Get Creative With Your Lead Generation Campaigns

10 Questions You Can Use For Your Next Lead Generation Campaign

Rain Today and ITSMA recently did a study looking at the top lead generation challenges for B2B firms. My observation is that these issues represent a mix of right and left brain challenges, and that lead generation for CPA, consulting, financial services and law firms requires a “just right” combination of right/left brain creativity in order to be successful.

(A quick definition from Answers.com: The right brain of the brain focuses on the visual, and processes information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture then the details. The focus of the left brain is verbal, processing information in an analytical and sequential way, looking first at the pieces then putting them together to get the whole.)

Too often, I see attempts at lead generation overbalanced to one side of the other.

For example, I’ve seen great opportunities around great technical issues packaged and promoted in such a boring way that it makes me wish that the offer be accompanied by a pillow so I can take a quick snooze (too much left brain). Or, I see lead generation campaigns that have an overemphasis on production values – too much sizzle – that turns me off because the sizzle hurts the credibility of the offer and makes me want to reach for my sunglasses (too much right brain).

Lead generation campaigns for professional services firms involve a process that starts with identifying the opportunity that a campaign can be built around, to securing leads, to converting those leads to an engagement. Each step in this process requires creativity – whether it’s executing the right brain/visual pieces of the campaign or the left brain selecting, weaving and integrating the marketing infrastructure of the firm to accommodate the campaign’s outbound and inbound lead acquisition and conversion tactics.

Here’s a mix of 10 different questions you can use for your next lead generation campaign that can help you assess whether you are getting that right/left brain balance that will help you get to your lead gen and ROI objectives:

1. Did you select a hot topic or issue to build the lead generation campaign around?
2. For the center of the campaign, have you selected the right type of device (i.e. a white paper, webinar, special event, etc.) to deliver secure leads?
3. Have you titled the device in a way that makes it a “gotta have” piece of information?
4. Is the production of the device done professionally and reflective of your firm’s brand?
5. Have you considered all of the outbound tactical opportunities to reach eyeballs?
6. Is your outbound promotional strategy designed and funded for ROI?
7. Is your outbound copy clever, compelling and designed to cut through the clutter?
8. Are your on-site promotional strategies and tactics clever and compelling?
9. Is your landing page designed to convert an eyeball into a lead?
10. Do you have processes in place for nurturing a lead to an engagement?

Have you seen a great lead generation campaign recently? Leave a comment below and share your observations on what made it great and why?