What would you probably do without an effective lead generation strategy?

Lead generation is a major process for B2B marketers, which helps them find potential customers for selling their business services and products.

Surely, every organization has several other important processes, but 61% marketers say lead generation is their topmost concern. Marketers use various B2B lead generation strategies to drive sales and attract more leads. However, not observing desired results is a common scenario for most of the organizations.

To enhance your conversion rate and speed-up your lead generation process, follow these 10 strategies.

10 B2B Lead Generation Strategies

1.      Check Your Homepage

Your homepage is the center of attraction. If you don’t believe it, then consider this – from every source and every promotion strategy that you have put in, the traffic directs to your homepage. When your prospects want to know about your business, they open your website and come face-to-face with your homepage.

Now, if this homepage is not persuading users to stay, there is no point in making other website pages and bragging about your services or products.

For instance, if you have a blog, then users should be able to view the latest blogs as well as the most popular blogs. If you are giving an offer on your website, then the CTA and message should complement each other and grab attention. This also brings us to the point that you need to remove old-school CTAs (such as Register now) and move to new CTAs (such as Get your free subscription today).

2.      Up-Step Your Content Strategy

Content strategy can include various things:

• Personalizing content for your B2B leads can raise the experience you are delivering. Approximately 65% of buyers think that they are more likely to switch brands if they don’t receive personalized communication from businesses they are working with. While small and medium businesses may struggle with personalized messaging due to lack of sources, even low levels of personalization can have a huge effect.
• Other than personalized messaging, your blogs should include webinar links. Webinars are a cost-effective way of reaching out to your leads who would actually want to register for your services or products.
• Recently, guest blogging is also gaining popularity. You can prepare ground-breaking promotional content and post it on guest blogging websites with a back link to your homepage.
• Use Twitter. This may sound unusual but Twitter can be your key to attract a lot of traffic. You can constantly search on Twitter for trending topics and write a blog about the ones related to your business. Your Twitter following may increase, your response will become better, and you will be able to market your brand.

3.      Allow Google Login

What would you choose – the ability to log in through google account or registering from the start?

Practically too, signing-up with Google takes minutes and registering afresh takes more time. By making it simple for your users, you can increase your leads instantly. Most leading websites already follow this. For instance, Pinterest allows users to log in with Facebook.

Google has billions of users because it allows users to login via same Gmail account to YouTube, Analytics, Google Plus, Google Sheets, etc. Companies that let customers come via Google account can achieve more leads than usual.

4.      Divide and Rule

We are always tempted to do more and achieve more. However, specializing your lead generation and sales generation team separately can work in your favor.

While lead generation team has to create interest in your products and services, the sales team sells these services and products and retains customers afterwards.

With this, it is essential to realize that we cannot carry out every marketing task with the same mindset and a single team. Every process should have a different approach, distinct optimization strategies, and different ways of functioning.

A lead generation specialist may not attract leads in a similar way to how a sales strategist may retain customers. Hence, with a  difference in strategies and mindset, there should be two teams for these functions.

5.      Use the Power of Short Videos

Not every one of us likes to read and understand things. Some people like visuals more. For these audiences, you need to leverage the power of videos. Remember these things about videos:

• These should not be big videos that consumers leave mid-way. Keep it short and simple.
• But, not too short as the video should explain your USPs.
• Know your strengths and boost these factors first.

6.      Do Something for your Mobile Users

More and more users are going mobile today. With the fast-forward life that we are living, nobody has the time to sit in front of the laptop and explore products and services. If mobile experience is not customized and optimized, chances of your users checking the website on browser are slim. It is also important to run campaigns specifically for mobile users. Think of how Amazon sometimes launches a discount only for mobile app users. In a similar fashion, utilize the power of mobile and let your customers have a great experience via their handy devices.

7.      Explore Email Marketing

We all hear a lot about cold emailing and how it has helped many businesses achieve wider sales. But, just because it is called cold emailing that does not indicate that you should email everyone and anyone. Preparing a list of target customers who may be interested in your services is a better approach than going in blind. If you are randomly emailing users, then your efforts will be more than the conversion.

Email marketing may sound easy, but, believe us, it is not. Many marketers swear by the power of this lead generation method and none will say that it is as simple as emailing everyone.

You need to prepare a list of leads – your potential customers. Customize your email for both mobile and web users. Up-step your content game, use short videos, and attractive graphics.

8.      Win With Word-Of-Mouth Marketing

84% B2B buyers start with a referral. Recommendation from colleagues, friends, and acquaintances works faster than any other lead generation methods.

How to accomplish this type of marketing?

• Research for your prospects and start a referral program with some incentive.
• Start a referral + incentive program for your employees, stakeholders, and existing customers only.

9.      Include or Make Q&A Forums

Q&A sessions can be achieved in two ways:

• Answer on Q&A websites such as Quora, wherein you can answer relevant questions. Since there is a wider reach on Quora, you can attract a lot of leads from here.
• Another way is to start your own community where existing users can ask queries and prospects can clear their doubts.

10.  Data-Driven Approach

All of these strategies should be driven by data-based analytics. If you find out that for businesses similar to yours, users look up till 9^th search result, then your strategy should start with where do you stand. Are you an 11^th in the list of the 3^rd? Increasing your search results should be the first step if you are 11^th.

Moreover, for personalized communication, data analysis is essential, as you will know what your customers are looking for. If they are more into content, then you can prepare a small ebook. If they want visuals, you can prepare a short customized video.

Don’t Forget Social Media

Everybody uses social media to search for products and services. However, LinkedIn is not the only channel for buyers. It may be the best B2B lead generation strategy for the company. It is still not the best possible way for buyers. Many buyers may prefer LinkedIn, other may look on Facebook or Instagram. It depends on your services and products. Hence, decide your social media channel accordingly and integration above strategies with your social media strategies.