Lead generation is essential for building a sales pipeline that ensures a steady growth rate for your business. B2B lead generation is most effective when you combine inbound and outbound strategies.
Let’s dive into inbound and outbound B2B marketing strategies to attract quality leads to your startup.
Quick takeaways:
- B2B lead generation strategies enable you to learn about and connect with your target market
- Inbound B2B lead generation strategies include building a knowledge base, publishing content online, and getting media coverage
- Outbound B2B lead generation strategies include email marketing, social media marketing, and paid advertising
Understanding the Value of B2B Lead Generation
B2B lead generation involves collecting data about your target market and using that information to personalize communications with key decision-makers. Lead generation is a top priority for 85 percent of B2B marketers.
As a startup, it is essential to fill your sales funnel with a steady stream of new leads. Reaching potential buyers requires you to understand their needs in detail. More than 75 percent of B2B consumers expect companies to anticipate their goals and challenges, while 64 percent of consumers want companies to reach out to them. Using a combination of inbound and outbound B2B lead generation strategies will help your startup align with buyers’ needs.
Inbound B2B Lead Generation Strategies
Inbound marketing involves creating relevant and valuable content that attracts leads to your website. You can build trust with leads over time by providing a consistently growing volume of valuable content.
Use the following inbound B2B strategies to attract leads to your startup.
Build a Knowledge Base
A knowledge base is an online resource of information about the challenges your company solves. Assemble a library of articles, blog posts, case studies, white papers, FAQs, product guides, video tutorials, troubleshooting guides, dictionaries, glossaries, and other useful content. This allows customers to search for answers to questions and issues on their own. This establishes your company as an expert in your industry. It also attracts leads who might have purchased your products or services, or who are looking for a solution you provide.
Publish Content Online
Publish blog posts, articles, case studies, whitepapers, and other content on your website and elsewhere online to support your content marketing strategy. Create informative, educational, and valuable content on topics in which you have knowledge or expertise. Do not focus on promoting your products or services — instead, show readers how to solve problems or improve different parts of their business. This builds credibility in your industry or subject area, which will attract interested visitors to your website. It also creates additional pages to be indexed in search engines, makes your website more discoverable, and increases the authority of core website pages.
Get Media Coverage
Send press releases to media outlets on newsworthy issues (e.g., new product releases or upgrades, awards, webinars, seminars, networking events). Pitch trending stories to industry and local publications. Position your business owners as subject matter experts who are available for interviews on podcasts, radio and television shows, and at industry events.
Outbound B2B Lead Generation Strategies
Outbound marketing involves reaching out directly to prospects or promoting your brand to a target audience. The goal is to convince the audience of the value of your products or services.
Use the following outbound B2B strategies to attract leads to your startup.
Email Marketing
Create personalized marketing emails for leads who would be most interested in your products or services. Make the emails genuine, relevant, and attractive, and include a call to action. Follow up with prospects who have provided their email address through email newsletters or marketing campaigns. Provide useful, informative, and valuable content as well as a call to action to move leads through the sales funnel.
Social Media Marketing
Create a company profile or page on a social media platform (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). Post content (e.g., articles, pictures, videos, links); share, like, and comment on others’ content; and interact with people on those platforms. This builds awareness of your brand, establishes your reputation within your industry, and grows your community. It also attracts leads to your social media profiles, which will direct them to your company’s website.
Paid Advertising
Purchase advertisements and sponsor posts on social media platforms where your target customers spend the most time, are most accessible, and most actively engage. Direct leads who click on your ad to a landing page, with a special offer to collect their email address (a “give-to-get” in marketing terminology), or encourage them to buy your products or services. Use paid ads to build brand awareness and teach people about your products or services. Use retargeting ads to promote your products or services to leads who have shown interest.
Implementing B2B Lead Generation Strategies for Your Business
Every startup needs a steady stream of leads to grow sales. Combining both inbound and outbound B2B lead generation strategies will help to accelerate the process of acquiring new customers for your startup.
Need help with developing and implementing B2B lead generation strategies for your business? Sellerant can guide the way.