12 Best Tools for Automated Lead Generation [2024]

Lead generation is a crucial component of running a successful online business. But, it can also be one of the most time-consuming and frustrating tasks.

Let's face it—

Reaching out to prospects, collecting contact information, and nurturing leads is exhausting if you do it manually.

Thankfully, there is a solution. It's called lead generation automation. You can leverage the right software to automate many repetitive lead generation tasks.

In this article:

• Why automation is important for lead generation

• How to automate your lead generation processes

• The best automated lead generation software

If you are interested in lead generation, here are some more guides for you:

• Best practices for engaging lead generation forms

• [Case study] How Springly accelerated lead generation by 50%

• Best popup software apps, ranked

What is automated lead generation?

Lead generation automation is the use of software and tools to automate the process of finding new customers. By automating tasks such as lead capture, lead scoring, and lead nurturing, businesses can generate a steady flow of qualified leads with minimal manual effort.

For example, you can set up popups on your business website to capture visitor information, such as their name and email address. This information can then be automatically sent to a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Using the information gathered from the lead capture form and CRM, you can set up targeted email campaigns using automated email marketing software.

The goal of automated lead generation is to save time and resources while still generating high-quality leads that are likely to convert into paying customers.

Other benefits of lead generation automation include:

• Better customer analytics and more insights

• Easier conversion optimization and A/B tests

• Greater lead volume and increased ROI

Recent reports suggest that about over a half of companies are using some sort of automation in their marketing efforts. The majority of marketers believe that automation is essential to stay competitive in today's market.

OK—

But how do you do it? Is it hard to generate leads? How many leads will I get per day?

Let’s find out.

How do you automate lead generation?

The difficulty of generating leads can vary depending on factors such as your industry, competition, and target audience. However, with the right strategies and tools in place, businesses can generate a steady flow of qualified leads.

To automate lead generation, businesses can use a combination of software and tools that are specifically designed for this purpose. This includes lead capture forms (such as popups), lead management with CRM software (here's how we do lead management), email marketing platforms, chatbots, and social media automation tools.

Automating lead generation involves several steps:

• Step 1. Identifying your target audience and customer persona

• Step 2. Creating compelling content to attract users to your website or landing pages

• Step 3. Using lead generation forms for capturing contact details of your visitors  

• Step 4. Scoring and prioritizing leads based on their behavior and demographics

• Step 5. Nurturing leads through targeted email campaigns, chatbots, and social media automation

• Step 6. Converting leads into paying customers with personalized sales outreach

Now, it's time to explore some of the best tools that you can use.

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Best lead generation automation software

In the following list, we'll dive into some of the top lead generation automation tools that can help businesses generate a steady stream of quality leads.

The best solutions for automating lead generation are:

1. Wisepops

2. Unbounce

3. OptinMonster

4. HubSpot

5. Marketo

6. Klaviyo

7. Mailchimp

8. ActiveCampaign

9. Sprout Social

10. Leadfeeder

11. Drift

12. Intercom

Please note that some of these tools integrate with each other. They do not have to be alternatives but rather complementary tools.

Onsite marketing automation tools

Lead generation takes place on your website so this is where you should start setting up your automation. The first step is all about making the most of the users who already visit your pages. Onsite marketing automation tools help to capture visitor information and create personalized experiences, leading to higher conversion rates.

1. Wisepops — convert more of your existing website traffic

Wisepops is the best option for automating lead generation campaigns on your website.

It's an onsite marketing platform that lets you create campaigns such as sale promotions, personalized offers, product recommendations, and more using popups, sticky bars, embedded signup forms, and onsite notifications. Connect your email app or other software you're using to automate this process.

You can share offers and incentives, build your email list, and target visitors based on their location, behavior, or referral source:

A great thing about Wisepops is that you can set up custom campaign display rules and triggers to maximize the CTR. This makes it a great automated lead gen app for those who'd like to do a lot of experiments.

For example, you can make a popup appear to a certain category of visitors, on a specific page, or after a visitor clicks on a button or adds an item to the cart (doing so is easy thanks to built-in Shopify properties):

B2C businesses use Wisepops to grow the email list, convert traffic with discounts, personalize the shopping experience, and share sales promos (like OddBalls does below with onsite notifications):

Key features:

• Any popups and forms for lead gen

• Onsite notifications

• AI Wishlist

• Embedded email signup forms

• Unique Shopify discount codes

• Built-in Shopify properties

• Built-in Klaviyo segment targeting options

• Goal and revenue tracking

• A library of 100+ campaign templates optimized for conversions

• Deep A/B testing (test 5+ campaign variants)

• Powerful analytics for tracking performance of your lead generation campaigns

• Customizable popup behavior and user segmentation options

• Integrations with popular apps (see all integrations)

Pros:

• Integrates with all popular CRMs and tools

• Perfect for Shopify and Klaviyo users

• Easy to use and customize campaigns

• Advanced visitor targeting options

• Variety of onsite channels for any marketing experiment

Cons:

• No free plan (but there is a 14-day trial with no credit card required)

Who uses this automated lead generation tool?

Wisepops is ideal for ecommerce businesses, used by stores like Converse, Blume, Dusk, OddBalls, and Asphalte. 

Its functionality and security level makes it a great fit for both smaller business and enterprise-level users.

See who uses Wisepops.

Pricing:

Free trial for 14 days. Paid plans with unlimited campaigns start at $49/month. See the full pricing details.

A custom offer is also available for enterprise businesses: Wisepops One

Unlimited free trial, no cc needed. Get a demo

2. Unbounce

Unbounce allows you to create and test landing pages without any coding experience. It provides a variety of templates that are optimized for conversions and offers features that are useful for lead generation. With Unbounce, you can create custom landing pages for different marketing campaigns, such as PPC ads or social media campaigns.

This platform connects with solutions such as HubSpot or Marketo to build advanced automation flows for lead generation and lead scoring.

Key features:

• Visual drag-and-drop landing page creator

• A/B testing and conversion-focused templates

• Dynamic text replacement for ecommerce personalization

• Lead capture forms

Unbounce is ideal for businesses of all sizes looking to create landing pages that convert visitors into leads. Its A/B testing and analytics features allow you to optimize your landing pages for maximum conversions.

Pros:

• Easy to use and no coding required

• Flexible integration with various marketing platforms

• Great analytics and A/B testing tools

Cons:

• Limited features compared to other marketing automation platforms

Pricing:

Free trial available. Unlimited landing pages, popups, and sticky bars starting from $99/month with monthly billing.

3. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a lead generation automation tool that helps businesses create high-converting email popups, slide-ins, and other types of signup forms. It allows you to create targeted campaigns, segment your audience, and track your results in real-time. OptinMonster offers various pre-built templates and design options that are fully customizable to suit your brand.

Key features:

• Easy to use WYSIWYG form builder

• Exit-intent detection to target visitors who are about to leave your site

• Behavioral triggers for personalized targeting

• Customizable templates and designs

• Integration with various email marketing tools

OptinMonster is best for businesses that want to grow their email list and increase conversions. It is especially useful for those who want to retarget and re-engage users who are about to leave their website.

Pros:

• Powerful targeting and segmentation options

• Great analytics and A/B testing features

• Flexible integration with multiple marketing platforms

Cons:

• Can be pricey for smaller businesses (that's why there are many OptinMonster alternatives)

Pricing:

OptinMonster comes with a  free 14-day money-back guarantee starter option. Paid plans start at $9/month.

CRM & marketing automation tools

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and marketing automation tools are used to manage customer interactions and automate lead generation processes. These tools allow you to track customer behavior and create targeted campaigns that are tailored to their needs. They can also help to automate lead nurturing processes, ensuring that leads are engaged until they are ready to convert.

1. HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one marketing automation platform that includes a variety of tools for lead generation, customer relationship management, and sales. It allows businesses to create targeted campaigns, manage leads, and automate various marketing processes, including lead generation. HubSpot offers a comprehensive suite of tools that can help businesses of all sizes grow their customer base.

Key features:

• CRM for managing all customer interactions

• Email marketing and automation tools

• Landing page builder

• Marketing analytics and A/B testing

• Sales automation tools

HubSpot is best for businesses that want a complete marketing automation solution. It also has a freemium plan which is perfect for new websites with small traffic.

Pros:

• Comprehensive marketing automation solution

• Flexible integration with various marketing tools

• Great analytics and A/B testing features

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for beginners

• The popups are very bland and generic

• Some plans are quite pricey

Pricing:

HubSpot offers a free plan with limited features (for example, 2000 marketing emails per month and a smaller number of interactions). Omni-channel marketing automation is available in the Marketing Hub Professional plan that starts at about $740/mo.

2. Marketo

Marketo is a cloud-based marketing automation platform that provides tools for lead generation, lead management, email marketing, and analytics. It can be used for tracking customer behavior across various channels, including email, social media, and web. Marketo's lead management capabilities allow businesses to capture and qualify leads, track their behavior, and assign scores based on their level of engagement.

Key features:

• Lead management and scoring

• Email marketing and automation tools

• Landing page builder

• Real-time personalization

• Analytics and A/B testing

• CRM integration

Marketo was acquired by Adobe in 2018 for $4.75 billion. It became part of Adobe Experience Cloud, a suite of solutions that helps businesses manage their digital experiences across multiple channels. By integrating Marketo's marketing automation capabilities with Adobe's content creation, data, and analytics tools, Adobe aimed to provide a more complete solution for marketers. It is particularly suitable for B2B companies looking to manage complex sales cycles and multi-touch campaigns.

Pros:

• Powerful lead management and scoring features

• Advanced personalization and targeting options

• Flexible integrations with various marketing and sales tools

Cons:

• Higher price point compared to other marketing automation platforms

Pricing:

Marketo's pricing is based on the number of contacts and features required. Contact Marketo for a quote.

Email marketing tools

Email marketing platforms can help you segment email lists and create workflows that target specific groups of leads or customers. It is possible to set up personalized email campaigns and automate some of the most important parts of the lead nurturing process.

6. Klaviyo

Klaviyo specializes in email and SMS marketing. It provides tools for segmentation, lead generation automation, and analytics. Klaviyo's email marketing capabilities include customizable templates, A/B testing, and automated flows. These email automation series are great for ecommerce, especially if you want to reduce cart abandonment. With Klaviyo, businesses can also track revenue and ROI for each campaign, making it easier to measure the success of their marketing efforts.

Key features:

• Email and SMS marketing automation

• Segmentation and personalization

• Ecommerce integrations

• Abandoned cart and win-back flows

• Analytics and A/B testing

Klaviyo is best for ecommerce businesses looking to automate their email and SMS lead nurturing processes and increase revenue. Its ecommerce integrations allow businesses to track customer behavior, such as purchases and product views, and use that data to create targeted campaigns. You can also design amazing automated onsite and off-site marketing automation flows by combining Klaviyo with tools like Wisepops.

Pros:

• Easy to use and navigate

• Powerful ecommerce integrations and revenue tracking

• Flexible automation and personalization options

Cons:

• Limited integrations with non-ecommerce tools

Pricing:

You can use Klaviyo for free to send emails to up to 500 contacts. In general, Klaviyo's pricing is based on the number of contacts and features that you need. Paid plans start at $45/month for core email functionalities.

7. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an all-in-one marketing platform that offers a variety of tools for generating leads and managing email marketing campaigns. Its user-friendly interface allows users to create automated lead generation flows and track their performance. Additionally, it provides features such as landing pages, social media advertising, and email marketing automation workflows.

Key features:

• Email marketing and lead automation tools

• Landing page builder

• Social media advertising features

• Marketing automation workflows

• Analytics and A/B testing

• Multiple integrations

Mailchimp is known for its affordability and ease of use, making it a popular choice for SMBs. Its drag-and-drop interface allows you to set up custom campaigns without the need for any technical expertise.

Pros:

• Variety of integrations with other marketing and lead generation tools

• Affordable pricing options for businesses of all sizes

• Lots of official resources and tutorials

Cons:

• Out-of-the box popup signup forms available in Mailchimp are rather basic

Pricing:

Mailchimp offers a free plan for up to 1,000 emails, with limited features. Paid plans start at $13/month and increase in price based on the number of contacts.

8. ActiveCampaign

Like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign is a marketing automation platform that offers a variety of tools for online businesses to manage their automation workflows and customer engagement. It is primarily designed to help businesses create personalized customer experiences through targeted email campaigns and SMS messaging. However, it also lets you set up forms and build automated lead generation and lead nurturing workflows.

Key features:

• Dynamic content based on individual lead data

• Automated email series with many sequence templates

• Lead scoring based on engagement

• Split testing features

Automation workflows allow you to create customized sequences of emails, SMS messages, and other marketing activities that are triggered by specific user behavior. It is a great platform for businesses looking to generate leads automatically and optimize their sales funnels.

Pros:

• Powerful flow automation capabilities

• Flexible integrations with other tools

• Customizable campaigns with dynamic content

Cons:

• The UI is less friendly and some users may find the tool slightly overwhelming

Pricing:

You can try ActiveCampaign for free for 14 days. Paid plans start at $29/month.

Social media marketing tools & business intelligence

These tools offer a wide range of features, including social listening, which can be a powerful technique for automated lead generation. You can monitor social media platforms for mentions of your brand, industry trends, or even conversations between potential leads. By identifying these, it is possible to engage with leads and customers in real-time, build relationships, and generate new sales prospects.

9. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a social media management platform. It provides tools for scheduling, publishing, and analyzing social media content. Social Sprout's social listening features let you track relevant mentions and automate your responses. The platform also allows you to build lead generation bots for social media.

Key features:

• Social media management

• Scheduling and publishing tools

• Social listening and engagement

• Analytics and reporting

Sprout Social is best for businesses looking to manage multiple social media accounts and monitor their brand reputation online. Its social listening features make it a valuable platform for automating lead generation and customer engagement.

Pros:

• Powerful social listening and engagement features

• Robust analytics and reporting tools

• Easy-to-use interface

Cons:

• Limited integrations with non-social media tools

Pricing:

You can try Sprout Social for free with a 30-day trial. The Standard plan with tasking and social CRM tools starts from $249 per month.

10. Leadfeeder

Leadfeeder is a lead generation tool that uses website visitor data to identify potential customers. It also integrates with popular social media platforms like LinkedIn to help you find leads and engage with them. With Leadfeeder's lead scoring and qualification features, you can focus on the most promising user segments.

Key features:

• Identify the names of the companies visiting your website

• Reveal the exact behavior of users

• Unique database of static and dynamic IPs

• Lead scoring and qualification

• Integration with CRM and marketing automation tools

• Automated lead nurturing workflows

• Real-time alerts and notifications

Leadfeeder is best for B2B lead generation. You can use it to turn anonymous website visitors into actionable sales leads. But it works better if your operations are focused on an account-based approach.

Pros:

• You can easily filter and hide unwanted companies or bots

• Insights based on exact behavior of the companies visiting your website

• A track record of quality leads

Cons:

• There is only one paid plan and the tool is somewhat expensive

Pricing:

You can identify up to 100 companies for free using fresh data with the lite plan. For $139 a month you unlock unlimited data storage and remove the cap on identified companies.

Chatbots and messaging tools

Chatbots and other conversational AI tools offer an effective way to automate lead generation and customer service processes. These solutions can capture lead information and route leads to the appropriate sales representative. Additionally, chatbots can ask qualifying questions or provide personalized recommendations, further increasing the chances of converting leads into customers.

11. Drift

Drift uses conversational marketing for streamlining sales and marketing processes and turning website visitors into leads. It is an automated lead generation tool that uses bots to help you engage with potential customers in real-time. With Drift, you can add a live chat widget on your website and weaponizes the power of messaging. Bots start conversations with your website visitors and collect information about them on autopilot.

Key features:

• Chatbots for automated conversations

• Playbooks and chatbot templates

• Conversational landing pages

• Lead routing and qualification

• Chat analytics and reporting

Drift's chatbots help online companies engage with website visitors in a personalized way, 24/7. They can be used to qualify leads, route them to the right sales team member, and even schedule meetings with prospects.

Pros:

• Advanced and highly customizable chatbot functionality

• Integrations with other sales and marketing tools

• Real-time alerts and notifications

Cons:

• Pricing can be expensive for small businesses

Pricing:

The Free plan includes basic live chat and Drift meetings. The paid plans with custom chatbots start at $2,500/month.

12. Intercom

Intercom is a customer messaging platform that lets you communicate with your customers across different channels, including website chat and social media. The tool has many additional modules and extensions. Its chatbot feature helps automate lead generation and customer support processes. Intercom offers a suite of messaging tools that help build connections with customers in real-time and provide personalized support.

Key features:

• Automated chatbots for lead generation and customer support

• Message tagging and filtering for better organization

• Advanced reporting and analytics

• Integrations with other sales and marketing tools

Intercom is a great choice for businesses who need personalized messaging and advanced reporting to track engagement and conversions. The pricing plans may seem expensive for small businesses, but the features and capabilities are invaluable for larger enterprises with complex automation and customer support needs.

Pros:

• Multiple modules and apps for additional functionalities

• Powerful messaging and conversational marketing features for lead generation

• Advanced analytics

Cons:

• Pricing may be prohibitive for small businesses

• Limited social media integration

Pricing:

Intercom offers a 14-day free trial. Its most affordable paid option (the Starter plan) costs $74/month with limited functionality.

Summary

Automated lead generation can significantly improve your business's sales funnel. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, using lead generation software is a smart investment. And, as you can see, there are many online solutions that you can try. 

Here is a quick overview that summarizes our list of the best automatic lead generation apps:

1. Wisepops—Onsite marketing platform that converts visitors with targeted popups, signup forms, and the notification feed.

2. Unbounce—Landing page builder that allows businesses to create high-converting pages without coding skills.

3. OptinMonster—Lead capture and conversion optimization tool that helps businesses grow their email list and improve website conversions.

4. HubSpot—Marketing automation platform that provides tools for lead generation, CRM, and customer engagement.

5. Marketo—Marketing automation software that provides tools for lead management, email marketing, and analytics.

6. Klaviyo—Email marketing platform that helps businesses create and send personalized emails to their customers.

7. Mailchimp—All-in-one marketing platform that provides tools for email marketing, social media management, and website building.

8. ActiveCampaign—Marketing automation software that provides tools for email marketing, CRM, and sales automation.

9. Sprout Social—Social media management platform with social listening features for automated lead generation and customer engagement.

10. Leadfeeder—Tool that identifies companies that have visited your website and provides information about their behavior on your site

11. Drift—Automated lead generation tool that uses bots to help businesses engage with potential customers in real-time.

12. Intercom—Customer messaging platform that provides automated chatbots for lead generation and customer support.

Each of these tools has unique features that can increase your lead volume, improve their conversion rates, and ultimately, increase their ROI.

Want to capture more leads now? Create your Wisepops account and sign up for your free trial.