If you’re spending money on Facebook or Google (or any paid traffic platform, for that matter) to generate leads, let me explain an in-depth process to make sure your campaign doesn’t end up in an early grave.
Step One: High-Level Campaign Requirements
Before we begin, let’s clarify a few key things you need to consider when planning your lead generation campaign.
From a psychological perspective, your prospects will enquire with you when they feel comfortable that:
- you UNDERSTAND their situation in-depth
- you can solve their problem or achieve their desired outcome, better than anyone else available to them
- the value you’ll provide will outweigh their investment in time and money (they’ll feel you’re ‘worth it’)
- you’ve solved their problem before, and can do it again for them
- they like and trust you
An effective lead generation campaign will create ALL of the above situations, via ad creative and landing pages.
Make sure the following things are occurring to ensure your ads and landing pages convert your traffic:
- You have a strong and unique offering in your market… and your “Unique Value Proposition” (explained in the next section) is carefully communicated
- Your offers are compelling, and you’re using them at the right parts of your buyer’s journey (also explained below)
- You’re using the strongest/most appropriate emotional triggers
- Your landing pages provide enough information to cater for your prospect’s level of awareness
- You are catering for prospects who want to engage you NOW and prospects who aren’t ready yet (Hint: this is where you nurture via email)
Step Two: Differentiation — Adding Natural Strength To Your Campaign
You need to make sure your campaign’s messaging contains strong differentiation against other players in your space — in other words, make sure you:
- Describe the benefits you provide your customers (ie. how you change their lives for the better), and explain how you are DIFFERENT,
- Speak directly to the desired outcomes of your prospects,
- Speak directly to the reader, in their own terms, using “you” language, instead of using only “we” or “I”,
- State your claims from a customer’s point of view, and solve a problem or provide an outcome they don’t yet have,
- Demonstrate PROOF that you can make true of your claims,
- Demonstrate unique data points that separates you from your competitors,
- Address core emotional triggers,
- Demonstrate that you “get” your customers (you “understand” them)
- Make it 110% clear that you are THE #1 LOGICAL CHOICE to the prospect, and
- Contain a guarantee and/or elements that will contribute to some form of reduction in risk.
Step Three: Crafting Your Offer
Simply saying “enquire now”, “contact us”, or “subscribe to our free newsletter” won’t cut it anymore. You need to offer your prospects items of value to attract them into your marketing funnel. In online lead generation, offers are usually information (of differing degrees of human/real-time involvement from you) that solves a problemor provides a desired outcome.
1: Top Of Funnel Offers – Research Stage
Top Of Funnel Offers generally explain how to solve a problem or achieve a desired outcome, and can come in the forms of checklists, whitepapers/reports, guides, interactive PDFs, or videos. A Top Of Funnel Offer is provided in exchange for an email address. A Top Of Funnel Offer answers the question “How do I solve a particular problem”.
2: Middle Of Funnel Offers – Consideration Stage
Middle Of Funnel Offers generally show how a problem can be solved or an outcome achieved using a specific organisation’s solution, and can come in the forms of advanced whitepapers/reports, case studies, webinars, or videos. A Middle Of Funnel Offer is also provided in exchange for an email address. A Middle Of Funnel Offer answers the question “How do I solve a problem using a particular organisation’s solution”.
3: Bottom Of Funnel Offers – Purchase Stage
Bottom Of Funnel Offers bridge the gap between your marketing funnel and your sales process. Bottom Of Funnel Offers generally show a prospect how to solve a problem or achieve a desired outcome using tailored strategies specific to their unique situation, and are usually in the form of a free consultation, a free strategy/planning session, or an in-person engagement where value is delivered to the prospect. A Bottom Of Funnel Offer is designed to (a) provide value to your prospects while (b) positioning your paid product or service as the next logical step.
Step Four: Tactical Campaign Management – Landing Pages
Here are some tactical conversion tips for high-converting landing pages.
Copy:
- Ensure you address pain/pleasure points, and/or emotional triggers
- Write using a conversational style, just like you’d speak to someone in person
- Use the word ‘you’ where possible, particularly in headlines
- Talk in terms of your prospects’ desired end state… and the benefits they’ll get when they engage you
- Benefits come first… then back them up using features and facts about your business
- Weave in social proof as much as possible
Design:
- Use bullet points and subheadings, to prevent information-skimming
- Use diagrams where possible
- Don’t overload users with information, however present information in a logical information hierarchy
- Design quality can convey your commitment to quality – so use an aesthetically pleasing design
- Don’t use images that are too ‘stocky’ – keep it real. Use your own photography if possible
Technical:
- Have a clear ’next step’ call to action on your Thank You Pages
- Ensure your collateral can be viewed easily on all devices
- Ensure forms are compatible for mobile devices
- Pay attention to page load speed (long page load times can frustrate and deter users)
Step Five: Tactical Campaign Management – Traffic Sources
Follow these tips for Google Ads and Facebook Advertising…
Google Ads / Search Marketing
Search marketing allows you to show your ads to people who are actively searching for (a) a solution to a problem they no longer want or (b) a desired outcome/end state. The most popular search marketing platforms are Google Ads and Bing. Follow these tips for strong search marketing campaigns:
An effective campaign will contain the following strategic elements:
- It helps solve the unwanted problems and/or create desired solutions of your target audience.
- It showcases the unique benefits/features provided by your business.
- It is deeply researched and covers all of the search terms used in your industry
- It creates some sort of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) differentiation, so your ads look different and stand apart.
- It uses a tight keyword -> ad -> landing page relevance.
Facebook Advertising
Paid social media ad platforms (like Facebook) allow you to show ads to people who are interested in, or could benefit from, your product or service. Unlike Search Marketing, paid social media platforms use an ‘interruptive’ strategy, where ads are placed in front of users (instead of them searching for a solution). Facebook is the largest social media ad platform. Your Facebook PPC campaign should have the following strategic features:
- It helps solve the unwanted problems and/or create desired solutions of your target audience.
- It showcases the unique benefits/features provided by your business.
- It takes a value-first approach – where your ad creative provides value up-front, to lay the foundations of a win-win prospect relationship
- It is designed to nurture slowly instead of ‘asking for marriage before your first date’