Finding potential customers is very important in marketing activities. There are many ways to acquire leads, but using tools can help you collect them effectively. However, some people may not have a concrete image of what tools can be used to acquire leads. Therefore, in this article, we will explain the benefits of introducing lead acquisition tools and how to select them, as well as introduce recommended lead acquisition tools.
Table of contents
Need a lead generation tool? What is a lead?
Lead generation refers to finding potential customers who are interested in your product or service. Prospective customers are very likely to purchase your product or sign up for your service in the future, so they are very important in increasing your sales. Finding prospective customers quickly and providing useful information about your company’s products and services leads to the possibility that prospective customers will become customers.
What tools can be used to generate leads?
To acquire leads, you can efficiently find potential customers by utilizing tools. The three main tools are:
- MA tools
- sales list builder
- webinar management tools
I will explain each.
MA tools
MA tools are tools that can efficiently acquire and nurture leads. By using the MA tool, you can automatically send emails to specific users and change the page design according to the user. If you set the conditions at the beginning, it will automatically acquire leads when the conditions are met, so the merit of introducing it will be great. It is no exaggeration to say that it is an indispensable tool for marketing activities.
sales list builder
The sales list creation tool is a tool that automatically lists companies and individuals that may become customers and creates a sales list. By entering certain conditions, it will automatically list companies and individuals that meet the conditions, greatly reducing the time and effort of listing. Some tools not only create sales lists, but also have functions such as automatic email distribution.
webinar management tools
Webinar is short for webinar. A webinar management tool is a tool that can improve the efficiency of webinar planning, management, follow-up, etc. Normally, when holding a webinar, it is essential not only to prepare equipment and attract customers, but also to follow up and analyze customers after the event. Managing a webinar inevitably requires human resources, but the introduction of tools is characterized by a significant reduction in the effort involved in holding a webinar.
Advantages of introducing lead generation tools
The benefits of using a lead generation tool are:
- Can nurture prospective customers
- Reach more potential customers
- Capturing characteristics of prospective customers
- You can centrally manage prospective customers
I will explain each.
Can nurture prospective customers
One of the benefits of using lead generation tools is nurturing prospects. Lead generation tools often have more than just one feature. For example, by using the automatic transmission of e-mail magazines, the automatic delivery of step mails, and the transmission function of LINE, you can expect the effect of further increasing the willingness to purchase of prospective customers. Not all prospective customers end up purchasing products, so a tool with a function that saves the trouble of cultivating leads is useful.
Reach more potential customers
The second advantage of using lead generation tools is that you can reach more prospects. Until now, most of our sales activities have involved face-to-face negotiations with customers. However, with the recent development of the Internet, online business negotiations and web conferences have become commonplace. For example, if you use webinar distribution tools and online business negotiation tools, you will be able to approach more prospective customers than before because travel time will be shortened.
Capturing characteristics of prospective customers
The third advantage of using lead acquisition tools is that you can grasp the characteristics of prospective customers. There are quite a few lead acquisition tools that have functions that allow you to grasp the characteristics of prospective customers, such as basic information such as age and gender, and their behavior history.
It is important to grasp the characteristics in order to make optimal proposals and approaches according to individual prospective customers. Analyzing the characteristics may lead to the discovery of potential customers, so the benefits of introducing the tool would be great.
You can centrally manage prospective customers
The fourth advantage of using lead generation tools is that you can centrally manage prospective customers. Not only the customer information acquired by the tool, but also existing lead information can be centrally managed, so you can efficiently manage prospective customer information. Since information can be easily updated and shared, it is also useful for understanding the status of business negotiations with customers, which will lead to better results.
Points to note when introducing lead generation tools
There are two things to keep in mind when introducing lead generation tools:
- Tools alone are not enough
- Doesn’t lead to immediate results
I will explain each.
Tools alone are not enough
A lead generation tool is a very useful tool, but it doesn’t mean that everything is complete with just the tool. Even if you use tools, the human resources required to create content for e-mail magazines and LINE steps will not be completely zero. The same is true for SNS and blog management. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop human resources such as those in the marketing department who are in charge of processes that cannot be completed with tools.
Doesn’t lead to immediate results
Lead generation tools don’t produce immediate results. It takes time to produce results because it is necessary to continuously analyze the target and operate the approach method through trial and error. Let’s understand in advance that medium- to long-term operation is a prerequisite.
How to choose a lead generation tool
When choosing a lead generation tool, pay attention to the following three points.
- purpose of use
- Cost-effectiveness
- support system
I will explain each.
purpose of use
The first way to choose a lead generation tool is what you want to use it for. Lead generation tools have different functions depending on the tool, so let’s clarify how to use them. You should identify the issues your company has and choose tools that can solve them. For example, it is important to choose a tool that meets the purpose of use, such as managing the history of document requests or sending an e-mail magazine using the application history of seminars. By clarifying the purpose of use, you can prevent failures after introduction.
Cost-effectiveness
The second way to choose a lead generation tool is cost effectiveness. It is necessary to calculate the effect not only at the time of introduction of the tool but also in anticipation of the cost of operation. For example, we will focus on how much it costs to hold one webinar, how many people can be expected to recognize it, and whether we can acquire applications from among them. It’s important to choose the lead generation tool that’s right for your company in terms of cost-effectiveness.
support system
The third way to choose a lead generation tool is the support system. When introducing a new tool or starting to use it, it is not uncommon for questions to arise. Choosing a tool with good support can help you get your questions answered quickly. It is a good idea to check whether there is support at the time of introduction, whether it will respond immediately in an emergency, and whether support is available during your company’s operating hours.
[MA] 3 Recommended Lead Acquisition Tools
Finally, we will introduce recommended lead generation tools for each type. First of all, I will introduce the following three MA tools.
- SATORI
- Adobe Marketo Engage
- HubSpot Marketing Hub
I will explain each.
SATORI
SATORI is a domestically produced MA tool that has been installed in over 1000 companies. You can approach anonymous prospects as well as real customers. Installation and operation are simple, no database design or installation work is required, and operation can be started on the same day. The support system such as online help and online support is also substantial, so even if you have little experience operating MA tools, you can use it with confidence.
Features of SATORI
- More than 1,000 companies installed
- Approach anonymous prospects
- No database design/installation required
Adobe Marketo Engage
Adobe Marketo Engage is a marketing platform with many useful features for lead acquisition, such as automatic web content optimization and app push notifications. By accumulating behavioral data and combining it with advanced action flows, you can build good relationships with prospective customers. Since the function of linking with other tools is also substantial, it will be easy to link with other departments.
Features of Adobe Marketo Engage
- Marketing platform with rich features
- Build good relationships with prospective customers
- Extensive collaboration functions
HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub is a marketing platform with all the functions you need for marketing. Blogs and chatbots can also be created and centrally managed on the tool. Further efficiency can be expected by combining it with other HubSpot products such as Sales Hub, which can manage customer information. The support system is also substantial, and customer support in Japanese can be used in various ways such as chat and email.
Features of the HubSpot Marketing Hub
- Equipped with many functions necessary for marketing
- Batch management of blogs, advertisements, etc.
- Customer support in Japanese
[Creating a sales list] 3 recommended lead acquisition tools
Sales list building tools are also useful for generating leads. Here are three of our favorite sales list building tools:
- APOLLO SALES
- FORCAS
- Musubu
I will explain each.
APOLLO SALES
APOLLO SALES is a tool that can automatically collect sales list information according to conditions. Approach can also be done automatically, and it is possible to automatically send emails to the created sales list or post to the inquiry form. You will be able to create a valid sales list by being able to search the database of potential customers.
Features of APOLLO SALES
- Automatically collect business list according to conditions
- E-mail delivery and form submission are possible all at once
- Database updated daily
FORCAS
FORCAS is a cloud service used by marketing and sales departments of various companies. You can create a sales list based on a number of conditions, such as increased sales and profits, hiring trends, as well as industry and company size. It is also attractive that you can use data analysis functions to formulate sales strategies based on customer needs. By automatically linking with MA tools, you will be able to use customer data more efficiently.
Features of FORCAS
- Create sales list from various conditions
- Abundant features to improve sales productivity
- Automatic linkage with MA tools
Musubu
Musubu is a sales list creation tool that can automatically create a sales list from a huge amount of company data. With over 1.4 million company information databases, the time required to create target lists is greatly reduced. In addition, since the search axis is substantial, detailed targeting is possible. Efficient sales activities can be realized because it also has an email delivery function and a sales management function.
Features of Musubu
- Over 1.4 million company information database
- Fine targeting is possible
- Efficient sales activities with abundant functions
[Webinar management] 3 recommended lead acquisition tools
You can also use webinar management tools to generate leads. Here are three webinar management tools:
- V-CUBE Seminar
- EventHub
- Cocripo
I will explain each.
V-CUBE Seminar
V-CUBE Seminar is a webinar management tool that allows you to connect immediately from your browser without installing an app. It is also attractive that you can easily prepare for the webinar because you can create manuals and scripts and conduct delivery tests. You can also measure the effect after distribution, which will be useful for acquiring leads.
Features of the V-CUBE seminar
- No app installation required
- Smooth advance preparation is possible
- Full support system
EventHub
EventHub is a webinar management tool that provides one-stop access to the functions necessary for event management. It is also attractive to be able to respond to various formats of business events such as online/offline hybrids, exhibitions and business meetings, as well as webinars. In addition to being able to obtain detailed behavior and viewing logs, there is also a function that allows you to interact with customers before and after the event, which will be useful in obtaining business negotiations that lead to sales.
Features of EventHub
- One-stop use of functions necessary for event management
- Unmanned operation on the same day using a pseudo-live function
- Get detailed behavior and viewing logs
Cocripo
Cocripo is a webinar-only tool dedicated to webinars. You can participate simply by clicking the URL, and the operation is easy. In addition, it is also possible to conduct an automatic questionnaire after the webinar ends and use it for data management and analysis. In addition to operation manuals and inquiries, support such as regular question sessions is also substantial, so it is also recommended for companies that are introducing webinar management tools for the first time.
Features of Cocripo
- Dedicated tools for webinars
- Full support system
- Free for the first month
summary
In this article, I explained about lead generation tools, the benefits of introducing lead generation tools, how to select them, and introduced recommended lead generation tools. There are many types of lead generation tools, so it’s important to choose the one that fits your purpose. Please refer to the selection of tools and recommended tools introduced in this article and choose the best lead acquisition tool.
