What is outbound marketing?
How can you use it to generate leads, make sales, and grow your business?
That’s what we’re talking about in this quick guide.
First, we’ll define outbound marketing and discuss how it’s different from inbound marketing. Then, we’re going to give you 8 tried-and-true outbound lead generation tactics — inside each, we’ll provide the best opportunities RIGHT NOW that are available to business owners and marketers.
Let’s dive in!
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What is Outbound Lead Generation?
Outbound lead generation is the process of identifying, contacting, and developing relationships with potential customers who are not actively looking for your product or service.
It’s a more traditional form of marketing that relies on tactics like cold-calling, print advertisements, and email blasts to reach leads who may not be familiar with your brand.
Outbound Lead Generation Vs. Inbound Lead Generation
Outbound marketing is often contrasted with inbound marketing, which is a more modern lead generation strategy that relies on digital channels like SEO, content marketing, and social media to attract leads who are already interested in what you have to offer.
Here are simple examples of the process behind each method….
Inbound Lead Generation Example
- Person searches for “best marketing plan” on Google
- They find your blog post and click on it.
- After they’ve read it, they download your free lead magnet marketing plan and are added to your email list.
Outbound Lead Generation Example
- A person is scrolling on Facebook.
- They see one of your advertisements for a great marketing plan.
- They click on the ad and download your marketing plan and are added to your email list.
The two strategies are not mutually exclusive, and the best lead generation campaigns usually employ a mix of both inbound and outbound tactics.
Typically, businesses will use outbound marketing tactics (ads, sponsorships, etc.) to generate leads immediately… and they’ll use inbound marketing tactics (SEO, content marketing, etc.) to build brand awareness and create a consistent flow of leads that they don’t have to keep paying for.
7 Outbound Lead Generation Strategies That Work Well
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s move on to the good stuff — the outbound lead generation strategies!
1. Social Media Ads
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer some of the most cost-effective lead generation opportunities for businesses today.
According to Wordstream, the average cost per click (CPC) on Facebook is $0.97 and the average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is $7.19. For LinkedIn, the average CPC is $5.26 and the average CPM is $6.59.
This means that you can reach a large number of people with your message for relatively little money.
Social media ads also allow for very specific targeting — you can specify the location, age, gender, interests, and even behaviors of the audience that you want to get in front of.
This ensures that your message is only being seen by people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to say — which is a huge advantage over more “shotgun blast” outbound lead generation tactics like print ads or cold email campaigns.
Best Opportunities Right Now For Social Media Ads
Facebook: Facebook is currently the largest social media platform in the world with over 2 billion monthly active users. It offers a number of features that make it an ideal platform for lead generation, including the ability to target by location, demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.
LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a social media platform designed specifically for professionals. This makes it an ideal platform for B2B companies that are looking to generate leads with high purchase intent. LinkedIn also offers very granular targeting options, allowing you to target by job title, company size, industry, and more.
Tik Tok: TikTok is a social media platform that is quickly gaining popularity, especially among younger users. It offers businesses the opportunity to reach a large and engaged audience with creative content.
2. PPC Advertising
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is a type of online advertising where businesses can pay to have their ads displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) and on other websites.
The most popular PPC platform is Google Ads, which allows businesses to bid on keywords that they want their ads to appear for when people search for those terms on Google.com.
For example, if you own a dog walking business, you might bid on the keyword “dog collar” so that your ad appears whenever someone searches for that term on Google.
PPC advertising is an effective way to generate leads because it allows you to get your message in front of people who are already interested in what you have to offer.
The downside of PPC advertising is that it can be expensive, and it requires ongoing investment to maintain a consistent flow of leads.
Best Opportunity Right Now For PPC Advertising
Google Ads: Google Ads is the largest and most popular PPC platform in the world. It offers a number of features that make it an effective lead generation tool, including the ability to target by location, keywords, interests, and more.
Bing Ads: Bing Ads is another popular PPC platform that is often overlooked by businesses. It offers many of the same features as Google Ads, but with less competition and lower costs.
3. Direct Mail
Direct mail is a type of outbound marketing where businesses send physical letters or postcards to potential customers in an effort to generate leads.
This is most effective for business owners whose target market is localized to a specific area — like real estate agents, real estate investors, lawyers, gyms, dentists, and other brick-and-mortar businesses.
You can target by zip code, carrier route, or even by specific neighborhoods.
One of the main benefits of direct mail is that it allows you to stand out from the digital noise and reach your target market in a more personal way.
Best Opportunity Right Now For Direct Mail
Postcards: Postcards are a type of direct mail that allows you to send a message without enclosing it in an envelope. This makes them less expensive to mail and more likely to be noticed by the recipient.
Plus, you can use postcards to include a call to action (like a coupon or discount) that encourages recipients to take action and become a lead.
Hand-Written Letters: Companies like Ballpoint Marketing have started offering hand-written letters to real estate investors to increase engagement with their direct mail. Keep an eye out for other similar opportunities like this.
4. Cold Email Pitching
Cold email pitching is a type of outbound marketing where businesses send emails to potential customers in an effort to generate leads.
The most important thing to keep in mind with cold emailing is that your email needs to offer value — whether that’s a helpful blog post, a free ebook, or something else entirely.
You also need to make sure that your email is personalized and relevant to the recipient. Otherwise, it’s likely to be deleted without being opened.
This outbound tactic is most effective for agencies, consultants, coaches, and freelancers.
Best Opportunity Right Now For Cold Email Pitching
Email Finding Services: Email finding services like VoilaNorbert can help you find potential customers’ contact information and send bulk emails without getting marked as spam.
This takes a lot of the legwork out of cold email pitching, and it’s especially helpful if you’re not sure where to start.
LinkedIn InMail: LinkedIn InMail is a feature that allows you to send direct messages to potential customers on LinkedIn. This can be a great way to reach decision-makers at businesses in your target market.
To use LinkedIn InMail, you’ll need to have a paid LinkedIn account. But it’s worth it if you’re serious about generating leads through cold emailing.
5. Webinars
Webinars are online seminars that businesses can use to generate leads and sales.
They’re typically educational in nature, and they offer value to the attendees. But they also include a strong call to action, which makes them an effective lead generation tool.
We do webinars all the time at ClickFunnels…
With a webinar, you can generate leads on the front end when people register and make sales on the back end during your closing offer.
Best Opportunity Right Now For Webinars
Autowebinars: Autowebinars are webinars that are recorded in advance and then played on a loop for people who register.
This allows you to generate leads and sales around the clock without having to be present for the webinar itself.
It’s a great way to make the most of your time, and it’s an especially effective lead generation strategy if you have a product or course to sell.
6. Newsletter or Podcast Sponsorships
Newsletter or podcast sponsorships are a form of native advertising.
With this strategy, you pay to have your ad (usually in the form of a banner or text link) included in an email newsletter or podcast episode.
By targeting the podcasts and newsletters that your target market already tunes into, you can get your outbound sales funnel in front of the right people.
Best Opportunity Right Now For Sponsorships
Podcast Advertising Networks: Podcast advertising networks like Midroll and AdvertiseCast can help you find the right podcasts to sponsor and place your ad.
This takes a lot of the legwork out of finding relevant podcasts and negotiating sponsorships, which makes it a great option if you’re short on time.
7. TV / Radio / Print
TV, radio, and print advertising are all traditional forms of outbound marketing.
And while they can be expensive, they can also be effective if you target the right shows, stations, and publications.
When done correctly, TV, radio, and print advertising can help you reach a wide audience and generate leads and sales for your business.
Best Opportunity Right Now For TV / Radio / Print
Local Advertising: For TV, radio, and print ads, local is probably best — unless you’re a huge company with a huge budget.
This can be a great way to reach potential customers who are more likely to do business with you because they live or work nearby.
Hulu: Hulu recently announced its ad manager — which is in Beta — that allows smaller businesses to get their offers in front of Hulu watchers for as little as $500. Expect more opportunities like this in the near future as other streaming services follow suit!
Conclusion
There you have it — 7 outbound lead generation strategies that work well.
So if you’re looking for new ways to generate leads and grow your business, give these strategies a try.
You’ll be sure to find something that works for your business.
Or click the link below and dive head-first into an awesome challenge that’ll help you generate leads like clockwork!
