One of the frequently overlooked factors in lead generation is language. By its nature, this type of marketing is designed to capture leads and move them along the funnel to convert. This can sometimes lead to campaigns that are so focused on selling that they forget that they are speaking to real-life people rather than nameless and faceless leads. The language used in every campaign can make a significant difference to your results, however, not only increasing conversion but also drive loyalty and customer retention.
How does language help your lead generation efforts, exactly? And, more importantly, how can you improve the way you communicate in your various campaigns?
Why Language is Important in Lead Generation
Language is far more than words on an email, landing page or paid ad. It’s also the way that humans communicate, engage, learn, process information, and interact. For lead generation campaigns that rely heavily on trust and perception. When your campaigns are filled with sales-speak, jargon, impersonal or generic content, tone-deaf messaging or language that is so focused on converting leads that it forgets to speak to leads, it is harder to gain that crucial level of trust. On the hand, when you speak to your audience in a way that resonates on a deeper level, you have far more opportunity to build trust and create a positive perception of your brand.
Despite its importance, language is often treated as an after-thought, with all the focus going onto various other elements of campaigns, from design to UX. Although these elements are also important, high-converting campaigns need to be well-rounded for true success. Some of the roles that language plays in lead generation include the following:
It conveys tone
Tone is easily one of the most important things in any lead generation campaign. Using the wrong tone can be extremely off-putting. This is where you need to have a comprehensive understanding of your audience. Having a brand style guide in place is highly useful to help you determine the way you communicate. This could include using language that is more formal when targeting corporate leads rather than using informal language, slang or other wording that is not suitable for certain industries. Being clear and consistent in your tone and also being able to ‘read the room’ and use a tone that is appropriate for specific campaigns.
It creates a connection
Language is the fundamental way that people connect. An impersonal lead generation sequence that makes leads feel like they are in the middle of an infomercial is not going to encourage much of a connection. Ideally, you want leads to feel some sort of connection to your brand and your offer. Proper audience targeting and buyer personas will help you know who to target. Your campaigns need to go one step further and make sure that your target audience can see your brand as one they want to know more about. This means going over and beyond selling solutions to problems rather than selling products or service. It means speaking to your audience in ways that they understand and giving a face to your brand through the way you talk to them in your campaigns. Being relatable and approachable is the key to establishing a connection with leads.
It shows empathy
With this connection, comes empathy. Empathy is a powerful tool in lead nurturing. When you can understand your leads’ problems and have a genuine interest in helping, you have a far better chance of converting leads into customers. This means using language that shows that you are listening and that you are not seeing them as cogs in the lead cycle. Storytelling is a great way to show empathy. You can use case studies or testimonials or even your own experience as a company leader. To get the most benefit, try to avoid obvious sales pitches here and instead let the stories speak for themselves.
It increases engagement
Think about the last lead sequence you got in your inbox. If you opened it and read it through, did it make you want to click through to learn more about the offer or content? Did you find yourself interested or did you scan it through and delete without another thought? Chances are high that the reason you wanted to engage further came down to the content in the email. The same applies to ads and landing pages. Dry language, dull Calls to Action, excessive jargon, too many uses of your first name, and a slightly spammy feel to the campaign will not do much to make leads want to reach out. Content that uses language made to engage, with plenty of open-ended questions, action words, positive words, and the right tone for your audience will have a far better impact as it speaks straight to your audience and encourages them to take action.
It builds trust
Language can also help to build trust, increasing loyalty and growing your reputation in the process. In the era of spam, pandemics and constant growth in digital marketing trends, consumers are warier than ever before. The average person receives a large number of messages every day. Competition is constant and marketers are finding new ways to reach leads consistently. With all of that in mind, it can be all too easy to put potential leads off when they are still in the early stages of your lead funnel. How you speak to your audience can make a big difference when it comes to trust. Language that is easy to understand, suitable for your audience, empathetic, engaging, and relatable helps to increase peace of mind. It also helps to establish your brand as one that is human-centred rather than sales-centred. The result is more chance of conversion and a bigger chance of returning customers, too.
It removes purchase barriers
Language can even remove purchase barriers. There is an old selling tip that talks about getting leads to say ‘yes’ as they read through the content. Although things have changed in many ways, this is still a good bit of advice. You can achieve this not so much by including sales questions in your content but by putting across your message in a way that helps to show problems and barriers your audience may be facing. You can then show how your offer helps to navigate such barriers. Purchase barriers go hand in hand with trust. When you can show leads how they can come overcome potential problems or give them reasons to purchase from you rather than a competitor, it means that you have built a level of trust with your audience.
Using the Right Language in Your Lead Generation Campaigns
Putting more time, effort and thought into your lead generation content is the best way to ensure that your campaign language is designed to convert. This includes lead content across your various channels. It also means paying attention to the way that you speak to your audience and remembering that they are real people with real problems. Keep this in mind and you will start to see how much of an impact language can have on your lead generation efforts.
