Lead Generation Trends to Pay Attention to in 2017

Lead Generation is one of the most exciting forms of marketing because it always seems to be evolving at a fast pace. An effective marketing strategy involves continually staying on top of current trends and industry developments, as well as being able to adapt to new tactics. When it comes to lead generation, the best way for marketers to get ahead and stay ahead, is to look ahead! 2016 was filled with many intriguing developments for lead generation, so it’s exciting to think about the opportunities that lay ahead in 2017.

Every year, several bloggers, experts, and influencers in the industry put out their annual predictions for what they think is in store for the upcoming year. With these predictions in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of lead generation trends that marketers should pay attention to while developing their strategy for 2017.

The rise of single customer profiles

We are living in an age where consumers are interacting with brands via smartphones, tablets, desktops, TVs, gaming platforms, and even smart home appliances and personal devices. With so many different ways to reach people, marketers will need to take into consideration the importance of creating a single customer profile for each lead. This will help fuel a consistent user experience, no matter what device consumers are engaging on.

More companies embracing programmatic software and other sophisticated ad tech

With programmatic software and advanced AI lead generation algorithms, marketers can now target ads with high accuracy and profitably scale their campaigns. Not only do these sophisticated platforms gives marketers more opportunities to precisely target who is most likely to respond to a specific offer, but they also allow companies that have large volumes of leads from affiliates and external suppliers to have more in-house control.

High-value content formats becoming more common

In 2016, many marketers saw an increase in leads generated through high-value content offerings such as e-books, webinars, industry events, joint workshops, and even whitepapers. These content formats may seem old-school compared to the advancements in virtual reality, AI and programmatic software also seen during the year, but stats show that these underutilized lead generation tactics produce outstanding results. Marketers have always known that in order to capture leads, you need to have a hook. Now they are rediscovering real-life applications for engaging their audience with a treasure trove of great information in return for purchasing their product or subscribing to their service.

Increased budget spending on social media

Although using social media for lead generation isn’t new, most companies haven’t been sure if their efforts are that effective at driving conversions. However, with the abundance of marketing automation platforms, time management and social listening tools made available in recent years, marketers can now pre-schedule posts, track trending content, and use real-time responsiveness to qualify leads and move them more quickly through the sales funnel. In addition to being able to easily track measurable results from social media efforts, marketers also suspect that search engines will start using social signals to rank websites, so increased spending on social media is likely to result over the next 12 months.

Nearly half of all small businesses adding a mobile app by the end of 2017

Mobile apps can harness the power of GPS location, audio and spatial recognition, and have features for nearly any task imaginable. 2016 also saw the rise of app development software and app builders, so the idea of creating a company app is more accessible and easy than ever before. From providing easy-to-access information for customers to simplifying online purchases, apps have several benefits for business owners. 2017 will see more and more small businesses realizing the potential of using apps as a part of their lead generation strategy in 2017.

As we progress into 2017, be sure to check back to see which of these predictions play out. We’ll have more articles about some of the breakthrough trends that are affecting the lead generation landscape, but until then we’ll just have to wait and see!

What trends listed here or elsewhere do you think will be profitable for your 2017 strategy? Drop a comment below to let us know!