Business lead generation is the process of identifying new prospects, then using specific tactics to turn those leads into new sales opportunities. Not only do you need a high quantity of leads you also want the highest quality leads. Every business understands the value of bringing in new customers for their business—new customers are essential to your business’s growth and, in turn, to your business income.
Knowing you need to generate leads and actually turning that knowledge into leads is a bit trickier. Fortunately, there are many different lead generation strategies that you can use to accomplish this goal, adjusting them to your specific business, industry, and clientele. Never forget that leads are the lifeblood of your business—without them, your business could eventually die. Before we get into the actual strategies for lead generation, consider the following:
- Never allow yourself to become complacent regarding lead generation strategies. Even if you have found a strategy that seems to work well for you, take the time and test other strategies—after all, using multiple strategies allows you to have more “funnels” and touch-points.
- Use funnels to build a B2B relationship rather than immediately demanding a conversion.
- While you should be focused on investing in lead generation, never forget your current customers—if you are only replacing customers who are leaving with new names, you may have a serious problem.
Many marketers use proven lead generation strategies such as email marketing, direct mail, and telemarketing. Here are five more lead generation strategies to consider:
1. Affiliate programs
An affiliate lead is a type of pay-per-lead marketing; the advertiser pays the affiliate revenue based on the visitors or lead conversions. Affiliate programs are similar to referral programs but usually include prominent people in specific industries who then promote your particular products. Each time someone clicks on a link or uses a referral code to purchase your products or services, the affiliate earns a small financial incentive—a passive income stream. Affiliate programs benefit all those involved; you receive new leads and new clients, the affiliate receives monetary compensation, and users get products or services that meet their needs.
Google AdWords allows you to connect with new, highly relevant leads online through search engine marketing. Paid ads are targeted specifically to those searching for precisely what you’re selling, and the top results appear above organic results. Google AdWords allows your business to show up above many larger and more prominent companies—particularly when your chances are not great for competing organically in the search engines. There is, of course, a financial investment that comes with Google AdWords. The advantages are worth it. It is important that you choose your keywords carefully as Google AdWords relies heavily on keyword targeting to ensure your ads find their intended audience.
3. Free resource offers
Offering a free resource—an eBook, a webinar, training of some sort, a white paper—in exchange for a user’s contact information is known as a lead magnet. These lead magnets are incredibly important for generating leads because your cost is low, yet you are building a relationship of trust with your visitors. Lead magnets are often promoted via blog posts, email campaigns, or landing pages on your website. Once a visitor signs up for your free resource, you may offer a welcome series autoresponder or even a regular newsletter that may eventually have a discount code to further the goal of conversion.
4. Referral programs
Gaining new leads and new customers can be accomplished through the use of referral programs. This holds true because we always tend to trust our peers, our friends, and our family members much more than we trust an unfamiliar business. A successful referral program will include an incentive for your current customers when they refer others to your business. That incentive could be a credit, a discount code, or even a free month of service. Some referral programs also offer an incentive to the person signing up, making it a win-win situation all the way around. The very best referral programs require that the party being referred make a purchase in order for the benefits to kick in. Great referral programs also have pre-written messages that can be customized but are easy for customers to use. Finally, your referral program should include more than one way for current customers to make referrals, whether via social media, email, or a unique referral link that can be copied and shared.
5. Solid Content Marketing
Yes, content is still king, particularly for B2B businesses. Because of this, successful B2B businesses regularly update their websites, blogs, and articles. Education is an essential facet of B2B marketing. Many B2B businesses also engage in guest posts for other sites and creative video content on their own site. Highly successful B2B marketing informs, educates, shares insights, and builds trust and credibility—all while building relationships with potential customers and keeping current customers engaged as well. Not only does having plenty of regularly updated, informative content develop and maintain relationships, but your site will also receive a significant SEO boost with content that regularly optimizes for important keywords. The ultimate goal is to prevent your content from sounding like a sales pitch—while still providing a sales pitch! Finally, do not forget to include hyperlinks to other pages on your website within the post copy, along with a clear call-to-action. The importance of a strong call-to-action cannot be overstated: If you fail to provide instructions for your visitors on what to do next, no action will be taken. Always provide a call-to-action throughout your marketing, including your content, website, and social media profiles.
If you need help with your B2B lead generation program, Reach Marketing is a recognized B2B lead generation agency. We have more than 40 years of experience servicing small to large companies across all industries. Contact us today!
Infographic – Top B2B Lead Generation Programs
