B2C Lead Generation Demystified - How To Start Seeing Results

Growing your business's revenue is undoubtedly your main goal, yet it’s also the biggest challenge. Although the Internet provides us with access to a wider pool of customers, the competition is at an all-time high.

Furthermore, most people haven’t heard of your business yet, and if you want to convert them into customers, you have to transform them into leads first.

This is where B2C lead generation comes in, as it will help you exponentially increase the base of potential customers, while at the same time yielding better results from your marketing efforts.

Let’s go over the basics such as what is B2C lead generation, how it works, and finally how you can push it to the next level.

What is B2C lead generation?

Before getting deeper into what is B2C lead generation, you have to first understand the acronym. B2C stands for business-to-consumer - direct selling between a business and an individual buyer.

This applies to almost every type of direct selling including, contracts, services, products, and subscriptions. 

With that out of the way, we can go deeper into what is B2C lead generation. As the name suggests, it’s a process of converting people into B2C leads - those who have an interest in your brand. 

Showing interest can be anything, but in terms of online sales, it’s typically some action a customer took on your site, such as requesting a quote or any other prior interaction with your business online. 

The reason why lead generation is important is best demonstrated by an example:

Let’s say person A is doing online shopping and they see an ad for your product. This is their first time hearing about you, so they simply continue browsing. At the same time, person B sees the same ad, but since they already know about your business and have signed up for your newsletter, the ad inspires them to make a purchase.

In this example, person B was already a lead, hence, the ad was much more effective than with person A who is yet to become a lead. 

Marketing funnel and B2C lead generation

A key concept that may help you better understand what is B2C lead generation is the marketing funnel. This model is used to visually represent the entire buyer’s journey - from an awareness of a service or product all the way to making a purchase. 

Every funnel is wide at the top and narrows out at the bottom, and so is the marketing funnel. At the very top are all the users, most of whom are very far from converting as they still haven’t heard of your business or your offerings.

Your goal is to move those users to the bottom of the funnel where they’re more likely to be persuaded to make a purchase.

To do so, you have to spark interest in your business and bring them toward the middle of the funnel.

In the end, while the main goal behind marketing and lead generation is driving conversions, you can only do so by successfully converting B2C leads - meaning you have to focus on turning users into leads before even making them a substantial offer. 

B2C lead generation strategies you should try

With your newfound knowledge of what is B2C lead generation, you’re ready to learn a few effective strategies that will help turn people into leads.

Try this:

1. Invest in B2C content

Writing and producing content people find useful is the most reliable way to generate new leads. It’s not a coincidence that marketers love to say that content is king.

For starters, visitors to your site will appreciate the knowledge and value you’re sharing, which moves them down the marketing funnel. Equally important, investing in content will help you improve the ranking of your site in search results. 

Our suggestion is to start a blog on your website. There, you can cover topics related to your products and the industry at large. For instance, you can offer tips, write how-to articles, make comparisons - there’s no limit.

As users organically encounter these blog posts in their search results and click on them, they’ll either become aware of your business or complete an action if they gained value from this visit. 

Along with blogs, make sure to have product and service pages where you can inform users about your offerings and implement call-to-action buttons to nudge the visitor in the direction you want them to take. 

2. Launch paid ad campaigns

While content marketing is subtle, paid ads are the most direct way to engage new customers, encouraging them directly to buy what you’re offering. 

For example, with Google Ads, you can display these ads in relevant searches,even above organic results. Even though you need to bid on keywords you’re trying to target, showing up in search results and websites is very valuable and worth the price. 

Now we get what you may be thinking - isn’t this good just for driving conversions? Well, yes, but it’s also a great way to generate new leads. While not everyone who runs across your ad will be compelled to make a purchase, they’ll at least get an introduction to your company, which means you’ll eventually have an easier time turning them into leads. 

3. Build a B2C email list

While email marketing is primarily a lead nurturing technique, the process of creating an email list is perfect for capturing leads. 

A good way to go about it is to set up forms on your site, which offer users something (an ebook, newsletter, anything of value) in exchange for their email address.

Since this process is voluntary, those who provide you with an address have a clear interest in what you have to offer, meaning they’re qualified leads. 

4. Build a strong social media presence

Because so many people use social media and spend a lot of their free time on these platforms, it’s a valuable source of potential leads. Using social media as a lead generation tool is relatively straightforward:

Post engaging content like videos, photos, and infographics, share it with your audience, and drive traffic from your social media posts to your website.

To make this more effective, we recommend running social media ads to position your content in the feeds of targeted individuals. This helps get exposure to audiences that are relevant to what you’re selling. 

Is outsourcing B2C lead generation a valid option?

If reading all of this confused you or made you realize you simply don’t have time or the resources to oversee your sales pipeline, outsourcing is a valid option. By putting experts in the driving seat of your B2C lead generation, you can significantly cut down on the time necessary to source qualified leads - a shorter sales pipeline, the quicker the sale. 

Here are two more reasons you should consider outsourced lead generation services:

• Gain access to a wider skill set 

Your internal team may be limited but a service provider already has the staff on hand that can fulfill your lead generation needs, whatever they may be.

• Lower costs 

Putting together a dedicated lead generation team or expanding your current team requires a significant investment. By outsourcing, you can save a lot of money as the firm you’re working with will utilize their experience, thus helping you accomplish more with a lower budget.

Ready to start making more business?

If you want to see your business succeed online, you have to double down on your B2C lead generation. Of course, this is easier said than done, which is why we’re here to lend a helping hand.

Aspen Media can help you optimize all the B2C strategies listed above, and with thirty years in lead generation, we know exactly what to do. Get your money’s worth by letting the pros assist you in generating more leads, and ultimately, more business.

Contact Aspen Media at 800-853-2240 or fill out our contact form for more information.