Lead Generation: More than just filling your inbox

We had a really interesting chat with a client in the leisure industry the other day. They were dead chuffed about getting loads of leads for their business. Brilliant, right? Well, not quite.

Turns out these 'leads’ were about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Loads of tyre-kickers and time-wasters who were never going to buy. We reckon this sounds familiar for most businesses. We get ‘leads’ that end up down a garden path. 

Getting leads isn't the hard part. Getting the right ones? That's where it gets interesting. We're not after names in a spreadsheet - we're after the next genuine customer; someone who's actually bothered about what we're selling. 

Would you rather have 100 random people who might buy, or 10 who are ready to sign on the dotted line? It's quality over quantity, every time. Let's be honest - most lead generation is about as targeted as throwing confetti in a hurricane. People are:

• Buying email lists (it's 2025 - catch up)
• Spamming everyone on LinkedIn (we can all see what you're doing even if you do it ‘conversationally’)
• Creating content that's about as exciting as watching paint dry
  
  We reckon there's a better way. It's not rocket science, but it does take some graft:

1. Know who you're after (and we mean really know them - times they want calling, how old their kids are, why they want to buy a holiday home in Skipsea)
2. Create stuff they actually want to read/watch/listen to (not stuff you love and doomscrolling on Instagram until 1am)
3. Get it in front of them where they already are (think The Little Mermaid: I wanna be where the people are)
4. Make it dead easy for them to get in touch (buttons, forms, DM links, email groups, carrier pigeon)
5. Actually follow up (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised)

This isn't just us spouting off - we're passionate about this stuff. That's why we're getting together with some brilliant minds at The Marketing Meetup on January 30th at Strawberry Fields Digital Hub in Chorley.

Grab your tickets for 30th January's The Marketing Meetup

We've got Olivia McCaughran from Lancashire Business View, our own Chris Davis (who knows his onions when it comes to lead gen), and Aidan Oldroyd from Proper sharing their secrets. No sales pitch, just real conversation about what works and what doesn't.

The Bottom Line
Lead generation isn't about collecting names like they're Pokemon cards. It's about finding the right people who need what you're selling. And when you do it right? That's when the magic happens.

Want to know more? Come down to TMM and let's have a chat about it. Bring your questions, bring your challenges, and let's sort them out together. Just remember - we're all here to learn from each other. No selling, no pressure, just good old Lancashire straight-talk about making your business better.

See you there?