Before you get started make sure you choose your platforms carefully and consider lead generation at all levels. Identify where your target audience (i.e. persona) is most likely to take action and begin by choosing one platform to focus your resources.

1. Be consistent on social media

This may seem simple, but it is very easy to miss this off your to-do list when you are busy running your own business. Organic social media is an effective and low-cost method to generate leads, but you'll have to stick to it.

To get started, make a schedule. If you only have a couple of hours a week to work on your social accounts, we recommend using a scheduling tool, such as Buffer, to plan your content. This will keep you consistent and save you a lot of valuable time! We recommend starting small, perhaps one post a day, varying content but keeping your brand message the same throughout.

Once you get into the rhythm of posting on social media, you might want to venture out to include more channels. Tweak posts to suit additional channels which will become good sources of lead generation for your startup. Make sure you only start posting on social if you can commit to it. No Linkedin is better than a LinkedIn page with only one post from 2017!

2. Low budget ads should be targeted at your audience 

If you have a little budget to use on paid advertising then it's important you don't waste it. Social media advertising doesn't have to be expensive and platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn can be a worthwhile source of lead generation for your startup. These channels offer the opportunity to target your audience by geography, demographic, and interest group so you can find warm leads who are interested in your business. The key to running low-budget ads is to consider the target rather than simply boosting a post on your chosen platform without much thought into its effectiveness. 

3. Email Marketing

Growing an email marketing list is invaluable to your business and all of your subscribers are potential leads! Most website platforms have the option to add a mailing list pop-up to grow your subscriber list further, you can easily make use of this. You can also urge people to sign up for your mailing list in your social media posts. Even if you have a small list to start with, try and be consistent with your communications, both with branding and timing. A good way to start is with a monthly newsletter. Create a template so that you just need to edit your copy and images once a month. There are a lot of email marketing services out there, such as MailChimp, and each of these will help you set up a template with your brand colours and logo. Consistent messages to your subscribers will help them convert to warm leads who are ready to make a purchase with your business.

4. Ask for referrals

One successful business relationship with a client can turn into countless more opportunities. If you recognise when your product or service has been valuable to your customer, make sure to ask them to recommend you to others. A simple follow-up email can be a fantastic way to do this. This will remind your previous client of their good experience and they will be more likely to share your details with others.

If you have a particularly good relationship with a client, you can also ask for a review. One or two lines will be more than enough! Their quote can be added to newsletters, your website, and social media posts.

Summary

Just because you have a small business and minimal resources, it doesn't mean you can't focus on strategies to develop lead generation for your startup. There are plenty of low-cost opportunities to take advantage of and help grow your business. If you have any questions, you can reach out to our team on Facebook and get in touch with Shape to find out more about our Digital Advertising or Email Marketing lead generation services.