Automated lead generation is a great way to find better leads faster, but only if it’s used right. It can take a bit of finessing to get the best results.
This blog post will guide you through the most common issues businesses face in establishing automated lead generation, as well as how to overcome them.
Let’s take a look.
Top benefits of automated lead generation
To really enjoy the benefits of automated lead generation, it needs to be spot on. It’s worth the effort to get it right though.
For a start, automation frees up a chunk of time time spent manually responding to leads, while always being ‘on’ – so you won’t miss a thing.
There’s also the ability to segment and categorise leads to find the most promising people. And that’s not to mention the ability to contact and nurture those leads in specific, more personalised ways.
But that’s when it’s working at its best, what about when it’s not?
Here are some common causes of poor automated lead gen, and what you need to do to improve your results:
1. Target audience misalignment
It’s always tempting to try and target as many people as possible. After all, why wouldn’t you want to reach every available potential customer?
The truth is, it’s actually much better to focus on a smaller, more focused audience than bringing in lots of unsuitable leads.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Hitting the right target audience is as simple as asking a few questions when you share your lead magnet. It’s the perfect opportunity to find out more about a lead and categorise them.
A ScoreApp quiz gives you the scope to get some detailed answers, while even a few prequalifying questions (sent alongside an attractive landing page and sign-up form for a webinar, or a mini-course that already attracts high-quality leads, for example) can help to narrow down leads to the most promising.
2. Weak or generic content
Is your content something that you’d want to read? Because if you don’t think it’s engaging, entertaining, and relevant then your prospective leads won’t either. And a prospect who isn’t engaged with your content isn’t likely to form a bond that leads to a sale.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
The key is learning about your audience and talking to them more directly. Instead of using generic terms in your content about nothing in particular, use a quiz to find out what makes your leads tick.
That way you can address their concerns, and have the kind of relevant conversation that shows you get them. Once they know that you are their kind of business, they’re far more likely to move down the sales funnel.
3. Lack of personalisation
Speaking to automated systems can feel hollow and impersonal. Most of us would rather speak to a human, or at least feel like our own humanity is recognised. That’s why it’s important to keep leads onside by talking to them personally, even in an automated message.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Personalising your marketing is a great way to improve customer experience and boost engagement.
With ScoreApp analytics, you can use their answers to quizzes and prequalifying questions to offer more relevant content. But remember, there’s a fine line between speaking to a lead directly and writing as if you’ve been stalking them. Always follow best practices and use customer data responsibly.
4. No clear call-to-action (CTA)
Is it clear what the next step is for a lead to take? Because if it’s not then they’re more likely to disengage from the process than progress to the next stage. You need a strong and clear CTA to keep things moving in the right direction.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
When you use ScoreApp, email marketing tools, and any other automated lead generation tool, make sure it’s clear what people should do next.
Plan your funnel in advance so it’s easy to craft a CTA that fits. Think about what you want the prospective lead to do after reading the message. You might want them to:
- Sign up to a course or webinar
- Download a document, like an ebook
- Join a waitlist
- Complete a quiz
In any case, the key to a good CTA is to tell them what you want, and why they should oblige in a way they can’t resist.
5. Lack of follow-up nurturing
Not every lead is going to convert and hit the buy button straight away. Some take a bit more attention and TLC…
It’s important to have an email nurturing sequence in place, otherwise these potential leads could easily drift away.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Putting a carefully planned nurturing process in place is the best way to build trust and engagement, making that eventual buy-in much more likely.
Connect ScoreApp to any of the major email automation tools and you can build a sequence that follows up on quiz submissions, doubling down on the lead’s pressing issues and offering solutions that keep them engaged.
6. Poor landing page experience
If your landing page isn’t up to scratch then leads won’t stick around for long. It has to match the expectations you’ve built up in your messaging or prospects will find what they’re looking for elsewhere.
Landing pages exist for visitors to complete a specific task (signing up for a webinar, taking a quiz, joining a waiting list, or more) so they have to hit the mark.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Sticking to landing page best practices will always improve conversions. Making sure the page loads quickly, is optimised for mobile devices, and has relevant content is a great start that..
Using ScoreApp, you can use handy templates and ready-made drag-and-drop elements to build a landing page that is irresistible.
7. Ignoring analytics and feedback
If you set up your automated lead generation and just sit back and see what happens then you’re not going to get the best results. For that, you need to keep on top of analytics and user feedback.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Analytics will show you where you need to make improvements to your offering, as well as what’s really working well and can be capitalised on.
It might be your content, the timing of your emails, or even your target audience, but analytics will tell you. Customer feedback is incredibly useful, so be sure to create a feedback quiz in ScoreApp to get specific.
8. Neglecting mobile optimisation
Not all of your leads will be viewing your content on a computer or laptop! Some of them will have reached for the tablet while making a cup of coffee, or when doing a bit of extra work on their phone on the train.
It sounds obvious, but if they can’t view your landing page, emails, or forms from those devices – or if it’s a frustrating experience – you could be missing out on good leads.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
Luckily, ScoreApp automatically creates versions of your lead magnets that are mobile-friendly. That way your leads will be able to complete quizzes and prequalifying questions, sign up for webinars, and visit any of your landing pages on any device.
9. Underutilising A/B testing
You’ll never truly know how well your automated lead generation is working unless you test each element thoroughly. If one part of your process isn’t doing the trick then you won’t be getting the best leads.
How to overcome this automated lead generation challenge
A/B testing is the key to finding out what works and what doesn’t. By mixing up your CTAs, subject lines, and key messaging, you can understand what resonates best with prospects. It can be scary to make changes to a live process, but it’s worth it when you hit on something that works even better.
Experts believe that A/B testing can increase conversions by around 5%. It may not seem like a huge number, but if you’re generating thousands of leads, it will result in a substantial increase in conversions.
Pairing ScoreApp with your email marketing platform of choice then it’s even easier to try new things across campaigns.
Avoid these common automated lead generation problems with ScoreApp
As you can see, there are many moving parts to get automated lead generation right. There are two things to say to that though: Firstly, it’s unlikely that your campaign is falling foul of all of these issues at the same time. And second, the resulting increase in quality leads from making sure everything is just right speaks for itself.
By speaking to your audience in a way that connects and drives action and following up regularly, you can form stronger ties with potential leads.
Keeping on top of the important background work (checking analytics and feedback as well as A/B testing to see what works) is what ensures your automated lead generation process keeps working at its best.
ScoreApp makes automated lead generation easy. Easy to set up, easy to manage, easy to get the best results. Try it for free now.
