For small businesses that provide a service, having a consistent stream of leads is essential. Without this, it becomes extremely difficult to scale. But as most small business owners will tell you, this is easier said than done. The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing and customer behaviour is evolving faster than ever before.

Here are some modern lead generation strategies that small businesses can implement to support sustainable growth.   

1. Create Valuable Content

Content marketing isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, it can be traced back over 100 years to John Deere creating The Furrow, a publication focused on providing valuable agricultural content to their target audience.

While content marketing is still successful, it’s also evolved. Nowadays, content takes the form of YouTube videos, social media posts, online blogs and so on. The secret to success hasn’t changed though. The aim should be to provide your audience with valuable information rather than hitting them with a disruptive, hard-sell-style advert.

A good modern day example would be a local accounting firm publishing blogs about changes in tax laws on their website. 

2. Optimise Your Website for AI

Optimising your website for search engine algorithms has been an important part of marketing throughout the 21st century. But the rise of generative AI platforms now means businesses must also consider optimising websites and content for AI too.

More and more users are turning to Claude and ChatGPT to help with tasks such as planning holidays, choosing the right skincare product, and so much more. This is having massive consequences for businesses in industries related to users’ prompts.

For example, if a user asks ‘what is the best web design agency in my local area’, the businesses suggested by AI have a better chance of capturing that particular lead. When it comes to optimising websites for AI, there is a significant crossover with traditional SEO techniques. However, businesses must also consider factors such as mentions on forums and third party review sites as these can be cited by AI.

3. Understand Social Media Algorithms

There’s a belief amongst some that social media is becoming saturated from a brand perspective. It’s true that it’s harder than ever to be heard on social platforms given that so many brands and creators are posting. But social media remains a goldmine for lead generation, and that’s largely due to modern algorithms being so good at serving relevant content to relevant users.

The content we see on social media is no longer determined by the people and brands that we follow. Platforms like TikTok, which use a ‘For You’ style feed, show content based on our previous behaviour. The more time you spend watching cute videos of kittens, the more kitten-related content will appear on your feed.

For a brand, this means that platforms like TikTok know when your target users are in the market for your service, so creating content that aligns is a great way to bring in extra leads. For a local pest control company, creating content around how to get rid of certain pests is far more likely to land on your target audience’s feed compared with a meet the team video.

4. Build an SMS List

It’s fair to say email marketing has stood the test of time, and it does still remain a useful way to generate and nurture leads. With that said, it’s becoming harder and harder to get your emails opened simply because of the competition. Today’s consumer often has a pile of unopened emails from brands just because they simply can’t keep up with the number they receive.

A more modern alternative is to turn to SMS and Whatsapp. Open rates for Whatsapp messages are over 90% compared with approximately 20% for emails. Old email marketing tactics still apply, so try to reach out with either an offer your recipient can’t refuse or a piece of valuable content that they are genuinely interested in.

For a local cafe or restaurant, it could be as simple as messaging your weekly specials or dropping exclusive deals via Whatsapp.

Final Thoughts

Generating leads is one thing, but turning your leads into a sale is even more important. To accompany your lead generation efforts, you’ll also need a sales team that is on the ball in terms of following up on leads and closing deals. If this is something your business struggles with or you find that your company is regularly missing inbound calls, consider plugging this gap by working with a company that offers virtual receptionist services. This allows your company to focus on generating the leads, while outsourcing the process of nurturing them.

If you can implement the strategies above effectively and optimise your follow-up process, you should start to see immediate results. But as always, always prioritise your product or service. A good sales team can’t make up for a poor product.