Whichever B2B business you are managing or promoting, digital marketing provides some awesome opportunities for lead generation.
You already know about cold calling and email outreach, so let’s look for some more ways to generate leads for your B2B business.
Here are lead generation ideas that really work.
1. Optimize for search intent
When it comes to lead generation, search intent optimization is key. Search intent reflects a user’s goal behind searching. Search intent analysis helps you create content that meets your target audience’s needs. There are several types of search intent: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional. Each type represents a different stage of the buyer’s journey.
Here are some tips on how to optimize for search intent for lead generation purposes:
Research your target audience
Before optimizing for search intent, you need to know who your target leads are. Looking at your web analytics and surveying your current customers will help you with this task.
Use keyword research tools to identify search queries most relevant to your business and audience. WebCEO’s online keyword research tool is excellent for this task:
Organize your keyword lists by intent
Searching Google for each query will give you lots of clues here. For example, if Google shows product results, the intent is likely commercial. Or if you see a lot of lists ranking on page one, Google may have found its users are looking for several options:
Create content that matches the search intent: Once you know what your target audience is searching for and what type of search intent they have, you can create content that matches their needs.
For instance, if someone searches for “best project management software,” they are likely in the consideration stage of the buyer’s journey and are looking for information about different project management options. In this case, you could create a comparison guide that outlines the pros and cons of different project management software options emphasizing yours as a better option.
Optimize your content for keywords
Use the keywords that you’ve identified in your research throughout your content, including in your headlines, subheadings, and body copy.
Use visuals and multimedia
Adding visuals and multimedia to your content can help make it more engaging and easier to understand. This can help keep your target audience on your website longer, increasing the chances that they’ll convert into leads. Make sure your site’s speed is optimized so that images and videos do not slow your page down.
Include calls-to-action
Finally, ensure that your content includes clear and compelling calls-to-action that encourage your target audience to take the next step in the buyer’s journey. This could be joining a free trial, requesting a demo, or subscribing to your email list. Ensure your CTAs provide immediate engagement opportunities, like chatting with a bot or interacting with IVR.
By following these tips, you can optimize your content for search intent and generate more leads for your business. Remember to keep your target audience’s needs and interests in mind when creating content, and always be testing and tweaking your strategy to see what works best for your specific audience.
2. Host webinars
Webinars make perfect lead magnets. It will not only build your authority, it is also genuinely helpful. Being helpful is a sure way to enhance your online lead potential.
Not only do you get your name out there and build that reputation, you’re also making it easier for prospective clients to buy a new home. Plus, any way for you to show your business is giving back to the community can only be a good thing!
2. Q&As
Offering advice to locals can be hugely successful. It can get your name out there in a positive way and ease the buyer’s journey with sage advice. Not only that, but it can generate free leads for your business.
Your Q&As could be as simple as answering related questions on Quora or targeting community websites and forums. Offering free advice can turn nervous buyers or sellers into genuine prospects. It can get your name out into the community and provide genuine value and insight for others.
3. Start a podcast
Podcasts are huge and not many B2B businesses are producing them. This could provide unique lead generation for your business and help you position it as a knowledge hub. A weekly podcast covering relevant news and trends could offer genuine value to your audience and positive promotion for your company.
You could include questions and answers for a two-way conversation, include guest speakers from around the community, and offer competitions, quizzes and anything else you can think of. You could even add an interview with happy clients or reviews of your services occasionally for good measure.
As long as you keep the selling low and value high, a podcast could set you apart.
4. Let yourself be reviewed
If you haven’t yet implemented a review system for your business, now is the time to do it. Many demographics rely on reviews, from buying groceries to big ticket items. We all check reviews of neighborhoods, schools, employers and most other aspects of our lives so you need to be reviewed too.
Add scripts to your website or have a review section built. Include it in your social, mobile app, email and marketing. Make sure all clients know you will appreciate honest feedback and that you action any issues highlighted in those reviews.
Don’t just set up a review system and let it run. Engage with reviewers, be as active on your platform as on social media. That engagement can be as powerful as the reviews themselves and is often forgotten. Another opportunity to differentiate yourself from the competition!
There is no reason why lead generation for your business cannot be a mix of online and in person. If your community is increasingly going online, you should too.
