Growing a business almost always relies on securing high-quality leads. In the past, businesses could get away with using just one or two channels to find potential customers, such as paying for search ads or working solely from referrals. But with today’s vast digital landscape and endless options available to customers, companies that put all their eggs in one lead gen basket might want to reconsider. Developments in AI-powered search, unpredictable algorithms and content consumption across multiple platforms have made capturing audience attention more difficult.
Businesses that lean too heavily on one lead source now run the risk of losing their steady stream of potential customers when trends or algorithms change. Diversifying lead generation is hardly optional anymore. Instead, businesses should evaluate and leverage multiple channels simultaneously to reach broader audiences and establish a more resilient, scalable lead gen strategy.
What Is Lead Generation and How Does It Work?
Lead generation is the process of attracting audiences and converting them into actual paying customers. This concept is often represented with a funnel.
Awareness
Increasing awareness of your brand is the first step toward making a sale, but gaining visibility across channels doesn’t just happen. There are a lot of tactics you can use to help people get to know your business, including:
Publishing original, sharable content on websites and social media platforms
Writing press releases or sponsored content
Attending or sponsoring industry events
Paying for search and social media ads
Interest
Just because someone knows about your brand doesn’t mean they’ll become a customer. A potential customer will be interested in learning more about what you do. The goal here is to encourage interaction in exchange for valuable information. Effective ways to capture interest include:
Creating lead magnets like free downloadable guides, templates or whitepapers
Building interactive content like quizzes, surveys or webinars
Engaging on social media through comments, direct messages or interactive posts
Using retargeting ads to encourage additional interest
Consideration
In this stage, a potential customer considers your business as a solution to their problem, often comparing your offerings to those of your competitors. Depending on the product or service you offer, this may be the point at which someone contacts your business and becomes a lead. Ways to nurture leads during this stage include:
Sending tailored email campaigns
Hosting webinars, live product demos or behind-the-scenes tours
Offering free trials, consultations or samples
Showcasing case studies and testimonials
Conversion
If a potential customer has reached the conversion stage, you’ve nearly clinched the sale. Your focus here should be removing friction, making it as easy as possible for leads to become paying customers. To boost conversions, businesses can:
Use clear, compelling calls to action (CTAs)
Offer special promotions, discounts or incentives
Streamline checkout or sign-up processes
Provide live chat support or one-on-one sales outreach
Retention (and Advocacy)
Lead generation doesn’t end at a conversion. Retaining customers who make repeat purchases and become advocates for your brand is crucial for long-term growth. Ways to encourage retention and advocacy include:
Providing excellent post-purchase support and customer care
Implementing loyalty programs with exclusive customer perks
Engaging customers through email marketing with personalized offers
Launching referral programs with incentives for recommendations
Why Diversification Matters
Between evolving user behavior and a changing digital landscape, it’s risky to leave your lead generation to a single source. It’s becoming more challenging to break through the mounds of content online and get your brand in front of relevant eyes. AI-powered search engines and algorithm updates are changing how results populate, often reducing organic traffic to traditional web or social media pages. Fewer people are browsing company websites directly, instead discovering brands through short-form video, AI-generated summaries and influencer recommendations.
Consumers increasingly expect immediate, personalized responses, leading to a rise in chatbots, messaging apps and voice search replacing traditional browsing. The way people engage with content has also evolved. People tend to have shorter attention spans and preferences for interactive, engaging formats like videos, livestreams and podcasts. But this isn’t the first time businesses have had to adapt their lead generation strategies. Decades ago, companies relied on print ads and phone book listings to attract customers. Those strategies are nearly obsolete today. As consumer habits continue to shift, businesses that fail to diversify will struggle to stay relevant.
Using multiple channels to share your company’s message reduces dependency on any one channel. So, if you experience a sudden drop in organic search rankings or see an increase in paid ad costs, these fluctuations don’t disrupt your business. A broader strategy expands your reach, allowing you to interact with potential customers in different ways based on their preferences. Plus, different channels attract different kinds of leads. You could even end with higher-quality leads as you diversify.
Exploring Different Lead Generation Tactics
If you’re re-evaluating your lead gen strategy, consider leveraging multiple channels. Rather than depending on SEO, paid ads or email marketing alone, a holistic approach creates a more resistant and scalable system that reaches potential customers at different touchpoints, increases brand visibility and reduces the risk of sudden drops in leads due to algorithm changes or shifting consumer behavior.
Multi-Channel Content Marketing
Content marketing involves creating informative, entertaining or otherwise valuable content to attract and engage audiences. Blog posts, videos, infographics and case studies are just a few common examples. People still actively seek out content that helps them solve problems, learn new skills and stay informed, even if they are using different platforms to do so. Today, content marketing should include:
- Creating diverse content formats like videos and interactive quizzes in addition to traditional long-form blogs and case studies.
- Optimizing long-form content for featured snippets and AI search results with direct answers, concise bullet points, clear headings and well-structured, detailed information.
- Leveraging short-form content on social media platforms with strong visual appeal and storytelling techniques to drive engagement.
SEO
Search engine optimization has historically been seen as a growth strategy, increasing website visibility in search results through optimized content, site structure and technical elements. With nearly 60% of Google searches in the US resulting in zero clicks, businesses that ignore SEO can expect a 10-20% decline in organic visibility per year due to increasing competition and evolving algorithms. SEO is still effective because:
- Appearing in featured snippets and AI-powered increases awareness of your business, even in zero-click searches.
- Fresh content signals to search engines that your site is relevant and authoritative.
- Local SEO remains crucial for businesses targeting specific geographic regions.
Paid Search and Social Ads
Paid advertising involves running targeted campaigns on search engines and social media platforms, while organic strategies focus on building engagement without paid promotion. Using these tools together can increase overall lead generation. Search ads capture high-intent leads, while social media ads and retargeting campaigns enhance visibility and engagement. Make sure your search and social ad strategy:
- Targets high-intent search terms with ad copy optimized for conversions through methods like A/B testing.
- Leverages retargeting ads to reconnect with visitors who didn’t convert the last time they interacted with your website or ads.
- Uses various platforms your target audience is already active on.
Email Marketing
Email marketing delivers targeted communications designed to cultivate leads, promote products and strengthen customer relationships. This method is effective because it provides direct access to audiences via their inboxes. Email also allows you to personalize campaigns in an effort to increase engagement and conversion rates. Start or build your email marketing by:
- Collecting email addresses from your target audience.
- Using segmentation and automation to deliver personalized content.
- Optimizing email subject lines and content to push people through the funnel.
