Before we get into the good stuff, defining lead generation is important. 

So, what is lead generation?

Optimizely defines lead generation as “the process of generating consumer interest for a product or service with the goal of turning that interest into a sale.” As you can imagine, this is a hugely important but time-consuming part of running a successful business.

This is why it’s useful to know how the process can be automated using a CRM like Pipedrive or HubSpot.

Automating lead generation with Pipedrive

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business, as it helps fuel your sales pipeline and drive growth. Now, it’s easier than ever to automate the process by using a sales-focused CRM like Pipedrive.

Pipedrive offers a number of essential lead generation features, including:

• Lead capture forms
• Email marketing integration
• Lead scoring
• Automated follow-up tasks

But how exactly can you automate your lead generation process with Pipedrive?

Let’s walk you through the process step-by-step.

How to automate lead generation

Step 1: Define your goals

First and foremost, it’s important to consider what exactly you’re generating the leads for. 

Are you looking to increase website traffic, increase exposure, or qualify more prospects? Once you know your goals, you can start building a clear plan to help you achieve them. 

So get defining!

Step 2: Target your ideal audience

Understanding your audience is vital as it will help you decide on the content and/or offer you would like to produce for your automated lead generation campaign. 

Ask yourself: 

Who are you trying to reach with your lead generation campaigns? 

What are their pain points? 

What are their needs? 

Once you understand them, you’re ready to create lead magnet content that addresses your target audience’s specific needs, inviting them to explore further and increase the success of your campaign.

Step 3: Creating your lead magnets

Let’s face it: we’ve all fallen into the honey trap of a free offer that appeals directly to us. 

This isn’t by accident.

Specialist marketers produce everything from ebooks and checklists to webinars and demos in exchange for your contact information. These are called lead magnets.

In B2B marketing, creating and distributing this type of content is one of the most popular and effective ways to generate new leads.

Now you have defined your audience and understood their needs, consider what content they will find interesting or useful enough. If it’s an enticing offer, it will encourage them to engage with your brand. Also, consider which content format will work best - a webinar, an ebook - or something else.

You can create multiple pieces of content around one subject and continually test what works best for your audience. 

A brilliant resource for helping with content creation is The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas (For Marketers and Creators) by Melanie Deziel, which illustrates how one idea can develop into multiple pieces of winning marketing content.

Step 4: Let Pipedrive handle the heavy stuff…

At this stage, you should have defined your lead generation goals, understood your target audience, and produced the lead magnets to draw them in. 

But how can we automate it from here?

As mentioned earlier, there are a number of ways to automate your lead generation with Pipedrive, such as:

• Lead capture forms
• Email marketing integration
• Lead scoring
• Automated follow-up tasks

Let’s take a look in more detail…

Lead capture forms

Lead capture forms are the best way to collect contact information from those visiting your website or campaign landing page. 

Using Pipedrive, you can create lead capture forms for any website’s pages, customising them to match your brand.

To set up a lead capture form in Pipedrive, go to Forms > Add New Form. 

Give your form a name, and select which contact information you would like to be collected. 

With Pipedrive, you can customise almost every detail right up to the success message visitors will see after submitting the form.

Our tip: Every detail counts; keep your copy concise and clear with an easily identifiable call to action. It also doesn’t hurt to use words that tie in with your key messaging too!

Email marketing integration

If you use email marketing software, you can connect it to Pipedrive to automate your lead-generation process. This way, new leads will be automatically added to your Pipedrive account when they sign up for your email list.

To connect your email marketing software to Pipedrive, go to Integrations and select your email marketing provider. Then, just follow the instructions to link your accounts.

Pipedrive supports a variety of email marketing software, but they also have their own email marketing software called Campaigns, which works perfectly with the CRM.

So, the next step? Find a Pipedrive integrated app that works for you, create your email, and get ready to send it to the list of leads you generated using your lead magnets and capture forms.

But before you press send, it’s important to score your leads.

Lead scoring

According to LinkedIn, lead scoring is a way to rank your leads based on how likely they are to buy from you. Ultimately, it helps you focus your sales efforts on the leads you will most likely close and your marketing efforts on cooler leads to warm them up towards a sale.

To create lead scoring rules in Pipedrive, go to Automation > Lead Scoring. Click ‘Add New Rule’ and give it a name. Then, choose the criteria you want to use to score your leads, such as company size, job title, or website activity.

Now, you’re ready to automate.

Automated follow-up tasks

Once you have a scored lead in Pipedrive, you can set up automated follow-up tasks to keep them warm and move them closer to a sale. This could include sending them emails, scheduling calls, or creating tasks for your sales team.

To create automated follow-up tasks in Pipedrive, go to Automation > Workflows. Click ‘Add New Workflow’ and give it a name. Then, choose the trigger you want to start the workflow, such as when a new lead is created, or when they change status. Finally, add the actions you want to take, such as sending an email or scheduling a call.

Step 5: Track, measure and adapt your lead gen campaigns

Finally, don’t forget to track, measure and adapt where needed!

Analysing results is crucial to see what's working and what's not. If something isn’t working, you can pivot, adjust and overcome it to ensure your campaign generates the right results.

Pipedrive has reports that can help you track your lead generation progress, like the Lead Source and Activity Reports.

Before you know it, you’ve got a fully functioning lead generation campaign that’s automated, tracked, and, most importantly, doing the hard work for you.

To conclude…

By automating your lead generation process with Pipedrive, you can save time and resources while generating more qualified leads. This can help you to grow your business and achieve your sales goals.

Ready to start automating your lead generation process?

Get in touch.