Covid-19 has brought the global economy to a screeching halt. Most expect a V-shaped recovery once the pandemic gets over, but optimism is now turning to pragmatism and a slower recovery is expected. In such an environment getting more business is paramount, which begets the question – how to generate more leads?

Sales and marketing leaders are looking at the pandemic in three parts:

1. Make it through the current crisis
2. Plan for the eventual recovery
3. Reimagine what the new normal will be

With the lead pipeline drying up and traditional Sales lead generators (events, face to face meetings) becoming obsolete, there is a massive transition to digital sources for leads.

Here are 4 Advanced Tips on how to generate more leads during this crisis:

1. Make online events more engaging

We’ve all been there – every other business right now is pushing their webinar to our inbox. All of these webinars sell themselves as the elixir for the problem you’re facing during the pandemic. While a webinar is a great way to inform your customers and generate leads, there is only so much time before the general populace just gets fatigued with them.

Instead of webinars, budget for virtual experiences. This simple mindset-shift brings a paradigm change to your virtual repertoire of marketing efforts. Here are a few new virtual event formats to explore:

Virtual Roundtables

Bring together 10-15 key decision makers across your strategic accounts in a virtual roundtable and interactive panel discussion format. The aim is to strengthen relationships and build mindshare in your strategic customers.

Virtual Case Studies

Bring together 5-10 key decision makers from a high-value customer for a problem-solution based discussion. The format is a virtual client case study discussion followed by a Q&A. The aim is to build mindshare and capture new leads.

Audio/Video bytes

Use smalls clippings of content from your virtual event to promote on social media. Attach it with a relevant piece of gated collateral to drive leads.

2. Prioritize your pipeline

Your customers are interacting with you on a daily basis even if it’s not via face-to-face meetings. They’re meeting/ interacting with you on your website, your social media posts and the thought leadership you post online.

There is a wealth of data hidden in these digital interactions. Mine these recent interactions looking out for markers for customers showing high purchase intent. These will be customers who spent above average time on your website, downloaded different types of collateral and came back looking for more.

Knowing how to generate leads by segmenting your customers basis their journey in the sales funnel is critical. Retarget and gently nudge customers that display high intent. Offer them more relevant content to move them further across the pipeline.

At the same time don’t forget about your older prospects that went cold. Businesses need help at this time. They’re looking to do more with less but there is definitely demand in the market!

3. Optimize your email marketing

Go for quality and not volume when it comes to your email marketing strategies. As it stands, majority of your customers are already facing inbox fatigue and are over-saturated with emails about either a company’s Covid-19 response or another webinar. You’ve got to stand out but more importantly you’ve got to provide quality content to your customers.

You’ve probably already sent an email about your company’s pandemic response, a “we’re in this together” brand-friend email and any auto-generated emails as part of a drip campaign. Here’s what you should think about before sending out your next lead-gen email:

Revisit your audience segmentation

The psychographics you used while building your customer segments will not necessarily hold true during the pandemic. Everyone is experiencing this crisis differently and you need to be sensitive to each segment’s concerns. People stuck at home might be looking for boredom busting emails but the same might not be true for frontline workers.

De-fatigue your audience

If your emails are not reporting the open rates that they used to it most likely means you’ve got an audience that is tired of opening emails. As there is an information overload during this time, most people will simply tune out to de-stress themselves.

Try a temporary suppression for inactive audiences, and only send emails to your most engaged subscribers. Give your recipients an option to temporarily ‘pause’ or schedule an email cadence. This is a great tactic to create some breathing room for your email recipient and creates an opportunity to delight them once they resume the normal email cadence.

4. Account Based Marketing

It’s good to be looking at the top of the funnel for lead generation but what about your prospects that are at the bottom? There is no doubt businesses are searching for new customers and those at the bottom of your funnel are your best bet at converting into customers. This is where account-based marketing can help.

There is a great disparity in the different industries are experiencing this pandemic. Some are thriving (technology/ internet companies) while some are not (travel and hospitality). Review and update your targeting lists and engage with empathy and relevant content.

You’re probably noticing a jump in digital advertising costs as everyone is jumping on the digital bandwagon during Covid-19. Update your baseline metrics and KPIs using this data to calculate your RoI. Also take into account any anticipated marketplace changes to update your forecasts.

Conclusion

How to generate more leads post Covid is a question on every marketer’s mind right now. While we navigate the nuances of the new normal it is important to pay attention to our most valuable customers and engage with them in a personalized and empathetic manner. Be transparent and address your customer pain points and frustration during this time in a way that both delights and reassures.