Almost every company that operates in the B2B sector knows that new customers don’t just appear out of the blue. Rather, regular lead generation is needed to ensure that, ideally, new customers are always interested in your brand.
With a little luck, nothing should stand in the way of an increase in sales. The first step is always to obtain contact details from potential B2B customers so that you can contact them again later – for example, after attending a trade fair. It is clear from this that it is not enough to collect just any contacts. Rather, it is important that the corresponding B2B leads actually have an interest in the respective products (or services). Experts usually speak of “qualified leads” in this context.
The more leads a company collects, the better the chances of increasing sales. However, this is fundamentally a complex topic that takes place at different levels. Some leads leave their contact details on forms on the internet, others in a survey on the street. And still others take part in competitions. This article has, among other things, compiled some of the best tips for generating leads.
What is the difference between B2C and B2B leads?
If you compare B2C and B2B leads, you will quickly notice some characteristic differences. As a first step, it is important to mention that B2C leads refer exclusively to private individuals. B2B leads, on the other hand, are the contact details of business customers, as exchanged at trade fairs or other relevant events, for example.
This difference alone shows that the approach to generating B2B and B2C leads should be different in each case. Or to put it another way: a suitable strategy is needed for each of the two options.
Companies that want to be successful in the B2B sector need to know exactly what business customers expect from them (especially in comparison to private customers). If this is guaranteed, there is often nothing standing in the way of long-term business relationships.
A look at the practice shows: While B2C leads are usually acquired through an emotional approach, quick incentivnes to buy and broad distribution, B2B marketing focuses on well-founded information, concrete solutions for business challenges and a targeted, often personalised approach. Those who understand these differences can not only organise their lead generation more efficiently, but also significantly increase the quality of the leads.
Generating B2B leads: Top tips!
There are a few tips that can help companies generate promising B2B leads. In any case, it is important to meticulously plan and prepare the appropriate approach. The more time a company invests, the higher the probability that the respective advertising message will effectively reach the addressee. At the same time, automation in B2B lead generation makes it possible to save valuable time.
The following tips will help you lay the foundation for successful lead generation, but should be individually adapted as needed to more specifically address the expectations of the respective target group within the industry.
Defining the target group:
In B2B, it is not enough to simply address “business customers”. It is important to take a detailed look at the respective target group and to ask yourself questions such as “Who is my target group?”, “What does my target group expect from me?” and “What needs do my addressees have?” Companies that manage to offer their customers what they expect (and even exceed those expectations where appropriate) often find it easier to assume a kind of “special role” among their competitors. And by the way: it is often possible to increase the value of an individual customer even further with measures related to cross-selling and upselling in B2B.
Set measurable (!) goals:
o If you want to achieve your goals, you should definitely define them in advance. This is the only way to find out afterwards whether the B2B lead generation was successful. One of the most important goals in this context should be to focus not on quantity, but on quality. A typical example: If you produce high-quality (and therefore higher-priced) items and only address companies with very limited budgets, you run the risk of wasting advertising money. Conversely, it makes little sense to collect leads from outside the industry and hope that they will become interested in the respective products (or services) at some point. A measurable goal could be: “I want to turn about 20 percent of my leads into customers this month!”
Set a budget (and include a buffer if necessary):
o Lead generation in the B2B sector costs money. Here it is important to compare the available budget with the goals mentioned in point 2 and to consider whether the resources that can be used are sufficient to achieve these goals at all.
Select channel(s):
o B2B lead generation can take place in different ways. And of course, companies don’t have to choose just one option. Typical channels for lead generation can include competitions, contact forms, initial contact with a consultant or a meeting at a trade fair. And of course, once a channel has been selected, it is not set in stone. If it becomes apparent over time that a different approach might be more appropriate, it is of course possible to reschedule accordingly.
· Create content:
o Those who have previously studied the topic of “target group analysis” know comparatively well what content is likely to appeal to the potential B2B customers. Details that should be considered include the industry, the image of the respective company and the age of the contact persons. Those who want to be as broadly positioned as possible should adjust their content strategy and choose a different approach (depending on the addressee). In this way, it is often possible to avoid (or at least reduce) wastage.
Analyze results:
o Companies that want to continuously improve their B2B lead generation should take time after each campaign to measure their success and answer questions such as “What went particularly well and what went rather poorly?” This way, it is usually not a problem to continue to optimize your lead generation.
Last but not least, those who don’t want to deal with this topic themselves can confidently turn to an advertising agency. The professionals know exactly what is important when generating B2B leads.
