Mastering B2B Marketing: B2B Lead Generation

How to Navigate the New B2B Marketing Landscape: The Best Strategies for Lead Generation 

Did you know? 50% of marketers prioritise lead generation in their marketing campaigns. In today’s competitive business landscape, B2B lead generation remains crucial to any successful marketing strategy. As we enter the age of AI, the digital marketing landscape evolves rapidly, demanding marketers stay ahead of the curve and adapt their strategies accordingly.

To help you navigate the ever-changing B2B marketing landscape and generate high-quality leads for your business, dive into our top 12 steps to B2B lead generation in 2023.

12 Steps to B2B Lead Generation

Step 1 for B2B Lead Generation: Understand Your Audience

To effectively generate B2B leads, you must deeply understand your target audience. Identify their pain points, goals, and motivations. Conduct market research, analyse customer data, and develop detailed buyer personas. 

This will enable you to tailor your marketing messages and campaigns to resonate with your target audience, increasing your chances of capturing their interest and converting them into leads.

Step 2 for B2B Lead Generation: Create Compelling Content

Content is the backbone of any successful B2B lead generation strategy. Craft informative and engaging content that addresses your audience’s challenges, educates them about your industry, and positions your brand as a thought leader. 

Utilise various content formats such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, videos, and infographics to cater to different preferences and consumption habits. Develop a content calendar and consistently produce valuable content to attract and engage your target audience.

Step 3 for B2B Lead Generation: Optimise Your Website

Your website serves as the central hub for B2B lead generation. Optimise it for user experience, ensuring it loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and has intuitive navigation.

Implement clear and prominent calls-to-action (CTAs) throughout your website to encourage visitors to take desired actions, such as signing up for newsletters, requesting demos, or downloading gated content. Use landing pages to capture lead information effectively and segment your audience based on their interests and engagement levels.

Step 4 for B2B Lead Generation: Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms continue to be powerful channels for B2B lead generation. Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and establish a strong presence. 

Share valuable content, engage with your audience, and participate in relevant industry discussions. Leverage paid social advertising to amplify your reach and target specific demographics. Implement social listening to monitor conversations about your brand and industry, allowing you to identify opportunities for engagement and lead generation.

Step 5 for B2B Lead Generation: Effective Email Marketing

Email is still vilified by marketers globally, and yet it’s one of the most effective ways of reaching and reminding your audiences of your brand, again and again, and it’s so cheap. Email Marketing HAS to be a part of your lead generation strategy as it drives customers down the funnel like no other channel I know,

99% of email users check their inboxes every day, with some users logging in up to 20 times daily. This indicates that email marketing can be a highly effective B2B lead generation tool. 

Build a targeted email list of prospects interested in your offerings. Segment your list based on various criteria, such as industry, job role, or stage in the buyer’s journey, and personalise your email campaigns accordingly.

Craft compelling subject lines, provide valuable content, and include clear CTAs to drive engagement and conversions. Monitor email metrics like open and click-through rates to refine your approach and maximise results.

Step 6 for B2B Lead Generation: Invest in SEO

Why more marketers don’t do SEO is beyond me, 99% of our leads come from SEO, and our clients say that, after six months of SEO their sales pipeline was transformed.

Think of SEO like building nets and throwing them into the ocean, they just keep catching fish day after day with little maintenance. 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a long-term strategy that drives organic traffic. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant terms and phrases your target audience uses to search for solutions in your industry. Ultimately, you want your website to appear on page one of Google when people search with a keyword relevant to your business.

Optimise your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Develop a robust backlink strategy to improve your domain authority and increase visibility. Regularly monitor and analyse your SEO performance to identify areas for improvement and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Step 7 for B2B Lead Generation: Switch on Lead Gen Campaigns

Paid advertising is key for lead generation, but not the channels you think…you have to work with a B2B marketing agency (like us) that knows what works and what doesn’t so you don’t end up wasting a huge amount of money on channels that don’t work.

Google Search Ads can complement your organic efforts and help you reach a wider B2B audience but if not set up properly, you can waste a lot of money here.

We know what works in this space, speak to us. 

We also create Drip Mailers and mix in Appointment Setting (see below) for maximised results.

Craft compelling ad copy, utilise relevant landing pages, and set clear goals and budgets to maximise ROI. Continuously test and optimise your ad campaigns, monitoring key metrics like click-through and conversion rates to ensure you generate quality leads cost-effectively.

Step 8 for B2B Lead Generation: Appointment Setting

Setting appointments with qualified leads is a valuable step towards conversion. Implement effective appointment-setting strategies like personalised outreach, targeted messaging, and leveraging marketing automation tools. 

Develop a robust lead nurturing process to guide prospects through the sales funnel and convert them into qualified appointments. Use customer relationship management (CRM) software to track interactions, schedule follow-ups, and monitor progress.

Step 9 for B2B Lead Generation: Collaborate with B2B Influencers

In recent years, B2B influencer marketing campaigns have gained significant traction, receiving an average engagement rate of 8.7%. This presents a potentially profitable opportunity. Identify industry influencers with a relevant and engaged audience. Collaborate with them through guest blogging, joint webinars, or social media takeovers to tap into their existing networks.

This allows you to expand your reach, increase brand visibility, and generate high-quality leads from a trusted source. Develop long-term relationships with influencers for ongoing and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Step 10 for B2B Lead Generation: Participate in Events

Participating in industry events, both virtual and in-person, presents valuable opportunities for B2B lead generation. Identify relevant conferences, trade shows, and webinars where your target audience congregates. 

Create compelling presentations, organise engaging panel discussions, or host virtual booths to showcase your expertise and offerings. Collect attendee information through lead capture forms and follow up with personalised communications post-event to nurture and convert leads.

Step 11 for B2B Lead Generation: Remember the “After Sales” Process

Satisfied customers can become valuable brand advocates, referring your business to their networks and generating additional leads. After securing a lead or closing a sale:

1. Pay attention to the importance of post-purchase engagement.
2. Foster strong customer relationships through exceptional customer service, personalised follow-ups, and ongoing support.
3. Leverage automation and email marketing to stay connected with customers, provide valuable resources, and upsell or cross-sell relevant products or services.

Step 12: Metrics and Analytics

Tracking and analysing relevant metrics and data is essential to improve your B2B lead generation efforts continuously. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your lead generation goals and regularly monitor them—track metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, cost per lead, and lead-to-customer conversion rates. 

Leverage analytics tools to gain insights into your marketing performance and identify areas for optimisation. Use A/B testing to experiment with different approaches and refine your strategies based on data-driven insights.

Are you ready to advance your B2B business? Implement these 12 steps to attract high-quality leads and achieve marketing success.

If you need guidance or don’t know where to start, Shift ONE is here to help you master B2B lead generation.