Turning a visitor to your website into a lead (or a client) requires 2 things…

1. An offer
2. A conversion strategy

The offer and conversion strategy are intimately linked to the target audience, and it’s specific needs. In this article I’ll show how a lead generation offer and conversion strategy can be created once the target audience is understood.

The Objective:

A company wants to sell small cars to young single women living in cities. They see the primary concerns of their market as follows…

• Easy to drive
• Easy to park
• Plenty of storage for shopping
• ipod compatible sound-system
• Eco-friendly
• Good income, low savings

In online terms, they believe their target market will typically be found on social media sites, and surfing online versions of magazines aimed at this group.

From a lead generation perspective, the company thinks this group view cars as a fashion accessory, and otherwise have no interest in the product. The challenge the company faces is figuring out how to get their target market interested in a test drive.

Shaping the Offer to the Market:

In purely practical terms, a car costs too much for this market to consider it an outright purchase. Financing will be required, and a low monthly payment is likely to increase conversion.

As this is a fashion purchase, it will be essential to associate the car with influential fashion gurus (e.g. an upcoming designer).

As a lifestyle item, it will be essential to associate the car with the kind of activities the target market enjoys.

Pushing Conversion:

This target audience isn’t likely to respond to an offer to test-drive the car, or read an in-depth review in a car magazine. That sort of offer isn’t pleasurable in and of itself to this audience (a sure sign a marketing campaign is likely to fail).

Via the media their market consumes, they offer to provide the car along with a day’s shopping at well-known malls in key cities. Their market is invited to come to the mall, try the car in the parking lot, and even drive one home if they like it.

If they buy on the day, they get $300 in cash to go shopping. What’s more, they encourage their market to bring their friends and make a day of it.

The prospect must book a session, and select a colour. This is done in real time (i.e. online), with an on-screen confirmation message. A email ticket is then sent, which explains where the prospect needs to go, and confirms the time, date and colour of the car they’ll try.

In other words, to take a test-drive. The difference is the offer has been adapted to its target market. The company’s prospective customers get a day of shopping, and the chance to check out a desirable new car while they’re at it. This greatly increases the pleasure involved for the prospective customers.

This offer is designed from the ground up to fit into the lifestyles, needs and wants of the target market. The conversion strategy is part of the offer itself. Once a person turns up to see the car, s/he can confirm it does everything they need it to…

• Look great
• Hold all their shopping
• Easy to drive
• Easy to park
• Plenty of room for friends
• Work with their ipod

The sales person can then explain the low monthly fee, and has an opportunity to close the deal. Assuming enough desire for the car is generated, and the prospect has the ability to pay the monthly fee, the deal can be done right there in the parking lot.

Lead Generation, offer