Branding vs. Lead Gen
- What are my marketing goals?
- Has my past marketing gotten me ready for lead generation?
Branding
Here is a very important question to ask before you dive into the marketing funnel: are you looking to let as many people as possible to know about your business or do you need leads that you can convert into customers? It seems like an easy answer, right? Let’s skip past all formalities and get right to the new customers! Not so quick.
If people don’t know what you are about, you likely need branding before you get to the leads. Think about your own activities when it comes to making a purchase. When you Google a product or service, and you don’t recognize a brand name, are you inclined to click on the link to the unknown business? Maybe, but you’re more likely to click on those businesses that you recognize surrounding the unknown link, first.
Branding’s purpose is to let as many potential customers as possible know about your business. Branding comes in many forms: TV, radio, cable, newspaper, outdoor billboards, direct mail, promotional items, Goodyear Blimp, etc. Digital branding is more targeted than most of those traditional forms of marketing. Targeted branding finds potential customers based on demographics (age, gender, race, etc.), geography (neighborhood, city, state, etc.), and behaviors (websites visited, online searches, and even businesses one has actually walked into – aka geofencing.)
Branding Tactics
- Banner Ads
- Mobile Marketing
- Video Advertising
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Ads (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)
- OTT & CTV
- Streaming Audio
Lead Gen
With traditional marketing, Lead Gen is accomplished by asking people to fill out forms at events; contesting; networking; or even dropping business cards into a fish bowl. With digital marketing, Lead Gen can, just like digital branding, be targeted to the people who are actively in need of your product or service.
Again, think of your habits when you are in the market to buy something. You already know what you want, but now you are in research mode. Who should you buy the product/service from? Who has the best quality, reputation, price? How do you gather all of that information? If you’re like me, you use search engines like Google or Bing to get your answers.
SEO vs. PPC
To take advantage of search engines, there are several tactics to generate a form fill or a phone call to your business. Search Engine Optimization will help your site get in front of people when they are either researching or ready to buy. Search Engine Marketing (PPC) allows you to buy premium placement in a search engine page result, often at the top of the page.
Listings & Reputation Management
Listings management ensures that your name, address, and phone number (among other things) show up correctly in hundreds of online business directories. Often, these directories will show up before your web site on the search engines, so listings management is very important! And lets not underestimate the importance of reputation management. What your customers say about you in public is “word of mouth” in the 21st century. Make sure that you are getting as many five star reviews as possible and the leads will follow!
Free Evaluation
If you would like a free evaluation of your digital health, or if you would just like someone to brainstorm with, feel free to contact us. Owners Jody Quivey and Mark Bianchi (QB…get it?) love helping small and medium-sized businesses! Whether in our hometown of Indianapolis, in the state of Indiana, or anywhere else!
