Well, it is a common complaint which a majority of B2B marketers and sales reps raise in their organizations. Only marketers and sales personnel understand the true joy of having a solid sales lead in hand. Hence, they put in the best of their effort and skills in formulating attainable Lead generation strategies.
Lead generation has been an essential aspect of business organizations since the beginning of trade.
In simple words, generating a sales qualified lead is the process of raising a potential buyer’s interest to a point that they are convinced to move down the sales funnel for further conversions. These B2B leads willingly fill up forms with their names and contact details to receive product/service updates. They are then analyzed and sorted for their ability to purchase the product or service and nurtured accordingly.
74% of marketers spend more than $50 on each lead generated, with 5% spending over $1,000 (Mintigo).
The leads should be sales qualified, so that the sales team can use them for closing better deals. Therefore, marketers must sum up practical and real-time Lead Generation strategies for increased conversions.
Also Read: The Definitive guide to online lead generation
LEAD GENERATION IN THE MODERN WORLD
According to HubSpot’s State Of Inbound Report, generating leads has been found to be one of the major challenges faced by most marketers.
Marketers are on a continual search for newer lead generation strategies. Unlike traditional models which marketers used for ushering leads, the modern techniques and tools are mostly digital. However, the fundamental idea of demonstrating expertise and building relationships remain the same. But, marketers have to keep in mind that, how they use a Lead Generation channel is more important than what platform they are on.
There are different opinions on the best method to bring leads for a business. According to HubSpot’s study of B2B lead sources, SEO is the most suitable Lead Generation channel while according to Chief Marketer’s data email marketing is the best technique. Also, there are other surveys which say that social media and content are the most important platforms for Lead Generation.
THE ONLINE LEAD GENERATION STRATEGIES THAT CONSISTENTLY COME ON THE TOP ARE:-
E-MAIL MARKETING
“92% of digitally literate adults use email, with 61% using it on an average day.” – Pew Research
Even though it has been 23 years since e-mail was introduced, it’s still one of the few marketing channels that has stood the test of time and stays on the top of many marketers’ lists of B2B lead generation strategies.
The method of email marketing has been changing a lot with the rise of marketing automation.
Marketing automation tools are hybrid tools that can be connected with CRM systems. It enables marketers to send highly targeted e-mails to existing and potential clients and nurture them for building brand loyalty and generating revenue.
organic SEARCH MARKETING
Organic Search Marketing is one of the most important long term Lead Generation strategies in the current business world. Today, the chances of a prospective client searching for a service or product on search engines are really high.
A Search Engine Watch survey suggests, Eighty-five percent of retailers surveyed said search marketing (including paid and SEO) was the most effective customer acquisition tactic.
Thus, Search Engine Optimization can provide tools to marketers which they can use to match qualified clients with their online content.
LEAD MAGNETS
Lead Magnets can prove highly useful to marketers in Lead Generation. Lead magnet in general means content given away to someone in exchange for their e-mail address. Training video series, surveys, free trial, webinars, eBooks, case studies, white papers are some of the common Lead Magnets.
Also Read: Use these 7 steps to generate quality leads
Nearly every company with an e-mail list of potential buyers uses lead magnets for Lead Generation. In today’s world, people’s inboxes are so submerged in emails, newsletters and offer advertisements. So, a lead magnet must be truly stellar to engage the recipients. Simply boasting about your products and services is not enough to achieve better results.
Lead Magnet works on the concept of giving value must in order to receive something valuable – here it refers to elements that resonate to your target audience.
WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
Most websites are difficult to navigate and more firm- centric, instead of being customer-centric. The intent of generating leads is lost somewhere. If the visitors do not understand the brand and it’s products and services, they will go elsewhere.
A business should optimize it’s website in a manner that-
- attracts visitors to respond to the website in a positive way
- it opens on a mobile device
- it has relevant and easy to understand content
- filling up forms is simple and easy
Adding personalized CTA-tools, landing pages, thank you pages, and doing enough A/B tests are some of the ways to increase B2B sales leads through websites. A responsive website will surely enhance lead generation results of a business.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
There are different opinions with regards to how Social Media Marketing helps in Lead Generation. Many reports say that Social Media channels are the least effective Lead Generation mediums. But there are marketers who argue that it’s because most companies have ill-fitting social media strategies.
It’s the quality and reach of the networking you do that matters in social media. The style of interaction varies greatly from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook. SO, it is about making the right connections with the right people.
- Awareness: How far your brand’s messaging could spread
- Acquisition: The growth of your online community
- Activation: How successfully you are engaging with your community
- Satisfaction: How your audience feels about your brand
Social Media Marketing can produce reputation and referrals. Therefore, this B2B sales lead generation is immensely possible through social media platforms.
CONTENT MARKETING
No matter on what your business is content is the king. Blogging is one of the primary avenues through which B2C and B2B marketers drive Lead Generation. This is because, blogs allow creating a wide range of keyword laden content that can be found in the search engines. Such content draw qualified B2C or B2B sales leads to your website.
The most vital thing while using content is to test what works and what doesn’t. Whether it’s in the form of microsites, blogging, research reports, or infographics you can refine your B2B lead generation over time.
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FINAL STEP OF LEAD GENERATION – MERGE EVERY STRATEGY
A sales cycle can sometimes turn out to be a long process. Marketers and sales reps of a business must be efficient and well-informed to bring conversions. Integrating all the above mentioned techniques in the most proper way can make your Lead Generation technique attainable and practical. One needs to have the willingness to experiment with these tactics and combine them accordingly.
