As a service based business owner, you’ve probably struggled with creating leads on demand to keep your pipeline full. Clients are often the bread and butter of the income earned, so it’s no secret that having a list of potential leads who want your services is a good thing to have.
So how do you generate quality leads who may be a good fit for your business when you need them?
You may be surprised there are a number of good ways to generate leads on demand and keep interested prospects within your sights.
Here are ten ways I like to generate leads on demand for all levels of products and services I offer in my business.
(Please note, there are affiliate links in the post below. I do receive a small commission if you purchase through my link. This does not affect your pricing for the product)
- Social Media Channels
Connecting with people on social media is probably one of the most common and useful ways to generate leads for your business. In fact, more potential leads are searching for prospects through social media than any other source. Making connections through DM’s or sparking conversations through commenting is a great way to connect and gain more insights about someone for free. (I like Instagram and LinkedIn right now for connecting)
- Content Creation
It’s one thing to be on social media, but it’s another to create content specifically for business on social media. You don’t have to be on every platform, but definitely have a consistent presence on at least two platforms where you can share valuable information about your services and the issues your ideal clients may be having. If you enjoy creating video content, learning how to use Reels on Instagram, or a platform like TikTok can be beneficial. (If you’re interested in learning how to create Reels for business that take less than 5 minutes to create, my friend Katya has an amazing course to help get you started! Simply click here to access
Remember, your social media channels are like a calling card for your business and often can be seen as the new “business card.” Share good information, engaging content and this can help generate leads on autopilot for your business.
- Facebook ads (or any paid marketing platform)
Most social media channels are all “pay to play” platforms, meaning in order to get in front of a larger audience, you often have to pay to get your content and channels out there. This requires using Facebook ads (or any other paid platform for that). Meta has long been the largest and most popular source of paid marketing on social media and its still the #1 platform to advertise on. Gaining an audience organically is still possible, but it’s incredibly slow and frustrating when you create amazing content and no one sees it. Plus, the ever changing algorithms mean you’re constantly having to adjust strategies to stay front of mind.
With ads, you use your money to gain more eyes on your content, your sales pages, your application forms, really anything you like to share. I love using ads to build my email list, which is often the best source of leads on demand you can tap into. (Want to learn more about Facebook ads and generating leads on demand? Apply to work with me.
- Good Ol’ Referrals
Never underestimate the power of a good referral from clients or people in your network. Referrals still command an enormous amount of power for service based businesses. In fact at one time more than 80% of my 1:1 management clients all came from referrals from other clients or other business owners in complementary businesses.
Have a system in place to continuously ask your clients, students or customers for referrals so you always get a steady flow of leads this way.
- Build Your Email List
Building your email list is one of the best ways to connect with your audience, keep them engaged and keep them in your ecosystem, especially those who may not be ready for your services right away, but who may become great leads in the future.
Using things like a lead magnet, (a free product in return for someone’s email) is one of the most highly effective resources for building an audience.
I always, always encourage every single business out there to build an email list as this is the ONLY list you will own 100% for your business. Your social media channels are rented space and can disappear in an instant (ask me how I know.. ) so it’s always best to own your own customer list! (Not sure how to get started? I use Active Campaign to build my email list)
- SEO Optimized Website
A website should still be a large component of your business “face.” When you optimize the website with good SEO (Search Engine Optimization), you have a better chance of being viewed on the first page of Google, boosting your visibility. Learning short tail and long tail keywords will go a long way in getting your pages ranked on Google and seen by the people who are searching for what you’re offering.
- Attending Conferences/In Person Networking
I’m a huge proponent in attending live, in person conferences when it makes sense for your business. Not only is this a great way to connect with people you already have built relationships with, but gives you the opportunity to connect with new people to learn and grow with. Even attending local meet ups or networking events can be beneficial to your business relationships and generating leads on demand for you.
- Cold Pitching
There’s a right way to do this, and a very wrong way to do this. Know the laws of the country of business owners you are trying to target because some countries do not allow for cold email blasts without penalties (The EU and Canada are just a few). But currently there are no regulations about cold pitching through DM’s on social media. As long as you have a good system in place and your cold pitched do not reek of smarminess, this can be a decent source of lead generation for business.
- Online Webinars
Some people will say the webinar model is dead, but I highly disagree. A good value packed webinar with a good topic can still generate a massive amount of leads for your business. The key is testing out different types of webinars, different lengths and of course different offers to registrants. Many of my clients still use this model to get sales calls for their $5,000+ programs!
- Bootcamps/Challenges and Trainings
Consider these like mini webinars or free lead magnets. Challenges and free trainings are a great way to provide massive value to your customers and generate leads for any host of programs, products, courses or coaching masterminds. If you’re able to solve even one or two pain points your audience may be having, this cna build so much trust with them that you become their “It” person when they need your services
Generating leads on demand for your business can be done with any one or more of these options. Personally, I like when you can do all ten! Generating leads should always be top of mind for a service based business in order to ensure you always have a pipeline of people wanting to buy from you, waiting to hire you or just ready to rave about you to their network of people.
Now go connect with amazing new people!
