Struggling to convert website visitors into paying customers? Think of it as a constant stream of qualified leads, already interested in what you have to offer. That’s the power of a strategic B2B lead generation program. Not only to stand out from the crowd (everyone tries that!), but to attract the right companies – those who are actively seeking similar solutions to yours.
Unlike B2C marketing, B2B has longer sales cycles and more complex decisions. That’s why generating random leads won’t cut it. To generate the highest quality leads, you need a focused approach that can be nurtured into a loyal customer.
This may feel overwhelming, but fear not! In this article, Pipeline will guide you through an effective B2B lead generation strategy – your blueprint for success.
To kick start our journey into effective B2B lead generation, let's explore the foundational framework known as the "4 Ls" of lead generation also known as lead gen. These four elements are crucial for businesses aiming for success in attracting and nurturing valuable leads.
Leads are the people who might become your customers. They've shown some interest in what you offer. You might find leads through your website, social media, email signups, or even just by talking to people!
There are several types of leads. Some are eager to learn more about your business or products that you have (marketing qualified leads or MQLs), while others are nearly ready to buy (sales qualified leads or SQLs).
Always remember, that the finest lead generation strategies to capture lead are centered on identifying the potential leads - those that match your ideal customer.
The second "L," lead magnet, lead magnet is similar to a free present that you offer in exchange for people's contact information.
If you're selling business-to-business (B2B), your lead magnets might be things like ebooks, reports, case studies, webinars, or free trials. To get people interested, your lead magnet has to be something valuable, something that solves a real problem they have.
A landing page is where you direct visitors to capture their information. It's a targeted page that encourages users to fill out a form, download something, or request a demo.
Consider it the next step in getting to know them. Landing pages that function successfully feature a short message, a clear "ask" (such as signing up), and sometimes some images that assist tell the story.
These pages are typically linked to targeted marketing campaigns, advertisements, or call-to-action (CTA) buttons. Optimizing landing pages with compelling content, clear CTAs, relevant visuals, and streamlined form fields can enhance conversion rates and attract quality leads.
The final "L," Lead nurturing means creating a relationship with potential clients. It's similar to when you make friends with someone: you don't immediately ask them to marry you on the first date!
Instead, you send helpful emails, recommend items they might enjoy, and respond to their queries as they learn more. The idea is to establish confidence so that when they're ready to buy, they come to you.
Lead nurturing approaches include automated email campaigns, tailored messages, follow-up conversations, social media interactions, and personalized content recommendations.
In the end, the nurturing process is to foster trust, establish credibility, and ultimately convert leads into loyal customers.
Want to turn potential buyers into real sales? Let's Pipeline tell the secret! The trick is "qualifying" your leads. This means asking the right questions to see whether they're the right fit for your product or service, or not.
The sooner you can qualify a lead, the better. If someone reaches out to you, they're probably already interested, which makes this part a bit easier. But if your sales team found the lead, you'll need to build some interest before asking all those questions!
However, for outbound sales generated leads, building interest and understanding the prospect's needs become paramount before diving into the actual qualification process. While the specifics may vary among businesses when we talk about how to qualify the B2B Leads, there are common themes and best practices that guide the qualification process.
It often starts with a pre-qualifying phase, where research and investigation into the prospect's background, industry, challenges, and potential fit with your solution occur. This phase helps optimize resources and ensures a targeted approach toward prospects most likely to convert into sales.
Implementing a qualifying framework also can enhance the qualification process. Such frameworks outline the sequence of key details to uncover during qualification conversations, ensuring a structured and comprehensive approach.
An example of a widely used qualifying framework is BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline), originally formalized by IBM. This framework focuses on crucial aspects such as the prospect's budget availability, decision-making authority, compelling need for the solution, and urgency in implementing it.
By addressing these criteria, your marketing and sales teams can determine the feasibility and potential success of pursuing a sales opportunity.
Although there are so many ways to find the right customer for your B2B business. But, finding the right one can be overwhelming. You want to reach people who are truly interested in what you offer, right? But where do you even start?
That's where Pipeline comes in – we help you cut through the noise and reach the right people. We know what works – and what doesn't – when it comes to finding high-quality B2B leads.
Just see Fazpass, one of our clients. They were struggling to bring in new business on their own. We worked with them to make a few changes to their strategy, and guess what? Now 60% of their new leads come through their website – that's way up from 20%!
The story of Fazpass is proof that generate more leads is possible. It all starts with having a plan to capture high-quality leads.
Now, let's delve into the 9 impactful strategies tailored by Pipeline to enhance your lead generation efforts for the B2B business.
Start with stories – they're the best way to make your brand feel relatable and build a connection with people.
Share how you've helped others succeed. Customer stories, glowing reviews, and examples of how you solved problems... those aren't just proof, they make people feel like you really 'get' them.
Next, show you know your stuff. Offer interesting articles, reports on what's happening in your industry, and real-world examples of your work. By being a trusted expert, you'll draw in people actively looking for the kind of help you provide, making your job much easier!
Want to connect with potential customers? Try interactive learning sessions! Webinars, workshops, and live Q&As are perfect for this. You can answer questions on the spot, show off what you know, and build a relationship with people. That personal touch makes a big difference when someone's deciding whether to buy from you.
The best way to stay on your potential clients' minds? Keep creating helpful content!
Why? Because people want to work with companies they feel understand them. That's where regular content marketing comes in!
Try publishing blog posts, articles, or helpful guides on a schedule. Share tips, talk about what's happening in your field, and show that you're on top of things. This keeps potential clients interested and shows them you know what you're talking about, so they will be coming back to you as they figure out what they need.
Want to reach the right people? Data can help! By tracking website behavior, you'll learn what your visitors like and what problems they're trying to solve. This lets you send them messages they care about – which makes them more likely to turn into customers.
Social media is about way more than just posting updates. It's a place to make real connections with potential customers. That's why, we know that "people buy from people they trust."
Share helpful content, join the conversation in your industry, and be yourself. Showing your real, human side on social media helps build those relationships and gets you more leads.
Everyone loves a good deal! Offer discounts, special offers, or even just a free download to get people excited. These goodies are a great way to get visitors to sign up for your emails, ask for a demo, and generally stay connected... making it easier to turn them into loyal customers.
Want to get your business noticed without being overly salesy? An organic lead generation campaign is the way to go. This means using clever tactics like making your website easy for search engines to find (SEO), creating content that people want to see, and working with influencers that your audience already trusts.
It's all about reaching the right people at the right time – those who are interested in what you're selling. The key is reaching people who are already interested in what you do. That way, your message feels helpful, not annoying.
Crafting an effective B2B lead generation strategy involves a delicate balance of exploring similar success stories in your industry.
As you explore these success narratives, you uncover predictable patterns that have proven effective in engaging audiences and driving conversions. This predictability provides a solid foundation, allowing you to implement strategies with a certain level of assurance.
We have talked about 9 strategies to get leads for B2B businesses. Now let's look at Fazpass. Like most startups, Fazpass was spending a lot on ads to find new customers. They weren't getting much traffic any other way. That's where Pipeline stepped in.
We took a deep dive into Fazpass, looking at how to improve their search results so that more of the right customers could find them. We knew what made Fazpass special, and the challenges they faced. The results? Huge! In just a few months, Fazpass saw its website traffic from search engines jump from 20.7% to a whopping 69%!
And the wins kept coming. Over the next quarter, Fazpass saw their website traffic from search grow by 212%! That meant they saw their leads from search more than double! This is proof that focusing on search can be a game-changer. Pipeline didn't just help Fazpass get seen–we helped them get seen by the right people, ready to sign up.
Want to see how Fazpass and Pipeline pulled this off? Check out our "Lead Generation Case Study: How Fazpass Got 1,700% Leads Growth in 1 Month!" and discover how to power up your lead generation!
