Leads are the lifeblood of your sales pipeline, and the way you generate them keeps evolving. Most of the attention is on digital channels because buyers want to find what they need. To meet customers where they are, using inbound marketing strategies makes more sense versus traditional advertising. One of the best tactics in inbound marketing is landing pages for lead generation.
This post will explain what landing pages are, why they work for lead generation, and when to use them.
What Is a Landing Page?
A landing page is not like a typical website page. It’s a standalone page with a different structure and design. Its main purpose is to convert with a submission form front and center. It’s where users “land” after they click a link from various sources like emails, Google ads, social media, and more.
Landing pages can be long or short, depending on the conversion. They typically don’t include navigation as they focus only on convincing a user to complete the form.
Types of Landing Pages
When using landing pages for lead generation, the type depends on the offer. Offers align with different buying stages. There are three main kinds to consider:
- Content offer: The landing page presents an offer for an eBook, whitepaper, case study, or infographic. The landing page serves as the “hype” for the asset. This is an early funnel type of conversion. If someone downloads your content, you can then nurture them until they are ready to buy.
- Consultation offer: Another way to use these pages is to offer a consultation to your buyer. These customers are further down the funnel and ready to meet with your team to discuss a project or need. The content and visuals for the page should all emphasize the value of meeting with your team.
- Free trials or subscriptions: You can also use landing pages to prompt a buyer to start a free trial or subscription for your product. This page would be very feature-benefit-centric in content and possibly include a demo video at the header.
Where Should You Use Landing Pages?
As mentioned, users “land” on these pages from some other source. So, where do they make sense to use? The answer — many places, including:
- Search engine marketing: Companies that invest in Google Ads should point customers to a landing page that aligns with the ad. When they arrive on the page, it should offer information and point them to fill out that form. Sending people to your home page from an ad is not a good recipe for lead generation.
- Social media: You can use landing pages for both organic and paid posts. Any of the types of landing pages work here, as long as the original post and the landing page have the same tone and offer. You don’t want to bait and switch anyone.
- Email marketing: If you’re emailing someone, they’ve already provided you their email address, so they are a lead. Using a landing page in this channel can progress them to the next level. Maybe they completed a form for content, and you can use email marketing to get them to take the next step.
- Your website: Landing pages are standalones and not part of your website navigation. But you can use them to generate leads after people find your website. Consider using them as CTAs (calls to action) from blogs or as a featured placement on your home page.
Ready to Get Started with Landing Pages for Lead Generation?
Adding landing pages to your lead gen strategy can deliver. You just need the right design and structure. We can help. Contact us today about landing page services.
