March 25, 2022

6 alternatives to Cold Calling for Business Growth

Cold calling has been considered the most effective way to generate business leads. While cold calling is certainly one of the most efficient ways to reach out to a new opportunity, there are many other options you can use as well. As a B2B lead generation agency, we will delve into the different alternatives to cold calling.

What Are the Alternatives to Cold Calling?

1.      Social media marketing

Social media is among the most popular methods to connect with potential customers and grow a business. It's an interactive platform that allows businesses to build relationships with their target audience, resulting in more leads and conversions. As you connect and interact with industry thought leaders and potential leads who fit your ideal buyer profile, you will grow your audience on social media.

There are many different social media platforms to choose from, so it’s important to find the ones that work best for you. For example, if you’re a B2B company, LinkedIn would be a good choice.

Once you've selected the right platform(s), you need to create engaging content that will resonate with your target audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, images, videos, and more. With the right content, you can attract visitors who ask questions and leave comments about your product, allowing you to interact with potential customers. Make sure to leave insightful responses every time so that prospects will see that your business is a valuable, customer-focused resource.

2.      Search engine optimisation

SEO is a valuable tool for growing a business. It is a process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Ranking higher in SERPs has many benefits. For one, a good ranking can build trust and credibility with potential customers, as they are likely to believe that a website that ranks highly must be reputable and authoritative. It can also mean more traffic to your website as higher-up links are more likely to be clicked by visitors. This can lead to more customers and, ultimately, more sales. As a result, SEO can replace cold calling in your B2B lead generation funnel, providing you with a steady stream of prospects.

Good SEO relies on many factors, including keyword research, link building and content marketing.

3.      Email marketing

Email marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching out to customers and promoting your business. Using it, you can get in touch with customers and build relationships with them. Additionally, email marketing can be used to increase brand awareness, build customer loyalty and boost sales.

Compared to a cold call that interrupts and disturbs people when they are doing their daily chores, email marketing gives your audience control. You can use it to motivate your audience to take action right away. To help you create cold emails that get responses, here are some tips:

·   Keep your B2B cold email short and to the point. There is a higher likelihood of customers reading and responding to an email that is brief and concise.

·   Use images and videos in your emails. People are more likely to engage with an email that contains visuals.

·   Personalise your emails. Cold email mastery involves personalisation. The email’s subject line and body should include the recipient’s name for a more personal touch.

·   Segment your email list. Provide content tailored to different groups on your list for greater engagement.

4.      Attending and networking at events

Another alternative to cold calling is attending and networking at events, which can help expand your business. Events provide an opportunity to meet potential customers and clients in person and to build relationships with them.

Attending events does involve speaking to people, just like cold calling, but there is no pressure to follow a script. When attending events, talk to as many people as possible, and exchange contact information with those who seem like they could be good potential customers or clients. Follow up with these people after the event, and invite them to coffee or lunch, so you can get to know them better.

Industry events can be found on blogs and directories that list conferences by theme and industry. The list of attendees and speakers is often published in advance, allowing you to do some prospecting and arrange meetings in advance.

5.      Content marketing

Content marketing is an alternative to cold calling that presents many benefits. By creating helpful, informative content, you can attract new readers and followers who may not have otherwise found your site or been interested in your products or services. You can also use content marketing to build relationships with potential customers and create a rapport before you even start selling to them.

With content marketing, you don't have to contact prospects directly, as you would with cold calling.

Creating content focused on your customers' questions, pain points, and interests will result in a constant flow of qualified visitors. Afterwards, this is when you can demonstrate what you do and what makes you trustworthy.

6.      Referral programs

Referral programs can boost your business without cold calling. With a referral program, you can have satisfied customers referring new customers to you. You can use this to grow your business while providing an incentive for your customers. In particular, referrals play a crucial role in the growth of small businesses.

The power of word-of-mouth referrals can’t be overstated. In the past, you've most likely asked colleagues, family or friends for advice when you needed a solution to an issue. As a result of your trust in them, you are more likely to follow their advice and rely on their recommendations when making a decision. This goes the same for loyal customers who recommend your business to others.

Referrals from word-of-mouth serve as social proof of your credibility. Make sure you display positive testimonials on your website and marketing materials if the customer permits. Then, follow up with satisfied clients and ask them to recommend your products to others in the industry.

Several things should be considered when creating a referral program:

  1. You need to offer an incentive that will encourage your customers to refer others to you.
  2. You can make it simple for them to refer others by providing them with cards or links.
  3. Make sure you follow up with the new customers referred to you.

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