The trick to effective lead generation? To QUALIFY your prospects BEFORE they even respond. Here’s how to do it…
For today’s Copy Tuesday article, I’d like to address a very specific kind of ad nearly every copywriter will eventually need to write.
The Lead Generation Ad.
EVERY business needs new customers to survive. And unless the business sells very low-priced “retail” type products that sell on the first touch, it’s likely they’ll need not just new customers… But new leads: folks who’ve raised their hand and said, “Yes, I’m interested in what it is you offer.”
If you have any experience in sales, you know that not all leads are created equal.
Bad leads are someone who may be mildly interested, or not interested at all but only replied for perhaps, a “free” offer.
Great leads are folks who are on the cusp of buying, and only need a gentle nudge from the sales team or marketing to get the order.
Most leads fall somewhere in between.
And here’s the thing about lead generation.
It’s easy to generate bad leads in massive volumes.
Example: let’s say you sell cars. Someone becomes a lead by visiting your dealership and taking a test drive. Well, to get a ton of test drives, you could simply offer a free dinner for two at a top local restaurant, for anyone who comes in for a test drive. This will inevitably result in a TON of folks coming in just to get their test drive and free dinner gift certificate, and leaving. Bad leads, high volume.
It’s also relatively easy to generate great leads in tiny volumes.
Again, let’s say you’re working at the same car dealership. You sell, for example, Chevy Corvettes. So you send out a lead generation letter to anyone who bought a Corvette from you at least two years ago, to set appointments to test drive the newest model. You’re not likely to get a lot of takers, but those who do will be high-probability customers. (Sure, this isn’t quite new customer lead generation, but it makes the point.) Great leads, low volume.
The trick is getting a good volume of good leads…
“Good volume” is relative, too. If you’re a sole proprietor with limited availability for high-value project work (like a copywriter!), you may only want a handful of good leads today. If you’re working for that car dealership, and generating leads for a team of salespeople, you may want 2 leads per hour for each salesperson on the lot. You have to have the infrastructure in place to seal the deal, or whatever lead generation you do will be wasted expense and effort.
Your goal then is to find the sweet spot between volume and lead quality. And the best way to do this is in what you say in your lead generation advertisement.
First, the three elements of a great lead generation ad…
Every great lead generation ad has two elements you’d expect, and one you may not.
1. You have to say WHO IT’S FOR…
2. You have to say WHY THEY SHOULD RESPOND…
3. And you also have to say WHO IT’S NOT FOR!
Amateur copywriters and advertisers get the first two right, but totally miss on the third!
If you want to get someone to respond, first you have to get them to say “Yes” to “Is this for me?” And the best way to do this is through something that identifies your ideal customer in your ad itself. You could call out to them directly… “Have you ever wondered if YOU could own a Corvette?” “Attention Direct Response Copywriters.” “To investors who want to double their portfolio income.” And so on…
You also have to convince them there is something of value they’re going to get by responding. A free report comparing and contrasting this model year’s sports cars priced from $40,000 to $75,000. A guide to creating better offers in your copy. A report on three stocks offering double-digit income today. You get the picture…
But here’s the kicker — and what can make your lead generation ads do exactly what you want them to do. It’s also highly-beneficial to say who your offer is NOT for. For folks who do not fit the “not” criteria, it only reinforces that it’s right for them. “For sports car buyers whose credit scores are 700 or above only, please.” “If you haven’t made a dime selling your copywriting services, you do not qualify for this yet.” “For investors with portfolios of $500,000 or above.” By disqualifying some buyers, you’re only increasing the desire of those who are a fit. Also, by getting more or less aggressive with your disqualification, you can adjust your lead volume and quality (for the most part) to fit what you have the infrastructure to handle.
How to generate a handful of lead generation ads to test, from just these three points…
If you’re writing lead generation ads, it pays to sit down and take notes on these three points before you start to write…
1. Who do we want to respond?
2. What will we offer to entice them to respond?
3. Who do we want to screen out with our advertising?
Then, you can mix and match these criteria in how they appear in the ad.
For example, Fisher investments runs a wildly-successful lead generation campaign around the idea of excluding investors who don’t already have half a million to invest. Starting with banner ads, they’re immediately screening and sorting out less-qualified prospects.
Alternately, you could start your ad with your enticement for responding. “Free oil changes for as long as you own your new Corvette… When you test drive this weekend.” This ad both immediately flags people who’d be interested in a new Corvette, and gives them a reason to respond if they’re interested — to learn more about the free oil changes offer. From here, you’d need to clarify who it’s for, who it’s not for, and repeat the call to action for a test drive this weekend.
You could easily come up with 3, 4, 5, even 10 variations on essentially the same lead generation ad to test, by focusing on these three criteria. And especially, write a few variations that try more or less hard to screen out less qualified prospects through disqualifying or repelling copy.
Then, test.
Figure out what gets you the right balance of volume and lead quantity for what your infrastructure can handle.
This is a highly-effective way to write great lead generation advertising.
Yours for bigger breakthroughs,
Roy Furr
Editor, Breakthrough Marketing Secrets
