Paid vs. Free: The Best Kind Of Leads That Will Grow Your Business



Did you know that of all the new businesses that launch each year, 34% of them dry up and disappear before their second anniversary? 

And that half of all those new businesses will be gone by year five? 

Think of that - on your inaugural "first day" of business, you could flip a coin and determine the likelihood that you’ll succeed. What’s the cause of that high rate of failure? 

Easily, one of the most significant factors is wasted advertising money for lead generation. You can pour money into getting your name in front of potential customers, but if they’re not interested in what you have to offer - or don’t even understand what it is you’re offering - then those leads don’t do you a bit of good.

But all the gurus out there will tell you - paid advertising is where it's at! But if investing your marketing dollars into paid ads isn't working, what can you do?

Here's the good news - you can generate leads that don't cost you an arm and a leg. We're talking about free leads - the kind of leads that come to you organically without spending a cent on ads. And when you understand why using YouTube is key to this free lead generation, you'll be well on your way to achieving success for your business.

It's All About Reach

Think about where your social media content creation efforts are going. Like most businesses, you are probably spending a good bit of time posting on Facebook or Instagram. But here's the thing - when you post on those platforms, only 5% of your followers will ever see that content.

The algorithms these networks use are designed to keep people hooked and scrolling through their feeds - not necessarily sticking around to read and interact with your content. It's a reach problem. 

If your content isn't being put in front of the right people, it won't make a difference in your bottom line.

But with YouTube, things change drastically. YouTube's goal is to get more and more people to watch content - so they promote videos and put them in front of more eyes than you ever imagined possible. 

And remember, most people are often searching YouTube looking for specific content - making it much more likely that the right people will see your videos.

And don't worry, YouTube isn't going to put your content in front of their audience for free - they will try to get you to sign up for revenue sharing. But even if you don't do that, they'll still promote your video to those who are interested in your topic (and they're going to put up ads anyway.) So you might as well take advantage of it!

Creating Quality Content Is Key

At the end of the day, free lead generation boils down to creating great content that people are actually looking for. YouTube is a great platform to do just that - you can use it to create helpful, interesting videos that help bring potential customers right to your doorstep.

For example, our real estate videos are intentional - we look for key terms, phrases, and questions our leads are searching for. That way, when they search YouTube, our videos come up, and we can generate free leads that make a difference in our business.

Here are 4 tips for creating quality, intentional marketing videos that will drive free leads to you:

1. Decide on a topic that addresses the needs of your target market.

2. Research key terms related to your content and include them in your videos.

3. Use storytelling techniques to keep viewers engaged and interested in watching.

4. Promote your video across all channels, including email marketing and social media.

And here's the best part - creating these videos can be incredibly cheap and fast. All you need is a camera, some basic editing software, and enough time to write down your script. Once you have it all set up, you'll be able to create quality videos that engage potential customers at no cost!

And once someone watches one video, YouTube will automatically start suggesting other related videos. That's when you really start to see the benefit of using YouTube as a tool for free lead generation - it helps further engage your customers and keep them coming back for more.

Is Paid Advertising All Bad?

So is paid advertising (PPC, Facebook Ads, etc.) all bad?

Not necessarily. It can be an effective way to quickly get your message in front of a large audience, and if done correctly, it can result in more leads for your business. 

But it's always important to remember that trying to hook people who aren't in the market for your product or service is a waste of time and money.

That's why we recommend starting with free lead generation methods like YouTube - it's much more targeted, cost-effective, and can bring in a steady stream of leads over time. And we've experienced first-hand the success that comes from using YouTube to generate free leads.

Give YouTube A Shot - You've Got Nothing To Lose

We always recommend trying free lead generation before investing in paid advertising. And now that you understand the basics of how it works, why not give it a shot? 

YouTube is an incredibly powerful platform for generating free leads - and once you start creating consistent, quality content, the leads will start rolling in.

You have nothing to lose (because it's free to post on YouTube) and potentially lots to gain. So go ahead and give it a go - you just may be surprised by the results that your funnel of free leads can bring in!