Looking for some fresh ideas for your B2B lead generation strategy? Well, you're in luck. I've got five creative and effective tactics that will have you feeling like a B2B lead generation rockstar in no time! Let’s get started.
First, the basics: What is lead generation and how does it work?
You might already know this, but if you’re looking for a refresh – I’ve got you covered. Lead generation is the process of identifying and attracting potential customers to learn more about your business. It can happen through a variety of marketing channels, including landing pages, email, social media, search engines, and advertising. Unlike demand generation, which focuses on building general brand awareness and interest, lead generation is about motivating brand-aware people to become customers. It typically targets those would-be customers with middle- and bottom-of-funnel marketing content. Its focus is on individuals who are experiencing a particular challenge, which your company has a solution for. The content urges them to take a precise action that moves them closer to purchase, such as downloading a whitepaper or ebook.
So what makes lead generation efforts stand out? Well, here are some characteristics:
Targeted: It focuses on a specific group of people or businesses that are most likely to be interested in your product or service.
Qualified: Those individuals or businesses have indicated that they are ready to be contacted for further engagement.
Results-driven: The content gets potential customers to take a specific action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
Top 5 examples of B2B lead generation
Lead generation can be executed in a variety of ways. We’ve compiled a list of 5 B2B lead generation tactics that can help get you inspired.
Content marketing: Creating and distributing valuable and informative content is an important lead-generation tactic. With it, you give readers something of value like blog posts, ebooks, videos, and webinars that provide advice, insights, entertainment, and solutions to common problems. The right content can help your business establish its expertise and credibility. It also helps you attract and engage potential customers.
Email marketing: In a recent survey, B2B marketers claimed that 38% of their leads come from email.* Creating and sending targeted and personalized emails to prospects who have shown an interest in your business's products or services is another great tactic for lead generation. These emails can include promotional offers, product updates, and links to the other valuable content covered in tactic #1.
Search engine optimization (SEO): According to Hubspot, B2B marketers say that 33% of their leads come from SEO.* Optimizing your website and online content to rank higher on search engine results pages helps attract organic traffic to your website and increase your visibility among potential customers. We’ve even written a blog post about it here.
Paid media marketing: Paying for ads to appear on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media is another way to drive traffic to your business's website and promote content that visitors have to fill a form out to see.
Referral marketing: Encouraging satisfied customers to refer their friends and colleagues to your business's products or services through incentives like discounts or rewards. People are more likely to trust recommendations from people they know and respect, making this a highly effective strategy. According to Hubspot, B2B marketers say that 65% of their leads come from referrals.*
Lead generation KPIs
Now that you have a few B2B lead generation tactics under your belt, let’s look at which key performance indicators (KPIs) are most important for tracking your success. Here are 5 metrics you can use to help determine if your lead generation campaign is achieving the success you aimed for.
Lead volume: Number of leads generated through a particular campaign or channel.
Lead score: Numerical value assigned to each lead based on their level of engagement and interest in your product or service. It helps to prioritize leads and focus follow-up efforts on the most promising prospects.
Cost per lead (CPL): The cost of acquiring each lead, including advertising and marketing expenses.
Conversion rate: Percentage of leads that have converted into paying customers.
B2B lead generation is a crucial aspect of any successful marketing strategy and there are numerous tactics available to achieve it. Don’t forget to track your progress against the KPIs you established and stick to what works!
Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your lead generation to the next level, Wheels Up Collective can help you generate more high-quality leads and drive more revenue for your business. Don't hesitate to reach out to us for assistance.