Lead generators are vital for any B2B organization to survive. Building a pipeline of viable prospects should be a top priority for both your sales and marketing teams. As digital becomes more prominent within the B2B space, lead generator strategies have evolved to cater to the changing needs of potential customers. Creating awareness through platforms that your target clients use to gather information is imperative. To thrive in a connected world, B2B companies must be creative and relevant to capture their attention. Here are some lead generators you can use to improve your bottom line.
Start Blogging
To drive more traffic to your corporate website, you need to develop fresh blog content that are search engine optimized. This means that not only do you need to write about relevant and useful topics, you also need to make sure that you incorporate keywords that your prospects are most likely to use when looking for information. This may sound complicated but if you use the right tools such as WordPress and plug-ins like Yoast, it can help you assess if your content will be Google-friendly. This is important because quality content is irrelevant if no one can discover and see your blog.
People who are visiting will have diverse needs and they are often fall on the various stages of the buying process. Some are just in the research space, others are shopping around and comparing competing products or service providers, while others are sales-ready. The B2B sales process is also getting increasingly complicated and there are decision makers involved. Your content strategy must include different types of content that would appeal to various buyer personas.
Develop Gated Content
One study reported that around 80% of B2B content are gated. This may sound counter-intuitive. Why would you try to limit the audience? Isn’t it better to reach as many prospects as possible? Well, gated assets are great lead generators since they allow you to build a database of credible qualified leads that your sales people can follow-up on. They often signal a more serious interest because they are willing to provide their name, company and contact details in exchange for valuable information.
Just make sure that you are developing content that addresses pain points and offers solutions to your prospect’s challenges. You should use content as a click-bait. It must offer genuine utility otherwise it can also tarnish your reputation.
Common types of gated content include guides, white papers, ebooks, and case studies.
Invest in Google Ads
It is undeniable that search engines such as Google play an integral part in reaching B2B buyers. A previous report shows that 62% of B2B buyers claim that searching online was one of the first resources they turn to when researching information.
So aside from developing an SEO strategy to appear higher on search pages organically, investing in Google ads, if done correctly, is one of the most effective lead generators. SEO efforts can talk a while to show results and impact your sales revenue while Google ads are immediate. If you out bid competitors on certain keywords, your company will appear on the top of the search page as an advertisement.
This could be tricky though, since many coveted keywords can be expensive especially if you are competing with big players with large marketing budgets. Cheaper and less popular keywords may be relevant to your line of business, but the search volume may be too low that you are not able to cast a wide net. If you use the wrong target keywords, you run the risk of attracting unqualified clicks that provide no value to your business.
If you are new to this space, it may be useful to hire and outsourced agency that have the experience and expertise to optimize your campaigns. Since most B2B products have a high value per sale, you may not need to mount a huge campaign but one that is better targeted and reaches the right target audience. Be sure to create a good landing page that communicates your value proposition and clearly states your intended call-to-action. And even if they don’t convert the first time they click the ad, they may end up exploring content your webpage giving your company improved brand awareness.
Even if people don’t convert on your landing page, they may end up exploring your website and signing up for an email newsletter or reaching out via your contact form. Once they’re in your sales database, you can start to build a relationship with that prospect.
Publish on LinkedIn
Pushing content through LinkedIn is beneficial if you already did the prior work of connecting with your network. These people may include those in your database, folks you have met at trade shows or conferences, or even professionals within the LinkedIn community who you share interests with and have some lose connection with (a friend of a friend).
Every time you publish on LinkedIn’s publishing platform, anyone who is a first-degree connection will be notified. This keeps you and your company top of mind and it also promotes you as an authority in your field of expertise. Be sure to add relevant hashtags (but don’t over do it) to make your piece searchable. Keep in mind that the LinkedIn algorithm favours long-form piece on the assumption that it will provide more detailed information. Do encourage your employees to share and comment on the piece to improve engagement which is also a signal to LinkedIn that the content is relevant and valuable to its members.
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