Let’s face it, lead generation can be challenging when you run a small business.
You not only have to create lead generation campaigns that convert, but you need to ensure your campaign is focused on the right target audience.
It’s no surprise that over 60% of digital marketers say lead generation is the hardest part of their job.
The good news is that there are lots of ways you can entice prospective customers to hand over their contact details. All you need is a bit of inspiration.
B2B lead generation strategies come in two distinct flavours – organic and paid.
Organic ones are when prospects find your company by searching for you on organically on Google. Paid ones are when you use paid-for marketing methods, like PPC and social media ads, to find prospective customers.
We’ve put together some of the best lead generation ideas for B2B companies just like yours. No matter whether you go down the paid or organic route, give these ideas a go and let us know how you get on!
Organic lead generation ideas for B2B businesses
If you’re on a budget or want to invest in your long-term SEO, organic lead generation campaigns will raise brand awareness and make people aware of your company. Here are some lead generation ideas for your B2B business.
1. Offer an intriguing lead magnet
A lead magnet is a free item you offer prospective customers in exchange for their contact details. Popular lead magnets include free trials of your product or service, email sequence, webinar invite or eBook.
Your lead magnet must solve a problem that your target audience is experiencing.
For example, if you offer accounting services to businesses, an eBook about how to file your company tax return could pique the interest of prospective customers.
p.s. Need extra help creating a lead magnet that drives clicks? Speak to us!
2. Carry out keyword research
SEO is one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your website, and you can use this to your advantage as a B2B lead generation tactic.
Check out our guide to carrying out keyword research for your business.
The key when it comes to lead generation, is to consider user intent. You want to focus on keywords used by people who are ready, or almost ready, to buy.
Let’s go back to the accounting services we mentioned before. If someone is searching for ‘what expenses can I claim on my tax return?’, it’s likely they aren’t looking to buy at the moment.
However, if someone is looking for ‘tax return accountants near me’, it’s a promising sign that they might want to work with you.
When you know what keywords your target audience is using, you can create new landing pages and blog posts that drive them toward giving you their information.
3. Create a lead nurturing sequence
Not everyone who completes your lead contact form will be ready to buy straight away.
So, when you get a fresh new lead, you need to qualify them by asking specific questions.
For example, if your accounting services company wants to focus on businesses that earn over £1m in revenue each year, you can ask the question in your lead capture form. The contact details of the companies that do are marked as ‘qualified’ and sent straight to your sales team.
However, what do you do with the contact details of businesses that aren’t quite ready for your products or services just yet?
It seems stupid to just ignore them, right?
The answer is: you nurture them until they’re ready.
Lead nurturing is when your marketing team develops and maintains a relationship with prospective customers, keeping them engaged while gradually moving them through your sales funnel.
The best way to nurture prospective customers is through email. Send them regular content that provides value and keeps them up to date with what’s going on in your industry. Then, when they’re ready to buy, your sales team can take over.
Paid lead generation ideas for B2B businesses
If you want to get leads quickly, a paid campaign can introduce your business to brand new customers and get you fresh leads. Here are some B2B lead generation tactics to be aware of.
1. Use a lead generation form on a social media ad
Social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn offer various ad types to appeal to a wide range of customers. One of the ads available is a lead generation form.
With a lead generation form, you can collect contact information and ask qualifying questions. It’s a great way to reach out to customers and show them how your business can solve their pain points.
Remember that you need to show value and advise customers what your company can do for them. Persuasive ad copy and visuals will help.
2. Target website visitors with retargeting ads
If a prospective customer has visited your site before but has not filled in your lead generation form, a retargeting campaign can entice them back.
A retargeting ad is a paid social or Google display advert that is shown to people who have visited your website during a specified timeframe.
Use one to drive website visitors towards a particular landing page, and it’s an efficient and cost-effective way to get new leads.
3. A/B test your search ads
The great thing about Google search ads is you can make sure you’re in the number one spot when someone searches for a specific keyword or phrase. That way, you can push prospective customers who are almost ready to buy to your lead generation form.
It’s important to make sure your search ad’s call to action (CTA) is short, punchy, and powerful. People scan search ads quickly, so you want to ensure your copy gets their attention.
Google Ads makes it easy to A/B test any search advertisements you create. Just create two variants of the same ad, with one slightly different thing. For example, one could have the CTA’ download our free guide today’ while the other could say ‘get your free guide now’.
Google will show both ads to prospective customers and provide you with stats that show not only how many people clicked on the ad, but how many converted on your website as a result. This gives you valuable insight that can steer your B2B lead generation tactics moving forward.
Note: A/B testing isn’t just for PPC ads. Try it on your landing pages to see which one resonates with prospective customers the most!
4. Use social media advertising to build a relationship
Earlier on, we talked about lead nurturing and how you can use it to build a strong relationship with prospective customers. If you want to introduce your B2B business to prospects that would otherwise not be aware of your brand, social media advertising can help you do this.
You can use paid social advertising to attract the right target audience.
For example, let’s say your accounting business wants to focus on small business owners. You can use LinkedIn’s Advertising targeting system to focus on people with the job title ‘Owner’ or ‘Managing Director’ with a company size of under 50 people.
That way, you can reduce wasted ad clicks and make sure the right people see your ad.
Once a prospective lead sees your ad, you can encourage them to take action. This can be anything from following your social media page, subscribing to your newsletter, or accessing your latest lead magnet. This might take time, but when they’re ready to give you their details, they will.
Still stuck? How Bubblegum Search can help with your B2B lead generation campaign
We hope this guide has inspired you to dust off your lead magnets and get qualifying those all-important leads!
If you still need some extra support with your B2B lead generation strategies, Bubblegum Search is here to help.
Our lead generation experts will work with you to understand your target audience and which customers hold the most value to your business. We’ll then get to work creating high-quality lead generation strategies that will get you results.
No fuss, no hassle. Just lots of qualified leads for your sales team to action.
Book your free digital marketing consultation today, and we’ll get to the bottom of your lead generation requirements in just 30 minutes.