Businesses will spend more on b2b lead generation in the next 12 months than they have spent to date. Of course, that’s if they’re using the right channels. According to research from B2B Marketing Trends and eMarketer, businesses that don’t have a thorough understanding of their target audience and how to reach it will spend less, while those who have clearly identified their ideal buyer persona and developed a solid strategy to attract leads will set records.
Lead Generation Advertising Channels is a complete guide explaining each of the essential channels you need to know about for finding new customers online for your business. Each chapter includes expert insights and advice from those who have seen success in these areas so you can learn how to apply what works for your company.
Because of the complexity of lead generation and the multiple channels involved, it is confusing for companies to choose their lead generating process. And because most companies do not have an integrated software or marketing tool to make best use of these lead generation channels, they don’t know what to make of these channels. It is therefore important for you as a marketer to understand what are the b2b marketing channels 2021.
B2B marketers today face many different challenges. Lead generation is one of the major activities of a B2B marketer, and it requires certain tools and platforms to be successful. With an increasing number of B2B companies taking advantage of technology for marketing purposes, B2B marketing channels have also grown. And one thing is for sure – there are new ways to reach a target audience.
Email marketing
Surprise! Email marketing is one of the best channels for lead generation. This is a shock to many people who assume that just because email is one of the oldest online marketing tactics, it’s not one of the best.
The truth is that even though it’s certainly not the most high tech channel out there, it’s still one of the best. It gets your business directly into customers’ inboxes, and is much more cost-effective than extensive PPC campaigns or remarketing.
Email marketing comes in many forms:
Drip campaigns
Drip email campaigns send timely, relevant emails to potential customers. They are spaced out over several weeks or months, and are only sent to people who have opted in by giving you their email addresses.
Leads are sent “drips” consisting of short emails with strong calls-to-action over a pre-defined period. These campaigns often generate very high ROI, because they allow you to tailor your content to exactly where a lead is in the sales funnel.
Newsletters
Email newsletters are popular in all industries. In fact, you probably got a few in your inbox this week. But did you open them?
Unfortunately, many businesses spend hours writing newsletter content, only to slap on a subject line like “Weekly newsletter.” If you choose to create emails for your customers, be sure to spend some time A/B testing your subject lines and finding out what entices your subscribers to open.
As long as subscribers don’t opt out, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually click on one of your links and convert. E-newsletters aren’t meant to be a quick sell, but do provide a steady stream of leads over time.
THANK YOU EMAILS
These are automated emails sent to buyers immediately after they’ve converted. If you’ve shopped online, you’ve no doubt received quite a few.
After making a purchase, you get a thank you email, often with an incentive to purchase again in a very specific time frame. It’s a smart way to turn one-time customers into repeat customers.
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising
Has your business explored the benefits of PPC advertising? A well-thought-out campaign can snag online leads for short- or long-term purposes. Plus, you can set your budget so you know you won’t overspend.
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PPC advertising requires that you keep several factors in mind:
A description of your target lead(s)
Without this knowledge, your PPC advertisements may falter because they’ll be seen by people who aren’t really interested in what you’re offering.
Knowledge and application of keyword optimization
Determining which keywords to use for each PPC ad is essential. If you’re new to keyword research, it may be worth your time to work with an Internet marketing firm to help you uncover the best keywords for your PPC campaigns.
Attention-grabbing copy
Considering that millions of companies around the word use platforms like Google AdWords to run PPC ads, you need to make sure that yours stands out. As with other types of online marketing, the stronger the content, the higher the returns.
Website Visitor Identification
See which companies visit your site and follow up with them with website visitor identification.
Website visitor identification software like Visitor Queue allows you to see the companies that visit your website, along with the company’s history, size, location, and industry. In addition, you will also gain access to their employee’s information like job title, email address, phone number, and social media channels. You will be able to see what actions they took on your website, and how to reach out to them to offer more information about your products or services.
You can also…
- Collect website visitor information (like company contact info)
- Create unique customer profiles to filter visitors (based on their buying interest)
- See the frequency of visits and time spent on site
- Add automated alerts to ensure fast follow-up by your sales team
- Integrate with Google Analytics and sales and marketing tools like your chosen CRM or MAPs
This software provides your sales team with the missing information they need in order to convert visitors into leads. If you’re looking for a new (and smart) way to generate more leads through your website, this is it.
Brand Partnerships
The biggest companies in every industry will have a wide audience, brand authority, and profitable connections. You can use their influence to your advantage by forming strategic partnerships.
Say you are a B2B company that offers office rental services to startups. You can partner with businesses like major marketing agencies to refer local businesses to your space to rent out for team meetings and events. In return, you can pitch their marketing services to people who use your space.
Further, you can tap into influencer marketing to reach a specific niche audience. These partnerships will be a two-way street in that they will send leads to you and you will send new followers their way.
If you are considering a brand partnership, it’s important to ensure you are not direct competitors. This would mean that your businesses complement each other. An example of this is McDonald’s selling Coke products. These companies do not compete with each other, but they have a similar target audience and benefit their consumers. Just remember to not let the other company take the spotlight!
Social media
Yes, social media is a player in the field of online lead generation channels. No matter which social media channel you choose—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc –you have the opportunity to reach new customers, as well as build relationships with existing ones.
You may think that the occasional status or photo is enough to constitute “being active on social media.” But unless you’re only interested in checking that box to show your boss, that strategy really isn’t worth your time. Instead, you have to strategically develop a plan for your social media lead generation:
Map out the social media posts you want to make each month
This can be done with a simple calendar, as long as you commit to a schedule. Be certain that you mix your posts up, and remember that not every post should be about your company directly—doing so discourages human interaction.
However, don’t be afraid to ask your followers to take actions, such as signing up for email newsletters, taking polls, or using a special “available by social media only” coupons and discounts. If you take the time to genuinely engage with your customers, they’ll be happy to help.
Post on a regular basis
Experiment with what works for your company. Don’t try to bite off more than you can chew, but recognize that social media is fast-paced, and posting once a week just isn’t enough.
Your followers want real-time information, and if you lose their attention, your competitors will be more than willing to pick up the slack.
Strengthen your social media lead generation with paid ads
Some social media channels like Facebook and Twitter offer paid ads that operate on a PPC model. Although you may be hesitant to spend money on what is often considered a free channel, the truth is that the organic reach of Facebook business pages and tweets is pretty dismal.
By using paid options, you can reach more customers and better engage with those who already follow you on social media. This gives your company an added boost and another chance to stand out.
Display Ads / Retargeting
With tools like Visitor Queue, you are able to track which companies visit your website and record that information for follow-up. But another step is to use that same information to retarget users with display ads, like website ads and social media ads. One of the most effective forms of remarketing is using LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, you are able to send message ads to your previous website visitors. For more information on this, check out this tutorial.
What better way to generate B2B sales than to advertise to users who are already interested in your business?
With retargeting, you can build custom audiences of users or businesses that are most likely to buy from you. Even more, you can follow up with an email drip campaign to nurture leads until you make the sale.
Organic Search
Every second, there are business owners using search engines like Google to find businesses and brands like yours. Make sure you get in front of their eyes by focusing on your organic search optimization.
Search engines are a major marketing channel for B2B businesses. With search engine optimization (SEO), you are able to attract users that are actively searching for the types of services or products you offer.
Optimize your website by targeting the specific keywords users are searching for. In addition to making your website fast and mobile-friendly, and by publishing valuable content your audience wants to read. Soon, you’ll be generating organic leads on autopilot and will be able to follow up with them using website visitor identification.
Other online lead generation strategies to consider
Looking for more online lead gen channels? Dive into webinars, content syndication and apps to drill down deeper and attract the interest of new prospects. If you’re thinking about taking your business to an international level, don’t forget that there are online channels available throughout the world that aren’t used on a regular basis by people in the U.S. or Canada.
If you want to start using the Internet to generate leads for your business, don’t hesitate to contact us! Our dedicated team of Internet marketers can help you develop a strong online presence that will attract traffic, boost conversions, and help your business succeed.
Conclusion
B2B lead generation is a challenging task. After all, you are generating leads for another business. While this should be a lot easier as your target market includes C-level executives that are going to be more inclined to make a purchase, it is still not simple. You’ll want to get in front of the decision makers and these people often don’t have the time to speak with salespeople or marketing teams.
From social media to print media and everything in between, there are a number of lead generation channels out there. Knowing your options and the best ways to employ each one is essential. The lead generation landscape is ever-evolving with new channels popping up all the time. As the industry changes, it’s our job to stay ahead of the curve.