What is lead generation tracking?
Lead generation tracking is when you set benchmarks for and consistently determine where leads are coming from, which lead-gen channels are performing the best, which are performing the worst, and even what type of opt-in offers are the most effective.
Why is lead generation tracking important?
Without a healthy lead generation tracking cadence, it is difficult to build a successful email marketing strategy. The truth is that your email marketing strategy is only as effective as your testing and iterating strategy. Different tactics work for different businesses, and so you have to determine what works for your business — the only way to do that is by testing and adapting to what works and what doesn’t.
What lead-gen factors should you track and test?
There is a seemingly endless amount of factors when it comes to tracking email marketing lead generation. Some factors are easier to track (SEO) and others are more difficult (offline lead generation). Here are some of the factors that you should consider tracking.
- Opt-in Offer — Often referred to as a lead magnet, this is the reason that people sign up for your email list and become a lead. Your opt-in offer is some sort of free gift that you give people for signing up for your email list. It might be a downloadable resource or it might be entrance to a giveaway. Whatever the case, try different things and test those offers to determine what works the best for attracting and converting your ideal market.
- Channel — When you collect leads from your ideal market, pay special attention to where they come from. Did they come from your Facebook ads? Or did they come from Reddit? Did they come from your direct mail campaign or from an organic Instagram post? Once you know where your best leads are coming from, you can spend more time marketing to them in the places that give you the best ROI on your time and money.
- Required Opt-in Information — What kind of info are people required to disclose in order to opt-in to your email list? Do they have to give their name, email, and phone number, or just an email address? The amount of information that leads have to provide can impact how effective your lead-gen strategy is. So try requiring different types and amounts of information and see what works best. Often, less is more.
- Opt-in Copy — The actual sales copy that you use to convert people when they click on your offer or lead magnet is also critical. If your copy doesn’t resonate with your ideal market, then you’re not going to generate very many leads (or, at least, not the kind of leads you want). For that reason, freshen up your sales copy every now and again, testing and learning to see what works best and what converts the most people.