Many marketers believe that lead generation is an expensive, laborious task. And, sure, it can be... but it doesn't have to be. Strong inbound marketing campaigns and robust content strategies can help you and your business generate highly qualified leads without blowing all your resources in one place. Over the next quarter, pick one or two of our top five lead generation and inbound strategy tips to test with your customers. You'll be surprised at how simple and effective these tools can be to engage new (and former) customers.

1. Personalized content and inbound marketing:

Using personalized content to spur inbound marketing activity is one of the most effective ways to generate qualified leads. Personalized content is three times more likely to generate clicks and leads than non-personalized content. Whether you send emails using your customers' first names or grab their attention or leverage retargeted display ads reminding customers of items they previously browsed, highly personalized content is a great way to keep your product top of mind and nudge customers toward the lead or purchase funnel.

2. Social media incentives:

Social media is another lynchpin in a strong lead generation and inbound strategy. Turn your current customers into advocates and encourage them to share your content, invite friends to visit your homepage, and review your products online. This increases natural exposure to your site and encourages new customers to reach out and get to know your brand better. Reviews and recommendations are one of the most trusted referral sources for new customers, so don't underestimate the power these simple social tools can have on your lead generation capabilities.

3. Clear features and benefits invite customers to your inbound marketing campaign:

Content marketing strategy starts with wrapping each and every one of your product features in customer benefits. Focus on the direct business benefits or lifestyle perks your product is associated with. As customers project themselves into your brand lifestyle while reading blogs or seeing clear product benefits in a well placed Instagram campaign, they will be encouraged to do more research and seek out additional information about your brand. As they self select into your target audience, onto your landing pages, and into your social campaigns the inbound leas will roll in.

4. Email campaigns:

Even though email marketing sometimes gets a bad wrap thanks to increased anti-spam laws and a deluge of, well, spammy email marketing, it can be a highly effective lead generation tool when used properly. To revitalize traditional email lead campaigns, we suggest going way outside the box. Host an event (you'll be shocked at the number of qualified leads your ticket sales yield), partner with a local charity or institution to tag-team off their email lists, or offer crazy-shareable flash email sales that beg to be forwarded. This radical take on email campaigns will drive inbound marketing leads as customers are tempted to share, attending, and engage with your website.

5. Affiliate partnerships

The saying that two heads are better than one is especially true for lead generation. Affiliate partnerships let you align your brand with another organization that shares your mission statement or vision. You can create exclusive content, deals, or experiences for your shared audience and enjoy a halo effect of positive vibes, qualified leads, and customer purchases. Affiliate partnerships are especially good for generating qualified leads and inbound marketing benefits because you can pool resources and creativity to do more with less. These five tips and tricks are so easy, you might not even think you're generating leads, which is why inbound marketing is such a powerful tool to find customers who are pre-qualified to love your brand.

Learn here how the team at BIGEYE aligns your inbound marketing strategy towards success.