For six out of ten marketers, lead generation tops the priority list. Why? Because to grow your business, you must draw in top-notch leads who will eventually turn into paying customers.
However, in the ever-evolving landscape, the methods that work best for gathering leads shift. What might have been golden a decade ago doesn’t hold the same weight in attracting visitors and converting them into customers for your website. Here, we’ve compiled the 5 most effective lead generation strategies for 2023, complete with examples for each.
What is Lead Generation?
A lead is someone who shows interest in your business by sharing their contact info. Lead generation, often called “lead gen,” is the process of getting people into your sales funnel. This can be done through tactics like offering downloadable guides in exchange for contact details. For instance, a deck-building company might offer a free deck maintenance guide to collect leads. It’s a win-win – helping people and building your funnel!
The B2B Lead Generation Process
Step 1: Discover B2B Sales Leads
In B2B lead generation, the initial step involves finding potential buyer contacts. We’ve got you covered! Contact details can be gathered internally, sourced from a specialized lead generation service, or acquired from a reliable database (although it’s not recommended).
Step 2: Engage with Leads
Equipped with a curated list of leads meeting your specific criteria, representatives reach out to them through methods like cold calls, emails, social media, or by responding to inquiries.
Step 3: Assess and Identify High-Quality Leads
During interactions, reps gauge the likelihood of leads making a purchase. They do this by assessing which stage of the buying process the lead is in:
- Research & Awareness: Prospective customers are aware of a problem or need a solution and are in the learning phase, consuming content like blogs and case studies.
- Consideration: Leads are clear about the product or service they require, delving into specifics before considering vendors.
- Decision: After narrowing down options, the buyer engages in multiple meetings and consults with decision-makers to finalize a purchase.
Based on the stage, reps initiate nurturing campaigns or focus on scheduling calls or demos.
Step 4: Seal the Deal and Make a Sale
Congratulations! After several rounds of discussions with different vendors, the prospect chooses you, sealing the deal. They’ll then move on to customer success for onboarding. Great job!
What are Top Lead Generation Strategies?
1. Target Top-of-Funnel Keywords
Create a plan to target the terms customers search for to attract interested prospects and push them to your lead magnets. Find terms that your target customers are searching for at the top of the sales funnel by conducting keyword research. Then, in a variety of techniques, target those keywords.
To increase your chances of being on page one, make sure to follow SEO best practices. The more search visibility you have, the more interest and traffic you’ll get from potential customers.
2. Optimized Social Profiles Become Lead Magnets
Make sure your social media followers are aware of your essential lead magnet. It should be widely featured on social media so that when customers engage with you, they see your offer and know what to do next. Use hero images to advertise your lead magnet on profile pages. Also, instead of sending customers to your site, include links in your lead magnet with call-to-action buttons.
3. Search Engine Optimization
Surprisingly, only 10% of search users look past the first page of results when looking for information, making it tough for any business, no matter how well-designed or informative, to get their website in front of potential customers.
As a result, SEO remains one of the most effective lead-generating tactics, particularly for online businesses, B2B companies, and even B2C companies. Of course, understanding and crafting the ideal SEO plan isn’t always simple; but, the first step is to make use of the resources available to you and to keep search engine visibility in mind.
4. Top-Notch Content
In essence, content-based lead generation marketing tactics enable you to boost your search visibility as long as the content you provide is well-optimized. The more high-quality material you create, the more search engines will reward you.
When it comes down to it, search engines prefer websites that can swiftly and easily answer questions. Furthermore, as search becomes more localized, lead generation strategies that link your content to your real location will benefit you.
The top priority for 55% of marketers in inbound marketing is creating blog content.
5. Lead Scoring
Lead scoring is a feature of marketing automation software that lets you prioritize prospects based on how engaged they are with your inbound marketing material and, ultimately, who is ready to buy.
If properly set up, it can also assist you in determining what they are interested in. To quantify the interactions that prospects have with your content, this method assigns points for various types of engagement.
Final thoughts
Effective lead generation stands as the cornerstone of any successful marketing endeavor. By implementing a comprehensive array of B2B lead generation strategies, businesses can ensure a steady influx of high-quality leads. From leveraging content marketing to harnessing the power of social media, the landscape is ripe with opportunities.
Furthermore, it’s crucial not to overlook the impact of outbound lead generation strategies. These proactive approaches, such as cold calling and email campaigns, play a pivotal role in reaching potential clients who may not have discovered your business otherwise.
In essence, a well-rounded lead generation marketing strategy encompasses both inbound and outbound techniques. By striking a balance between these approaches, businesses can maximize their reach and convert prospects into loyal customers.
In the realm of lead generation, staying ahead of the curve and exploring innovative techniques is key. By consistently refining your B2B lead generation strategies, you can position your business for sustained growth and success in today’s competitive landscape.