case study have any mileage on your Instagram feed? Don’t worry that you’re repeating the same message too much, think of each new piece of linked content as strengthening your positioning and drive the message home - in a way that’s valuable to others, of course.
5. When - Commit to making it happen
Block out time, allocate resources, find the support you need. Ideas are one thing, creating client winning content is another! What do you need to put in place to make sure your valuable content sees the light of day?
6. Now - Get out there!
Do it. Write, talk, share. It takes bravery, generosity and consistency to keep putting out valuable content, but it pays dividends, drawing the right people towards you and motivating inquiries.
Content case study: Sue Bush at The Co-Foundry
Want an example of this business-winning approach in action? Brand strategist and designer, Sue Bush made big changes to her content last year, and all the right leads are now coming in. Here’s what she did.
Foundations: the hard thinking upfront
Sue stepped back and thought hard about her goals - for the business and for her personally. What sort of life did she want? And therefore what did the business need to look like from here She sought customer feedback to understand where her value and difference lay and what her ideal customers wanted, from her, in terms of service and content (they are linked!).
She was doing a lot. She thought about the work she most wanted to do with and made the brave decision to focus down on a niche audience - creative and tech founders with a strong sense of purpose.
She defined her unique approach - the essence of what the business is all about: a branding approach with collaboration at its heart.
Brand and positioning
With this thinking in mind, Sue refreshed her brand and website, and even changed her company name, for a better reflection of the business now - from Touchpoint Design to The Co-Foundry - a name that fits.
Look at most design agency websites and you’ll see that they lead with their work portfolio - look at how creative we are! Sue includes this in the site, of course, but takes a very different approach on The Co-Foundry website, leading with the problem she solves, and for who. She shares the story behind her business and her distinct collaborative perspective on branding. You get a real sense of what it’s like to work with her, and it’s compelling.
Valuable content marketing
She started creating and sharing valuable content, regularly. Putting fear and trepidation aside, she’s now generously sharing her ideas, making her expertise visible: regular blog articles, LinkedIn posts (including video - she’s fabulous on film), talks and events, a super-useful downloadable guide to rebranding, and a monthly email newsletter - the Co-Foundry Hot Metal Press, full of tips, insights and ideas on branding and creativity. Just the type of content that HER type of customers would value.
Content that gets results
Leads are flying in for Sue - red hot inbound enquiries for exactly the sort of projects Sue loves to work on - collaborative brand strategy advice and design for purposeful, founder-led creative and tech businesses.
And this content-fuelled, lead generation approach can work for you too. Have a look at Sue’s website for inspiration, and follow the six steps we set out here.
Here's to a year of taking bold action on your content to propel your business forward. We wish you the very of luck. Any questions, just shout.
Sharon and Sonja
