The Top 20 Proven B2B Lead Generation Strategies

Every professional has a set of B2B lead generation strategies that work for them. Perhaps they are reliant on referrals or specialize in developing lasting relationships with clients. Regardless of the method, it is vital to have a strategy that works well to make each sale.

It’s also essential for making the transition from last month’s leads list to this month to generate more prospects while following through with your existing ones.

Self-Development

Self-development is a core life skill that everyone should take seriously. Its importance in the workplace is underestimated by many, mainly when tough and leads are hard to come by. Here are some ways thinking about yourself can translate into retaining and generating new leads for your business.

1. Keep Existing Connections Alive

We’ve started with this one as it applies throughout your entire life. Every good leader has that one person in the back of their mind that they know will come in handy one day. And, by keeping them happy, you know that they will return the favor when you need it most. It is vital for marketing and sales professionals in particular. As you work in business, you will make connections with various people.

These people include co-workers, friends of friends, family members of your co-workers, and people you meet through various functions. You are building a list of people whom you can reach out to again in the future. It’s essential to make sure that they keep those connections alive. Build relationships with these people on LinkedIn, on Facebook, and through other means.

Simply having an email address is not enough. You have to make sure you know how to reach them again when the time comes.

2. Get To Know Yourself

Of the 20 lead generation strategies that we’ve listed, this is one of the most neglected. Lead generation investors are only starting to understand its actual value in the workplace.

Looking after yourself and understanding your place in the work environment is essential for your well-being, improving performance, and establishing better and more productive working relationships. No matter how you get your leads, it’s crucial that you have no problem converting them into clients once they hit your lap. And, you can only do that by knowing yourself and to whom you are speaking.

As a business professional, you need to know your style, know your audience. You need to speak their way and know what they want from you. It isn’t something that happens straight away. So start practicing early on in your career. The more you speak to people and learn about yourself, the better you’ll be able to lead them into what you’re offering.

Take time to understand what makes you unique and why people would want to work with you. Be able to translate that message into figures and numbers so that when the opportunity comes up for a client-to-be, you can outline what it is that separates your company from everyone else.

3. Become an Expert in Your Field

Never stop learning and developing yourself. By doing so while networking with other experts, you’ll become an expert yourself. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. Presenting yourself as an expert brings a sense of validity and knowledge. That said, being an expert doesn’t mean you need to know every single detail about your profession.

It’s a more holistic approach. Take time to understand how to use techniques such as First Principles Thinking and Neurolinguistic Programming in your approach to envisioning your future in the field.

For most entrepreneurs, the best way to go is a “long game”. It means building a solid foundation for success over the long term, which will help maintain growth and activity in slow sales times. There will be weeks when it doesn’t seem like things are working out as planned, but it’s important not to give up if that happens.

4. Reach Outside of Your Field

For example, if you own an accountancy firm, don’t feel like you have to restrict yourself to your target client market for B2B lead generation. Think outside the box, and find a reason to network with anyone, as long as you can enrich each other’s lives.

For instance, if you’re a marketing professional, don’t be afraid to work with an accounting professional to deliver a better result. It is the real benefit of networking and marketing. You can provide value to others to get something back for yourself. And if someone helps you out, you might be able to give them something in return.

Reaching out for more significant business is critical. If you’re an accountancy firm or a marketing agency, don’t limit yourself to just your customer base. And, while you should look after your long-term offline clients, there’s no reason why companies around the world can’t use your services.

5. Attend Networking Events

Suppose you’re attending an industry conference or trade show. In that case, it’s crucial to prepare yourself with a knowledge of who is attending and whom you have in mind that you want to approach. While attending the event, review all attendees’ name badges to determine which businesses are having the most success. On your way out, make sure you talk to each one about their company’s results from the last few months.

If they do not see results, ask them for their thoughts on what they did differently and what could happen for their next meeting or event. Then conduct a follow-up call with them to discuss you be involved in the upcoming event or recommendation (if applicable) in exchange for a presentation at their next meeting or trade show.

Brand Yourself

It’s easy to brand your business and forget that, in many cases, you are the business. Even if you aren’t the director or owner, you can incorporate the business’s vision and values into your networking skills and improve your branding at the same time. Here are some tips to help you brand yourself in the workplace:

6. Launching a Corporate Website

Putting up a corporate website can be a great way to connect with your existing and new customers. Showcasing your business helps people see you in a different light, as they know there is more to you and your business than at first glance. Remember that people gravitate to what they already know, so you’ve not got this information out there. It’s time to do something about it!

If you’re a small business owner, it’s essential to build a presence in your local area. Suppose you’ve not got an office or a local branch. In that case, it’s also essential to get your name out there through social media and other online networking platforms.

With all the major players such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, there is never a reason why not to be as visible as possible. It’s great for attracting new leads and keeping your existing leads warm.

7. Represent Yourself in Your Graphic Design

Sometimes, it’s easy to think about branding the corporate elements of the business and portraying the image of the business. But what about when you’re trying to portray your own personality and bring that to your brand?

Graphic design is a great way of bringing this to the fore. Whether that’s using your personal name in your branding or embracing a message of identity, you can use techniques such as color psychology to show that you are trustworthy and friendly, for example (using the colors blue and orange, in case you were wondering!).

You can use this either in digital media or on your business cards. Make them unique and different to stand out from the several other cards your potential leads have lost in their wallet!

8. Use Content Creation to Your Advantage

Whether you write about marketing, business growth strategies, or anything else, it is essential for you to regularly share content with the community relevant to your audience’s needs. This content can include product descriptions, company tips, and tricks, or lead generation methods. Content is a great way to keep your audience connected to what you’re doing and be a relevant part of their lives. Often it’s a simple forum or blog post that can help you stand out in the crowd.

Create relevant content for your audience and then share it with your social circles on all available platforms. Reach out to like-minded people and ask them if they would like to join you on the journey of creating valuable content. It gives you an opportunity without having to invest in traditional advertising methods such as branding or banners.

9. Writing Articles for Publications

Guest posting is popular to promote yourself and generate some leads. As you’re writing, make sure to include your contact information at the end and offer a link to your website so that people can learn more about you. If their audience has any interest in talking with you, they will reach out. These publications can link back to your website and your blog posts. On these pages, you should have what’s known as a call-to-action to generate a lead.

Embed a calendar into it so that people can book time with you via their calendar. Do not advertise yourself as an expert, but rather work on creating relationships by considering what value other bloggers currently have. You can be an expert without informing people that you are an expert.

10. Press Releases

By providing content that is unique or exclusive, it becomes excellent content for your press releases. These releases can include anything from product releases and company news to event planning and business success stories.

Press releases exist for many reasons, such as: announcing new partnerships, services, products, sharing industry advice, updating customers about new initiatives or technologies, increasing brand awareness, promoting special offers and discounts, and attracting new staff members.

You can do this through any channel you prefer, but for B2B lead generation, think of any B2B publications in which you can issue the release. That way, you can tailor the release to be industry-specific and offer more value to the leads that you’ll generate.

Social Media and Outreach

The meteoric rise of social media has caused a massive change in how leads come about in the last decade. In particular, Facebook paved the way for LinkedIn as a lead generation tool to create a whole new networking style based on traditional methods.

We’ve polished up some old-school tips for the modern age to give you an insight into how best to utilize your branding in social media lead generation:

11. Making Social Media Profiles

The best way to start is to make sure your company has a social media profile. Some more famous social media sites you should consider are LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. These sites offer excellent platforms for growing your business and expanding your network, whether its organically or a paid option such as Facebook ads.

12. Claiming Authority on Social Media Platforms

Social Media is another great opportunity for you and your team to show prospects what is unique about your products or services. By providing current information regarding the items you post in each social media profile, prospects will have a better idea of the face behind the business they choose to contact.

13. Participating in LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn B2B marketing is real and it is thriving. By becoming a LinkedIn Group member, you can network with like-minded people and expand your lead generation skills by connecting with other individuals without a business connection. It is instrumental when you haven’t yet landed your next big client but are looking for more opportunities with existing customers.

By providing a collaborative forum to share ideas or learn more about products and services, you’re creating a stable platform for customers and prospects alike.

14. Influencer Marketing

Through your social media profiles, you need to build a list of influential people in your industry and have the potential to work with you on new projects or become referral customers. When people hear your brand name from other influencers, they tend to be more willing to purchase.

You could argue that journalists are also influencers. By developing relationships with journalists and bloggers, you’re creating new connections and building your network of contacts. They can help promote your work through their blogs, social media sites, or simply writing articles about the benefits of what you do. These relationships can be critical if you’re looking for press coverage for your business or looking to hire a specific type of person (i.e., a writer).

15. Email Marketing

Email marketing can be a powerful tool for generating new leads. That’s because most companies now have an email database of their customers on file and notifying them about new items in stock or promotions going on at their store. It is also the most efficient means of communication for keeping your existing customers informed with specials, new products, and discounts.

The Email marketing industry is also growing and becoming more commonplace. It allows businesses to connect with their customers in a personal way that enables them to form lasting relationships.

They may send out notes regarding product updates or new offers from their company. In a study conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, B2B marketing through content creation that generates leads can increase the number of leads by 21% more than other methods.

Support Others For Mutual Gain

Gone are the times when the enterprise was every man for themselves. If there’s anything COVID-19 has taught us, it’s embracing each other as one global unit that aims to support each other. Collaboration and cooperation have never been more critical, so here are some ways to get your foot in the door by focusing on mutual gain.

16. Helping Out the Business World

Social Media is a great way to find new friends and potential customers, as well as giving back to the people who have helped you in the past. Every day, some people need your help or can use your assistance to improve their business. By participating in a blog post, tweeting, or posting on social media, you can allow others to benefit from your expertise.

17. Creating Sales Leads for B2B Businesses

Connecting with other businesses and offering them help is not only great for creating friendships and potential customers for your business. But it can also create new sales leads for your company. By providing a service or mentoring others, you allow them to see what type of work you do and how you can benefit their business. In turn, this creates a relationship between the two companies that could lead to a new customer.

Lead generation isn’t just about producing leads that match your funnel but about making sure that leads convert into clients and sales. Be consistent with how you communicate (making sure that everything from emails to social media posts presents itself in straightforward, engaging ways). That way, it’s easier for people to understand what you offer and why they should contact you or make any buying decision with your business.

18. Inviting Others to Co-Host a Webinar

The world is changing at speed, so it’s vital you remain relevant. Take advantage of all the tools the world has to offer you and your business. It isn’t just about marketing, but it’s about utilizing technology as a whole.

When you arrange a webinar and share it with your circle, make sure you bring up the fact that you’re happy to have someone join your panel. By doing so, you’re allowing guests to develop credibility by having them speak on stage and in front of a live audience. It’s also a brilliant way to showcase their business and services in a unique environment. It is imperative if they are in another industry than yours because it allows them to reach out to yours or vice versa.

19. Thought Leadership and Brand Advocacy

By providing thought leadership for your company, you can gain a more extensive following by creating valuable content that the public is willing to consume. In turn, this opens your business up to more leads and opportunities for collaborations or partnerships.

You can also become a brand advocate by participating in platform-building exercises. These exercises allow you to network with other businesses and people who share the same interests as you do. Advocacy can lead to a new client base or lead generation tool when you help others through their events, speaking engagements, or online chats.

20. Giving Back to the Community

When giving back to the community, you can show your customers and potential clients how much you care about them. When they see that you are a part of the community, it builds trust in them.

You can do this by volunteering at charities, mentoring at schools or youth clubs, hosting events to raise money for charity, or creating a non-profit foundation. These are all ways you can show how much you care about people and that you actively use your business to support the people in your community.

Commit some of your time to charitable work that’s relevant to your business. Such work can include volunteering in a local hospital or contributing to a local community. Suppose you’re selling products that are healthy or environmentally friendly. In that case, this is an excellent way to show people you are for real.

B2B Lead Generation Strategies are Easy if They’re Genuine and Natural

Remember, B2B lead generation strategies aren’t a one-way street. It’s about expanding a mutual database of professionals who can enrich each other’s businesses and lives. As cliche as it sounds, it’s vital always to be yourself and shine through on any platform you use. Being genuine is the best lead-generator and the best way to get your personality out there.

You don’t have to give up having fun when it comes to generating your leads. Remember that making connections is personal and business simultaneously, so what better way to showcase that by embracing the strategies above to create the best presentation of yourself. People buy from people, after all!

If you need someone to help you market your brand, get in touch today. We’d love to speak to you!