Capturing leads is only half of the work – what good are they if you can’t convert them? For small businesses especially, whose resources may not be as plentiful as their competitors, the success of their marketing really depends on achieving a high conversion rate. Because their marketing budgets may be comparably smaller, the amount of leads that can be generated from a single campaign may be somewhat limited. Although it may seem unlikely, small businesses can make the most out of the leads they’ve generated to properly nurture them. Time can be dedicated to keep these leads a priority so that they can ultimately be converted. Here’s how to make the most of your leads:

Acquire quality leads

This is particularly important if you have a limited budget, you want your leads to be ones that have a real potential of becoming a customer. How did you obtain this lead? Have they just had a consultation with your company, or did they sign up for your newsletter for a promotion? Quality of a lead will really depend on how ready the customer is to complete a sale, or willing to engage with your business.

Stay organised

Which part of the buying cycle do your leads belong to? Separate them so your approach can be targeted and nuanced. Create customer profiles and identify their needs. Be responsive, attentive.

Touch base

You’ve just earned a lead, now your first step is to acknowledge them. Drop them a line just to say hi, let them know where they can get in touch with you – whether it’s LinkedIn, email or simply a phone number. It’s also just as important to follow up your leads with emails after any consultations or conversations you may have – you can go over what was discussed and give them what options they have available to them in terms of the products and services your business is providing.

Provide value

Offer guides, eBooks, tutorials to keep potential customers interested. Sometimes, a subtler approach may be more appropriate if you feel your leads are not yet at the level of commitment required for conversion. In this case, create content less ‘sales-y’ in lieu of something more helpful or useful for the customer. For example, if you’re selling beauty product, you can do a ‘how-to’ guide to create a certain look referencing various beauty items without the intensity of a full product feature.

Keep track of what works

Whatever channels you’re using to reach out to customers, remember to track the data. Take a look at what customers are clicking on, which Tweets gets shared the most and which Instagram photos get liked the most. Get better results by listening to your customers.