When PR generates leads

Flagship believes that great PR is about building reputation and encouraging conversation that persuades people to change their behaviours, so that they buy our clients’ goods and services, recommend their shares or act in a way that is the desired outcome.

We are often asked if PR generate can generate sales leads. The short answer is yes, BUT you need to build in ‘calls to action’. You need to offer something of value that prompts a response and encourages engagement.

Here are five easy ways to generate leads through PR:

Make an offer that can’t be turned down – offer something for nothing or at a discounted rate. This can be as simple as the first 100 to respond. Consumer media outlets are more geared up to this but some demand high value offers. The business-to-business media is less sophisticated, but is open to ideas. Be sure to receive the respondent’s details if possible. A variation is to offer a discount as a ‘reader offer’.

Win the prize of your life – editorial competitions showcase your product or service. So not only do you get data capture for sales leads in some cases, but you also achieve in-depth and approved editorial coverage that endorses your product and communicates your brand’s key messages.

Offer insight and advice either through a white paper or a guide that can be downloaded, but only once they have entered their details. This is particularly effective in the B2B environment.

Face-to-face opportunities provide the best way to generate sales leads, so create a good reason for people to attend an event. Attract guests to a seminar or round table event with either a celebrity or high profile expert. Choose an enticing venue and consider running the event in conjunction with a trusted and relevant brand such as a magazine to increase the attendee rate.

And lastly, endorsements from customers are the best way to encourage further business. Everyone wants peer validation which is why TripAdvisor and other review sites are so successful. Real life examples of your products and services in use are more powerful. We have had many examples of great case studies leading to high quality sales enquiries.

Try these approaches, but remember you need the compelling story to tell first, or people will not be interested no matter how good the call to action.