How do you find the most effective lead sources and channels?

1 Define your goals and metrics

Before you start testing, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Do you want to generate more leads, improve the quality of leads, increase the conversion rate, or reduce the cost per lead? Depending on your goals, you will need to track different metrics, such as lead volume, lead score, lead source, cost per lead, cost per acquisition, or return on investment. You should also establish a baseline and a target for each metric, so you can compare your results and identify the best performers.

2 Identify your potential sources and channels

Next, you need to research and list the possible sources and channels that you can use to generate leads. Sources are the places where your leads come from, such as search engines, social media, email, referrals, or events. Channels are the methods or tools that you use to capture leads, such as landing pages, forms, pop-ups, chatbots, or webinars. You should consider both organic and paid options, as well as different variations within each source or channel. For example, you can test different keywords, ad formats, or headlines for paid search campaigns, or different content types, hashtags, or influencers for social media posts.

3 Set up your testing framework

Once you have your list of potential sources and channels, you need to decide how you will test them. There are different ways to test your lead generation strategies, such as A/B testing, multivariate testing, or split testing. The most common one is A/B testing, which involves comparing two versions of a source or channel to see which one performs better. For example, you can test two different landing pages with different headlines, images, or calls to action. To run a valid A/B test, you need to make sure that you have enough traffic, that you only change one variable at a time, and that you run the test for a sufficient period of time.

4 Analyze your results and optimize your strategy

After you run your tests, you need to analyze your data and see which sources and channels performed better according to your goals and metrics. You should use a statistical tool or software to calculate the significance and confidence level of your results, and avoid making decisions based on gut feelings or assumptions. You should also look for patterns, trends, and insights that can help you understand why some sources and channels worked better than others. Based on your analysis, you can optimize your strategy by focusing on the best performers, eliminating the worst ones, or tweaking the ones that need improvement.

5 Repeat and refine your testing process

Testing your lead generation sources and channels is not a one-time activity, but a continuous process. You should always monitor your results and look for new opportunities to improve your performance. You should also test new sources and channels that emerge or become relevant for your audience and your offer. By repeating and refining your testing process, you can ensure that you are always using the most effective lead sources and channels for your lead generation goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?