Leads are your potential customers and in B2B, or business-to-business, they are your lifeline. Because without leads, there is no way you will generate revenue.
In this post, we will talk about five B2B lead generation strategies that will help you attract more and better leads.
Let’s dive into it!
1. Speak as A Podcast Guest
Podcast has risen to popularity in the recent years but is underutilized in the B2B world.
Being a speaker on someone’s podcast is an effective way to establish yourself as an authority figure in your field as well as reach a wider audience.
As the popular business saying goes, “People do business with people they know, like and trust.” From the audience’s perspective, listening to a podcast is like listening to a one-on-one conversation of two people (the host and the guest) which helps build trust.
That is why, podcast guesting is helpful to businesses that are fairly new or not popular, since it is an avenue to get your product or service known to a highly-engaged audience.
Speaking on a podcast will help widen your network as well – chances are the host will introduce you to other podcasters and may refer your business to someone they know, since the interview created a personal bond between the two of you.
In addition to this, you can use your podcast appearance in creating contents like quotes, blog posts and video clips which you can use in your marketing campaigns.
The key in podcast guesting is finding podcasts that are relevant to your expertise so you can connect to the audience that are interested in what you offer.
Podcast guesting is an effective strategy to build trust with potential customers. But of course, speaking on one is not enough, you have to appear in different podcast shows for the work to compound and then you can see the result in organic website traffic and increased social media following.
2. Carry Out Content Marketing
Creating contents such as blog posts and videos are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge and establish authority in your industry.
The key in content marketing is producing content that is full of value, consistently.
If you are publishing articles or making videos, frequently doing so will help your website rank higher in search engines.
In other words, the higher you are in rankings, the bigger the chance a potential customer will come across your website and see the product or service you offer.
Content marketing is a long-term game and requires a lot of time and effort before you see some results. But once it compounds, you will enjoy organic a.k.a. free traffic, saving you money in the long-run.
3. Run PPC Ads
Running pay-per-click (PPC) ads is the quickest way to get your business in front of others.
What makes PPC ads attractive is the information you can learn about your audience. Google, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn will not only give you their demographic profile but also their jobs, interests and behavior.
The key in running PPC ads is doing research on your potential customers, so you can reach them where they hang out online and craft an ad that will appeal to them.
If you are looking to generate leads fast, you can’t go wrong with PPC ads. But you have to keep in mind that this strategy is costly since you have to run multiple targeting and retargeting campaigns.
4. Practice Personalized Cold Email Outreach
Cold emailing is a highly-targeted lead generation tactic. In other words, you are reaching out to prospects who are highly interested in the product or service that you offer.
The aim of sending a cold email is to start a conversation a.k.a. to get a response from someone who does not have any prior interaction with you. That is why, if you send a general blast to an email list, you’ll get crickets – no response at all.
If you want prospects to respond to your cold email, personalization is the key. You have to categorize your leads according to their industry or niche, do some research to what their specific pain points are and tailor a personalized email.
Cold emails are about understanding the problem your prospects have and presenting your product or service as a solution.
Personalized cold emailing definitely requires a lot of time and effort in doing research, segmenting your email list and crafting a message. But with this amount of work, you have a higher chance of conversion.
5. Offer A No-Brainer Solution
How do you create an offer that is irresistible and potential customers have no choice but to say ‘YES!’ to it?
Simple – create a high-value offer.
Let’s say you own a UI/UX design agency, instead of shooting a general email to a potential customer saying “we offer services such as UI/UX audit, user interface structure, high-fidelity clickable prototypes and UI kit,” solve a specific problem.
Yes, you have to do some research to offer them a solution that matters to them.
Suppose you did your research and noticed three problems in the UI/UX of their mobile app, you have to narrow down which problem is it that you want to solve.
Why?
Because too many options can lead to indecision.
An email saying “we can design a new onboarding flow for your mobile app that will increase your completed sessions to over 80%” converts more than “we can solve your problems in X, Y and Z.”
Being specific and offering them a solution that matters is how you stand out from the rest.
It shows that you care, because you did your research.
Also, it demonstrates your desire to help them, since you are not being sales-y.
Once you solve problem X, that potential customer trusts you more now and then you can raise problems Y and Z.
Keep in mind, to create an irresistible offer for your potential customer, you want to create an offer that has as little risk as possible on their end and that includes offering them a refund.
Of course, you have to ask for an upfront payment of at least 50% – this is an effective way to know that the potential customer is serious in solving that problem and won’t ghost you one day. You also don’t want your time and effort to go down the drain.
Final Takeaway
Lead generation campaigns always boil down to knowing your potential customers.
Having a better grasp of their pain points and behavior online will give you an edge over your competition, since you know where to find them, what their problems are and how to position your product or service as a solution.
So, among all the B2B lead generation strategies mentioned above, which one do you practice and how are the results? Share it in the comments section below.
