What Are The Most Effective Channels For Successful B2B Lead Generation?
As you continue to build your B2B business, you may be wondering which platforms you should use to maximize lead generation. Is it best to stick to phones, or should you consider newer digital channels like social media? In this blog, we’ll take a look at seven of the most effective channels that your business should be using to bring in more qualified leads, move them down the sales funnel, and turn them into paying customers.
Phone Calls And SMS Messages
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Phone calls give you a great opportunity to pitch your company and your products, and are more personal (and harder to ignore) than sending an email. So it should be no surprise that phone calls are still a very common way to get in touch with potential clients.
According to research by Cognism, 27% of sales teams still consider the phone to be the best way to get in touch with leads and book meetings. It’s also the second most popular new customer acquisition method overall, behind only email. And according to data collected by Zippia, 69% of buyers have accepted a cold call from a salesperson within the past year, while 82% of buyers say they’ve accepted a sales meeting after receiving a cold call.SMS Messages
With the rise in VoIP systems, software-based phones like Skype for Business, and mobile phone use for business, SMS has become a much more viable option for lead generation. Open rates for SMS messages are extremely high. According to SimpleTexting, 81% of people check their text notifications within five minutes of getting a message. Click-through rates for SMS are also very high – between 21% and 35% depending on your line of business.
With great power comes great responsibility, though. Sending too many SMS messages can make your business seem spammy. According to the data referenced above, nearly 70% of people will choose to stop getting texts if they're “too frequent” or “spammy.”
Because of this, SMS messages are best paired with phone calls and voicemails for maximum effectiveness, and you should use them sparingly. For example, you could make a call to a lead at 9:00 AM and leave a voicemail – then, if you get no reply by 2:00 PM, you could send a quick SMS to remind the lead of your call and ask if they're interested in setting up a meeting.
Email Outreach
Emails are the single most popular method for reaching out to potential B2B leads. And it’s not hard to understand why. Email is a simple, fast, and compelling way to get your message across to potential customers. It’s also easier to get a potential lead to give you their email address – 80% of surveyed buyers preferred cold emails to cold calls, according to one HubSpot study.
When it comes to successful emailing, the most important thing is to be personal and authentic.. For example, using a contact’s name in the subject line increases open rates from about 8.5% to nearly 43% – a 500% boost. And additional personalization like discussing industry-specific pain points, or a contact’s employer can boost response rates by up to 32.7%.
Social Media Marketing And Outreach
76% of B2B marketers use Facebook, 70% use Twitter/X, and 57% use Instagram. But when it comes to B2B outreach, LinkedIn is king. 96% of B2B marketers are using LinkedIn, making it the most popular social platform by far. You can use InMail to reach potential leads, create display ad campaigns to target relevant companies and industries, and post helpful thought leadership content to show your authority in your industry.
Social media is particularly powerful for generating leads because you can create campaigns that target very specific demographics. Depending on the platform, these could include a potential lead’s age, career status, income, geographic location, employer, and much more. By using these tools, you can create a campaign that maximizes ROI and minimizes wasted ad spend.
An SEO-Optimized Website With Useful Content
Your website is a powerful tool for B2B lead generation! A great website is an important part of an “inbound marketing” strategy. A slick, well-designed, and informative website with great content helps establish your business as an authority in the industry – and can drive potential leads to get in touch with you.
Also, your website can be used to learn more about the people who are interested in what you have to offer. Collecting data like the location of a visitor, when they visit your website, traffic sources, and most-visited pages helps you optimize your other lead generation channels.
Local Networking Events
With all of the high-tech lead generation channels out there, it’s important to realize that old-fashioned methods are still important! Networking events put on by local businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and other organizations are a fantastic opportunity to make real, human connections with potential clients and industry contacts.
Even if local networking doesn’t lead directly to a potential client or customer, you can meet industry leaders and local businesspeople who may know people interested in your products – and build your overall status and reputation in the area.
Trade Shows, Conferences, And Conventions
This is certainly not the cheapest way to generate leads, but it’s very effective. Industry-specific trade shows and conferences give you the opportunity to make face-to-face connections with people who are likely interested in the products and services you’re offering. In other words, almost everyone you talk to at a convention or a conference will be a qualified lead.
Another unique thing about trade shows and conferences is that you have multiple chances to meet with the same person throughout the event – on the show floor, at workshops, at the hotel bar or other afterparties, and so on. Multiple touchpoints help you stay in the forefront of their mind – and increase your chances of making a sale.
Webinars And Online Workshops
47% B2B marketers have listed webinars/online workshops as their most effective type of content asset, only 1% behind in-person events. Virtual events offer your company a great chance to show off their thought leadership, industry expertise, and even specific aspects of the products/services you have to offer.
Webinars are also very affordable to put on. With a webcam, a computer, and a couple of pieces of software, you can easily host a webinar. The cost of developing content for webinars is also quite low – that’s because existing content like whitepapers, eBooks, blog posts, and FAQ articles can often be repurposed quite easily for a webinar or virtual workshop.
Need Help Generating B2B Leads For Your Business? Get In Touch
Finding qualified leads and turning them into new B2B customers can be a struggle. Even if you’re using the right platforms to reach new leads, you may not have the time, a large enough sales staff, or the expertise to maximize your marketing budget.
We can help. Our B2B lead generation experts work closely with your company to develop a personalized, cost-effective strategy that will bring in the qualified leads you need. From B2B prospecting to appointment setting, custom list creation and more, we’re here to help. Learn more by giving us a call at (330) 649-8000 or contacting us online for an appointment.