Whether you’re thinking about your short-term or long-term business goals, B2B lead generation is as important today as it’s ever been. A strong approach to generating B2B leads can set up your agency for big gains now and well into the future.
Of course, it all depends on the effectiveness of your methods. This is where things get interesting, because there’s no “one right way” of snagging top leads. The key is to get a clear handle on the various factors that go into the process, then to build a system that works—and keeps working—for you and your clients.
The 3 steps of the B2B lead generation funnel
The obvious goal is to quickly convert leads into customers. But what steps are taken to get them from initial point of contact to the conversion? In each case, the customer moves through a process that can be broken into 3 basic steps:
1. Initiation
The customer becomes aware of the product or service.
2. Evaluation
The customer assesses the offerings by comparing it with competitors.
3. Conversion
The customer takes action by buying a product or joining a program.
The main channels for B2B lead generation
There are many channels to choose from when generating leads. Using multiple channels at once will help boost your conversions. Here are some of the main marketing channels you can use when targeting your leads:
Content marketing
Writing content that’s strategized to meet the target audience’s needs.
Social media
Creating engaging ads and sharing posts on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram.
Website features
Building landing pages, minisites and online forms with tracking tools and analytics.
Email marketing
Sending out marketing emails with outbound correspondence aimed directly at potential leads.
Traditional ad buys
Buying PPC (pay-per-click) advertisements on Google and Facebook.
Interpersonal initiatives
Hosting in-person and online events for potential leads to attend.
23 tips to optimize your B2B lead generation strategy
Creating a successful strategy for generating high-intent B2B leads can be a challenging endeavor. That’s why we put together this list of top strategies to help your agency achieve success.
Here are 23 tips to optimize your agency’s B2B lead generation strategy:
1. Optimize your website’s user experience
2. Engage visitors in real-time