Lead Generation

Internet Marketing Lead Generation Ecosystem

Sometimes stepping back and seeing the big picture is the best way to identify all of the smaller pieces that go into it. That’s certainly true when it comes to lead generation in Internet marketing, where there are so many moving parts that all need to be present in order for the campaign to work as effectively as it should.

However, far too many Internet marketers don’t take that crucial step back — to look at how all the various elements of their campaigns fit together. They focus on one element at a time, zeroing in on each at the expense of the larger picture. Without that important step back, they run the risk of ignoring or forgetting about one or more critical elements. One missing piece is all that’s needed to create chaos — and possibly disaster — for a lead generation campaign.

Internet marketers need to cast as wide of a net as possible with their lead generation efforts, as all of these elements must be present in order to drive as many new customers as possible to the business. Each of these elements not only serves a unique purpose, but each feeds into and complements the others. That means if any elements of a lead generation campaign are missing, malfunctioning or misaligned, it can lead to the campaign spinning out of control and potentially failing. Given how important lead generation campaigns are to businesses today, it cannot be overstated how much attention Internet marketers should pay to ensuring their campaigns include all of those elements and configure them properly.

This is where that crucial step back comes into play – Internet marketers need to see each individual element of a lead generation campaign as well as the bigger picture of how they all fit together. However, many Internet marketers allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the complexity of these campaigns, using trial and error to build each one from scratch or only concentrating on a few key elements while ignoring others. There’s little room for error, if any, in the world of Internet marketing, so knowing how to build a lead generation campaign requires a comprehensive blueprint.

Following The Blueprint

Building any complex machine requires a blueprint or schematics, but for a long time, there wasn’t such a document for lead generation campaigns. Those campaigns were being built more or less from memory, using the trial-and-error approach. However, we at Straight North, a leading provider of SEO services in Chicago, has developed what we believe to be the ultimate blueprint for lead generation campaigns. We’ve spent a lot of time examining successful lead generation campaigns, putting them under the microscope to dissect and discover what makes them work. Based on this extensive research conducted by our experienced Internet marketing professionals, we’ve identified all of the major components that go into building a successful lead generation — as well as how they all need to fit together to deliver the best results.

Thanks to the hard work and diligence of our professionals, we’ve created the infographic below. It illustrates what we’ve come to know as the ecosystem of Internet marketing lead generation, creating a kind of blueprint that marketers can follow when constructing their campaigns. Using this blueprint, marketers can construct their campaigns to capture and convert as many potential customers as possible. Why? Because it will feature all of the required elements used to attract them.

For example, many visitors come to a website to learn more about a product or service that they’ve already determined as a need. They don’t need to be convinced that they need this product or service; they’re simply looking for confirmation that they are choosing the right provider. Content such as testimonials from past customers can be very effective for converting these visitors.

On the other hand, some visitors might simply be curious and/or in need of convincing to buy a particular product or service. Converting these visitors through a lead generation campaign requires that the campaign feature dynamic, eye-catching content such as high-quality photography. Well-crafted social media posts shared by friends also can be particularly persuasive.

These are just some of the most obvious examples of elements that need to be present in an Internet marketing lead generation campaign. There are dozens more that are all equally important. Whether you’re building a campaign from scratch or working to optimize your existing campaign, the blueprint provided below can be used as your guide.

Infographic created by Straight North

About: bfields

Brad Shorr is Director of Content Strategy at Straight North, an Internet marketing firm in Chicago that specializes in SEO, PPC and web design services. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, Brad has been featured in leading online publications including Entrepreneur, Moz and Forbes.


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