In the dynamic world of b2b marketing, generating high-quality leads is essential for sustained growth and continued commercial success. Effective lead generation approaches help your company to find potential customers and, when those contacts are nurtured through the sales pipeline, they can help to boost revenue and shorten sales cycles, all while enhancing brand awareness and reputation.
Effectively implemented lead generation strategies open doors to opportunities to nurture long-term relationships with customers who can then become valuable advocates for your brand, and your products or services. In b2b marketing, customer testimonial and advocacy can be one of the most powerful tools for securing new business.
Here are eight lead-gen strategies to help your team generate quality b2b leads and drive business growth:
1. Webinars
Educational webinars can provide relevant and very valuable insights for potential customers. By following effective registration and follow-up strategies, you can convert webinar attendees into leads. A well organised and well-run webinar can position your brand as a thought leader and help to encourage discussion and build an interactive, personable connection with potential leads.
2. Email marketing
Email marketing is still a powerful tool for b2b lead generation. Newsletters, nurture campaigns, and personalized event invitations can all help you to engage with potential leads. Some trade media publications offer e-blast opportunities to reach new, customizable, and relevant audiences via paid access to their subscriber databases.
3. Content marketing
Content marketing takes many forms including blog posts, whitepapers, ebooks, webinars, and podcasts. The key is to create valuable, educational and timely content that is optimised for search and addresses the pain points of your target audience and motivates them to engage with your brand at every point in the buyer journey. Articles published in trade media publications can also help to get your company in front of new, relevant audiences.
4. Customer advocacy
Harnessing the power of happy customers as advocates for your brand is invaluable in b2b lead generation. Customer insights, case studies, and user-generated content lend credibility to your brand and can help attract and convert new leads.
5. Partner marketing
Collaborating with customers or partners for mutual lead generation can be highly effective. Joint webinars, co-branded content, and referral agreements enable you to reach new audiences and build trust through your association with a reputable partner.
6. Social media marketing
Platforms like LinkedIn offer excellent opportunities for b2b lead generation. Identifying where your target audience spends time online and what interests them is important, then you can tailor your approach and content accordingly. Using both organic and paid social media strategies in tandem can help your company maximise its reach and boost impressions, followers and engagement – making lead-based tactics more likely to succeed.
7. Trade shows and events
It comes as no surprise that participating in virtual and in-person industry conferences, trade shows, and events provides valuable opportunities for b2b lead generation. However, it is important to make sure you are doing all you can to increase your return on interest (ROI) and securing high-quality leads.
A lot of work should be done in advance of a trade show, including:
- Ensuring that you effectively promote your attendance and raise awareness of how your company’s solutions resolve your target audience’s pain points
- Assigning the right representative to set roles
- Setting up media meetings and providing training for your media-facing spokesperson/spokespeople so they are prepared for any questions.
- Remember a seamless trade show journey doesn’t end when you pack up the booth, having an effective follow up process in place is critical to convert leads.
It is important to remember that there is not a ‘one-size fits all’ road map to success when it comes to lead-gen, but from our experience some key tips to remember include:
- Use multiple lead channels to broaden your reach
- Ensure any landing pages and contact forms are simple and straightforward, making it easy for potential leads to access content, get in touch or book a demo.
- Make sure your company has a consistent brand voice and presence both online, across the trade media and at trade events.
- Unlock the power of customer advocacy and ask your customers to participate in content such as podcasts, webinars or customer insights – they benefit from this exposure too!
- Be prepared to adapt your approach as you go, based on real-time data and analytics.
Once you are inundated with quality leads, lead nurturing is a crucial next step. This involves building relationships with potential leads over time through consistent personalized communication and valuable content. Marketing automation tools and effective drip campaigns can help automate and streamline this process and ensure that no valuable opportunities are lost.
Effective lead generation is essential for driving business growth in the b2b space. By implementing a combination of strategies and adapting them to your specific industry and target audience, you can generate high-quality leads that will fuel your company's success.
To learn more about how we can help you with b2b lead generation, get in touch with us at: business@scottpr.com.
