For most businesses, it’s not only about the quantity of the leads, it’s also about the quality of the audience.
Today, let’s focus on lead QUALITY.
When I first got started, it was all about the numbers. How many new subscribers, how many views, bounce rate on the website. I was obsessed with getting my numbers right, And as a “new” business (or at least a seasoned business that was pivoting to serve new audiences), getting raw numbers through the door seemed like a no-brainer.
While I was able to drive traffic, I was not getting the conversions through my funnel. And worse – I kept focussing on numbers because in the back of my head, I kept repeating that old saying about “every NO gets me closer to a YES.”
AND I HATED IT.
Maybe staying on that path of running traffic would have eventually paid off, but I was frustrated and exhausted by low conversion rate. The old way simply was not working. I was not attracting the quality audience that I needed.
There had to be a better way. So I gave up the “marketing high” of driving numbers and began the hard work of searching for the exact audience who could benefit most.
What does that mean?
- I stopped focussing on QUANTITY and started to concentrate my efforts on finding QUALITY.
- I put my offer in front of smaller audiences who were much better fits for my products and services.
- I laser targeted my message to attract only the people I could help.
- I let go of existing customers who were no longer a good fit for my offerings (THIS was the hardest thing to do).
- I aligned all my marketing efforts on delivering just a single message.
- I dumped any content and collateral that was not built around delivering highly-aligned traffic (yes…I did “kill my darlings” and some posts that I really loved to write and that customers loved to read)
Has it worked?
Frankly, it is still a work in progress. But I am in a better place. By focussing on QUALITY of leads I can
- Build a marketing plan that drives business toward a very specific goal.
- Help very targeted clients solve problems that drive their businesses forward.
- Put my services and products directly in front of people who can really benefit.
- Help clients get the QUALITY of leads they need to drive their business forward
Identify the exact, targeted audiences to deliver the marketing message.
It was both humbling and exhilarating to feel this freedom. I no longer wasted time trying to convince (read: sell) to audiences who weren’t a great fit.
My experience of “less is more” means two things:
Yes…I still need QUANTITY. I still need to drive traffic. Even great, laser-targeted audiences are not going to all want the product or service offering. No one converts at 100% (not even Apple).
But my QUANTITY needs to start with QUALITY. Throwing an offer in front of big audiences with a generic message just to get numbers through the door is a waste of time and money. Instead, I need to do a better job of listening and responding only to things that I can genuinely help with.
What is your experience with QUALITY versus QUANTITY?
I would love to hear your stories and struggles with targeting your marketing. If there is something I can help with, send me an email or post it in my FB group.
Be brave.
If you are challenged by something, I guarantee that there are many people lurking in the background who are also challenged by your thing.
Want to learn more?
Here are a couple of hand-picked resources to help you on your way to sales funnel greatness.
So…what is your biggest challenge?