Most companies are slowly starting to recognise that currently they can't afford to not actively participate in online marketing. Not too long ago, a large portion of B2B companies didn't think lead generation applied to them and relied solely on existing clients and word of mouth to accumulate business. How times have changed!
The Internet has changed the way people find, shop, share and connect, meaning all businesses, no matter what the industry, need to be present on multiple search engines and discovery databases. Lead generation helps companies instantly connect with buyers and speeds up the purchasing process, with every customer connection made, is a chance to grow and make a profit.
According to zoominfo.com, 63% of B2B marketers say that generating leads is their biggest challenge. However, this doesn't need to be the case. Generating leads does admittedly require time, effort, and a strategic marketing process, but is very worth it as leads often become official customers.
Here are 3 Brilliant B2B Lead Generation Ideas That Will Get Results This Year:
1) Responsive Site
An up-to-date website that functions across all platforms and search engines is crucial to achieving a successful online marketing campaign for any industry. The three main features of a strong website are easy reading, easy navigation and minimal scrolling. On average, sites should be updated around every three years to keep up with technology and competitors. An old site will cause any company's marketing to suffer massively, so keep this in mind.
2) Strong SEO
One thing all businesses should have in common, is to aim to have their website at the top of the search engine! It isn't easy to achieve; however, studies have shown that 60% of internet users choose the first result that comes up on Google. That's a lot of people! It is vital that businesses keep one eye on their competitors to keep up with their optimisation as well as their own as it is very easy to fall behind. To have good SEO, companies need to complete deep keyword research and identify the right topics to target within their content to watch rankings increase.
3) Social Media
According to Statista.com, by 2022, the number of monthly active social network users is projected to reach 42.88 million individuals just in the UK. So, there is no better time than now to prepare for the social media expansion, to utilise the resources you have, and to rinse social media of its benefits for your brand.
Ways to generate more leads via social media consist of sharing useful content such as infographics and blog articles that link back to the likes of contact forms and calls-to-actions on your site. Ask questions that other business profiles will respond to, building a connection with your audience on a more personal level. Associate your brand with influencers that can share website content on your behalf, reaching a wider crowd, and overall, having social media profiles creates a sense of trust and legitimacy for your business.
Building relationships with consumers on social media is more important now than it has been ever before, and don't just assume this is only relevant for B2C businesses! People are very heavily influenced by the Internet, a lot more than they think, wherever they are in the supply chain. Social Media is a fantastic platform to begin blossoming relationships with potential leads. Businesses can gain so much brand awareness just by carrying out simple tasks such as retweeting prospects on Twitter, and sharing some of their content to your network, or embarking in a conversation with them. Answering other companies' questions, being helpful and providing valuable, worthwhile information is the key to generating leads. All the little things are what make up the bigger picture.
Hopefully these points have been beneficial to you and your company and have taught you a little something about how to generate leads that will get you great results this year. If you have any queries, please comment below or call us on 01332 343281 for an informal discussion.
