- October 6, 2023
- Posted by: Featured
- Category: Expert Roundups
10 Unconventional Lead Generation Strategies
In search of innovative lead generation tactics, we posed a question to ten industry leaders, including founders and CEOs. Their unconventional strategies ranged from leveraging TV show popularity for web traffic to offering free classes as positioning as industry experts. Dive into their surprising results and learn from their unique approaches.
- TV Show Popularity: Leveraging for Web Traffic
- Property Monitoring: Connecting Brokers and Buyers
- Personalized Video Messages: Boosting Conversion Rates
- Micro-Surveys: Upselling in Transactional Emails
- LinkedIn Sales Approach: Voice and GIF Messages
- Podcasting: Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Clients
- Publishing Books: A Powerful Lead-Generation Tool
- Facebook Groups: An Overlooked Lead Generation Channel
- Sweepstakes: A Cost-Effective Lead Gen Strategy
- Free Classes: Positioning as Industry Experts
TV Show Popularity: Leveraging for Web Traffic
The aim was to catch the attention of Marcus Lemonis, star of the CNBC show, “The Profit.” This show featured Lemonis investing in failing businesses to help them recover. Despite its popularity, simply praising the show seemed too common, leading to the creation of a blog post titled, “Why ‘The Profit’ Is the Worst Show on TV.”
This tongue-in-cheek article humorously praised the show in a negative light. After promoting the post to fans of the show on Facebook, Lemonis noticed and shared it with his 250,000 followers.
The resulting web traffic was so immense it crashed the website. Lemonis was impressed by this creative approach and subsequently hired the author to assist with some businesses featured on the show.
Adam White
Founder, SquidVision
Property Monitoring: Connecting Brokers and Buyers
Bovision, a Swedish housing portal, gives visitors the opportunity to monitor properties in specific locations. This allows us to understand that the person is interested in buying a house in the area, which is valuable information to convey to a local broker. Thus, we can efficiently connect brokers with potential buyers.
Andreas Eriksson
SEO-Specialist, Bovision
Personalized Video Messages: Boosting Conversion Rates
In the domain of lead generation, thinking outside the box can be a game-changer. One unconventional approach that yielded astounding results involved crafting personalized video messages for targeted prospects.
Instead of traditional cold calls, we created short, engaging videos addressing specific pain points and showcasing our solutions. The campaign’s click-through rate skyrocketed by 60%, with a conversion rate of 15%, significantly surpassing industry averages.
For instance, a B2B software provider saw a 75% increase in qualified leads using this approach. This method adds a human touch to outreach, resonates with prospects, and fosters authentic connections, demonstrating the potential of creativity in lead generation.
Himanshu Sharma
CEO and Founder, Academy of Digital Marketing
Micro-Surveys: Upselling in Transactional Emails
Achieving surprising results with unconventional lead-gen methods, specifically leveraging transactional emails for “passive lead generation,” is possible. While most marketers are fixated on flashy campaigns, we took a less-traveled road.
We embedded micro-surveys in these often-overlooked emails, which usually have a 90% open rate. Implemented for an e-commerce client, the micro-surveys had dual aims: to fortify customer relationships and identify upsell opportunities. A striking 40% of recipients engaged with these surveys. Notably, 22% were upsold or cross-sold within the next quarter, boosting customer lifetime value by 18%.
This tactic underscores the untapped potential in unassuming channels.
Roman Borissov
CEO, SEOBRO.Agency
LinkedIn Sales Approach: Voice and GIF Messages
One unconventional lead-generation tactic that I’ve tried, which has delivered and continues to deliver results for my small business, is personalizing my sales approach on LinkedIn with a mix of voice and GIF messages.
First, I qualify a list of leads that are part of my target audience on LinkedIn and send out a friendly, non-salesy connection request.
Once someone accepts my request, I send a short voice message, sharing an observation about their website and asking for their permission to share further. If the lead responds, I nudge them toward an online meeting or, if they’re local, a face-to-face coffee chat. If they don’t, I follow it up with a series of funny GIF messages to eventually elicit some sort of response. This format has sparked interesting conversations which have then led to conversions.
Medha Dixit
Founder and SEO Director, Digital Chakra Limited
Podcasting: Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Clients
Invite your “dream clients” to join you on your podcast! In the bustling world of professional services, you need three things to attract and acquire great clients: Authority, Lead flow, and A proven sales process.
A little secret from the playbook at Owendenny Digital—we’ve harnessed the power of podcasting with Open Source Growth. Instead of the usual pitches, we roll out the red carpet for our ideal clients: the movers and shakers, the CMOs, and the innovative founders of SaaS companies.
We give them a stage to share their success sagas, spill their marketing beans, and stamp their mark in the industry. It’s been a game-changer! We’ve booked quality sales appointments and closed five-figure deals with entrepreneurs featured in Forbes, ASX-listed startups, and collaborated with giants of eight-figure businesses.
This approach doesn’t just cut through the sales noise; it starts our relationship on a note of value, respect, and camaraderie.
Dean Denny
Director, Owendenny Digital
Publishing Books: A Powerful Lead-Generation Tool
Publishing a book can be an out-of-the-box lead-generation tactic. When a book is written on a topic and done well, it highlights expertise. Pages can be included in the book to drive people to a website for other information and tools that enhance their experience with the book.
Those who take the time to read the book and find value in it will already feel like they know, like, and trust the author. From there, closing deals becomes easier. Therefore, when publishing a book, the focus should not be on profits, but on getting it into the right people’s hands.
It may cost $10 or $20 to sell a book at a loss, but if it’s going to the right people, then that cost per lead can be pretty good. I used this tactic with the bestselling new release, Back After Burnout, and I also use it with marketing clients. A published book is indeed a powerful tool.
Dennis Consorte
Digital Marketing and Leadership Consultant for Startups, Snackable Solutions
Facebook Groups: An Overlooked Lead Generation Channel
From CubiCasa’s early stages, I played an integral role in propelling our solutions to over 172 countries and processing more than a million orders. What I’ve discovered through our endeavors is a potent, yet overlooked, channel: Facebook groups. While many articles proclaim the demise of Facebook’s relevance, I’m eager to debunk this myth by illuminating the exceptional possibilities Facebook groups hold.
In my experience, the nucleus of successful community building within groups lies in the authenticity of engagement. By becoming an active participant and contributing to discussions spanning both positive and negative facets of the industry, brands can etch their name as a trusted entity.
This cost-effective approach, meticulously executed, positioned our brand as a go-to thought leader and expert within the community for tens of thousands of photographers in the US. The added beauty of this strategy? It’s not only free but also hones in precisely on your target audience.
Anastasia Corjan
Senior Marketing Manager, CubiCasa
Sweepstakes: A Cost-Effective Lead Gen Strategy
Getting involved in sweepstakes lead-gen about three years ago has been a game-changer. Running sweepstakes monthly brings in a list of new email leads that can be re-marketed to. These leads are onboarded as new customers and then targeted with special offers, etc.
Over the past three years, over 1.5 million potential leads have been generated. While not all of them convert, the percentage that do is high considering the cost. The campaigns are low budget, making the cost per lead incredibly low. It’s more cost-effective than any ad campaign. This strategy is also an excellent way to quickly grow an email list.
Libby Collett
Marketing Strategist, LibCo Creative
Free Classes: Positioning as Industry Experts
Holding free classes has been a great tool for me. Under my accounting firm, I’ve held free tax planning classes. The reality is, people think they want to learn to do it themselves, but really, they don’t. They come in, listen, learn a little bit, and leave impressed by you. I never try to sell them; I never push a product or service because I don’t need to. They’ll figure out on their own just by listening to me that I’m the expert they want to help with their problem.
As CFO and owner of an HVAC, electrical, and plumbing company now, we’ve done similar classes. Want to learn basic HVAC maintenance? We’ll teach you, and maybe you’ll do a few of the things and we’ll lose you as a customer for preventative maintenance, but when your HVAC breaks and needs a real repair or replacement, we know you’ll turn to us because you’ve spent time with us, know us, and respect us as local industry experts.
Christopher Olson
CFO, Surfside Services
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “What is one unconventional or out-of-the-box lead generation tactic you have tried that delivered surprising results? Share the details of the campaign or approach.”