When you're growing a business, getting leads is one of the most critical things you can do. And you've got a lot of ways to do that. You might find word of mouth slowly builds a loyal customer base, while online contact forms and social ads get you a higher volume of people with a casual interest.
As that volume increases, so does the time you'll need to spend to keep on top of those leads and get them coming to your door—brick-and-mortar or digital. Before you can nurture your leads, you need to keep track of them.
Why track your leads
When you're just getting started, it might be easy enough for your workflow to be very high-touch and personal. You get an email, and you reply. Someone fills out your contact form, and you send them a personal response.
But as your business—and your team—grow, it will be important for things to be in one place so that you can track things like how many leads you got from a specific source, or who has reached out to which lead. You'll be more organized, more efficient, and know that everyone working on your business has the same information.
And a bonus: When it's time to analyze things, you'll be in a much better position to do so because you'll have all your leads stored in one place.
This might feel like a big job, especially if your idea of tracking leads is copying information from all your different sources into one central database or spreadsheet. Give the copy-paste shortcut a rest, and learn how to make things flow into your tracking system of choice using automation.
To use the automated workflows—we call them "Zaps"—you'll need a Zapier account. It's free to sign up.
How to track leads with automation
More than just making things easier, using automation to track leads makes you more accurate. There's no concern that someone has forgotten to add a lead, or that a typo finds its way into an email address, sending every follow-up into some poor unsuspecting person's inbox or bouncing back to you forever.
First, you need to decide where you'll track your leads. The three most likely candidates are a spreadsheet, a database, or a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) app. Whichever method you choose, these workflows will make sure your trusted source for lead tracking is up to date and ready to use.
Each of the recommended Zaps in this article is what we call a "Zap template." They're set up to guide you through the process, with the apps and some specific steps already selected.
Tracking leads from email
If you get new leads from email, set up an automation so that information is tracked whenever you add a specific label or tag to that email or it matches a specific search term.
Tracking leads in a spreadsheet or database is a low-effort way to store your leads for review and follow-up.
If you use a CRM, these workflows will ensure new emails are automatically included in your system.
Tracking leads from forms
Forms are a tried-and-true method of gathering information from people interested in your business. Someone who fills it out is giving you their information—so make sure you act on it by storing their contact information and details about their response in the place where you manage and plan your lead outreach.
If these examples don't match the apps you use, head to our App Directory and search for your tools. Zapier works with thousands of apps, so there's a good chance you'll find what you're looking for.
If you track leads in a spreadsheet or database, these workflows will help you get started.
If you send leads to a CRM, these Zap templates are a good starting point.
Learn more about driving business growth with contact form automation.
Tracking leads from ads
When you spend money to promote your business, you want to be sure you get your money's worth from the leads that flow from your advertising campaigns. Especially when you run multiple campaigns, be sure to centralize responses so it's easier for you and the team to follow up and track successes.
Note: Facebook Lead Ads and LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms are premium apps on Zapier, meaning you'll need to have a paid account or be in your trial period to use them. Learn about our plans and pricing.
You could send leads' information to a spreadsheet or database.
Or if you use a CRM, automatically create or update leads whenever someone fills out your advertised form.
Automation for business growth
These techniques are just a starting point. You can use automation to help you every step of the way, letting Zaps move information from one app into another, so you can make sure the data you need is right where you want it.
Want to learn more about how automation can help you grow your business? Check out one of these pieces:
