Lead generation refers to the acquisition of new prospective customers (leads) for companies to promote sales. Lead generation is a
marketing
activity to approach new customers, and is an important activity that serves as the gateway to sales activities.
Companies need customers to succeed and grow. Generating leads that can turn into customers is a major challenge for business success.
Lead generation methods
There are two main types of lead generation: offline and
online
.
- Offline lead generation
Offline lead generation refers to a method in which companies directly approach potential customers. Typical specific methods include sending direct mail and faxes, placing offline advertisements, holding
exhibitions
and seminars, and telemarketing through cold calls.
- online lead generation
Online lead generation refers to the method of acquiring potential customers on the web. Specifically, companies aim to increase inquiries and requests for materials by providing content from the perspective of prospective customers on their websites through
content marketing
. When downloading white papers, e-books, etc., you can obtain leads by encouraging them to enter their contact information in a form or register for
an e-mail newsletter
.
For online lead generation, you may use your own website or another company’s website. When generating leads on your own website, you need to properly manage your site, including increasing traffic from search sites through advertising and
SEO
(search engine optimization), and increasing traffic through social media operations. When you use another company’s website, you can obtain a certain number of leads in exchange for paying fees such as publication fees.