How to Get More Qualified Leads: 8 Strategies that Work

While it would be nice if every sale just came to your business, that’s rarely the case. That’s why the sales process lives and dies with solid lead generation strategies.

But it’s not uncommon for a small-to-medium sized business to struggle with generating qualified leads.

That’s why we have a few tips to help get you started generating quality sales leads today.

8 ways to generate quality leads to your business

Here are the top eight strategies for getting qualified leads to your business so you can have the highest chances of converting them into customers.

1. Get your highest quality leads via referrals

Potential customers often find out about businesses from current customers. Business experts agree - loyal customers the most effective and cheapest form of lead generation you have. What would you like those current customers to say?

These are often the highest quality leads you can generate. People trust their friends and family members. When they hear about your products through the word-of-mouth of these customer referrals, they are much more highly likely to buy, and buy quickly.

It’s so much more expensive to find leads than it is to receive them directly from customer referrals. Where generating a new lead takes time and expense on your part, a referral is absolutely free. Turning every paying customer into a lead generation machine yields spectacular ROI since the cost is so low.

This means you have to care deeply for your existing customers. This itself is an important lead generation strategy. Make sure they feel heard and valued, even if there’s a problem. This will continue to ensure that every paying customer will generate leads for you.

Keeping your paying customers happy is too important to “wing it.” Make sure you are using a customer relationship management software to track all interactions, and spot trends. Take that data and turn it into lead generation of new paying customers. If you're wondering about the best CRMs for those in the home improvement industry, check out this blog post. 

Follow-up is also key to lead generation. When there is a question or problem, have your sales teams reach out promptly to make sure the interested parties know they are well taken care of. This, in turn, generates more leads.

2. Offer free lead magnets

Free trials are something we encounter frequently. The reason is, they work to attract leads! Not only do they give your potential customers a chance to engage with your business, it builds enthusiasm. It’s a great way to drive leads when you gather contact details from the people who try the product. 

These days, most people are fairly comfortable providing their personal information, since they do it all the time. With email filters now the norm, they can choose to view promotional emails at a time of their choosing. Some freebies you can put in an email include:

• Free quotes
• Free upgraded products
• Discount on services

You can also offer free promotions in a well-trafficked physical location where people will be receptive. Who is your target audience? You need to reach them where they are for the most effective lead generation, like:

• A busy office plaza on a lunch break
• Community fairs
• Conventions
• Sporting events

The best way to capture leads is to simply require that people fill out an opt-in form on a digital notepad device. This allows you to send relevant content or contact your leads directly.

3. Write blog posts to attract qualified traffic

While blogging itself doesn’t generate leads, it’s a form of direct engagement with your customers. So how do blogs generate leads? When the information you provide creates interest, and demonstrates your expertise, you’ll be creating future customers and more leads.

A blog post isn't about advertising your services. It needs to be part of an overall strategy that benefits both existing customers and ones you haven’t won over yet. The home improvement industry is a GREAT place to write tips and suggestions for homeowners. These website visitors will read each blog post, then browse the rest of your website to learn more about you specifically. It’s a low-cost marketing tool that can be employed by just about anyone.

Including helpful links is actually one of the ways to generate leads directly through your social media platforms and blogs. If you have a blog post discussing a problem your customers might have, and how you can solve that problem, link directly to the product.

4. Buy qualified leads from a lead aggregator

In addition to generating your own leads, you can use lead generation websites and agencies.

Buying leads is just another form of investment that you make in your business. Of course, not all purchased leads are the same. There are countless sources of paid leads.

You’ll want to make sure that you’re reaching prospective customers, not just random people. If you do purchase leads, your top priority is to monitor ROI, otherwise you could be fruitlessly throwing money away.

On the other hand, you don’t necessarily have to buy them. There are a number of free tools you can use for online lead generation. You can also review lead aggregator services such as Angi or Thumbtack. We walk you through the most popular lead agg sites for home improvement companies. 

The fewer contact details you need, the lower the cost will be. Paying for email addresses alone will cost far less than full demographic and location data. As part of your inbound marketing strategy, think about what information you really need.

Generating leads through purchase can be well worth the investment if you turn those into profit.

5. Qualify your leads with email marketing

If you have an email list, you already have leads for your business. But that doesn't mean you can't warm them up and qualify them for sales.

Send emails to leads with useful resources, and as they engage with your content, you can move them down your funnel. You might start with top of funnel content like a guide, then try out a bigger commitment like a webinar. After that, try a case study, and the next thing you know, you just may have them being receptive to a demo! 

Be sure to follow email marketing best practices so you can get the right engagement. That includes a short, descriptive subject line, concise, benefit-focused email copy, and a clear CTA.

6. Use a multi-channel lead generation strategy

If your business just has one marketing channel, you are missing out on the opportunity to generate quality leads for your business. You need to meet your customers where they are, and if that is in multiple places, you need multiple channels.

To capture more leads, you need the widest sales funnel possible, as long as it’s capturing potential paying customers. Any wider is a waste of time. Each marketing channel you add widens your sales funnel and helps to generate leads. A great option to start with is Google My Business. Download our free ebook using Google My Business to market your business. here. 

7. Use social media

While social media channels aren’t typically for sales, they can be one of the most effective ways to generate leads. With short, targeted posts, you’ll be able to drive web traffic and generate high-quality leads. In fact, one of the best ways for home improvement businesses to use social media is by posting short videos of the work you're doing. These videos don't need to be professional. People LOVE watching before and after videos, and our industry is perfect for this. 

So how does social media generate leads? First off, the bottom line is that even if you aren’t on social media, your competitors are. Why let your competitors interface with your customers? You’ll be missing out on business leads that you could have had for free.

The great news is that a social media platform is a free tool for generating new leads for your business. While you don’t pay to be a member, you will be well served by team members who are skilled in communicating through social media channels, and providing a strong call to action in every post. 

8. Target keywords that will attract quality leads

While we all know how useful search engines are for researching topics, they are also one of the top ways to generate leads. You need to make sure that your lead generation process includes search engine optimization and dynamite small content.

Perform some basic keyword research. Then, use those keywords in creating content like landing pages, blog posts, and other items to make sure that you are reaching your target market. This isn’t just for the big players, all small businesses can benefit from content marketing and the leads it generates.

Start generating higher quality leads with these strategies

And that's it! To recap, here are the best ways to generate qualified leads to your business:

1. Get your highest quality leads via referrals
2. Offer free lead magnets
3. Write blog posts to attract qualified traffic
4. Buy qualified leads from a lead aggregator
5. Qualify your leads with email marketing
6. Use a multi-channel lead generation strategy
7. Use social media
8. Target keywords that will attract quality leads

Want more ideas? Download our ebook, "The Home Improvement Growth Guide" to jumpstart your business growth.