Lead generation is about engaging your target audience to the point that they want to give you their contact information.
However, this engagement and nurturing process is not something you set up once and forget about. Instead, it’s an ongoing strategy that needs to be refined. Why? Because popular culture and rules of engagement change every year as technology and consumer preferences evolve. Therefore, you need to adapt your lead gen efforts.
Don’t get left behind as your customer preferences evolve. Here are 7 lead generation tactics that will dominate in 2023. Use these to drive more sales for your B2B company.
Here are the top 7 B2B lead generation strategies in 2023
The general trend is that B2B companies focus on generating quality leads over a high quantity of leads. And B2B brands are doing this via long-term organic lead generation strategies. Meaning that brands are using internally-generated assets to grow their business. For example, blogs, emails and content optimised for search engines are gaining popularity over paid mediums.
Why? Because as markets slow, companies are looking to optimise their marketing spend. However, unlike during the early months of COVID-19, most companies are not entirely slashing marketing budgets. Instead, B2B companies are optimising their spending by cutting back on advertising and paid content distribution and, instead, focusing their efforts on strategies that organically draw leads to their website.
So let’s delve into the 7 most effective lead gen strategies of 2023.
1. Content Marketing
The saying “content is king” still stands. Content is the fuel of lead generation. That’s why 46% of businesses plan to increase their content creation spend. Why? Because content marketing helps you:
- Increase your brand awareness and exposure.
- Organically attract traffic towards your website.
- Capture and retain a lead’s attention.
- Build trust with your audience.
- By encouraging engagement with your brand and offering.
- Generate more leads.
How does content help you generate leads? It passively nurtures your audience. According to DemandGen, 44% of potential buyers consume three to five pieces of content before even engaging with a company. At the same time, content marketing generates three times as many leads as outbound marketing and costs 62% less.
That doesn’t mean that outbound marketing is no longer relevant and that you should stop all efforts. Cold calling and LinkedIn InMails are still valuable B2B business tactics. But if you haven’t gotten around to developing content, only publish company news or are aimlessly writing content without a plan, make developing your content machine and strategy a priority for 2023.
The top-performing content formats for B2B companies in 2022 were: virtual events such as webinars or online courses, research reports, ebooks and blogs shorter than 3,000 words. So, if you’re unsure where to start, pick one of these content formats to reap the most rewards in 2023.
2. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
When creating content for your website, optimise it for search engines. SEO continues to be one of the best lead generation channels for B2B companies.
According to HubSpot, SEO is one of the top methods for B2B companies to generate leads. It’s ranked as one of the best marketing channels in terms of return on investment. And 88% of B2B companies plan to maintain or increase their investment in SEO in 2023. Investing in SEO will help you rise above your competitors, drive organic traffic, and boost conversions on your website.
To get started with SEO, brainstorm words you’d like your company to be known for. These words should reflect your brand and the product or services you offer. For example, if you’re a design and branding agency, you want to be known for keywords like “design agency”, “branding agency”, and more general terms like “branding”. Then, use an SEO tool such as Ahrefs to conduct keyword research and to further understand search intent. Next, use these keywords, similar terms and common questions to craft content ideas.
However, don’t sacrifice SEO for quality. The Google algorithm rewards brands that write for people and provide value over content written solely for ranking purposes.
3. Social Selling
Social selling, using social media to generate leads and grow your sales funnel, is another powerful lead-generation strategy for 2023. Because at the end of the day, no matter your industry or offering, you’re selling to a person. Given the importance of social media in everyone’s lives, B2B companies need to leverage these platforms to meet their audience where they’re most active.
Businesses prioritising social selling are 51% more likely to reach their sales quotas. And 78% of B2B companies that use social selling outsell businesses that don’t use social media.
However, when we talk of social selling, we don’t mean spamming LinkedIn or Facebook users with messages about your product or Calendly links asking them to book a demo. Instead, social selling is a long-term game. It involves building trust and credibility with prospects by participating and interacting with them on social media platforms.
Social selling can involve any of the following:
- Creating content that addresses a problem faced by your customers.
- Using your social media profile as a demand generation magnet.
- Participating in social conversations that lead to sales opportunities.
- Following and engaging with potential customers.
- Developing and nurturing a niche community of your own on social media.
If you’re unsure which platform to use, start with LinkedIn. According to the Content Marketing Institute, LinkedIn is the organic social media platform B2B Content Marketers use the most and the one they find most effective. And Facebook had the lowest rating, with 37% of B2B Marketers saying it was ineffective.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing, whether it’s newsletters, promotional emails, welcome emails or event reminders and follow-up emails, generates one of the biggest returns on investment (ROI is 4,400%) and provides the highest click-through rate compared to other digital media efforts.
Which explains why three out of four B2B marketers use email newsletters to distribute content. And email marketing will continue to grow well into 2025.
With third-party cookies going away, and the rising importance of privacy and the consensual use of data, email marketing is a welcome solution.
Not only is it cost-effective, but it’s also easy to tweak your efforts and measure success via metrics such as open, click-through and reply rates. In addition, it’s a permissioned form of marketing. Meaning recipients have chosen to receive these updates, which they can read or unsubscribe from at any point.
If you’re unsure how to start, check whether your CRM platform enables you to send basic emails. If it doesn’t, choose an email marketing provider such as MailChimp. Then, set clear goals that match your marketing strategy, as it’s easier to pick or write content knowing what you want to achieve via email marketing.
5. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing has been one of the fastest-growing marketing strategies in the last five years. It’s been all the hype in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, and it’s also catching on in the B2B sector.
86% of B2B brands who use influencer marketing report it to be successful. 70% of surveyed B2B companies say influencer marketing improved their brand awareness. And 56% say it helped generate new leads. So it’s clear this trend is here to stay.
The beauty of influencer marketing is you work with someone your audience already knows and trusts. And this person knows how to create powerful content that attracts new followers while resonating with their base. Therefore, if you partner with the right influencer you will amplify your company name and boost your awareness.
When deciding who to partner with, look beyond vanity metrics such as follower count or the number of subscribers. Instead, start with a clear buyer persona. Look at the social media platforms your audience use, who they interact with on LinkedIn and who they follow on social media. Use this information to understand which industry influencers to use to your advantage and the type of content that will resonate with them the most. This will enable your B2B company to forge winning relationships in no time.
6. Video Marketing
There are more platforms to create video content than ever. So it should be no surprise that 78% of people watch some form of video content every week, and 84% of online consumers buy products after watching a branded video.
Why is video content so popular? Because it’s a visual form of content that’s more engaging than a static image. Videos capture our interests thanks to moving images that our brains find more interactive and memorable.
Using video content as part of your marketing strategy will help your company increase its brand awareness, generate more leads and sales, reduce support calls and boost your website traffic.
To jumpstart your video marketing strategy, start by choosing your target audience and defining the goal of your video(s). Analyse the budget and resources available to be aware of opportunities and challenges you will face. Then, brainstorm the type of video, the content and the distribution platforms you’ll use and start creating!
7. Offer a Free Tool or Trial
This might not be an option for all B2B brands. However, if you’re a software or technology company, consider offering a free trial or version of your tool.
HubSpot offers a free CRM. Crazy Egg gives a free Heatmap tool. Hunter provides small companies with a free plan. Leadinfo proposes a free 14-day trial.
Why do we do this? Because it allows leads to try before they buy. It enables people to experience first-hand what they can accomplish using your tool and how it will make their life easier. And it provides companies with valuable insights about their product. Making this tactic a powerful lead-generation strategy that will convert leads who are feeling indecisive.
The secret to creating a free trial that’s irresistible to your target audience? Here’s what you need to know:
- Make sure your free trial is free. No credit card should be required.
- Make it as easy to sign up as possible. So no lengthy forms to fill out.
- Limit the trial period to 14 days or less.
- Provide customer support to trial users or those using your free plan.
The Future of Lead Generation
These seven lead-generation strategies will help you grow in 2023. But don’t expect immediate results. Each of these strategies will take time to accomplish. And if you’re just starting out, don’t attempt to implement seven new lead gen strategies simultaneously.
Instead, pick one option that’s realistic for you to achieve within your company. What you choose depends on your buyer’s persona, marketing strategy, and business goals. Then watch your company grow and convert more leads.