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How to Generate Leads Without Cold Calling (Ecommerce Examples)

Olga Rogacka

14 min read

Mar 8, 2024

Cold calling – the term alone sends shivers down the spines of even the most seasoned sales professionals. The relentless dial tones, the awkward silences, the elusive decision-makers dancing just out of reach.

It's safe to say most salespeople hate cold calling. Fortunately, other lead generation strategies don't involve cold calling but allow you to turn cold leads into customers.

Lead funnel reminder

Before we dive deeper, let’s recall the lead funnel for a better understanding of some lead generation strategies:

1. Top of the funnel (TOFU):

Lead stage: Cold leads
Description: Sales prospects (potential customers) who are in the early awareness stage but have not yet shown significant interest.

2. Middle of the funnel (MOFU):

Lead stage: Warm Leads
Description: Leads who have moved beyond the initial awareness stage, expressing interest and engagement with your brand.

3. Bottom of the funnel (BOFU):

Lead stage: Qualified leads
Description: Leads in the final stages of the funnel who have a high intent to purchase, having actively considered your offerings.

Understanding these lead stages helps you tailor their strategies to effectively nurture leads through the funnel, converting them into customers.

Lead generation strategies for your online store

Creating captivating content marketing.
SEO is your friend.
Building relationships and getting backlinks.
LiveChat as a 24/7 tool for generating leads.
Webinars and online events: the new cold call.
Transforming data into lead generation gold.
Cultivating referral relationships.

Creating captivating content marketing

1. Enticing headlines that pique curiosity

Your potential clients are scrolling through a sea of information every hour of every day. Your weapon of choice when they enter your website? Irresistible headlines that not only stop the scroll but leave them curious for more. Consider your headline the virtual storefront window, enticing window shoppers to step inside, like:

"The untold story behind our bestselling [product]!"
“Indulge in pure bliss: The secret ingredient that makes our chocolate irresistible!"
"Transform your workspace: the ergonomic innovation redefining office comfort!"

This headline hints at your products' value and ignites that spark of curiosity, compelling your website visitors to delve deeper.

2. Storytelling techniques to build a connection

Every product in your online store has a story waiting to be told. Whether it's the journey from concept to creation or its impact on customers' lives, weaving these narratives creates an emotional connection. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, customer success stories, or your brand's journey, like:

Narrate how your product changed a customer's life.
Share the passion that led to the creation of a bestseller.

By infusing your content with storytelling, you invite your audience into an engaging narrative that resonates with their experiences and generates qualified leads.

3. Leveraging multimedia for enhanced engagement

In the age of short attention spans, multimedia is your secret weapon. Embed product videos, such as product tours, create visually stunning photographs of your products, and invest in virtual try-on clothing. Consider:

Short "how-to" videos showcasing your products in action.
Infographics breaking down complex product features into easily digestible snippets.

Humans are visual creatures, and multimedia captures attention and enhances understanding. A well-crafted video or picture of your product can convey more than a thousand words. Try to make the online shopping experience as close as shopping at a physical location.

Think of content creation as inviting friends into your online store rather than bombarding them with sales pitches. Your content should be a welcome conversation starter, creating valuable connections beyond transactions.

SEO is your friend

So, you've crafted compelling content for your online store, but how do you ensure it reigns supreme in the vast kingdom of search engines? Having the right SEO strategy is crucial for several reasons:

1. Improved visibility in search engines

Choosing the right keywords ensures your blog content is optimized for search engines. This increases the likelihood of your ecommerce store appearing in relevant search results when potential customers look for products or information related to your niche. In other words, you don't want to create content no one wants.

2. Targeting relevant traffic

The right keywords help you attract the right audience to your blog. By aligning your content with the terms and phrases your potential customers are using, you increase the chances of driving qualified traffic to your ecommerce site. You can create content for different leads, TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU, and the further you are in this funnel (BOFU content), the bigger your chances of turning those leads into customers.

3. Understanding customer intent

Keyword research allows you to understand the intent behind your customers' searches. Are they looking for information or comparison or ready to purchase? Tailoring your content to match customer intent helps create a better user experience and align your offerings with their needs. Content that is aligned with user intent also ranks higher.

4. Competitive edge

Knowing which keywords your competitors target can provide insights into market trends and gaps. It allows you to identify opportunities and differentiate your ecommerce store by optimizing for relevant and less competitive keywords.

5. Optimizing product pages

Keyword research is not limited to blog content. It also informs the optimization of your product pages. Understanding the terms potential customers use when searching for products similar to yours enables you to effectively optimize landing pages, product descriptions, titles, and metadata.

6. Facilitating long-tail opportunities

Long-tail, more specific, and detailed keywords often present opportunities to capture highly targeted traffic. These keywords can be particularly beneficial for ecommerce stores, helping you reach customers who are further along in the purchasing process and looking for specific products or features. You can achieve that with BOFU content.

7. Enhancing paid advertising strategies

If you're running paid advertising campaigns, keyword research is essential for optimizing your ad copy, targeting the right audience, and maximizing your advertising spend's return on investment (ROI).

Examples of TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU content for an ecommerce store that sells outdoor gear.

Top of the funnel (TOFU):

Keywords:Outdoor activities for beginners
Exploring nature for the first time
Article Ideas:"A Beginner's Guide to Outdoor Adventures: What You Need to Know"
"The Ultimate Checklist for Your First Camping Trip"

Middle of the Funnel (MOFU):

Keywords:Best hiking boots for varied terrain
Comparing camping tent features
Article Ideas:"Navigating the Trails: Choosing Hiking Boots Based on Terrain"
"Tent Talk: A Comprehensive Guide to Camping Tent Features"

Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU):

Keywords:Where to buy durable camping gear
Best deals on outdoor equipment
Article Ideas:"Your Outdoor Gear Haven: Where to Find Durable Camping Essentials"
"Scoring the Best Deals on High-Quality Outdoor Equipment"

If you want to learn more, I highly recommend this free blogging course by Ahrefs.

Creating shareable content and getting backlinks

Besides being visible in search engines, you want to create relevant and shareable content so people return to your website.

Building relationships and positioning yourself as an industry leader

Let's stick to an outdoor store as our example. Your aim is to sell gear and cultivate a community of enthusiasts. Here, your secret weapon may be forging connections with influencers who live and breathe the outdoor lifestyle.

Example:

Reach out to a renowned climber, perhaps someone with a sizable following on social media.
Instead of a straightforward pitch, invite them to collaborate on a piece that showcases their expertise.
Run an interview where they share their favorite climbing spots, gear recommendations, or even a thrilling expedition tale.

This provides valuable content and taps into their audience, creating a bridge between your store and a community of avid climbers.

Guest posting as a stealthy backlink acquisition strategy

Guest posting helps you gain a new audience and gives backlinks to your store, which results in higher ranks.

Propose a guest post on traveling blogs and share insights from your store. It could be a guide to choosing the perfect climbing gear or an in-depth analysis of the latest trends. In return, offer them a platform to share their expertise on your site. This symbiotic relationship not only strengthens your backlink profile but also enhances your credibility in the eyes of both audiences.

Crafting shareable, link-worthy content

Your journey doesn't end with guest posts. Imagine creating content that is so shareable that it spreads across the digital landscape like wildfire.

Example:

Create an epic climbing guide.
Collaborate with your influencer ally to craft the ultimate climbing guide with tips, tricks, and insider insights.
Infuse it with captivating visuals and make it a downloadable resource.

This guide serves as a magnet for backlinks and positions your online store as the go-to hub for climbing enthusiasts.

Live chat as a 24/7 tool for generating leads

If used right, live chat is a dynamic lead generation tool that turns your online store into a bustling marketplace. A visitor strolls into your virtual shop, and LiveChat becomes your friendly virtual shopkeeper, ready to assist, guide, and convert. Generating qualified leads strategies with LiveChat:

Real-time engagement

Imagine a potential customer browsing your outdoor store. They have a question about the durability of a climbing rope. Live chat allows them to instantly connect with a knowledgeable representative who provides real-time answers, turning curiosity into commitment.

See How to Create the Chat Welcome Message that Always Gets a Response

Interactive product consultations

Your live chat becomes the stage for interactive product consultations. Visitors can share their preferences, and your team can recommend the perfect gear. They can send rich messages, for example, carousels to show products or services as a collection of two or more individual cards with action buttons. Perfect for giving visitors a variety of choices.

Personalizing the customer experience

With LiveChat, you can craft an experience tailored to the individual, far from the cold calling. It can seamlessly integrate with your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This integration ensures your team can access the customer's history, allowing personalized interactions and recommendations. When using LiveChat, you can also utilize chatbots to respond immediately to common queries.

Utilizing proactive chat invitations to engage visitors

Imagine a visitor spending considerable time exploring a specific climbing gear section on your site. A proactive chat invitation can offer assistance or exclusive insights into those products, transforming a hesitant browser into an engaged customer. You can set up triggers based on visitor's behavior.

For instance, if someone repeatedly visits a particular product page or adds items to their cart without purchasing, a proactive chat invitation can offer a discount or address potential concerns.

Staying in touch with leads using asynchronous messaging

Only some visitors are ready for an instant conversation. Asynchronous messaging ensures you're present when your customers want to chat and when they have the time. If a visitor initiates a chat but has to step away, LiveChat allows them to leave a message. Your team can respond when it suits the customer, creating a seamless, non-intrusive communication flow.

It also offers follow-up opportunities. Let's say a potential customer inquires about a product but doesn't make a purchase during the chat. Asynchronously following up via email with personalized recommendations or exclusive offers keeps your store at the top of your mind and nudges them toward conversion.

Webinars and online events: the new cold call

Webinars and virtual industry events can help generate sales leads.

1. Hosting engaging and informative webinars

Imagine your online store as a bustling auditorium, and your products are the main attraction on the stage. Hosting webinars allows a sales team to connect with your audience in real time, providing insights, demonstrations, and a front-row seat to the magic of your offerings.

Craft webinars that delve into the intricacies of your products. For instance, in the world of outdoor gear, host a webinar on proper gear maintenance, climbing techniques, or the latest innovations in the industry. This positions your brand as an authority and creates a space for valuable interaction.

Webinars also offer a unique opportunity for real-time engagement. Integrate live Q&A sessions where participants can interact with your experts and seek personalized advice and clarifications. This transforms your online store into a dynamic learning hub.

2. Leveraging virtual events to showcase expertise

Imagine your online store as a bustling convention center, with your brand at the forefront of industry expertise. Virtual events are about products and positioning your brand as a thought leader.

Consider hosting keynote presentations by industry experts or influencers. In the context of an outdoor store, imagine a renowned climber sharing their experiences, offering insights into the gear they trust, and perhaps even unveiling exclusive collaborations with your brand.

You can also create virtual panel discussions that bring together experts to discuss industry trends, innovations, and challenges. This positions your brand as a hub for knowledge exchange, attracting eager participants to participate in the conversation.

3. Creating interactive sessions that keep participants hooked

The success of networking events lies in creating an immersive experience. You can host interactive workshops or product demonstrations. For an outdoor store, this could include live demonstrations of gear usage, tutorials on choosing the right equipment, or even virtual guided tours of popular climbing spots.

Facilitate virtual networking sessions where participants can connect. This fosters a sense of community and amplifies your brand's reach as participants share their experiences.

If you're a business owner tired of cold calling, this approach should help you target the right audience. It will also make your store a place for immersive experiences, not just a platform for transactions. But remember, creating a digital empire that thrives on engagement and expertise takes time.

Transforming data into lead-generation gold

In digital reality, where data flows like a river, your job is to harness its power and transform it into actionable insights that fuel your lead generation journey. Start by identifying high-performing content and channels. Dive into metrics that unveil the performance of your content. Identify which blog posts, product pages, or videos are capturing your audience's attention. By analyzing your content marketing efforts, you can see what resonates and doesn't and plan accordingly.

Examine the performance of different marketing channels. Is social media driving significant traffic, or are email campaigns most effective? By understanding the channels that lead to conversions, you can allocate resources strategically, ensuring your efforts yield maximum results.

Follow the digital footprints of your target audience. Where do they enter your site, and where do they exit? Analyze their journey, from the first touchpoint to conversion. This knowledge empowers you to optimize your website structure and content flow, creating a seamless path to lead generation.

Uncover behavioral patterns that reveal intent. Are visitors lingering on a particular product category? Are they abandoning carts at a specific stage? By discerning these patterns, you can tailor your strategies to address user needs and pain points, turning casual browsers into committed leads.

Cultivating referral relationships

Referral marketing unlocks a powerful network of warm leads. Here's how to leverage it.

1. Encouraging satisfied clients to become brand advocates

Your satisfied customers are potential brand advocates ready to praise your offerings. Transforming them into vocal supporters requires a delicate touch and strategic encouragement.

Incentivized referral programs: Introduce referral programs that offer rewards for customers who bring in new leads. This could be in discounts, exclusive access, or loyalty points. The key is to make referral marketing mutually beneficial.
Personalized outreach: Reach out to satisfied customers directly, expressing gratitude for their loyalty. Encourage them to share their positive experiences through social media posts or direct referrals. Personalized communication builds a connection and increases the likelihood of them becoming vocal supporters.

2. Establishing partnerships for mutual lead generation

Establishing partnerships is a strategic move that broadens your reach and fosters collaborative lead generation.

Cross-promotions with complementary brands: Identify brands that complement rather than compete with your offerings. Forge partnerships to cross-promote each other's products or services. This expands your audience and creates a network of mutually beneficial leads.
Joint webinars and content collaboration: Collaborate with your partner brands on webinars, blog posts, or social media campaigns. This shared content can tap into each other's audience base, creating a ripple effect of lead generation that extends beyond your immediate network.

3. Leverage the power of word-of-mouth

Social selling is at its best now. Word-of-mouth has transcended conversations in living rooms to become a powerful force shaping consumer decisions.

Social media advocacy: Encourage social media advocacy among your current customers. Ask them to share their experiences, post reviews, or showcase your products. User-generated content on platforms like Instagram, X, or Facebook becomes a potent source of word-of-mouth marketing.
Testimonials and case studies: Request and showcase testimonials from satisfied clients on your website. Dive deeper by creating case studies that narrate the transformative journey of a client using your products or services. These authentic stories resonate with potential customers, building trust and credibility.

Generating leads without the chill of cold calls

Mastering the art of lead generation is a dynamic process that demands a deep understanding of your audience, strategic content creation, and adept use of digital platforms.

The journey may seem challenging, but the rewards are substantial, and the shift away from cold calling is refreshing and effective.

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