Are you finding it difficult to turn paid traffic into actual sales? Getting new customers through digital advertising is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to grow your business. But running ads alone won’t necessarily get you the results you want. After all, a lead doesn’t always mean a customer.

Think about it: when was the last time you clicked on an ad and bought something immediately? Or if you did sign up for something, you probably received a few emails or texts before making your final decision. That’s why having a system that not only attracts traffic but also converts and nurtures leads is crucial to your success.

In this post, we’re going to break down the three pillars of a simple yet effective lead generation strategy that every business needs:

1. Lead Generation

2. Lead Capture

3. Lead Nurture

1. Lead Generation: Paid Traffic Sources

While organic traffic is valuable, it will only take you so far. Organic reach is often limited by your existing followers or network, which is why paid traffic is essential for scaling your business beyond your immediate circle.

The key to generating leads is capturing the attention of potential customers, and that’s where paid ads come in. There are two main types of ads in digital marketing:

• Intent-Based Ads (e.g., Google Ads): These target people who are actively searching for your services or products.

• Interruption-Based Ads (e.g., Social Media Ads like Facebook, Instagram): These catch people's attention as they scroll through their feeds.

Choosing the Right Platform
For need-based services (like plumbing or emergency repairs), Google Ads is often the better option since it targets users who are already searching for what you offer. It’s the "low-hanging fruit" that lets you capture high-intent leads.

However, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, scale your business, or promote something that benefits from visual appeal, social media ads can be highly effective. For many local service businesses, Google Ads might be the ideal starting point, but it’s always important to match your desired audience with the right platform.

For a little more depth on the differences between Meta/Facebook Ads and Google Ads, read this article here

Retargeting is Key
Most of the time, a single ad exposure won’t be enough to convince someone to make a purchase or sign up. This is where retargeting comes into play—showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your brand. Both Google and social media platforms allow for effective retargeting strategies to bring back those warm leads.

Running ads is just the start; without the proper system in place to convert clicks into leads, you risk wasting your advertising dollars. This brings us to our second pillar: Lead Capture.

2. Lead Capture: Landing Pages or Funnels

Once you’ve driven traffic with your ads, the next step is capturing those leads. This happens on a landing page (or funnel, or opt-in page—the terms are often used interchangeably). A landing page is designed to collect contact information in exchange for something of value, such as an eBook, a free consultation, or a special offer.

You’ve probably seen these pages yourself: they’re the ones asking for your name, email, and maybe a phone number before giving you access to what was promised in the ad. Once someone submits their info, they officially become a lead, and they’re added to your list for future follow-ups.

What Makes a Great Landing Page? A successful landing page is simple, focused, and aligned with your ad message. It should have a clear call-to-action (CTA), limited distractions, and an offer that’s compelling enough to make visitors share their contact info.

Tools You Can Use
Some popular platforms for building landing pages and funnels include:

• ClickFunnels

• Leadpages

• Unbounce

• Instapage

A landing page is where the conversion happens, and while it’s an important part of the system, it’s actually the simplest step. Now, once you have those leads, the real magic happens with Lead Nurturing.

3. Lead Nurture: Follow-Up Sequences

After capturing the lead, the goal is to convert them into a paying customer. This typically doesn’t happen right away—it requires some level of follow-up and relationship building, which is where most sales are made.

Think about it: When was the last time you made a purchase from a brand you’d never bought from before after seeing just one ad? Chances are, you needed some more information, time to think, or even trust-building before making that buying decision.

Lead Nurture Strategies
Lead nurturing can be done through email or SMS (or both). Each has its advantages, but you need to be careful with SMS marketing: make sure you have proper consent and comply with legal regulations like including opt-out options.

Marketer Russell Brunson identifies two main styles of lead nurturing:

1. Soap Opera Nurture: The goal is to convert within the first 7 days by building trust quickly. These messages are often urgent, engaging, and designed to get the lead to take action soon.

2. Seinfeld Nurture: Unlike the "soap opera," this style is more about ongoing brand awareness. It’s less structured and doesn’t necessarily push for a conversion right away. Newsletters are a great example and can continue indefinitely. Long-term conversions often happen here.

Most businesses automate these follow-ups using software platforms like:

• GoHighLevel (what I use)

• Mailchimp

• ActiveCampaign

• HubSpot

Unless you have a team dedicated to following up with leads manually, automation is key to keeping your leads engaged and nudging them toward becoming customers.

Conclusion and Offer

To wrap it all up, here are the 3 pillars of an effective lead generation strategy:

1. Paid Traffic: Bringing new leads through ads.

2. Lead Capture: Converting traffic into leads using landing pages.

3. Lead Nurture: Following up and building trust to convert leads into customers.

Each of these pillars feeds into the next, forming a system that consistently brings in and converts leads. Paid traffic fills your pipeline, lead capture converts them into potential customers, and lead nurturing is where most of your sales happen.

If this sounds like a strategy you’d like to implement for your business, or if you want help setting up a similar system, let’s connect! Book a discovery call today, and we’ll discuss how we can take your lead generation to the next level.