10 lead generation strategies to help you fill your sales pipeline with high-quality leads who are primed to convert.
As a business owner you are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages about your marketing strategy. One side is telling you that search engine optimization and keyword research will make or break your marketing campaign, while another camp is shouting that you need to create and post viral content to social media every week.
Without a background in marketing, it can be overwhelming to say the least. You have a business to run, and all you really want is to know what you need to do to draw more customers to your business, increase sales, and grow your revenue.
The truth is that while all of the competing marketing camps are important, they are all geared towards one important task – lead generation.
In a nutshell, a lead can be anyone who has shown some level of interest, no matter how small, in the products or services that your business offers. While traffic generation is great, not all traffic that finds its way to your site are actually leads. It is crucial that you, and your team are all on the same page when it comes to discerning the difference between leads and traffic. The difference is of course, interest level.
When it comes to generating visits to your websites, your marketing efforts should focus on quality, rather than quantity. These 10 lead generation strategies will help you fill your sales pipeline with high-quality leads who are primed to convert into paying customers for your business.
1. Create Lead Magnets & Lead Generators
When it comes to achieving high-value results, with a minimum amount of effort, lead magnets and lead generators win the prize. These easy tools can be set up in minutes, and once implemented they will continue to generate a steady stream of high quality leads for your business with little effort from your end.
A lead magnet, or lead generator makes use of some type of valuable content, or information to draw people in to your site, and to encourage them to provide their contact details, seek additional information, book a demonstration, or make a purchase. The interactive nature of these lead generation tools ensures that everyone who signs up, clicks through, or otherwise engages with the offer has some degree of interest in your product or service. This means that all of the leads generated through your lead magnet are already pre-qualified, making them far more likely to convert.
2. Blog Consistently
Your business blog is one of the best tools you have to not only connect with your existing customers, but to draw new leads into your business. Your blog allows you to show off your expertise, and illustrate how your products or services can solve a variety of real-world challenges and pain points for consumers.
The secret to using your business blog as a lead generation tool is to ensure that you are providing engaging, information packed content, and updating your blog regularly to ensure that your content is always fresh and relevant to the problems that people are facing in the here and now.
3. Implement PPC
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns can be an extremely powerful, and cost effective B2B lead generation tool. PPC advertising allows you to get your message out in front of a wide audience, while only paying for those who click through to learn more.
Rather than spending a large sum on advertising that casts a wide net, yet results in few leads, you are able to concentrate your ad spend on generating high-quality leads who have a direct interest in your product or service. PPC advertising campaigns are especially useful for B2B lead generation efforts which are often focused on a relatively small, and specialized target audience.
4. Email Lead Generation Strategies
Email marketing campaigns were made for lead generation. That being said, this powerful tool has been overused, and abused to a point that it is far less effective than it once was. Today, consumers are often so overwhelmed by the amount of advertising subject lines and banners screaming at them from their email inbox that they are unlikely to open or read any of these messages before sending them directly to the trash folder.
Email marketing can still be an effective B2B lead generation tool, but it must be used with intention and finesse. It goes without saying that you want to avoid filling your contacts inbox with SPAM content. You also need to make sure that your emails are opened, and read. Focus on creating high-value emails that offer a tangible benefit to the recipient. Make sure your email content is clear, concise, and most of all actionable.
Finally, spend some extra time on your email subject line. You have roughly 60 to 90 characters to compel your reader to open your email. Make every word count by providing a direct reference to the advantage that awaits them inside your email.
5. Videos & Video Marketing
Humans are visual creatures. One need only look to the wild success of video sharing sites like YouTube, TikTok, and others to see the massive impact that engaging video content can have.
Obviously, when it comes to B2B lead generation you are not going to be making viral dance videos for the TikTok crowd. Still, even the most technical of topics can be made more interesting, and entertaining with a little creativity, and the right video marketing team.
Consider creating several explainer videos to educate your target audience on various industry specific subjects. You might also use video to build excitement or interest by providing a walk through, or demonstration of your product or service in action.
6. Recapturing & Remarketing Campaigns
Remarketing campaigns are a great way to recapture leads who have interacted with your business in some meaningful way, but failed to convert. Remarketing campaigns operate on the principle that the typical buyer’s journey is not a one step process. B2B marketing often deals with a final buying decision that requires the input of multiple players.
A solid remarketing campaign provides customized follow-up nudges that guide the lead through the buyer's journey, and keep your business fresh in their mind so they are likely to turn to you when they are ready to commit to a purchase.
7. Ongoing SEO Optimization
While most business owners are familiar with the important role that search engine optimization plays in a B2B lead generation campaign, many tend to treat it as a one time, set-it-and-forget-it process. The problem with this mindset is that your audience, and the search engine algorithm are constantly evolving, so the keywords, and content that pushed your business to the top of the search page results yesterday, will slowly cease to produce the same result over time.
SEO is an ongoing process, and the most effective lead generation strategies will include regular ongoing SEO optimization tasks to help ensure that your business stays front and center in the search results when buyers are seeking the products or services that your business provides. You can achieve this by ensuring that your content is consistently updated to remain fresh, and relevant, and that your keyword research is taking into account the latest search engine algorithm requirements.
8. Amplify Your Social Media Presence
Social media is as important for your B2B lead generation strategy as it is for traditional digital marketing efforts. B2B lead generation strategies tend to focus on more professional, or industry related, social media sites, however the premise remains the same.
The most effective social media campaigns are those which provide a unified, consistent message across multiple different platforms. This theme continuity helps to establish familiarity, and trust as potential buyers interact with your brand on a wide range of unique platforms.
9. Provide A Clear Path To Purchase
Though this one might seem obvious, it is often overlooked. The concept is certainly simple enough: the easier you make it for your leads to make a purchase, the more likely that they are to do so.
As simple as it is, there is room to optimize the conversion process. No matter what page of your website that your potential customers happen to land on, they should find a clear call to action button encouraging them to buy, subscribe, or schedule now. All too often, these important call to action buttons are concentrated on the initial landing page, and perhaps a service page or two, while the main content pages, where visitors are likely to spend the most time, lack conversion options. Make sure your visitors have a chance to buy on every page.
10. Develop Premium Content
Finally, give your visitors, and potential buyers a reason to engage further with your brand by providing premium content. The modern world bombards us with an overload of information on a daily basis. However, if you can provide high-value entertaining content that provides tangible solutions, provides valuable knowledge, or give viewers useful tools to help alleviate some of their most common pain points you are far more likely to build a lasting relationship with your visitors, and keep them coming back for more. Educational videos, interactive tools, and informative webinars are all great B2B lead generation tools.
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