B2B Lead Generation: Strategies That Work

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With new business coming up each day, the competition gets stiffer. Companies have to employ attention-grabbing strategies to generate more leads and thrive in the competitive marketplace. One of the commonly used approaches is B2B lead generation. 

What is B2B lead generation? This is the process of identifying ideal clients and enticing them to make purchases. It uses multiple email marketing tactics like; engaging Email subject lines, automating Email marketing campaigns, and this is where an Email search becomes relevant. 

Luckily, there are different tools that you can use to find millions of client Emails and target the right prospects. Sounds easy? You must employ many other strategies for an effective B2B lead generation campaign.

What is B2B lead generation?

B2B lead generation forms a fundamental aspect of any successful business. It’s a potent tool for marketing teams and is a process of collecting new client names and addresses, targeting and enticing them to buy your goods and services. That’s not all, though! Most clients won’t give out their information for free. And companies use various tactics to get them anyway. These include giving;

  • E-books
  • Free guides
  • Whitepapers
  • Guides
  • Calendars

Lead generation is more effective when markets collect data from the right companies. These are firms that have already expressed interest in the products or services being offered. And this is because it enhances the likelihood of actual sales. 

Why is B2B lead generation important?

Companies compete against each other to get a significant share of the marketplace. By employing B2B lead generation, you reach a broader customer base, which comes with numerous perks. Why is this critical? Having an extensive contact list is bread and butter for many enterprises. Your prospects may or may not respond, but having a list is vital. Still, you can devise more effective strategies to target non-responsive clients.

The benefits of B2B lead generation are;

1. Client contact

B2B lead generation allows you to have direct contact with potential clients. With this technique, you don’t have to spend a lot to connect with prospects. Besides, you already have their contact information and can use it to profit your business. For instance, you can always employ targeted marketing techniques to reach your target audience.

2. Wider reach to the right clients

B2B lead generation centers on quality rather than quantity. It helps you in determining who wants your products and services. Although it reaches many potential clients, it’s more about locating the right clients for better leads. Such a technique allows you to deal with contacts who matter and some with authority to sign off product purchases. This puts you a step ahead and gives you an edge over the competition.

3. Cost-effectiveness

B2B is an effective strategy that saves businesses millions of dollars on adverts. It gives you a direct contact with the right clients, and you don’t have to spend much to locate them. Although there are multiple marketing approaches, some are expensive, and many not favor small or startup business. With such contacts, you can employ different marketing techniques to achieve more sales which is very cost-effective.

4. Improved user experience

 With B2 B marketing, it’s easier to understand your client, their needs, and preferences. With such information, it becomes easier to tweak your products and services to match customer’s needs. And this enhances customer satisfaction.

5. Choice of products

With B2B lead generation, you can choose the products or services to offer depending on the prospect’s needs. This enhances customer satisfaction, hence the likelihood of more sales. It also helps you to determine prices as per your leads.

6. Boosted sales

B2B targets the right clients, making it likely to make a sale. Unlike other marketing techniques, you don’t have to reach a wider audience. You can always make sales with minimal contacts. And this is because the method targets people or companies that are already interested in your products or services.

7. Control

B2B lead generation gives you a lot of power when it comes to the number of leads. You can determine the leads you want to get per month, which is crucial in budgeting and planning. 

Who conducts B2B lead generation?

Isn’t this obvious? Not really! This is a frequently asked question, and many companies end up not getting this right. Allow me to share insights;

 Some say sales while others marketing teams. The task is often pushed between the two departments, and both use conflicting terms. Nonetheless, Lead generation is conducted by B2B specialists; these are internal teams trained to accomplish the task or outsourced teams.

Outsourcing is common among most companies, and this comes with numerous gains. These include;

Contact with the right prospects

If you have tried sending cold emails, I presume you know how difficult this can get. You put in so much effort, and the results can be demoralizing. In simple terms, cold calling is time-consuming and is associated with low returns. 

 Instead, you can connect with the right prospects- these are people willing to discuss your products or services. And this is possible when you outsource B2B lead generation services. With a competent team, you can easily locate the right prospects, and the benefits are apparent- – more sales, revenue, profits, and more. 

Access to the right technology

Your marketing team and sales reps need numerous technological devices to track leads. These may include phones, computers, and software. An outsourced team comes fully equipped with all the tools and software required for a successful B2B lead generation project. This way, they get accurate feedback and data on the target audience.

High-quality leads

B2B specialists have the necessary experience and expertise to generate higher quality and more targeted leads than those gathered by your sales team. The professionals scrutinize all leads to ensure client satisfaction and a better working relationship.

Minimal lead time

If you’ve just launched a new business or are starting a new sales campaign, I presume you have many tasks to attend to. Outsourcing lead generation services will get you ready in no time. Since you have professionals in place, you can entrust them with the task. You can also be sure to get the right leads within the shortest time possible.

No staff training costs

Recruiting new employees or training an in-house team comes with an associated cost. Although some companies prefer this, outsourcing is cost-effective and offers excellent results.

Measuring results

B2B sales specialists focus more on a company’s sales. They engage the right individuals and also guide you on the right metrics to measure results.

How do you generate leads for B2B?

Generating B2B leads is somewhat intricate. Unlike the common belief, strategies like email campaigns and phonebook ads don’t work in B2B marketing. Still, there are various ways to achieve this.

Check out some ideas; 

1. Prioritize your content

Most clients seek agency-level support with marketing, and the long-form content may draw actual clients and not B2B leads. Therefore, don’t create content, just any content. Think of your target clients, and research what your prospects are seeking, then develop content to resolve their problems. 

2. Generate a targeted list of contacts

Lists allow you to reach out to a large number of potential clients faster using cold emailing. Targeted lists play a critical role in generating B2B leads. However, you may not get reliable information in most databases, and this can derail your efforts. 

In most cases, you’ll get outdated or inaccurate information. You may also get leads that don’t fit your target company or job titles. Still, some leads are already customers. All isn’t lost, though! You can resolve this by using lead generation software to gather more accurate B2B leads.

3. Increase the conversations& Interaction

Most buyers spend lots of time researching their favorite products and services. Why not expedite sales by seeking live conversations and interactions? Build relationships and strive to have more natural conversations with leads.

 For instance, if a prospect requests some information via email, don’t give some links to your site. Respond to their queries, and offer to call for more explanations. For technical questions, connect them with your support team, and follow up later on.

4. Cold eMailing

Cold emails are an excellent way to generating B2B leads. However, they work best when you personalize them with merge tags. These allow you to substitute the company name for all the emails. By so doing, each email looks personalized, thus making it likely do the recipient to respond.

5. Warm calling

Warm calling involves contacting people who have some information about your company. It’s easier and more effective than cold calling- if done right. It involves a lot of research about the prospect on public forums like Twitter or Linkeldng. Also, warm calls focus more on leads in the buying process. For excellent results, use sales and marketing software to track when prospects read your Emails or download the sent e-books.

6. Use marketing/sales automation tools.

After conducting an email address search, you’ll have a substantial amount of Email addresses. Use marketing automation programs, segment clients to target them with personalized messages. With the right tools, sales reps will save a lot of time on critical tasks like gathering data on leads, updating CRM records, and other paperwork.

7. Schedule live chats on your site

Most clients prefer live chats to questions. They allow for a meaningful engagement with clients and make it easier for customers to seek clarifications. You can use live chats to gather customer contacts and email addresses, and this is a plus. By so doing, you easily nurture the leads and generate B2B sales leads.

8. Join social media groups

There are various Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Interacting with others on these platforms helps you reach more leads. Begin conversations, ask engaging questions, and respond to the comments posted.

9. Take advantage of directories.

IF you’re a B2B firm marketing products and services, get listed on online directories. This helps drive leads to your site, and these are potential clients seeking similar goods. Examples of online listings to consider are; 

  • G2Crowd
  • Capterra
  • GetApp
  • Software Advice
  • SaaS Genius

10. Use Twitter for more personalization.

 Personalization is critical in B2B lead generation. And this is particularly true when dealing with top or busy decision-makers. There are various opportunities to personalize your approach and gain more leads. A perfect idea is Twitter. Use it to search for personal insights about specific influential prospects. Twitter is more social than professional, and you’ll discover opportunities to personalize your pitch.

11. Improve your online reviews

Most B2B decision-makers search online for reviews before making purchases. If you have more positive reviews, clients trust you more, thus a high likelihood for more leads. Moreover, clients with a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) are more likely to give positive feedback.

12. Create a lead generation tool

Offering a free lead generation tool enables leads to try before purchasing. It gives you a more substantial opt-on offer and attracts more quality leads to your sales funnel.

Is lead generation legit?

Lead generation is an effective way and legitimate way of attracting prospective clients. However, it’s governed by stringent regulations that shouldn’t be violated. Marketers should pursue leads in ways that abide by the rules of play. Moreover, there are various aspects of legal significance that marketers must understand. These include;

User privacy: There’s an increased emphasis on online user privacy marketers should update online tracking systems and use platforms that support cookie-less tracking.

Children’s privacy: Beware of the client’s age and getting parental consent before collecting contacts from kids.

Email compliance: Clients have the right to stop receiving emails. And marketers should abide by the rules of commercial email correspondence.

Testimonials: Lead generation marketers should substantiate product claims with a written consent by the client offering the testimonial. Moreover, there should be a clear disclaimer in case of tangible benefits or money.

Nexus tax laws: Some states have passed the “Amazon tax” laws, and others are in the process. There are pending bills that may enable states to collect sales tax from online retailers for in-state customers.

The bottom line

The B2B marketing strategy allows companies to expand their client reach globally. However, it’s not an easy get-rich scheme. The process is complex and requires multiple approaches to generate more leads. If you’re struggling to generate leads for your business, hireB2B professionals and enjoy quality leads and the associated benefits.