Perhaps the only thing in common between B2B sales and B2C sales – is the word sales.
When it comes to selling to these audiences, the approaches are vastly different.
Let’s take the example of selling an ice-cream vs. selling an ice-cream machine. If you’re selling to businesses, your order values are usually higher, the sales cycles are longer, and the processes are generally more complex.
So, your lead generation strategy has to be different too.
Recently, B2B digital marketing has gained significant popularity. While digital platforms were already popular, the pandemic accelerated the shift to digital. Even during challenging times, well-thought-out digital campaigns can improve your reach and generate better leads.
They can even help you scale your business.
When it comes to online B2B lead generation, for many companies, the focus is on inbound marketing.
Why shouldn’t it be?
Inbound marketing campaigns have proven to deliver better ROI than outbound ones. Plus, the cost is lower and they’re more long-term in some ways. With inbound marketing, you’re focusing on creating valuable content and experiences that are of interest to your customers, consequently, engaging the buyer.
Your content is the real hero here. Search engine optimization (SEO), coupled with carefully curated content, both for your website and other presences, can help you reach and engage potential leads.
Today, 67% of companies use lead generation as the sole metric to determine content success.
Seems quite straightforward, right?
Well, not really. Creating relevant content and providing value at every stage of the customer’s buying journey isn’t always easy. With so much content everywhere, it is difficult to cut through the noise.
In the age of overmarketing and spam, particularly on platforms, like LinkedIn, how do you ensure that the lead generation process actually works?
Here are a few things that you can keep in perspective:
I. Understanding the customer
To get your campaign right, the starting point should be your customer. While this may seem like stating the obvious, it always helps to go back to the drawing board and really understand your customers.
What are their requirements? What are their goals? What matters to them? Where do they consume content?
You may realize that your wider market can be broken down into different market segments – sub-clusters of customers who share similar profiles. Once you have this information, you are better equipped to create content and campaigns that speak to these audiences.
II. Creating the content
The next step is to create a content plan that is tailored according to your online and social presences. This is because the content consumed on websites, blogs, and social media may look quite different.
For instance, LinkedIn is an important platform when it comes to lead generation and the content you share there can play a critical role in acquiring and nurturing leads. So, the content can range from insightful Pulse blogs to thought-provoking re-shares, and engaging group discussions.
It’s important to ensure that your finger is always on the pulse of the industry and the messaging you put out there is relevant to gain the attention of your target audience.
III. Look at the bigger picture
Great content can’t do much on its own. It needs to be supplemented with other digital marketing activities to ensure that it reaches the audience it is intended for.
For instance, inbound email marketing can help you provide your prospects with a combination of value and direct solicitation content. This can help ensure that you nurture every lead that gives you consent to market to them.
This is where lead generation companies come in. The right partner can help you navigate through the challenges of B2B lead generation and help you create a unique sales strategy that works for you.
At Pulsion Marketing, we can help you reach your audience and benefit from inbound marketing in the truest sense. Call 1-888-701-4441 or visit www.digiforcemarketing.ca for a free consultation today.