Automated Lead Generation Software: Everything You Need to Know to Get More Leads

Are you struggling to generate high-quality leads? Dealing with inconsistent lead quality, low conversion rates, and a limited number of leads in your CRM can be incredibly frustrating. Of course, you can explore new strategies or amplify your current efforts, both of which are great ideas. However, there's one thing you should definitely avoid: getting stuck in a repetitive cycle of manual work.

Whether you're innovating your lead generation methods or aiming to improve existing ones, automation is the way to go. While it's not a cure-all solution, it delivers real results, and we can vouch for that. And chances are you'll agree with us. Statistics we found on DemandSage suggest that 96% of marketers have used or are planning to use automation tools shortly. And 91% of marketing professionals are convinced about their significant role in driving business results.

In this article, we'll provide you with valuable insights that will hopefully help you understand how to automate lead generation and enhance your overall process. But first, let's talk a little about marketing automation in general.

Why Is Marketing Automation Important?

First keyword: efficiency.

While it's technically possible to perform many tasks manually, it begs the question: why would you?

Certain tasks are incredibly time-consuming to do manually. They involve repetitive actions that eat up a significant chunk of your time, leaving you with less room for strategic planning and creative work. Luckily, computers are designed to excel at these types of tasks, freeing up your valuable time for more important endeavors.

For example, consider the task of SEO keyword research. It would be quite a feat to attempt it manually. Sure, you could sift through numerous keyword suggestions, analyze competitors, and so on, but there are tools available that can do all that in just a few minutes.

Second keyword: capabilities.

Another reason to embrace marketing automation is for its better capabilities. Some tasks are simply too complex to handle manually. Take Google Analytics, for instance. Trying to replicate its level of analysis and data interpretation manually would be a crazy idea! Automation tools offer advanced capabilities that enable you to gain deeper insights and make data-driven decisions with precision.

Third keyword: precision.

Lastly, automation reduces the likelihood of human error, especially in repetitive tasks. Computers are far less prone to mistakes. With reliable algorithms, you can expect computers to be almost error-free, ensuring consistent and accurate results.

In conclusion, marketing automation is essential because it provides efficiency, better capabilities, and precision. By automating tasks, you can streamline your lead generation process, save time, and achieve superior results.

How Can Lead Generation Be Automated?

Nearly every aspect of marketing can benefit from the use of automation tools, and lead generation is certainly no exception. In fact, lead generation automation tools are particularly effective in many cases.

Automated lead generation software acts as your tireless virtual assistant, employing advanced algorithms and intelligent systems to perform either tedious or complex lead generation tasks with speed and precision. Gone are the days of manually sifting through countless online platforms, social media profiles, and industry directories to find potential leads.

With automated lead generation software, you can leverage sophisticated search algorithms to identify your target audience, segment prospects based on specific criteria, and even analyze their behavior and preferences. The software scours the internet, mining valuable data points and compiling comprehensive lead profiles that empower you with actionable insights for personalized marketing campaigns.

Moreover, by automating repetitive tasks like data entry, follow-ups, and lead nurturing, you can ensure consistent engagement and communication with your prospects, all while reducing the risk of human error. The software can send personalized emails, schedule follow-up calls, and track interactions, allowing you to nurture leads effectively and guide them through your sales funnel.

The benefits of automated lead generation software extend beyond saving time and reducing manual effort. By leveraging its capabilities, you can tap into new markets, expand your reach, and scale your lead generation efforts effortlessly. With the ability to handle larger volumes of data and execute tasks at a rapid pace, you can unlock new growth opportunities that were once unimaginable.

READ ALSO: Complete Guide to Business Process Automation in 2024

Okay, Let’s Automate My Lead Generation Efforts. Where Do I Start?

Before diving into lead generation automation, clarify your lead gen goals. What specific outcomes do you want to achieve? Do you want to generate leads in larger numbers, improve their quality, or enhance lead nurturing? Clearly defining your goals will guide your automation strategy.

Next, take a close look at your existing lead generation process. A common mistake is automating lead generation just for the sake of automation itself. Identify the tasks that are repetitive, time-consuming, or prone to human error. These are the areas where automation can make the most significant impact.

Making a process automated doesn't automatically make it better.

Once you know which areas want to improve, research lead-generation automation tools that cover those fields. Compare different options to find the one that aligns best with your needs. Choose the ones that can integrate with your existing toolset.

Once you get everything up and going, you have to... Yes, monitor and measure results, as with everything in marketing. Based on that, you'll be able to optimize your processes and look for more efficient tools and strategies.

READ ALSO: Full-Funnel Marketing: A Comprehensive Approach to Driving Business Growth

Where and How You Should Automate Lead Generation

SEE ALSO: Five Types of Tools To Generate Leads Any Business Needs

Cold calling

You can't automate a good phone call conversation with your customer. But you can automate the first part of the conversation with a voice bot. Most cold calls end quickly, with only a few prospects showing interest. By using a virtual consultant to filter and route calls, you can efficiently reach a large number of prospects. If there's interest, a consultant can quickly take over. So a virtual assistant enables you to reach a large number of prospects efficiently.

However, it's crucial to consider the limitations of these automation tools. Virtual consultants may struggle to adapt to unique customer responses or provide the personalized touch that human agents excel at. Cold calling is often met with annoyance, and engaging with a voice bot can further exacerbate this sentiment. Therefore, it's essential to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding to implement virtual assistants in your cold-calling strategy.

If you're looking for a good voice bot service, check out this list of a few tools worth considering in 2023.

And if you're not really on board with the idea of virtual consultants, the least you can do in terms of lead generation automation is use a good call center software platform. Although, if you're serious about cold calling, you've probably already chosen one.

READ ALSO: Alternatives to Cold Calling: Get Quality Leads More Effectively

Improving website traffic with SEO

A great way to generate leads (and sales) is to have a lot of organic traffic on your website. To achieve this, you need valuable, well-optimized content. While SEO platforms like Ahrefs and Semrush aren't lead-generation tools per se, having a great SEO content strategy is an important step to generating inbound leads through your website.

A solid SEO content strategy involves conducting keyword research, analyzing your competitors and your own performance, crafting compelling content, and optimizing this. Every part of this process can be enhanced with automation tools. If you have the money and resources to commit to SEO fully, we definitely recommend using one of the two most powerful platforms — Semrush or Ahrefs.

One more thing to remember: although you can partially automate content creation itself, don't forget to give it a human touch. Make it valuable and original. Simply typing in a prompt to ChatGPT and copying the output to your blog won't cut it.

Converting website visitors to leads

Okay, so you have a strong online presence and plenty of incoming traffic on your website. How do we convert that into juicy leads? There are a few things you can do to capture leads, like utilizing lead capture software such as forms, pop-ups, landing pages, or live chat. Let's talk about the tools that will help you automate this part of the customer journey.

First, there are lead capture form creators. Platforms like Typeform and JotForm offer drag-and-drop builders that help you create a form with just a few clicks. No coding needed. JotForm, for example, also integrates with various CRM systems and email marketing tools, allowing you to seamlessly transfer captured leads into your preferred marketing or sales platforms.

Now, let's not forget about pop-ups. While some visitors may find them intrusive, when used strategically, they can be effective in capturing leads. Tools like OptinMonster or Sumo offer features that enable you to create eye-catching pop-ups that appear based on user behavior, such as exit intent or time spent on a page. You can design these pop-ups to offer valuable incentives like exclusive content, discounts, or newsletter subscriptions in exchange for visitors' contact information, enticing them to become leads.

In addition to forms and pop-ups, landing pages play a significant role in lead conversion. Platforms like Unbounce or Leadpages allow you to create highly optimized landing pages with minimal effort. These tools offer templates designed specifically for automated lead generation. By directing your website traffic to these dedicated landing pages, you can increase the chances of capturing leads by providing a focused and compelling offer or value proposition.

Lastly, let's touch on live chat tools. Integrating a live chat feature on your website, such as Intercom or Drift, enables real-time engagement with your visitors. Most live chat tools offer lead capture functionalities, allowing you to collect contact information directly during the conversation. Talk about lead generation automation.

READ ALSO: How to Improve Lead Response Time & Why You Should (+ Statistics)

PPC marketing automation

It wouldn't be fair to talk about automated lead generation without discussing PPC lead generation strategies.

Tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner, WordStream, or Semrush can automate the process of identifying relevant keywords for your campaigns. These tools provide insights into search volumes, competition, and suggested bid amounts, making it easier to target the right keywords for lead generation.

Additionally, automated bidding strategies within PPC platforms can help optimize bids based on your campaign goals, such as maximizing conversions or return on ad spend.

Email marketing in lead generation

Emails are a powerful tool for lead generation and nurturing. While you can't automate the entire process of building relationships through email, there are several aspects you can automate to streamline your lead-generation efforts.

First and foremost, you need an email marketing platform that allows you to manage your contacts, create and send email campaigns, and track their performance. Popular email marketing platforms like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or GetResponse offer automation features that can save you time and effort.

One key aspect of email lead generation automation is setting up automated email sequences or drip campaigns. These are a series of pre-written emails that are automatically sent to subscribers based on predefined triggers or actions they take. For example, you can set up a welcome email series that triggers when someone joins your mailing list, introducing them to your brand and gradually nurturing them towards a conversion.

Automation tools also enable you to segment your email list based on various criteria, such as demographics, behavior, or engagement levels. By segmenting your list, you can send more targeted and personalized emails to different groups of subscribers, increasing the likelihood of generating leads.

Cold mailing to generate leads

No, cold mailing is not dead today. While it's true that email inboxes are often crowded and people receive numerous emails every day, cold mailing can still be an effective way to get more leads when approached strategically.

There are several email outreach tools available that can help automate the process of sending cold emails. These tools, such as Outreach.io, Mailshake, or Yesware, provide features like email templates, mail merge, and automated follow-ups. They can save you time by automating repetitive tasks and managing your email outreach campaigns.

While automation tools can streamline your cold mailing efforts, it's crucial to personalize your emails to increase their effectiveness. Avoid sending generic, mass emails that appear impersonal. Instead, tailor your messages to each recipient.

Finally, don't forget to follow up on your messages. There's lots of space for lead generation automation here as well. Automated follow-up sequences can be set up to send reminder emails at predefined intervals. These sequences can help increase response rates and keep your outreach efforts organized.

Read also: The 10 Best B2B Marketing Tools & Software You Should Get To Know

Discover These Lesser-Known Lead Gen Automation Tools

Even if you're still a beginner at lead gen and marketing automation, chances are you already know all the big players like HubSpot, MailChimp, or Ahrefs. They're mentioned in every other article discussing the topic of lead generation automation. But most sources fail to talk about the amazing lesser-known tools that are out there. And that's exactly what we're going to do now!

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Capture leads from your website effortlessly with CallPage

Although more than 1,500 companies have trusted us already, CallPage still isn't as known as the most popular marketing tools. Why is it worth trying? It's a fantastic solution for generating leads from your website. And we mean qualified leads with a potential buying intent.

CallPage is a powerful automated lead generation software designed specifically for marketers. It ensures you never miss out on potential customers visiting your website. With CallPage, you can create a customizable website pop-up and make it display at the perfect moment based on determined scoring rules, boosting lead capture.

The widget offers four convenient contact options for potential leads: request a callback, schedule a call, book a meeting, or leave a message. Instant callbacks connect your client and consultant within just 28 seconds, ensuring efficient communication.

Scheduling calls and meetings with CallPage provides reminders, ensuring a few of them are missed. Integration with popular calendars and video conferencing software simplifies meeting scheduling, enhancing convenience and flexibility.

In summary, CallPage's automated lead generation software empowers marketers to capture and convert leads effectively. From strategic pop-ups to instant callbacks and seamless meeting scheduling, CallPage optimizes customer engagement and drives business growth.

User feedback

We're proud to say CallPage has a perfect 5 out of 5 rating on Product Hunt and a score of 4.7 out of 5 on G2. Many of our users praise CallPage for effectively increasing the number of qualified leads and providing exceptional support to clients. Check out what one of them had to say.

QUOTE: Callpage really changed the way I think about phone calls. A few years ago, I read about the “death of phone calls”. Actually, it’s the contrary for our company, and CallPage helped with that. Callpage's widget is customizable, so we are able to adjust the messaging and CTA, and people know what they are signing for.

We get many phone calls from people interested in our services, and we are able to convert them because calling through callback makes them more likely to buy. — review from G2

Pricing

Besides the free trial, CallPage offers two plans for different business sizes. The cheapest one costs just 39 USD monthly (with a discount if you pay annually), and our most popular option is the Pro plan for 99 USD a month. That's less than many companies pay for generating just one lead (according to HubSpot, the average is just under 200 USD)!

And how many leads can you realistically generate for that price? A client of ours generated 372 leads through CallPage in a year with just one consultant online!

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AiTrillion — AI platform for e-commerce

AiTrillion claims to be a revolutionary marketing platform designed specifically for e-commerce sellers. Powered by actionable artificial intelligence, AiTrillion offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features to streamline and optimize lead generation and marketing automation processes.

With 11+ customer engagement channels seamlessly integrated with advanced analytics, AiTrillion enables eCommerce businesses to effectively connect with millions of customers across more than 175 countries. This all-in-one solution eliminates the need for multiple fragmented tools and provides a centralized platform for marketing, customers, and lead management.

User feedback

This lead-generation automation platform is highly regarded by its users, with a rating of 4.9 out of 5 on G2 and Capterra. It received the "High Performer of Summer 2023" badge on G2 recently, too.

Reviews point out how easy to use it is, even for non-technical people. Its key benefit is combining all the most necessary marketing automation tools in one platform.

Pricing

If you decide to pay annually, the cheapest plan costs 25 USD per month. It gives you access to any three of the modules available at AiTrillion. If you'd like to use all of the platform's features, the professional plan will cost you 225 USD per month, billed annually.

Regal.io — focus on outbound sales

Regal.io is a great outbound sales call software solution. Unlike traditional contact center software, Regal leverages real-time customer behaviors to personalize outreach, ensuring that your messages resonate with your audience.

Regal promises to help you can engage prospects on a more personalized level, avoiding the spam-like approach that often leads to disengagement. By leveraging real-time customer behaviors, this automated lead generation software helps you optimize your outreach, ensuring that each interaction is relevant and tailored to the individual, increasing engagement rates and improving conversion opportunities.

Finally, Regal has detailed call outcome data and analytics. This enables you to monitor and iterate your strategies, constantly improving your customer engagement and conversion rates. With these insights, you can make informed decisions and drive better results for your marketing efforts.

User feedback

Just like AiTrillion, Regal.io has a very high user rating of 4.9 out of 5 on G2, although this is only from 24 reviews. It also received the "High Performer" badge in the Summer of 2023.

Pricing

Regal doesn't have a fixed pricing, so it's hard to say how much exactly it can cost. If you're interested in the tool, you'll have to fill in a form and wait for a custom offer based on your needs.

Send the right messages at the right time with ContactPigeon

ContactPigeon focuses on three key goals to help customers with automated lead generation. Firstly, it enables you to gather valuable customer behavior data and build a comprehensive, unified view of each customer. This way, you can deliver targeted and personalized experiences that drive engagement and loyalty.

Secondly, ContactPigeon allows you to trigger automated and predictive messages at crucial moments throughout a customer's journey. By sending the right message at the right time, you can optimize sales conversion rates and improve customer retention, ultimately boosting your bottom line.

Lastly, ContactPigeon offers multi-channel reach, enabling you to design engaging campaigns across various messaging channels such as email, SMS, Viber, mobile, push notifications, website, Facebook, Google, and even postcards. With all these channels available within a single platform, you can ensure consistent and cohesive messaging across multiple touchpoints, maximizing your reach and impact.

User feedback

ContactPigeon received just one four-star and more than 120 five-star reviews, giving it an incredibly strong score of 4.9 on G2 and the "High Performer" badge, like the previous two tools. What's even more impressive is that the platform has a perfect 5.0 score on Capterra! Users stated that "using ContactPigeon has no drawbacks". Even TrustRadius rates them 9.6/10. Hats off to them!

Pricing

ContactPigeon is the most expensive lead-generation tool on this list. After all, you have to splash out a bit more for top quality, right? The standard plan costs 198 USD monthly (billed annually). As that's quite a lot of money for some companies, we recommend trying out the tool during a free trial first.

Snov.io — email automation and CRM

Snov.io is an automated lead-generation tool, but it also assists sales teams in closing deals and works as a CRM solution. With features like email finder, drip campaigns, email verifier, email warm-up, sales CRM, and email finder extensions, Snov.io empowers businesses to streamline their sales processes and drive revenue growth. It also offers useful Chrome extensions, one of them even being a LinkedIn prospect finder.

User feedback

We're only talking about the top solutions here, so it's not a surprise that the last tool on our list also has very high user ratings. We found it on Product Hunt, where it's rated 4.9/5 based on 151 reviews.

Pricing

Besides a free trial, pricing starts at 30 USD for the starter pack and goes all the way up to 2999 USD per month if you want great results with no effort (billed annually). This most expensive plan includes full management of your campaigns by a B2B lead generation agency called Brightest Minds. Now, that's what we call automated lead gen at its finest!

Need a free email finder? Try EXPERTE's tool

The EXPERTE.com Email Finder is a free, user-friendly tool designed to help you locate an individual's email address. All you need is the person's name and their company domain. The tool works by creating various possible email combinations based on the provided name.

Once these potential email addresses are generated, the Email Finder tests each one to see if it's valid. It does this by connecting to the mail server and simulating sending an email without actually doing it. This way, you can often find the correct email address, even if other tools don't have it in their database.

Potential Challenges and Limitations Associated with Automated Lead Generation Software

Automated lead generation software is a handy tool for businesses, but it does come with some challenges. One major concern is that automated software may lack personalization. It usually follows predefined rules and algorithms to identify leads, which means it might miss the unique needs and preferences of individual prospects.

Personalized communication is essential for generating qualified leads & lead nurturing, and automation software might struggle to provide that level of customization. To overcome this, it's important to supplement the automated process with human intervention and tailor marketing strategies accordingly.

Additionally, there can be technical challenges associated with automated lead generation software. Integrating it with existing systems, managing databases, and ensuring smooth data flow can be complex tasks. Plus, issues like software updates, compatibility, and occasional downtime can impact the overall performance of the lead generation process. It's necessary to have a dedicated team that understands the technical aspects and can address these challenges effectively.

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What the Future Has in Store

The future of automated lead generation software looks bright. Advancements in technology will bring more sophisticated algorithms and machine learning capabilities, enhancing accuracy and effectiveness.

There's obviously a lot of potential in A.I. It offers great potential to address the problem of poor personalization in automated tools, allowing businesses to create more tailored experiences for potential customers. AI-powered lead generation software will leverage intelligent data analysis and machine learning algorithms to learn from user behavior, enabling precise targeting and customization.

Furthermore, AI will enable predictive capabilities, empowering businesses to anticipate trends and optimize their processes. By analyzing vast amounts of data from multiple sources, automated lead generation software will identify patterns and provide valuable insights for informed decision-making and proactive strategies.

Additionally, we believe the integration of automated lead generation software with other tools will create cohesive ecosystems of business software. This seamless collaboration between systems will streamline operations and drive efficiency.

In summary, the future holds promise for automated lead generation software, with AI advancements, improved analytics, and enhanced integrations driving better targeting, personalization, and optimization. But don't wait for the future, start automating your lead generation today!

And once you turn your website into a lead generation machine, read our article about lead conversion rates to find out how to turn those leads into paying customers.