5 Awesome Lead Generation Strategies For Digital Marketing

Last updated on August 8th, 2024 at 02:31 am

Want to make more sales?

The most straightforward way to do that is to start generating more leads.

That’s why today we are going to discuss five awesome lead-generation strategies for digital marketing.

What is a Lead?

A lead is someone who:

1. Has expressed an interest in your product or service
2. Has given you their contact details

Note that a person needs to meet both of these criteria in order to be considered a lead.

Someone who visited your website but didn’t give you their contact details is not a lead.

And neither is someone whose contact details you have somehow obtained but who has never expressed any interest in what you are selling.

What is Lead Generation?

Lead generation is the process of converting potential customers into leads by persuading them to give you their contact details.

Typically, that means obtaining their email address, although some businesses might require additional information such as a phone number or even a physical address.

What is a Lead Generation Funnel?

Online lead generation is usually done via lead generation funnels:

1. You create a lead magnet
2. You create a landing page for that lead magnet
3. You drive traffic to that landing page

Once a potential customer gives you their email address in exchange for your lead magnet, they become a lead and enter your sales funnel.

That’s where the process of lead generation ends.

What is the Value Ladder Sales Funnel?

You should always view your lead generation funnel in the context of your overall sales funnel.

After all, you aren’t collecting people’s email addresses just because, you are doing it so that you could then sell your products and services to them.

That’s why you need a system for converting potential customers into leads, leads into paying customers, and paying customers into repeat customers. 

We believe that the most effective way to do all that is the Value Ladder sales funnel.

It was created by our co-founder Russell Brunson who then used it to take ClickFunnels from zero to $10M+ in annual revenue in just one year (it’s at $100M+ now!). 

This sales funnel has four stages:

• Bait – You offer the potential customer your lead magnet in exchange for their email address. This is your lead generation funnel.
• Frontend – You offer the potential customer your least expensive and least valuable product or service.
• Middle – You offer the customer a more expensive and valuable product or service.
• Backend – You offer the customer your most expensive and most valuable product or service.

Ideally, you also offer a continuity program of some sort, meaning, a subscription product that generates recurring revenue.

We also recommend adding downsells, upsells, and cross sells to these core offers in order to maximize your revenue.

The reason why this sales funnel works so well is that it allows you to:

1. Start the relationship with that person by offering free value.
2. Nurture that relationship by continuing to provide free value via email.
3. Build trust by providing progressively more paid value at each stage.

Here’s how Russell explains it:

Note that your lead generation funnel, aka the Bait stage, serves as the foundation for your entire Value Ladder sales funnel.

If your free offer isn’t valuable enough, you will struggle to generate leads in the first place.

And if your free offer appears to be valuable but doesn’t deliver what you promised, then you will struggle to convert leads into paying customers.

Keep in mind that you need to exceed people’s expectations at each stage so that they would want to proceed to the next one.

And that starts with the Bait stage.

Lead Generation Strategy #1: Squeeze Page Funnel

A squeeze page funnel only has two pages:

Page 1: A squeeze page

Page 2: A thank you page

A squeeze page is a basic landing page that has these three key elements:

• A headline that conveys what your free offer is all about.
• An email opt-in form where the potential customer can type in their email address. It can either be displayed immediately or shown once they click the call-to-action button.
• A call-to-action button that encourages the potential customer to get the lead magnet.

Usually, squeeze pages also feature additional elements such as subheadlines, extra copy, relevant images, etc.

Here’s an example of a simple, yet high-converting squeeze page that we are using to promote one of our lead magnets:

And here’s the thank you page:

A squeeze page funnel is the most basic leads generation funnel and can work well for all kinds of lead magnets (eBooks, videos, email courses, etc.).

If you have never built a lead generation funnel before, then you should probably start with a squeeze page funnel.

Lead Generation Strategy #2: Reverse Squeeze Page Funnel

A reverse squeeze page funnel also consists of these two pages:

Page 1: A squeeze page

Page 2: A thank you page

So what’s the difference between a regular squeeze page funnel and a reverse squeeze page funnel?

It’s the way the free value is delivered.

• A regular squeeze page funnel keeps all the free value behind the opt-in wall – the potential customer has to give you their email address to access it.
• A reverse squeeze page funnel provides some free value upfront on the squeeze page itself while the rest of it is hidden behind the opt-in wall.

Typically, the squeeze page in the reverse squeeze page funnel features a free video that the potential customer can watch without opting in.

Then you ask for their email address in exchange for a lead magnet related to that free video that they just watched.

The most straightforward approach here is to have a video series, feature an introductory video on your squeeze page, then ask for the potential customer’s email address in exchange for access to the rest of the series. 

Say, if you are in the calisthenics niche, then you could:

1. Create a free video course on basic calisthenics skills that explains progressions for each exercise.
2. Create an introductory video that explains the concept of progression and why it’s so important to follow proper progressions, especially as a beginner.
3. Feature the introductory video on your squeeze page and end it with a call to action where you encourage the potential customer to download your videos with progressions for basic calisthenics exercises.

You can also use the free video on your squeeze page to build an emotional connection by sharing your story, then offer a resource that can help the potential customer achieve the same results.

Say, if you are in the weight loss niche, then you could:

1. Create a 90-day meal plan designed to help people lose weight that incorporates everything you know about weight loss. 
2. Create a video where you share your own weight loss journey.
3. Feature the video on your squeeze page and end it with a call to action where you encourage potential customers to download your free 90-day meal plan.

The reverse squeeze page funnel works best for niches that favor the video medium such as fitness, cooking, crafts, etc.

You also need to either be comfortable in front of the camera or be able to produce videos with a voiceover for it to work. 

Of course, if your budget allows it, you can outsource video production.

Lead Generation Strategy #3: Product Launch Funnel

But what if you want to launch a brand-new product?

Then you might want to consider creating a product launch funnel that is designed to help you build a pre-launch email list.

That way, on the day of the launch, you will be able to announce it to a bunch of people who are already excited about your product. 

Here’s what the product launch funnel looks like:

Page 1: A squeeze page

Page 2: Video #1

Page 3: Video #2

Page 4: Video #3

Page 5: Video #4

Page 6: A product order page

Page 7: An order confirmation page

We recommend structuring your video sequence like this:

• Video #1: Position yourself as an authority and explain to the potential customer how your product will make their life better. 
  Then bring up the objections that the potential customer might have and promise to address them in the next video.
• Video #2: Address the most common objections. Provide social proof by sharing case studies of previous customers (beta testers). Then foreshadow the next video.
• Video #3: Express how excited you are that the potential customer has made it this far. Then take a step back, explain the big picture and help them visualize how your product will make their life better. Then foreshadow the next video.
• Video #4: Launch your product! It’s time to make it available to the potential customer. This page should have a “Buy” button below the video that will take them to the product order form.

Note that the goal here isn’t just to build a pre-launch email list, it’s also to build anticipation and excitement about your product. 

That’s why you shouldn’t make all these videos available immediately – you want to send the potential customer one video every day or one video every other day.

Lead Generation Strategy #4: Webinar Funnel

A webinar funnel is a sales funnel where you use a free webinar as your lead magnet.

Here’s what it looks like:

Page 1: A webinar registration page

Page 2: A thank you page

Page 3: A webinar page

Page 4: A product order page

Webinars, especially live ones, can be intimidating, but they are also extremely effective when done correctly.

First and foremost, you need to provide a lot of free value.

Remember that a webinar should be a presentation that is valuable in and of itself, not just a 45-minute sales pitch for whatever it is that you are selling.

Then you need to make sure that you stay high energy throughout the webinar. As the host, you set the atmosphere, so if you want the audience to be engaged you need to be engaged yourself. 

Finally, use our proven script to transition from your presentation to your sales pitch, as that’s what people who don’t have much webinar experience struggle with the most:

Simply say this:

“So now I’d like to offer you guys something that I’m really excited about. It’s something that I think is going to change tons of lives and businesses for the better. But I don’t want to do it without your permission. If you guys want to learn more about [PRODUCT/SERVICE] then just type “Yes” in the chat bar.”

If your webinar was valuable, the attendees will likely want to hear your pitch, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

However, if no one types “Yes” in the chat bar, you can try one more time:

“Okay. Well I don’t want to take up too much of your time. But I really think this is going to be a game-changer for you. Is it okay if I just spend 10 minutes showing you this offer I put together?”

If there’s still no interest, then simply thank everyone and end the webinar.

This awkward scenario is extremely rare, but it does happen. Typically, it means that you didn’t provide enough value throughout the webinar. 

You should address that by either improving your current webinar or coming up with something better. 

By the way, Russell primarily used webinar funnels to get ClickFunnels off the ground, which is why this funnel holds a special place in our hearts.

Back in the day, he would aim to do 5-7 webinars per week and would sometimes end up doing 2-3 webinars a day. Pretty crazy but it worked!

He has since developed a system for creating webinars that sell called “Perfect Webinar Secrets”. 

We highly recommend checking it out if you want to learn how to grow your business via webinar funnels. It only costs $7!

Lead Generation Strategy #5: Phone Funnel

Not all products and services can be sold via completely automated sales funnels. 

So what should you do if you are selling something that requires getting on the phone with potential customers?

You might want to consider using the phone funnel.

It consists of three pages:

Page #1: Success story where you share your best customer case study. 

Page #2: Application page where you ask qualifying questions to make sure that this potential customer is the right fit for your business. 

Page #3: Homework page where you assign the potential customer a simple task to complete while they wait for you to contact them (e.g. watch a video, read a short PFD, etc.). 

That way, instead of cold calling random people and subjecting yourself to verbal abuse that comes with that, you get a list of qualified leads that want you to call them!

Moreover, the phone funnel involves a lot of preselling, so by the time you make that call the potential customer will have already:

• Seen social proof
• Invested time and energy into filling out an application
• Invested time and energy into doing the homework you assigned to them

Needless to say, someone this committed is a hot lead, which gives you the best shot at closing the sale.

Want Russell to Show You How to Build Your First Sales Funnel?

Let’s keep it real:

Building a sales funnel from scratch can seem like a daunting task.

That’s why we created our 5 Day Challenge where Russell walks you through it step-by-step.

You will learn how to:

• Generate unlimited leads
• Create your first lead magnet
• Build your first sales funnel
• Create a simple 6-email follow-up sequence
• And launch your funnel

…in just five days!

So don’t hesitate.

Join our 5 Day Challenge today. It’s completely free!