“Lead Generation” VS “Lead Nurturing” are totally different things but they’re interconnected with each other. Today, we’ll talk about both of them and explain to you what each of them means. Read further to know more. 

Difference Between Lead Generation VS Lead Nurturing:

Lead Generation is solely focused on collecting leads whereas Lead Nurturing includes the process of building a healthy and strong relationship and following up with individual customers in the hope of turning them into long-term paying customers.

What is “Lead Generation?”

Lead Generation is the process by which you gather interest in your brand/business and eventually convert those interested audiences into your customers. 

Companies use inbound marketing strategies, such as email marketing, content marketing, and online advertising to help them generate leads that are considering purchasing their products or services.

Online web forms are a popular way to collect a lead’s contact information so that the sales department can reach out to the lead and work to make a sale.

Some of the benefits of lead generation include:

• Generate awareness –

Lead generation shares information about your products or services and helps to build your brand. Once your brand is well-known, it will be stronger and more popular in your target markets.

• Target desired customers –

Lead generation helps brands narrow down the correct audience for a product or service. It reduces the number of people you are trying to market to and directs your efforts to the ones most likely to make a purchase.

• Collect information on prospective clients –

Lead generation gives you a way to collect important information on potential customers. It tells you what the lead is interested in and allows you to tailor your marketing approach to meet the buyer’s needs.

What is a “Lead?”

A “Lead” is a potential customer, who showed interest in your products and services. You know because they have:

• Input their details into an online form on your website.

• Sent a message through live chat.

• Called your business’s contact number.

• Interacted with you on social media.

Lead Generating Tactics:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) –

SEO is a very powerful inbound marketing tool for helping with lead generation. It is a digital marketing strategy that boosts your brand’s website for online search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others. It will help put your company’s site at the top of search results and help your brand’s reputation grow.

Content Marketing –

Content marketing is creating valuable content that your company places on its blog, website, or social media channels to catch the attention of your target audience.

This content is tailored to topics that your potential customers would find interesting and informative. It is also optimized for search engines (SEO), so it can be easily found by leads performing online searches.

Social Media Marketing –

This tactic focuses on using your company’s social media channels to help build your brand and interact with potential clients.

By creating posts and content that can attract interested buyers and replying to comments made by visitors to your accounts, you can start to build a relationship with potential customers and share information about your brand.

Social Media Advertising –

Just like social media marketing, advertising on social media platforms can attract new leads. Users may just be browsing their Facebook (FB) news feed when they see an ad your company placed with FB.

When they move to Instagram, you could have another advertisement on that application, reminding a user about your products and services, and generating more interest for your brand.

Email Marketing –

Email marketing is just what it sounds like – sending emails to potential leads. But, it is not just an email message. It is content, offers, product updates, and more.

Emails can be easily tailored to specific target groups, so this is a great way to send more specific information to particular sets of people.

What Is “Lead Nurturing?” 

Lead Nurturing is a process where you have to follow up with the leads that you gathered by “Lead Generating Tactics.” You have to build a strong relationship with your prospects in order to thrive and keep your leads intact. Businesses use this process to turn prospects into potential customers. 

Lead nurturing occurs with help from automated workflows and marketing campaigns that focus on the needs or interests of the possible clients and thus gain the leads’ attention and trust.

Some of the benefits of lead nurturing include:

• Build your reputation as a trusted leader in your field –

By answering a prospect’s questions during the process of lead nurturing, you position your business as one that understands its industry and specific consumers, building leads’ trust. The more trust you build, the more you become known as a subject matter expert and an industry leader.

• Identify needs –

Communicating with your target audience will help you understand what they want and need. You can find out if there is a product or service lacking that your audience would purchase.

• Easily obtain feedback –

Sending out surveys through your inbound marketing channels can help you get feedback on your current products and services from leads and customers.

Lead Nurturing Tactics: 

• Social Media Outreach –

Monitoring social media channels for mentions of your brand is a good method for lead nurturing. If someone is asking others for advice on one of your products, you can step in and share information on your brand or reach out directly to discuss your company and the benefits of your services.

• Personalization –

Be personal when reaching out to leads. Use the potential buyer’s name or location and tailor your communications to their market, industry, and potential uses for your products or services. People like to know you are paying attention and that you care about them – it can really help sway them to your brand if they are on the fence!

• Educate –

Use your marketing tools (such as email marketing or automated workflows) to share information on your company, brand, products, and anything else you deem important.

By educating potential buyers on what your business has to offer, they will learn if your product is the best fit for their current needs – or future needs. Also, they will appreciate you for sharing your knowledge and may direct colleagues to your company so they can gain information as well.

• Content Creation –

By getting to know your leads, you will get to know their pain points and where they need help. You can take this information and develop content that directly targets these areas. Include links to this content in your communications, and leads will appreciate you sharing ideas and tips.

• Multi-Channel Marketing –

While email marketing reaches a good deal of potential customers, it is not the only way to go. You can use a variety of channels – social media, blogs, podcasts – which will ensure that you are being seen by a wide range of audiences.

Test, Analyze, and Improve:

Lead generation and lead nurturing processes are ongoing efforts that will be used long-term to help your business continually find potential customers and convert them to clients. The best way to maximize the effectiveness of your techniques is to test and optimize your methods.

Through something as simple as an A/B Test, where you measure the effectiveness of two different versions of a component, like an email subject line, you can mold your strategies to be more effective. Analyze the results of your tests, and your strategies and processes updated and improved to maximize the return you get for your efforts.

To Wrap It Up:

Lastly, this article will help you to understand what is the difference between “Lead Generation” VS “Lead Nurturing.” We’ve explained both the subjects pretty well here. We hope it was helpful for you.

Thank you for being and reading with us! If you’ve any questions regarding this article, please comment below. Also, read our article on “Lead Generation Vs Brand Awareness: What’s The Difference?“