Lead generation is an important part of any online marketing strategy. To create an effective marketing strategy, marketers need to understand the advantages and disadvantages of website leads versus in-platform leads and decide which makes more sense to prioritize.
In-Platform Leads
In-platform leads provide an opportunity for businesses to generate leads on social platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Instant forms are used for in-platform leads. These forms are designed to gather information quickly and are easy to use on mobile devices. This is easy and convenient for prospects since they can provide their contact information to your business without leaving the platform.
These forms have varying degrees of customization. The simplicity of in-platform leads makes them cost-effective, but they can be vulnerable to spam. There’s also a higher risk of capturing low-quality leads. Information captured by instant forms may include fake email addresses or international phone numbers when the target audience is local residents.
Businesses may need to use logic or filters to mitigate spam. Advanced CAPTCHA systems can help to filter out bots. When fake clicks and spam submissions are reduced, lead quality improves. However, businesses may need to consider whether the effort required to protect lead quality is worth the cost savings.
Website Leads
Leads you’re able to capture on your own website are usually more expensive, but the contact information captured is usually higher quality. Prospects that have already found their way to your website typically have decided to engage with your business, which can lead to better conversion rates.
Better verification processes can be set up on your website. Email verification tools can be used to make sure submissions are valid. Contact forms on your website can be designed to require more detailed information, which can help to pre-qualify leads.
The initial cost of generating website leads is higher than the cost of in-platform leads, but since the end result is typically higher quality leads and better conversion rates, they may be worth the extra up-front cost.
Integrating CRMs to Optimize Leads
Your business may benefit from integrating Customer Relationship Management systems (CRMs) such as GoHighLevel and Hubspot. CRMs can gather data on user interactions and provide analytics that can help you tweak your marketing strategy.
Whether you use in-platform leads or website leads, CRMs can help streamline lead management. User behavior can be tracked across funnel stages, and data can be provided to help marketers improve their strategies.
CRMs can help address challenges tied to in-platform leads. With information about how prospects move through the sales funnel, high-intent prospects can be identified, and spam submissions can be filtered out. This can help improve lead quality over time.
The type of lead generation approach that’s best for your business depends on whether it’s more important to you to gather high-quality leads or to reduce up-front costs. Using proactive filtering techniques can help you get the best results from whichever approach you take.
Reach out to Softline Solutions for expert help with your digital marketing strategy.
