17 Free Lead Generation Marketing Tactics that Drive Revenue

Hey there -

If you're reading this, you have no marketing budget.

It's okay.

I've had almost no marketing budget when working for myself, tech startups, nonprofits of all sizes, and even marketing agencies and have been a part of making big results happen with these 17 proven, free lead generation marketing tactics.

But before we continue, there are three things I need us to be on the same page about:

1. We both agree your No. 1 priority is getting business in the door.
   

2. I'm going to give you advice you've heard before because there is no magic pill for immediate sales.
   

3. It is 100% possible to make a small budget stretch a long way. And if you're willing to put in the work, you've absolutely got this.

The last thing to know is that it is worth putting in the time to understand marketing. Whether you're executing it yourself or hiring a contractor or your first employee, you need to know enough to vet the candidate and understand when things are working and when they're not.

Okay, I lied. One more last thing. Beware of the "cure-all" marketers. They'll tell you that if you just invest $10K with them, they'll build a pipeline for you that gets you to a million dollars by Halloween.

No no.

If it was that easy, none of us would be reading this blog right now.

Now, let's get you to your goals and start by gathering some ingredients.

Ingredient 1: Elbow Grease

Your time. Your team's time. What budget you do have.

Ingredient 2: Old-Fashioned Grit

I'm talking about you need to pay your rent and don't have sales in the door kind of determination. Whatever makes you "suck it up" and send that cold email.

Ingredient 3: Confidence

First, we have to make sure you have self-confidence. It takes confidence to post something on social media, to write a blog piece, and to make a sale. So promise me this, you're going to do whatever it takes to be nice to yourself and pump yourself up and DO THE DAMN THING.

Remember, you are no better and no less than anyone else. Progress is better than perfection and perfection rarely gets out of "Draft" mode.

Okay, I'll stop giving you the background now. As promised:

17 free lead generation ideas for when you have no budget.

Lead Generation Tactic 1: Cold emailing

Yeah, I'm going to hit you with the one you don't want to hear first.

Go ahead, try to avoid it.

We all get there at some point.

But do not fret, there are ways to make it more palatable.

We are NOT sending cold emails that sound like this:,

Hello [First.Name],

I was looking on your website and think that you are up to some really great things. Would you like to buy my services by clicking this super fishy looking link?

Thanks,

Someone who has not, in fact, looked at your website

Eek.

This is why it is really really good to hire copywriters who know what they're doing. They understand the importance of research, customization, and human psychology.

But when you need to be your own copywriter, you need to know where to start.

Instead, try these types of cold emails:

🧠 The "pick your brain" email

Hey! I just read your article on this topic that you care about and I was wondering if I could grab 15 minutes on your calendar? I'm writing a blog post about it too and I would really love to quote you and give you the credit for your expertise. If you're open to it, please send me a note!

💼 The straight-up ask email

Hello Mr. Jones, I'm reaching out because I help toothpaste brands like yours increase Google Ad click rates by an average of 67% in just a month. Could I walk you through the process and see if Toothpaste by Jones could benefit?

🙋‍♀️ The "keep-me-in-mind" email

Hi Teresa, I've visited your shop (love the puzzle selection btw!) and I've noticed that you sell a variety of goods made by local artists. I'm a local painter and offer custom pet portraits and prints. If you're ever looking for another vendor, I'd love to be considered! I hope you'll keep me in mind if the opportunity arises and in the meantime, I look forward to visiting again!

I promise, people respond to honesty and authenticity. You don't need to do anything that makes you uncomfortable during the process.

You have a service, or a product, that provides a genuine benefit and you believe the recipient could benefit. If they disagree, no problem! Worst case, they're still not a customer. But maybe, they'll remember you. Maybe they'll be interested right away. Or maybe they don't need you right now but know someone who does.

While they're no magic formula because despite what AI tools will have you think, email writing is a skill and all skills require practice.

So do me a favor and try.

Lead Generation Tactic 2: Free networking events

I will be honest here: I hate networking events. My introverted self loathes the thought of putting real pants on to go make small talk to strangers.

But the thing is, my couch potato self is wrong. People are usually nice and very often, helpful.

So, give yourself a pep talk and go to a few. Here are two ways that I've found that make it easier.

1. Finding my emotional support extrovert - a buddy of mine who loves networking events and is kind enough to be my wing person. (Seriously, introverts, go get some extroverted business friends. And extroverts, go adopt one of us! We're really nice once we start talking!)

   
   

2. Attending events where I can be myself - whether it's an identity group, a shared hobby, or an industry group you feel at home at, start where you feel safe. You are not going to feel like it was a successful event if you aren't yourself.

Where to find these events?

Search for local networking events on your favorite search and social platforms. Ask your friends, peers, and mentors. Look at local community centers. Eventbrite. MeetUp. Networking apps. The info is out there, it just might require a few minutes of research.

Lead Generation Tactic 3: LinkedIn Connections

Hate on LinkedIn all you want but it's where you're most connected to the most number of colleagues, across generations.

One of the biggest mistakes that I've made in the past is only talking to people my age. It's easy to do this because they're our peers. But when I started talking to people outside of my generation, my network immediately expanded.

And LinkedIn is how I did it.

The one thing young twenty-something me did was to connect with every colleague and as many other connections as I could on LinkedIn.

At the beginning of my career, I rarely posted. But when I did start posting more consistently, I was shocked at how many past colleagues (especially those who were 10 - 20 years older than me), would engage with my posts and even reach out to partner.

Use LinkedIn two ways for maximum impact:

1. Post on your personal account - this keeps your face out there and your name top-of-mind. Don't worry about being perfect. Start small and ramp up as you're comfortable. Every little bit counts.

   
   

2. Direct messages - tap your 1st degree connections first. If there's anyone you admire, would like advice from, or might be able to help, reach out! I have never been turned down by a past colleague I've reached out to for advice. People tend to like us more than we think they do and are far more willing to help than we assume, we just have to ask.

Lead Generation Tactic 4: Reddit/Quora/Discord/Etc. Communities

Be helpful! Find out where your target audience hangs out online and start chiming in. Answer questions, offer actually valuable knowledge, and people will remember you as a helpful expert and your credibility, trust, and reach immediately increase.

If you don't know where your audience likes to chat, try searching Reddit and Quora first. If you're not coming up with active threads and communities there, start looking at community groups on your favorite social media platforms.

Don't forget to ask! Ask your current customers where they are and ask potential customers too. People love to share info. (Another theme we should all take away here).

Lead Generation Tactic 5: Pro Bono

Let me preface this by saying: volunteering should be done with an open heart and no ulterior motives.

And at the same time, when you do good work, it's okay to talk about it to demonstrate that you do know what you're talking about. So if you have the opportunity to donate your professional skills, do so. And ask if you can write a case study about it. Don't forget the marketing release!

Lead Generation Tactic 6: Organic Social Media

Separately from LinkedIn, explore all of your social media options. Be sure to research where your audience hangs out. One great place to start is looking at the age demographics of each social media platform. Further narrow down your priority channels from there, based on additional demographic, behavioral, and intent filters.

Social Media is in flux right now and it will continue to be so as new platforms arise and old platforms try to adjust. One thing that I've noticed is that it is worth exploring fledgling platforms if you have the capacity. It's far easier to make genuine connections on more niche platforms or new ones when people are most engaged.

However, social media marketing can be overwhelming so I recommend a few things:

1. Batch content creation - develop a month's worth at a time.
   

2. Embrace "hub and spoke" content - for every blog post or video, write 5 social media posts and include in any newsletters.
   

3. Start small, build as you get comfortable - one post a week is better than none. Text-only is better than none.

   
   

Lead Generation Tactic 7: SEO/AI Search

Ah the dream of being the top Google result. Or the link that ChatGPT spits out.

While technically it is possible, it does require a lot of work, content, and strategy.

Does that mean it's not worth doing?

Absolutely not!

Creating quality content will always be valuable, even as AI takes over search and SEO goes through its biggest change since its invention.

Any type of search results look for a few things:

• does this content answer the searcher's intent?

• is this content popular?

No matter what search engine or AI tool someone uses, they're using it for a reason. They want to find their answer as fast as possible and they want it to be correct. So developing content that answers frequent customer questions, solves customer problems, and is linked to credible sources will always be a winning strategy.

Lead Generation Tactic 8: Adjacent Industries

If you're only trying to network with your target audience, you're missing out.

Try reaching out to leaders, business owners, and peers in adjacent industries to set up a new word-of-mouth lead channel. After all, referrals are the BEST way to get new business. And the cheapest.

For example, say you have a farm CSA. Why not partner with a local coffee shop to put up a sign? Or reach out to your local acupuncturist? A coffee shop gets A LOT of local foot traffic, exactly who you want to be buying your produce.

Take a minute and brainstorm some businesses that might be a mutually beneficial relationship with you.

Don't believe people who tell you competition has to be cut throat. It can be. It often is. And that's also not the kind of business owner I want to be, nor I'm guessing you since you're still reading this.

Some of my best referral channels are copywriters, graphic designers, and marketing consultants. These are industry connections who have become close friends. Personally, I'd always rather fit a client with their best marketing fit and so would my people, so we hook each other up. We want us all to thrive. And it works. Our clients get the best possible marketing match and we build each other up.

Lead Generation Tactic 9: Guest Appearance

Who does your target audience listen to? What creators do they follow on social media? Is there an opportunity for you to be a guest? Any format where the host is interviewing regular guests would work. Blogs do too.

There will be a bit of research and preparation required but if you're able to find the right partner, the rewards can be immense. They don't even have to have a huge following, just be a trustworthy person who can help spread the word about your story.

Lead Generation Tactic 10: Gated Content

Gated content is a favorite of content marketers because to access it, or get through the "gate," users have to enter their information, usually an email address. This allows the company to gain a new, warm prospect.

To implement gated content effectively, it must be valuable enough to justify asking the user for something. Personally, I steer away from gating anything unless it's a tool, highly in-depth guide, or thorough report with original research.

Lead Generation Tactic 11: Value-First Offering

This is more of a mindset than a tactic.

In everything you create, in every interaction, are you adding value you for the other person?

I'm not saying you have to be perfect or give away all of your time for free. But if you're spending the time to write a blog post, are you taking the time to make sure your reader will find a new insight? If you're sending a cold email, are you articulating what's in it for the other person?

In all content you create be immediately useful and people start to trust that you know what you're talking about. And then, maybe they'll give you their email address and do business with you.

Lead Generation Tactic 12: Referrals

In general, referrals are the BEST. And, it's going to be super helpful for you if you have some sort of system established.

A few things to consider:

• are you measuring referrals?

• do you know who does the most referring?

• do you have a "thank you" system in place?

• do you pay for referrals? (not a must but definitely something to think about to make it a reliable one)

• are you giving back? (especially if you're not paying them, make sure there's some sort of reciprocity.

Having a clear system, especially for high-volume referral channels, like an automated email system and a consistent structure can accelerate this.

This works EVEN if your network is small. I am continuously surprised at who reaches out to me, even when I was just starting out. You never know who needs something or who knows someone.

Lead Generation Tactic 13: Webinar

Webinars are a great way to tell people who you are and what you're all about, especially if you're focusing on a timely and valuable topic.

But I'm not going to focus on webinars by themselves as lead generators. Rather, they make FANTASTIC content sources.

The real win of a webinar isn't direct leads from it (though that is certainly a plus), it's because you now have a recorded 30-60 minute video that you can post as a gated piece of content. You can turn it into blogs. You can post about a million social posts promoting it, thanking partners, and then calling out highlights and insights from it. And you can add it to your newsletter. And promotional emails. And the list keeps going.

Basically, if you need to create a bunch of content and want to get the most bang for your buck, a webinar is a phenomenal way to focus in on a theme and fill out just about every piece of content in the customer journey.

Lead Generation Tactic 14: Speaking

If the thought of public speaking makes you want to pass out, that's okay. You can skip this one. (For now).

There's one huge advantage of doing literally any type of speaking: it's instant credibility.

Think about it, if you see someone on stage, do you at least assume they know what they're talking about? Yes. Unless they say something so completely unhinged and even then, it's usually mistaken as brilliance.

All that to say, if you know your stuff (and I'm betting you do), share what you know. Attend events, go on panels, host webinars and share what you know and how others can benefit. Be honest, humble, and yourself and you're going to build a solid, earned reputation as an expert in no time.

Plus, it makes great content to write about on your blog, vlog, or whatever social media channel is hot.

Lead Generation Tactic 15: Workshops - Host or Cohost

Workshops are awesome. Attendees get something of value and you get to show what you know. If you've never done one, find a buddy and co-host! Or just do that anyway and get double the reach.

Personally, I think they're better than a speaking event because if I'm paying to attend something, I want to walk away with something. It doesn't matter if it's a floral arranging workshop or a business planning one, I want something tangible for my investment of dollars and time.

Lead Generation Tactic 16: Associations - Business, Industry, and More

Associations host networking events, often awards, and have membership lists. Yes, they usually cost something to join but if it's an active membership base, this is one of the best places to spend your limited budget. Now, you just have to get the most out of it and attend events and reach out to people!

It's a non-icky way to get email addresses, especially if you're sending respectful, helpful outreach messages.

It's a built-in customer base (if it's an association for your target industry).

Lead Generation Tactic 17: Open Your Mouth and Get Out There

Honestly, get out there. Go to coffee shops, visit breweries, go to your place of worship, volunteer, attend plays, join a knitting group. Find a softball team! Whatever it is you're into, go do that.

Not only is it good to feed other parts of ourselves, when we get out there and tell people what we do, people can tell when there's passion and then they get excited too. My friends and family have always been my biggest supporters, emotionally and by spreading the word. Don't be afraid to be who you are and bring all the pieces of you to everything you do. You never know whose cousin is looking for exactly what you offer.

P.S. Nonprofits - Don't miss out on $10,000!

Every month, qualifying nonprofits can use up to $10,000 in search ads as part of the Google Ad Grants.

Whew! That was a lot of ideas, don't do all of them at once. You'll get overwhelmed.

Start with the one you're most comfortable with and go from there. You've got this.

Have questions on how to implement these free marketing tactics?

Hopefully, you have some new free lead generation ideas! Now, it's time to implement them.

Or if you want us to do it for you, reach out to schedule a free consult!

Plus, make this all easier to remember and print this checklist:

Thanks for reading and remember: you are the expert at your business. One foot in front of the other and you will get where you want to go.

Happy growing,

Maddie