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AI Lead Generation: Best Methods & Tools to Use

Written by Orana Velarde
Published at Apr 26, 2024
Edited by: Unenabasi Ekeruke
Reviewed by: Victoria Taylor
AI Lead Generation: Best Methods & Tools to Use

Are you looking for ways to supercharge your lead generation strategy? Consider combining AI with your lead gen tech stack.

AI lead generation tools optimize how you capture, nurture, and convert leads.

Businesses worldwide are already using these tools to generate high-quality leads faster, improve engagement, and boost sales. According to a McKinsey Global Survey on AI, the biggest AI-related revenue increases and cost reductions are in marketing, sales, and product development.

But the field of AI and machine learning is ever-growing and changing. New tools for AI lead generation are constantly popping up. How do you find the best AI tools to give your lead gen efforts a boost?

We've rounded up seven of the best AI lead-generation tools to help you get started. Also, we share several methods and strategies to inspire you.

If you prefer to learn by watching, this video covers six innovative ways you can use AI for lead generation.

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Quick Read

  • AI lead generation is the process of using artificial intelligence and natural language processing to identify, qualify, nurture and convert leads.
  • Some of the most effective AI lead generation methods include AI chatbots, AI lead magnets, data-backed user persona and ICPs creation, AI lead nurturing, granular audience segmentation and predictive lead scoring.
  • The best AI lead gen tools for lead qualification and targeted campaign generation include Visme AI Designer, Copilot, HubSpot AI, AnyBiz, Customers.ai, Copy.ai and Abmatic.
  • Visme's AI Design Generator has everything you need to quickly create valuable, targeted lead magnets that capture leads and boost conversions.
  • Combine AI-powered lead magnets with interactive forms that convert 2-3X better than traditional forms.

 

What Is AI Lead Generation?

AI lead generation is the practice of integrating artificial intelligence into lead generation processes to identify, qualify and nurture leads towards conversion.

By harnessing the power of machine learning, natural language processing (NLP) and predictive analytics, AI not only helps your business save time but also optimizes the way you engage and communicate with potential customers.

Up to 52% of marketing professionals say that the largest benefit of using AI in marketing programs (including lead generation) is the increased speed and efficiency of workflows.

The good thing about incorporating AI in the lead generation pipeline is that it works for businesses of any size. No matter what industry you’re in or how large your lead pool is, there are AI lead generation tools, methods and strategies available for every stage of the lead generation funnel.

But how do these tools work? First, they analyze your data and then offer practical solutions that the program can automate for you.

Chatbots, for example, can carry on conversations with leads from first contact to booking a call with an agent. Along the customer’s journey, the AI supporting the chatbot collects lead data. You can then use the data to optimize your communication strategies for conversion and loyalty.

 

6 AI Lead Generation Methods & Strategies

Lead generation used to rely on manual, repetitive tasks done by the marketing and sales teams. Then automation freed the marketing team to create better content and sales reps to focus on qualified leads. AI has joined the ranks to revolutionize how you use data for lead generation.

It’s your turn to take advantage of the benefits of using AI in lead generation.

Here are seven methods and strategies to get you started.

1. AI-Powered Lead Magnets

At the top of the lead generation funnel is awareness, the lead capture stage. Lead magnets are crucial in this phase of the process.

A lead magnet must bring value to a potential lead. Enough, so they're willing to give you their contact information in exchange for it.

But creating lead magnets, like e-books, whitepapers, magazines and checklists, can take precious time, especially if you're making them often. Instead, delegate your first drafts to AI to help save you time and a quick head start.

If you want an easy way to create lead magnets, check out Visme's AI document generator.

This AI-powered design tool creates your lead magnet in minutes. In the template gallery, click the Create New button and select the Generate with AI option. A chatbot window will open for you to input your text prompt.

Start by explaining what type of lead magnet you want to create and its goal. Include the topic and some relevant highlights. The chatbot will then suggest a set of visual styles to choose from. Select the one with a layout that you like and let the AI do its thing.

Once generated, you can customize the lead magnet in the Visme editor or generate it again.

When ready, promote your lead magnet with a Visme Forms lead form on your website, blog or through a link.

Exclusive Discount Form
Customize this template and make it your own!Edit and Download

Every time someone downloads your lead magnet, Visme Forms collects their contact information so you can nurture them with emails and retargeting tactics. In case you didn’t know, using Visme Forms to share your lead magnets can lead to two times more signups and conversions.

 

2. Data-Backed User Persona and ICP Creation

User personas and ideal client profiles are audience archetypes. They represent segments of your customer base or lead pool. Visually, they're documents highlighting a semi-fictional person. The data includes a name, work position, goals, objectives and interests. These archetypes help direct lead-generation efforts through personalization and targeted communication.

The most effective user personas and ICPs depend on good use of data analysis. This process takes time to do manually. AI does it faster and, in some cases, better. By analyzing your data in CRMs and spreadsheets, AI tools like Delve.ai and PersonaGen can create user personas and ICPs for your business.

Generated user personas can help your marketing and sales teams communicate better with customers. With Visme's AI Document Generator, you can create and share visual representations of user personas and ICPs. Input your persona's data in the prompt, and the chatbot will offer style suggestions. Choose one and let the AI create a visual first draft that’s easy to customize and finalize.

Alternatively, select a user persona or ICP template from Visme's template gallery. Then, customize it with your generated information and brand assets.

Here's a user persona template you can customize straight away.

Millennial Customer Persona
Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

 

3. Personalized, Smart ChatBots

Chatbots were one of the first automated lead generation tools on the market and are still relevant and valuable today. Their purpose is to imitate human-like communication with someone in a chat window.

With the inclusion of AI technology, they've only gotten better at their job. It’s no surprise that AI chatbots are quickly becoming a staple in business communication.

As a lead gen tool, a chatbot offers several solutions on different platforms.

Here are a few examples:

  • On your website, they welcome and greet visitors, capture contact information and offer help or information via a chat window.
  • Chatbots on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram capture leads with targeted conversations. When a visitor chooses to message the company via one of their social media pages, a chatbot can answer questions, help find information or even take orders.
  • Customer service chatbots on support pages gather valuable data from leads and current customers as they help navigate tutorials and educational content.

Integrating chatbots in your lead generation strategy eases up initial communication with leads and subsequent data collection. First, they deal with simple queries that can be solved by sharing relevant entries from the knowledge base or company blog. Then, they assist with lead scoring and segmentation.

 

4. Predictive Lead Scoring

Generally, during lead capture, data is collected into spreadsheets or reporting dashboards. This data must then be scraped and analyzed to create a comprehensive report that lists and scores qualified leads into relevant categories. This task, which used to be done manually, can now be handled with AI.

Lead scoring begins when a person starts chatting with a chatbot, signs up for a lead magnet or offers their contact information. The AI tool segments the leads according to their demographic and firmographic data, behavior and conversation quality.

Then, a predictive algorithm compares the lead to your business profile and evaluates its rank toward a possible conversion. Finally, the sales reps receive only the highest-ranked qualified leads.

Keep a list of top leads up-to-date with a report linked to live data. Use Visme's Google Sheets or Excel integrations to pull lead generation data into a report made with a Visme template.

 GIF showing how to link connect table or charts on a report to live data

Share the report via a live Visme link. Then, for your audience to see updated data, they just need to click the refresh button.

Here's a customizable template that is perfect for a lead scoring report.

Monthly Customer Service Modern Report
Monthly Customer Service Modern Report
Monthly Customer Service Modern Report
Monthly Customer Service Modern Report
Monthly Customer Service Modern Report
Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

 

5. Granular Audience Segmentation

The same process that scores leads also helps with detailed audience segmentation. The AI collects data to create segments based on demographic data, shopping behavior, and online activity.

Using AI to segment your audience helps with creating user personas, crafting email campaign funnels and creating sales enablement material for customer support.

Going further, you can use the segmentation data with a generative AI tool to create targeted content. Or ask an AI chatbot like Visme's AI Writer for lead generation suggestions using the generated segments. Ask the AI to outline different email nurture sequences or prompt it to generate social ad copy.

Don’t keep the segmentation information in a file. Show managers or stakeholders what your audience looks like. Use beautiful data visualizations in branded reports or presentations. You can make these using Visme's AI Report Writer.

Alternatively, use one of the infographic templates available in your Visme dashboard. Here's an example infographic highlighting market segmentation data for a VR company.

Market Segmentation Infographic Consulting
Customize this template and make it your own! Edit and Download

 

6. AI-Powered Lead Nurturing

An effective nurturing sequence makes conversion a breeze. But for optimized results, you need lots of personalization and tailored messaging—much more than a human can achieve quickly. Generative AI can do it for you.

Generative AI for lead nurturing is trained to work using your lead scoring data and brand parameters. To begin, the generative AI tool learns from your collected data and brand prompts. Then, it generates and automates personalized email campaigns, tailored message sequences and discovery conversations with potential leads.

AI-powered lead nurturing frees up the sales reps and customer service representatives during the lead up to conversion. Once the leads progress through the AI-generated and monitored sequences, only the ones primed to convert are sent to the reps to continue with personalized communication.

 

7 AI Tools for Lead Generation

There are many types of lead generation tools. Some are standalone applications, while others are part of the feature list in larger platforms.

To help get your feet wet, we've rounded up seven of the best AI lead generation tools.

 

1. Visme AI Designer

AI lead generation - Visme's logo

Visme's AI Designer is just one tool in our full suite of AI-powered tools for businesses of all sizes. It helps you create first-draft content quickly. Using an AI-driven chatbot, you can create lead magnets, email newsletters, sales enablement content, one pagers, ads, reports and more lead generation content.

AI lead generation - Visme's logo

To use the tool, first, input a text prompt into the chatbot. Then follow the instructions and select an output style. Let AI do its magic and generate a ready-to-use design in less than two minutes.

 

 

The generated document, or graphic, is fully customizable with Visme's design editor. Choose from millions of images, videos, icons and illustrations. Adjust the text and personalize the color scheme with your brand assets from your Brand Kit. Use the collaboration features with your team to create the perfect lead generation content for your brand.

Furthermore, leverage all the AI tools within the editor and make your lead generation content more likely to convert. Get help writing from the AI Writer, and create unique images and graphics with the AI Image Generator. Edit your images with AI Edit Tools to unblur, upscale, sharpen and erase unwanted objects. Create cutouts by removing a background and placing another.

Visme AI Designer is ideal for B2B and B2C marketers who want to centralize branded lead generation content creation. As a standalone AI tool, it is an essential help for lead gen tactics. However,  it works better as part of Visme's suite of business design tools.

Visualize this: Your AI lead generation strategy with Visme starts at the whiteboard with a fruitful brainstorming session. Then, it continues in the editor with lead magnet creation. Next, Visme Forms helps with lead capture using pop-up and lead forms. Finally, you present results to managers and stakeholders with beautiful, branded reports.

Get inspired by Jaime Kelm, Director of Business and Data Strategy at LAFC as he shares his thoughts about Visme in this case study.

"I absolutely recommend Visme due to its dynamic functionality and ability to integrate ever-changing media and digital technologies. That, combined with a collaborative environment that empowers our team to be more efficient with time, has been a huge plus."

Features

Aside from AI-powered document creation, Visme has several business features that support your lead generation strategy.

  • Drag and drop editor with vast design options
  • Native AI tools for image, text and design generation, image editing and instant project resizing, report writing, presentation creation
  • Countless templates for all sorts of visual content
  • Team and agency collaboration features for unified content creation, brainstorming and reporting
  • An easy-to-use Brand Wizard for generating branded templates and a reusable brand kit within Visme
  • Interactive design features with video, audio and animation
  • Millions of design elements, icons, stock photos and videos
  • Professional data visualization tools for making your information beautiful
  • Variety of share and publish options, from interactive flipbooks to social media posts
  • Analytics dashboard to track your content's performance
  • Video maker with timeline editing

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - an image of Visme pricing
  • Basic: Free
  • Starter: $12.25/month
  • Pro: Starts at $24.75/month
  • Enterprise: Upon Request

 

2. Copilot

AI lead generation tools - Copilot logo

Copilot is an AI-powered sales enablement tool that integrates with your LinkedIn account. It prospects the highest-intent LinkedIn leads that match your business and uses AI to automate the outreach. After capturing a lead, Copilot sends personalized nurture message sequences until the prospect books a meeting.

AI lead generation tools - Copilot home page

Copilot's LinkedIn integration helps you access potential customer networks through personalized communication. It's a great way to meet people and make qualified and targeted connections. It's the ideal tool for B2B sales, marketing, HR and financial services that close deals on one-on-one calls.

Features

These are some stand-out AI-powered features of Copilot.ai:

  • Reply Prediction ranks and prioritizes LinkedIn leads
  • Sentiment Analysis identifies leads with the highest intent to schedule meetings
  • Smart Reply generates contextual messages by analyzing conversation history
  • Personalized Insights helps personalize every message
  • Integration with LinkedIn Sales Navigator and your CRM

Pricing

  • Standard: Starts at $234/month, billed at $2808/year
  • Scale: Starts at $234/month, billed at $3528/year
  • Teams and White-label: Upon request

 

3. HubSpot AI

AI lead generation tools - HubSpot logo

HubSpot has a comprehensive suite of software tools for marketing, sales and customer service.  It is known for its inbound marketing methodology, which focuses on attracting and engaging leads to your business. The platform offers a variety of lead generation tools like landing pages, forms and the marketing hub.

AI lead generation tools - HubSpot home page

HubSpot AI is a suite of AI-powered tools inside the HubSpot umbrella that supercharge your lead generation efforts. It is best suited for medium/large businesses and marketing agencies that already use Hubspot as their marketing, sales and service platform.

HubSpot AI is a suite of AI-powered tools inside the HubSpot umbrella that supercharge your lead generation efforts. As for sales, the platform stands out through its Prospecting Agent—HubSpot’s dedicated lead generation assistant.

Prospecting Agent leverages data from your ideal customer profile to identify leads within your CRM that best match your criteria. From there, the platform helps you craft and send personalized outreach emails at scale.

Features

These are the lead generation features that form part of HubSpot AI:

  • AI content assistant for writing blog articles and email newsletters
  • AI sales forecasts through constant data collection and analysis
  • Predictive deal health score to help qualify leads
  • AI chatbots to have conversations with clients and collect data
  • AI-assisted reports to analyze marketing and sales efforts.

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - HubSpot pricing page
  • Professional: $90/user/month
  • Enterprise: $150/user/month

 

4. AnyBiz

AI lead generation tools - Anybiz logo

AnyBiz is a cloud-based and AI-driven sales agent that can help your business communicate better with their leads until they book a meeting. This tool offers dedicated lead nurturing solutions that take each lead along a personalized and tailored journey.

The AnyBiz platform generates qualified leads on autopilot from its vast database of 80 million people. Then, it generates tailor-made sequences for each prospect. The AI sales agent figures out what works best for each one and adjusts the communication style when necessary. The AI sales agent works 24/7, allowing sales reps to have sales calls with only the best leads.

AI lead generation tools - Anybiz homepage

AnyBiz is an excellent tool for B2B businesses and marketers looking to save time with lead prospecting and nurturing toward scheduling a one-on-one meeting or sales call.

Features

Here are some of the features available within AnyBiz:

  • Contact/Customer database with millions of possible leads
  • Data Import to implement data from your other sales platforms
  • 24/7 operation for ongoing sales activities no matter the timezone
  • Multi-channel campaigns for omnichannel marketing
  • Collaborative workspace to keep everybody on the same page
  • Campaign segmentation to reach your target audience effectively
  • CRM integration to keep your sales efforts aligned
  • Self-improvement over time using natural language processing and machine learning

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - Anybiz pricing page
  • One AI agent: $1449/month

 

5. Customers.ai

AI lead generation tools - Customers.ai logo

Customers.ai, previously known as Mobile Monkey, is an AI-powered sales prospecting tool that pulls visitor contact information automatically from your website. It then generates retargeted content for your best leads using advanced audience segmentation and customer insights.

This tool accelerates your lead generation funnel using AI and visitor identification to grow, engage and convert. The goal is to help you identify visitors and turn them into customers.

AI lead generation tools - Customers.ai home page

Customers.ai caters to B2B and B2C businesses—especially those looking for AI-powered solutions to improve their funnel's performance.

Features

Customers.ai uses AI for targeted remarketing but offers plenty of other business features:

  • Intelligent ID X-Ray Pixel for website visitor prospecting
  • Synchronization with the audience through a Meta Ads Sync
  • Customer journey visualization with real-time tracking
  • Abandoned cart recovery features
  • Hyper-personalized email marketing
  • Integrations with CRM and marketing automation platforms

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - Customers.ai pricing page
  • Free up to 500 contacts
  • Starter: Starts at $199/month
  • Pro: Starts at $399/month
  • Advanced: Starts at $799/month

 

6. Copy.ai

AI lead generation tools - Copy.ai logo

Copy.ai is a generative AI tool for crafting content ideas and first drafts of marketing material. This tool streamlines the writing process in a beginner-friendly interface with endless options for content creation.

Use the workflow templates and connect your CRM to copy.ai for lead scoring and outreach. First, Copy.ai analyzes your data and scours the internet to find your leads' social profiles and interests. It then scores the leads and creates personalized content for optimized nurture sequences.

AI lead generation tools - Copy.ai home page

As an AI-driven lead generation tool, Copy.ai is an excellent solution for marketers, freelancers and business owners. It supports growing teams with fewer resources and helps them scale.

Features

Copy.ai offers several AI-powered features. Here are some of them:

  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Templates and tools for a variety of content types like sales copy, digital ads, product descriptions and blog posts
  • Idea generator for marketing, content, sales and copywriting
  • Multi-language support includes Chinese, Spanish, and 23 more.

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - Copy.ai pricing page
  • Free: Free Forever/1 seat
  • Pro: $36/month, five seats
  • Team: $186/month, 20 seats
  • Enterprise: Unlimited seats, price upon request

 

7. Abmatic

AI lead generation tools - Abmatic AI logo

Abmatic is an online AI generation tool that helps you create personalized websites with hyper-targeted campaigns. This tool uses advanced data analytics, AI-powered actions, insights and targeting to help businesses identify, engage and convert their most valuable accounts.

Website personalization with Abmatic starts with customer segmentation backed by actual data. Abmatic integrates with your CRM to give actionable recommendations for website traffic segments. Then, you use the visual editor to create AI-powered sections for your website. The editor works with any website, and no extra setup is required.

AI lead generation tools - Abmatic AI home page

Abmatic is an essential B2B AI lead generation tool for organizations, marketers and companies looking to personalize website communication with their potential leads. The tool is versatile and can accommodate businesses in any industry.

 

Features

These are some features available within Abmatic:

  • Audience segmentation to create tailored content
  • Website personalization features to show each lead information that’s relevant to them
  • Drag and drop design tool for adding AI-powered sections to websites
  • Inbuilt analytics to track the performance of all the targeted web sections
  •  A/B testing capabilities to try different techniques and choose the best option overall

Pricing

AI lead generation tools - Abmatic AI pricing page
  • You can start with Abmatic for free, but Premium plans are all custom and upon request.

AI Lead Generation FAQs

Are you still curious about AI lead generation? These frequently asked questions have what you're looking for.

Yes, you can automate lead generation activities. Automated lead generation saves you precious time and resources by taking care of repeatable actions that capture and nurture leads toward conversion. Some examples include chatbots, website pop-ups and social media engagement.

AI-powered lead generation tools qualify leads using NLP (Natural Language Processing), machine learning and predictive analysis. These tools analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and behaviors, helping AI score and qualify the most promising leads.

Yes, chatbots do work for lead generation. Chatbots are lead gen tools that anyone can use, regardless of company size.

Thanks to AI, chatbots can:

  • Qualify your leads
  • Boost engagement
  • Simplify customer service

 

There is no one fast way to generate leads, yet there are many options. The speed at which your lead gen efforts succeed depends on your audience and lead generation activity. Some of the fastest techniques include lead magnets, landing pages, forms, chatbots, customer care calls and personalized communication.

Yes, lead generation is still profitable if you put time and effort into it with the right tools and AI support. To know if your lead gen efforts are profitable, track metrics like the number of leads, revenue per lead, cost per lead and sales conversion rate.

AI Lead Generation starts with data. AI-powered lead generation tools use natural language processing and machine learning to analyze said data and create, generate or deliver content that speaks to your audience in a personalized and targeted manner.

 

Supercharge Your Lead Generation with Visme AI Designer

The lead generation process has many steps. Artificial intelligence can help you optimize results by saving time and uncovering valuable opportunities. AI sales lead generation empowers you to generate higher-quality leads and convert them into customers.

In this guide, we’ve shared a list of AI lead gen methods and AI tools for lead generation. Hopefully, they're enough to inspire you to delve into AI as soon as possible. If you're unsure how to begin, start with AI-generated lead magnets and lead forms that double your conversion, then continue to AI chatbots and grow from there.

With a Visme subscription, you can plan, brainstorm, manage, and report on your lead strategy. Empower your marketing and sales teams with the AI lead generation features your business needs to thrive.

Get started with Visme today.

Written by Orana Velarde

Orana has been a writer for Visme since 2018, covering topics like design, visual marketing, data visualization and visual content creation. Orana has a background in graphic and web design, makeup artistry for film and theater and ongoingly takes courses on digital marketing, UI/UX and other related topics. See Orana’s work at www.oranavelarde.com.

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