Promoting your products or services externally is a rapid way to generate leads. Imagine a Super Bowl commercial reaching millions of viewers. A small percentage might become customers. Simple, right? However, this method can be costly. While entertaining, repeated commercials can be intrusive during other events. Outbound marketing often disrupts.

What if you could attract potential customers with valuable content when they’re interested? You can! This is called inbound marketing. It takes time, but an engaged audience makes lead generation easier. Here’s how:

Inbound marketing: The essentials

Inbound marketing thrives on quality content like articles, emails, videos, podcasts, or books. However, unlimited content creates fierce competition. In 2014, Mark Schaefer argued that content marketing is not a sustainable strategy and we’re facing “content shock.”

Image via Mark Schaefer Schaefer predicted creating competitive content would become too expensive.

Examine this graph from his post:

Image via Mark Schaefer The content landscape has changed drastically since 2014, proving Schaefer right. Seven-figure companies now invest heavily in high-quality content, making it even more challenging.

While content marketing remains viable, it requires a strategic approach. Focus on top-quality content, providing maximum value, and be patient. This is crucial to stand out.

Remember, inbound marketing indirectly generates leads. You’re enticing potential customers with free, valuable content, not directly selling. Build trust and relationships, guiding them through your sales funnel. This approach, offering value first, requires patience.

5 strategies for effective inbound lead generation

Let’s explore five strategies to build an engaged audience:

1. Expand your email list

Some believe email is outdated, favoring social media. However, the DMA’s “Marketer Email Tracker 2018” report revealed an impressive ROI for email marketing in 2017.

An email list remains a valuable asset. Use other inbound marketing methods to direct people towards it. Include opt-in forms on your website and offer incentives like ebooks, courses, or webinars for subscribing.

Once your list grows, avoid overwhelming subscribers with sales pitches. Provide value. Beardbrand, a men’s grooming brand, excels at this.

Image Source

They send grooming tips, relevant content, and occasional promotions. When a subscriber needs beard oil, Beardbrand is top-of-mind.

Identify your subscribers’ needs and address them. What problems can you solve through valuable emails?

2. Create a high-quality blog

Blogging establishes you as an authority. When Groove struggled to attract customers, the company decided to bet everything on content marketing by building a blog.

Founder Alex Turnbull shared:

“We were close to running out of money. Our marketing failed, and our website was deserted. We were desperate, lost, and terrified. That’s when we took content marketing seriously.”

Seeking advice from respected content marketers was eye-opening. They needed a unique angle.

Image via Groove Groove actively researched their target audience - small business owners.

Image via Groove They discovered their target audience faced similar challenges. Sharing their journey, Groove launched the blog “A SaaS Startup’s Journey to $100,000 in Monthly Revenue.”

Image via Groove The response was remarkable: 1,000 email subscribers in a day, 5,000 within a month! Three years later, the blog had over 250,000 monthly visitors, generating over $5 million annually.

Groove’s success came from market research, a unique perspective, and exceptional content. The blog attracts small business owners, who subscribe to their email list, building trust and ultimately becoming customers.

Replicate this: Analyze the market, identify gaps, and fill them with exceptional content.

3. Launch a podcast

Podcasts are now ingrained in our lives, especially for young people. Music Oomph reports almost a third of American adults between the ages of 25 and 34 are podcast listeners.

Image via Music Oomph

Podcasts, with a sizeable audience, are powerful lead generators. Tropical MBA, a popular podcast for location independent entrepreneurs, promotes their membership website effectively.

Image Source Launched in 2009, the hosts shared their experiences as location independent entrepreneurs, a niche lacking authentic voices.

Dan and Ian explain:

“Back then, finding people successfully running location independent businesses, especially with physical products, was difficult. Most websites and podcasts lacked real experience. We wanted to connect with genuine individuals. So, we shared our journey weekly. We discussed our daily learnings. It started with a dream and ended with a multi-million dollar exit.”

Their podcast fostered a community, leading to a membership site, conferences, and a job board.

While podcasts were less competitive in 2009, their story emphasizes finding a unique angle, consistent quality, and perseverance. A loyal following can be directed to your email list for lead generation and sales.

4. Utilize YouTube for video content

YouTube, the second largest search engine, offers immense lead generation potential through strategic keyword targeting.

Brian Dean, the SEO expert behind Backlinko, built a successful SEO-focused YouTube channel.

Initially, first launched his channel, he struggled to gain traction. Here are his tips:

• Utilize YouTube’s Search Suggest: Type a word or phrase in the search bar and analyze the suggestions. These keywords reflect what people are searching for.
• Analyze popular videos in your niche: Identify keywords used in successful videos and optimize your content accordingly.
• Choose the best keywords: Target low-competition keywords by analyzing search results. Fewer results indicate lower competition.

Brian’s channel now boasts 213,000 subscribers, generating leads for his SEO training business.

Focus on converting YouTube subscribers into email subscribers. Include a clear call to action with a link to your opt-in form at the end of your videos.

5. Consider writing a book

Books still hold power. They build credibility like nothing else.

You don’t need traditional publishing. Amazon or your website are viable options.

In 2015, Taylor Pearson’s book The End of Jobs solidified his expertise in entrepreneurship and generated significant income.

This debut book sold over 5,000 copies in its first month. His secret? He treated it like a business.

This involved these two key ideas:

• Balance product development and marketing: Focus equally on creating a great product and promoting it effectively.
• Iterate quickly and publicly: Gather feedback early and often.

Taylor shared his drafts with friends, published sections on his blog, and sent advanced copies to readers for feedback.

He created a landing page for The End of Jobs months before launch, offering a free copy to subscribers. This built anticipation, generated buzz, and led to early reviews.

By launching his book for free, Taylor achieved thousands of downloads and a #1 ranking in the Small Business category on Amazon.

Taylor’s success involved continuous promotion, leveraging his launch to gain further exposure.

Beyond income, his book established credibility, leading to speaking engagements, consulting clients, and product sales.

Aspiring authors, remember: Writing is only half the battle. Marketing is crucial. Capture readers and convert them into email subscribers.

Bonus: A clear call to action is key!

While inbound marketing is less direct, it doesn’t mean being passive. Guide your audience.

Every piece of content should have a clear call to action, encouraging email list sign-ups.

It doesn’t have to be forceful:

• Include an opt-in form at the end of blog posts.
• Add a link at the end of videos.
• Remind listeners at the end of podcasts.
• Provide a link at the end of ebooks.

Clearly communicate the value of subscribing. Give people a reason to join your community.

What’s next?

Inbound marketing remains effective but demands effort. Be ready to invest time, energy, and resources into consistently delivering high-quality content.

Patience is key. Building an audience takes time. Make that time work for you. Create assets that will generate leads for years to come.