B2B lead generation is the process of stimulating and securing the interest of target customers with the intention of nurturing them until they are ready to buy.
Driven by the effects of COVID-19 and emerging digital trends, B2B buyer behaviour has changed and continues to remain unpredictable.
Lead generation has become challenging for sales representatives seeing as persistency and consistency are difficult to maintain when the leads are not coming in as expected.
Below, we will discuss 5 effective lead generation strategies that B2B enterprises can leverage to push in more sales.
1. Content Marketing
B2B buyers are taking control of product research and buying decisions. They want to arm themselves with information about your goods/services before purchasing.
According to research, 47% of B2B buyers read approximately three to five marketing pieces (blog or website content) before contacting sales reps. Consequently, you need to provide them with high-quality content copies.
Content marketing is always coupled with search engine optimization (SEO).
‘What exactly is SEO?’
Seo is the art and science of writing content that your readers love and ranks high on Google search result pages.
‘How many ink companies are selling ink to publishing firms?’
If you want your product or brand to stand a chance, it needs to be at least on the first page of search results.
For effective SEO results, your content should feature your prospects’ pain points and needs as keywords.
For example, if you are a law firm working with children’s support, your website blogs must contain keywords like; Children support in Chicago, best children support centres in Chicago, Chicago contact number for children support, etc.
We invite you to read this article to understand more about writing search engine optimized content.
2. Email Marketing
Having an ultra-targeted email list of industry-related contacts is just the first step of email marketing; one foot in the door.
To make your presence felt, you need to communicate to your audience in a manner that sets you aside from your competitors.
Here are the critical aspects of an effective B2B marketing email.
- A catchy, value-reading email subject.
- A call-to-action that aligns with your clients’ needs in mind.
- Your buyer’s journey as the main point of the content.
- High-actionable solutions that add value to the customers.
- Personalized message.
- Powerful visuals that are appropriate to your content and target customers.
- Engaging content.
3. Pay-Per-Click
So you have a great website that is informative and well designed with great content.
The problem is that nobody clicks on it, and all that work goes to waste. ‘WHY?’
Probably because nobody knows about it, and this is where PPC comes in.
Google Adwords is the advertising platform that allows you to post ads across Google Networks.
Here are three efficient routes you can use to post B2B adverts.
- The search network- These adverts push your content to appear on the top searches when a buyer ‘Goggles’ anything about the products or services you offer.
- The Display network- These ads are created by Google’s automated visual advert generator. They appear on specific websites that have given Google consent to serve its visitors with that information. Display network ads typically have lower CPC and conversions rates because they are random.
- Remarketing- This route intertwines with the display network but is more targeted. It primarily addresses people who have already visited your website. It retargets them and offers a higher conversion rate because the prospects have already visited your site and are most likely interested in purchasing.
Pro tip: Once the tools are working as intended, make sure you remain consistent.
5. Cold Calling
B2B Cold calling is an effective lead generation strategy.
‘People just keep hanging up on me!’ or ‘I am wasting my time.’
As a B2B leader, you have probably heard such complaints from your sales team.
The most important aspect of cold calling is the quality of content you deliver to your prospects.
An effective B2B cold calling script should include these three segments:
- Opening: This is how you start your conversation with your prospects. You will often not be talking to a senior-level prospect but the gatekeeper like the PA or secretary. Take that opportunity to creatively capture and maintain their attention. It could make the difference between getting another appointment and getting spammed.
- Pitch: Your pitch should clearly state the reason for calling in a manner that the prospect will understand. Adapt it to be relevant to them and their industry. Be specific about the proposition that you are offering. Allow some open-ended questions so that the client is talking 70% and you 30%.
3. Closing: Following your conversation with the prospect, you can tell when the conversation is about to end. If the client shows interest, ask to schedule a future appointment in the form of a call, email, or meeting. Ask them what they would like to discuss in the next session and suggest a time and date. However, if the conversation went the other way, politely wish the prospect a good day.