 Why do 96% of businesses fail in only 10 years? When you don’t convert leads, you can’t pay the bills.
As a local propane company, lead generation is a critical part of your marketing efforts. Your customers don’t always have visibility of your product. It falls to you to engage them with success.
Most small businesses fail because they don’t understand market opportunities. They also don’t understand what’s missing from their business.
Those that succeed can connect these dots. They know exactly what they have to offer, and to whom they should offer their services.
Do you know what your products mean to your customers? Do you know what they’re looking for in propane solutions? Lead generation helps you connect with those customers as a regular part of your business.
Let’s take a closer look at what lead generation is and review some “do’s” and “don’ts” of finding local leads for your propane company.
What is Lead Generation?
Lead generation is the way you cultivate potential customers most interested in propane. It’s a means of building relationships with customers who have a genuine interest in your brand.
As a local business selling to businesses or consumers directly, you don’t have inherent visibility in the market. Lead generation is your way of connecting with customers most likely to buy.
There are dozens of channels and strategies for lead generation. Many of them will not apply to the propane business.
What Should I Know About Local Lead Generation for My Company?
As a propane vendor, you cater to a niche market. That is, you’re not selling staple foods or cars, which everyone needs.
As a result, there is greater buying potential in your target market. But it’s hard to connect with those eager buyers. You need a local lead generation strategy to do so.
The Dos and Don’ts of Lead Generation for Propane Companies
Many propane companies fall into traps when starting a lead generation campaign. By identifying them now, you’ll avoid losing money and potentially your business.
The following “Dos” and “Don’ts” highlight the most important strategies and biggest mistakes in local lead generation.
Don’t: Use a Catchall Strategy
Every person in the U.S. is a potential propane buyer. A tiny fraction of them actually will do so. An even tinier fraction is local to your business.
You need to inspire your customers. If your messaging targets everyday people, you’ll miss your mark on the important ones. Discounting and sales are not likely to increase that impact, and will not justify the investment.
Do: Get to Know the Local Market
You can do basic research about your market online or at a local reference resource. Other services can distribute polls on your behalf as well.
It’s most important that you know what you’re looking for. This can include locations that can have connections to propane tanks. You can look at socioeconomic factors also.
Don’t: Focus on Traditional Advertising
You might already spend a lot on print or digital advertising. Advertisers will sell you on the thousands of consumers who will see your ads.
But how many of those people will be interested in your product? Most of them will not be interested in buying from you, let alone following up on your ad.
Additionally, advertising costs are on the rise. The money you invest in passive advertising could be used for more engaging channels instead.
.Do: Focus on Lead Capture
Being seen is not enough. You now have an understanding of your local market. Consider points of contact where you’re most likely to generate leads.
Turn to local resources that attract interested customers. For example, a local website may provide information on indoor propane heaters for the winter. You could commission a helpful download about winter heating that carries your brand.
Partner with that local resource to distribute the brochure on key webpages. Include contact information for additional heating help.
Don’t: Center Messaging on Your Business
Consider the brochure scenario. Your brochure was genuinely helpful to customers. Customers will associate that with your brand moving forward.
Messaging about your business is helpful. You can mention your years of operation and core values in your executive summary.
It’s important to include details about your products as well. This information will be important to customers when they’re in the consideration phase and about to make a purchase.
These details will not matter to customers who are still exploring all other options. They will want to know how your product best services their specific needs.
Do: Center Messaging on a Value Proposition
A common saying in marketing is, “You’re not selling products. You’re selling experiences.” Your value proposition is what converts customers.
Your customers might be interested in the specifications of your product. But what they truly value are the experiences they’ll achieve as a result of your product. This must be a part of your local lead generation messaging.
Even if your competitors can support the same experiences, they’re not talking about it. Long-term customers want to know you have their happiness in mind.
Don’t: Use an Online Strategy That is Too Broad
It’s easy to get caught up in social media and online advertising without thinking about a strategy. In fact, most businesses believe creating a following on Facebook is a sufficient goal.
How many of them are buyers? For every 100 idle followers you gain you could be missing out on a single great customer.
Local lead generation depends on your ability to engage potential customers in a meaningful way. You need a localized digital strategy even more than in print advertising.
Do: Use Local SEO Strategies
Google Ads is one of the most popular methods of targeting local markets online. That’s because Google Ads incorporate local search criteria specific to your business. People who search with these criteria will see your business right away.
Even your advertising should include your value proposition. You shouldn’t ask them to buy something. You should provide a resource or encourage a desirable experience.
You can also improve your websites to increase relevant search-engine traffic. Adding useful blog content improves SEO on your website and drives better results.
You can include forms on your website that help you generate leads as well. This can be a ‘contact us’ form or a form that lets visitors download helpful content from your website.
Don’t: Reinvest in Bigger Campaigns
Soon you will see the beginnings of your success. Time to reinvest those gains into even bigger campaigns, right?
Wrong.
One of the most common failures of small businesses is overstepping in their investments. Another campaign could generate more leads. But what have you really done with the existing ones?
Do: Nurture Your Existing Leads
Your best potential customers are your existing ones. That’s why nurturing existing leads and building their loyalty is so important.
With local businesses, loyalty leads to advocacy. And that means your customers are selling your brand to others, with no additional effort needed from you. How is that for outstanding local lead generation?
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