Picture this. You’ve been tasked to launch a marketing campaign that delivers warm, qualified leads. You’ve spent months in preparation. The creatives have carefully designed the ads, the media planners have chosen all the right tactics and timing, and your database partner has carefully designed your target audience to ensure you’re reaching the right prospects. The metrics are in! CTRs and viewability are phenomenal, but the client isn’t happy. The problem? Nobody filled out the lead form. So what do you do when all seemingly went right, but the one thing that matters still didn’t happen? Consider the form itself. I’m a lead generation subject matter expert with Farm Journal and these are the top five things I tweak that make all the difference. 

1. Are there too many questions?
   1. This is not a place to sneak in your market research questions. When designing your lead form, the goal should be to capture only the must-have information. I’ve found 5-7 questions to be a nice sweet spot between keeping the necessary questions on the form while avoiding user fatigue. One tip is to ask your database partner which fields can be found via a match back, such as basic demographic information. Also, consider which questions might be best left to conversations down the road with sales or customer service. 
2. Does the audience view the questions as too personal?
   1. When viewing these forms as marketing professionals, it’s easy sometimes to forget the questions we’re asking are about someone’s personal business and residence. Number of head of cattle or Gross Farm Income (GFI) might be just another data point to you, but may prove too personal for a farmer. I’ve also found mandatory mobile numbers to be a place many prospects begin to sweat. If you haven’t gained the person’s trust yet (and you likely haven’t since these are prospects), these questions may make them uncomfortable and deter them from filling out the form altogether. 
3. Did you pull a bait and switch?
   1. If your ad mentioned educational content like an ebook on soybean cyst nematodes or a webinar about avian influenza in cattle then your landing page should reflect that. Many times I think we’re so excited about getting the prospect to our page that we think this is the time to begin our sales pitch. Spoiler alert, it’s not. Focus your landing page copy on the farmer and the problem they’re trying to solve for. Tease what they will learn from downloading your content. If your company or product name is in the first paragraph, you’re doing something wrong. Imagery is similar. Ensure it’s farmer-focused and relevant to the content you’re promoting. It shouldn’t be filled with product photos and logos. 
4. Is the lead form not prominently displayed?
   1. At times I’ve had clients who wish to display other content on a lead form such as a series of videos or written stories. Many times this isn’t an issue and can even benefit the consumer journey. However, if you find that the additional content is pushing your lead form further down the page to where a prospect must scroll to access it, otherwise known as below the fold, this could be causing friction in converting leads. In this case, consider simplifying and/or rearranging your landing page so that the lead form is the clear Call to Action (CTA). A side widget can be a great option for this. 
5. What is the prospect receiving in exchange for their information?
   1. A loose CTA of “learn more” likely won’t glean the number of leads you’re hoping for. Consider including instead an immediate offer that is relevant to the audience and your business. A series of high-impact content with an educational focus is a great way to capture relevant leads. For example, for one ag chem company I’ve worked with we created a series of checklists by season that weaved in application related information and ways the client and their products could help. I’m also frequently asked about giveaways. Giveaways can be great tools in capturing a large amount of leads quickly, but they do open a number of other issues in terms of quality of leads. If you do opt for a giveaway, be sure the item helps further qualify your audience. 

Have questions or want to share feedback on other ways you’ve seen lead generation work? Feel free to reach out to me or your National Account Executive.