Simple Lead Gen Strategies to Attract and Convert Customers for Your Small Biz

In this episode of the Talk About Digital Podcast, host Mark A Preston, Customer Growth Coach & Speaker, shares his expertise on how small and medium-sized businesses can master lead generation without getting lost in marketing jargon or salesy tactics. If you’re a small business owner wanting to grow your customer base but feel overwhelmed by lead generation strategies, this episode strips it all down to the essentials, providing straightforward steps that you can implement immediately.

Why Listen?

Mark takes you through his proven approach to lead generation, drawing from years of experience in digital marketing and small business growth. He explains how lead generation isn’t about flashy sales tactics but about building genuine connections with people who need your services. Learn how to start meaningful conversations, understand your customers’ needs, and guide them naturally from curiosity to becoming loyal clients.

Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners:

• Find Your Audience: Mark shares insights on tools like SparkToro to help you identify exactly where your ideal customers spend their time online, ensuring you don’t waste time on platforms that don’t deliver.
• Crafting a Trustworthy Profile: Discover how to use your website and social media profiles to build credibility. Mark’s advice on testimonials and creating specific landing pages for different customer needs helps position you as the go-to expert in your field.
• Connect the Dots in Your Lead Generation Funnel: Mark explains how to map out your customer touchpoints—from LinkedIn to your blog—and ensure each interaction naturally leads to the next step. This approach keeps your audience engaged and moving closer to making a purchase.
• Avoid Common Mistakes: Avoid the trap of thinking you need to be everywhere online. Mark’s focus on quality over quantity helps you refine your lead generation efforts, ensuring you’re reaching people in meaningful, impactful ways.

What Will You Gain?

By tuning in, you’ll gain a practical understanding of lead generation that feels authentic and achievable, without overwhelming your budget or time. Mark’s actionable steps and his signature “TAD Takeaway” will help you set up a lead generation system that not only attracts new customers but builds trust and loyalty for long-term growth.

TAD Takeaway: Map out your lead generation journey by listing all the touchpoints where customers can connect with your business. This exercise gives you a clear visual of your sales funnel, helping you see where potential leads might need a nudge to reach out or make a purchase.

If you’re ready to take a genuine, effective approach to lead generation, this episode is a must-listen!

This podcast is produced by Voice It Podcast Agency
https://voiceitpodcastagency.co.uk

Transcript

[00:00:00] Mark A Preston: Welcome to Talk About Digital, the podcast for small and medium sized businesses looking to grow new customers through impactful, low cost digital marketing strategies. Have you invested in digital marketing with zero positive impact? If this sounds like you, then this is the place for you. Each week, we provide actionable steps to move your business forward with our TAD takeaway, helping you to harness your biggest asset, yourself, to achieve big impact with minimal investment.

[00:00:36] Stay tuned as we dive into the world of digital marketing, offering insights and advice that will transform your business. Let's get started. Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the talk about digital podcast. I'm Mark A. Presson and today I want to talk to you about something that's essential for every small business, lead generation.

[00:00:59] Now before you start worrying about sales techniques or complicated marketing jargon, take a breath. I'm going to make this simple for you. Today we are stripping lead generation back to basics. Lead generation is simply about getting more people interested in your business, especially if you're a service based business.

[00:01:22] Without new leads, you can't grow. You can't bring in new customers. So my goal today is to help you understand lead generation in a way that feels natural and useful rather than like a sales pitch. All right, let's dive in. Just a bit of background before we go further. I started my career in this industry way back in 2001.

[00:01:46] And for the first five years, I built my own lead generation businesses working with small companies. And medium sized businesses across the UK and the US. So when I talk about lead generation, it's coming from real experience and I'm genuinely passionate about it. This has been the foundation of everything I've learned.

[00:02:10] And what makes me who I am today. Now let's strip lead generation back and look at it without the pressure of selling. Think of it as starting conversations with the right people who genuinely need. What you offer when you think of lead generation, don't think about sales or pushing your services in someone's face.

[00:02:35] Instead, think about what your customers or clients need to know before they're ready to reach out to you. That's often the missing piece. It's not about shouting. Look at me. It's about creating connections by understanding your customer's needs. Start by asking yourself, Do I really understand where my ideal customers are hanging out online?

[00:03:03] This is important because you don't want to waste time on platforms that your audience doesn't even use. There's actually a great tool called SparkToro. That can help you figure out where your audience spend their time online. I've met so many small business owners who've put loads of effort into the wrong channel simply because they are guessing instead of checking.

[00:03:29] So step one is understanding where your audience hangs out. Then it's about nurturing those conversations in a genuine way. Now, we've probably heard people talk about pain points, but let's keep it simple. Rather than thinking about customers, pain points, think about what solutions you can offer. What are you really good at?

[00:03:55] What makes you the go to expert in your field? Lead generation is about building trust. It's about having real conversations with people who might benefit from what you do. So show them how you can help. It's not just about talking business. It's about creating a natural connection. If you're starting conversations online, you're more likely to build quality leads because you're meeting people where they are and offering something meaningful rather than just trying to sell them something.

[00:04:33] Let's talk practical. If you're engaging people online, you'll want a simple place to send them. Usually that's your website, but that's essential that your website has the right messaging. It needs to come across as trustworthy and knowledgeable. Like you're the expert who can solve their problem. One way to build trust is by using real testimonials.

[00:05:01] Instead of flashy, overproduced videos, think about adding genuine, straightforward videos from customers. It could be as simple as a customer recording a quick message on their phone. Authenticity resonates. And people will feel like they're hearing from somebody they can trust. Another tip, if you solve multiple problems, create specific pages on your website for each one.

[00:05:32] When you're talking to potential leads, Online or writing a LinkedIn post, you can then send them directly to the page that's relevant to their needs. This way, everything feels personalized and focused on solving their specific problem. Once you've got these elements in place, it's about connecting the dots.

[00:05:56] Think of it as creating a pathway. You're sending the right people with the right message to the right page on your website. This isn't about pumping out endless social media posts or cracking out blog article after blog article without purpose. It's about guiding people naturally from one step to the next, building trust at each stage and showing them that you can understand exactly what they're looking for.

[00:06:27] Bye. When you look at lead generation this way, it becomes clear that it's not a sheer volume. It's about meaningful interactions that gradually and genuinely turn into interest and eventually loyal customers. Before we wrap up, let's go over a few common mistakes people make with lead generation. First, don't feel like you have to be everywhere online.

[00:06:56] Pick the channels where your audience actually spends time. It's quality, not quantity. Which you might have heard before. Second, make sure your lead generation efforts have purpose. Posting five times a day on social media without a plan is just noise. Focus on what truly helps potential customers and speaks directly to their needs.

[00:07:22] Finally, remember. That lead generation isn't about throwing content out there just to fill space. It's about being strategic, helpful, and making sure each step naturally leads to the next. Alright, now let's wrap up with today's TAD Takeaway. A quick practical tip to help you streamline your lead generation efforts.

[00:07:51] Grab a piece of paper and map out all your customer touch points. This includes things like LinkedIn, your blog, your website and any other places people can connect with you. Write them down. As little boxes on the page and think about how they link together. Once you've mapped it all out, you might notice some gaps in your lead generation funnel.

[00:08:18] Maybe people are able to see your content, but there's no clear next step for them to reach out. Or maybe you're not providing a clear path for them to go from curious to connecting you. This exercise gives you a visual of how people are interacting with your business and helps you to see where you could improve.

[00:08:46] And if you want a second opinion, don't hesitate to reach out. Send me a message on social media Mark A. Preston, I'll be happy to give you a few pointers. Thanks for tuning in to the talk about digital podcast. I hope this episode made lead generation feel a bit simpler and showed you how it's really about connecting with people, not selling to them.

[00:09:11] Remember small actions create big results. Until the next time this is Mark A. Preston signing off. Keep it simple, keep it genuine, and watch those leads turn into loyal customers. Bye for now. Thank you for tuning in to the Talk About Digital podcast. Remember, every small step you take brings you closer to your business goals.

[00:09:36] If you found today's episode helpful, subscribe to our podcast and sign up to your free 12 week TAD customer growth course. At www. talkaboutdigital. co. uk to receive even more customer generating tips and insights. Until next time, keep harnessing your strengths and making actionable, impactful moves in your digital marketing journey.

[00:10:02] See you soon.