11 Low Cost Lead Generation Ideas (Part 2)

This post on Low Cost Lead Generation Ideas is a continuation of the previous article on Low Cost Marketing Ideas To Generate Brand Awareness

 

For those of you joining me for the first time today, I am doing a series of 3 posts covering Low Cost, Guerrilla, DIY Marketing ideas for anyone who is either facing budget constraints or team constraints or wants to bring some fresh thinking in their marketing efforts.

 

If you prefer video over text, then check out my webinar on the same topic. (It was voted Talk Of The Day at the Uppercase Conference).

 

So, recapping from the last post, there are 3 types of marketing ideas based on the objective they help to achieve:

 

Type 1 –Brand Awareness generating ideas i.e. ideas that will help you tell the world ‘Hi there, this is me!’

 

Type 2- Lead generation ideas i.e. ideas that say ‘Now that you know me, may I get your contact details please?’

 

Type 3- Sales garnering ideas i.e. ‘Remember, we met and exchanged numbers? I got something for you’

 

In this post, we will cover Type 2 (Lead Generation Marketing Ideas).

 

(Part 2) 11 Low Cost Lead Generation Ideas

 

1. Coupon Booklet Of Co-working Space Network

A lot of start-ups, freelancers, consultants operate out of co-working spaces because they are cost effective and perfect for networking. You can take advantage of the networking opportunity by collaboratively releasing a coupon book. Example: If there are 10 different start ups/ consultants sitting there, each can offer their service/ product at a discount and club all those varied coupons together either in hard copy or soft copy and share it with each other’s customers and networks. Multifold reach at barely any cost.

 

2. Comments On Amazon Book Reviews

Amazon has books on any and every topic under the sun. Identify books on your industry. Example: If you are a financial advisor, check out reviews on personal finance books and respond to each review via comments. The reviewers are most likely customers in the ‘Information Gathering Stage’ of their customer journey. They could be potential leads. The least you can do is direct them to your landing page for newsletter subscription. This is a low hanging fruit, totally free of cost lead generation tactic.

 

3. Ebooks (Content Marketing) On Amazon

Create an Ebook on your subject. Sell it on Amazon (you can even sell at Rs. 0). That will give you an Amazon presence. Also when you do the previous activity of commenting on reviews, you are given the option to link to another product on Amazon, any product. So you can comment on the book review, add a link to your ebook on the same topic and get a book sale perhaps, or atleast a fan.

 

4. Emailer To Make The Lead Qualify Herself

As suggested by OnepageCRM, ask a question as if you don’t really need to talk to recipient such that it will make the lead qualify herself. See the above email template.

 

5. Dean Jackson’s More Cheese, Less Whiskers 1-line Email

Another brilliant suggestion by OnepageCRM, apparently this email template has helped generate millions in revenues across all sorts of industries.

 

6. Congratulatory Email Instead Of Cold Emailing

Instead of standard cold emailing, send a congratulatory email to each company on your industry’s Top 10 or Top 20 list or some awards list. This is a better form of cold emailing. Once you congratulate on email, if you get a reply then you could try the one line emailer mentioned above.

 

7. Free But Delicious Tea/ Coffee At Exhibitions

Universal human motivator- food! Trade shows and exhibitions usually don’t have food inside stalls. Unless it’s a food exhibition, of course. Offer free tea and coffee to anyone who passes by. The smell alone would make the stall stand out. Most people maybe inclined to take up the free offer (provided the beverage is really delicious). This will give you a chance to talk to them while they are sipping their beverage and get their contact details etc. Just rent a vending machine at your next trade show or expo.

 

8. Book Exchange Program

Create a book collection in your office filled with books related to your industry. Click a picture of the titles and share on social media. Anyone interested in reading any of those titles can drop in their address and you can deliver it to them. But its not a sale. Once they finish, they have to ask you to pick it up. They can share their favorite passages with you. You can add elements of surprise- like inserting a fun bookmark or a coffee shop discount coupon. The objective is to be interactive, show you are so into your industry, get a chance to get customer addresses, get a chance at a prolonged relationship with the customer- through the give and take.

 

9. Google Hangouts On-Air 15 Minute Weekend Party

‘Weekend is here. Join our Google Hangouts video call and we will announce a discount code for pizza and drinks. Let us have a virtual party together and unwind after a hectic week’. Tie up with local partners for the food/ beverage discount coupons.

Shoot the video at your office- let customers get a behind the scenes glimpse. Start the video call with a recap of how your week was. Then ask the participants about their week (customer engagement). There are so many variations to this- you could add drama and quirk in the video by exaggerated poses of tiredness or excitement at the dawn of the weekend. you could tell people that XYZ brand of food has said they will give 50% off coupon if we can get atleast 100 people on the call so bring your friends along to the party. You could also give a bit of industry news like ‘Hey did you hear this story that came out this week…?’

 

10. Target Buyer Interviews (A Tip More Apt For B2B Segment Or Where The Buyers Are Clearly Identified)

Interview target buyers as experts of your industry. The interview helps you get a foot in the door. Compile all the interviews into an ebook or use it for content on your website and nurture the relationship into a lead. (First shared this idea in my article on B2B Marketing Ideas).

 

11. Website Treasure Hunt And Discount Code

Through digital ads, announce a website treasure hunt. You can ask questions on social media whose answers are hidden in your website. People have to go through your site thoroughly to find them. You could give clues as to what section they can look into etc. As and when people solve each clue, they get the next one on social media. At the end of the hunt, they are entitled to some good offer. The purpose is to get people to check out your website, especially if it’s an e-commerce site. (First published this idea in my article on Amazon’s Fashion Marketing Ideas).

 

Finito, friends.

 

Now, which of these do you think will work the best for you? Let me know in the comments below. Would love to hear. 

Why don’t you continue onto Part 3 and the Finale of this series of Low Cost, DIY, Guerrilla Marketing Ideas for some sticky, clever ideas to generate sales or convert leads hard earned through ideas given here? See you there!!