Based on your own experience and the above definitions/examples, you probably already have an idea of which lead generation strategy is best for your business.

Outbound lead gen methods can be great at quickly building brand awareness – particularly mass advertising channels, like television and radio, as they’re able to reach lots of people quickly. However, they can’t support an entire lead generation strategy. For example, in-person events like trade shows can be expensive to attend, and cold calling can come off as an aggressive marketing tactic, so the ROI on these channels is less reliable.

On the other hand, inbound methods make your brand more visible to people already looking for the goods/services you offer and educate them on why your product or service is superior at the same time. As a result, inbound lead generation can help you foster higher purchasing intent and attract higher quality leads. However, inbound lead generation requires a more targeted approach- this is because you’re not broadcasting a core brand message to as wide an audience, so you need to have keen digital skills.

In all likelihood, a mixed approach that borrows from both strategies is probably best for your organisation. This hybrid style allows you to create niche content to move customers along the sales funnel effectively while simultaneously building a strong brand presence via in-person events and mass advertising techniques.

The next step is to segment your marketing activity to generate the three lead types mentioned above: MQLs, SQLs and PQLs. You should aim to build a lead generation strategy that attracts MQLs, turns them into SQLs using niche content (discussed in more detail below), and then find ways to upsell to your existing customers who make up your PQLs.

For example, lead gen channels like trade shows and targeted advertising can be a great way to generate MQLs, while cold calling and effective account management can help you identify high quality PQLs. If done well, you should be able to establish a pipeline of leads from across your business that offers a reliable revenue stream and long-term growth opportunities.

Regardless of whether you opt for inbound or outbound lead generation channels, always make sure to talk about your customer’s problems first and foremost. Maintaining this focus in your lead generation strategy is essential since it’ll help customers understand which companies understand their needs the best. Customers are looking to find solutions to business problems, like operating more efficiently and lowering outgoings, and will readily ignore content that fails to tap into these challenges.

Aim to create content centred around why your product or service is the best on the market at what it does. For example, feature updates, industry awards and ‘how to’ guides can help customers become more confident in your brand and how you deliver a cohesive solution to their problems. You can learn more about creating this type of content in our guide: Customer-Centric Content Marketing.

Our final tip is to leverage modern tools and techniques to streamline your lead generation strategy using digital software and trending content mediums.

For example, you can use cloud-enabled CRM platforms to manage leads more efficiently. Similarly, analytics tools offer ways to share targeted adverts more accurately. You can also partner with leading voices in your industry to feature your product or service to their audience (similar to influencer marketing), or experiment with new content mediums, like short-form videos and site direct advertising to reach your target audience more effectively.

We believe in this tip so much, we’ve even written a whole ebook about the power of AI marketing, so if you’re eager to save time and bring in more qualified leads, check it out.