What is a lead generation service and how can it help deliver targeted results for KBB retailers? Founder of Lead Wolf Graeme Wilson explains all

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Lead generation service providers come in many forms, all aiming to help your business generate more sales activity through leads or scheduled design appointments.

Understanding the different service types can help you determine which provider is right for you.

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Service Scope

First, consider the service scope: are they purely lead generation, or do they offer other services?

For example, some companies focus just on paid advertising on platforms like Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), creating ad content and managing audience selection to capture prospects’ contact details.

On the other end of the spectrum, some companies are ‘full stack’ digital marketing agencies specialising in lead generation.

These agencies cover web design, social media management, SEO, and paid ads management.

Depending on the service level you choose, this can either complement your existing marketing efforts or become a crucial part of your business strategy.

ROI and lead quality

Given that a KBB purchase is typically an expensive, well-researched decision, it’s essential to ensure all your touchpoints, both digital and offline, are consistent and high-quality. In this respect, we often talk about a ‘unified prospect journey.’

Having worked at the intersection of digital marketing and KBB since 2009, I remain surprised at the low investment level in digital lead generation among retailers.

While the digital landscape has become more competitive since the end of the COVID boom, few investments deliver as strong a return on investment (ROI).

However, a good ROI isn’t the whole story. Modern digital campaigns, increasingly reliant on AI and machine learning, require data to succeed, and data acquisition can be expensive.

For KBB retailers, leads have a long lifecycle, meaning it can take months from inception to close and from close to installation.

This front-end-loaded investment can create affordability issues for some businesses.

Lead quality is always a significant issue.

If you are in the premium market segment, 80% of potential UK householders can’t afford a premium product, making it challenging to target the right audience.

Inevitably, you’ll receive leads from people outside your target market, including ‘tyre kickers’ with less serious purchase intent.

High-quality follow-up is crucial; there’s no better way to qualify and persuade than by picking up the phone and calling them.

Our clients who get the best ROI have knowledgeable, enthusiastic contact points with prospects, supported by a good CRM system and lead nurturing through business WhatsApp or email.

That isn’t to say lead quality can’t be improved.

Industry experience allows an agency to understand the prospective budget value from search terms, for example, someone Googling ‘B&Q Kitchen reviews’ versus ‘Bulthaup Kitchen reviews,’ and to align a client’s ad budget to those terms most likely to convert.

Multi-source leads

A key piece of advice I’d give anyone interested in this is based on my experience as both a retailer and running a digital marketing agency: remember the ‘one-legged stool’ analogy.

If your business is dependent on a single source of leads and something changes or breaks, you’ve got a big problem looming.

I’ve seen significant changes time and again.

For example, in late 2020, Apple’s iOS 14 privacy updates significantly hampered the effectiveness of Facebook and Instagram advertising campaigns.

Ensuring you are multi-channel gives your business more resilience. At the dawn of the age of AI, more change is guaranteed.

In conclusion, understanding the scope and nature of lead generation services, investing appropriately in digital leadgeneration, maintaining high-quality follow-up, and diversifying lead sources are crucial strategies for success.

These efforts ensure your business remains resilient and capable of adapting to the ever-evolving digital landscape.