Not every B2B lead generation strategy is a proven winner.
The importance of a solid sales strategy for B2B companies has been well documented. However, a leading study found well over half (61 percent) of marketers associate difficulty with the task of B2B lead generation.
For certain, the manufacturing decision makers who reach out to us here at StratMg looking for the best lead generation strategies for B2B. Strategies that actually boost sales.
Are you staging objectives and tactics to execute lead generation strategies B2B style? There are several defining factors manufacturing companies may wish to consider.
Always Engage with Your Target Audience
How many emails or LinkedIn messages do you open from sales reps who know how to spark attention—only to learn no thought was placed into understanding your actual needs as a manufacturing business? Let’s rephrase that. How many messages did you receive this week?
B2B lead generation starts with authentic introductions. This assumes little, but says a lot in terms of:
You know that long sales cycles in B2B are not a fad. We know they are a mainstay in the manufacturing marketing arenas.
The advent of desktop publishing and digital age technologies turned upside down—and on its head—the way people and businesses consume, share and analyze information.
Early adopters have been working hard to get ahead and stay ahead in “self-publishing”—the content development, email marketing and social media optimization—game. The high-clearance manufacturing doors are swinging wide open for a B2B marketing paradigm shift.
So how do we go about:
The new technologies are allowing for innovative optimizations in lead generation. Data and metrics are being used to gauge the interests of prospects and the impact of marketing dollars on an ongoing basis, in near-real time.
All of this contributes to:
1) Greater capacity for thought leadership and the sharing of valuable industry knowledge and information via digital platforms. –The necessary platforms may already be carved out or easy to conceptualize.
2) More incentive to “compete only against yourself” by leveraging your unique brand voice and manufacturing “niche.” –Your uniqueness can be leveraged into digestible pieces of marketing copy that reveal true differentiators, your unique selling proposition.
So what are the five best strategies for B2B lead generation?
At StratMg, we believe in sharing our learnings and insights. Transparency comes first. That’s why we created several guides that go deeper into why SEO for manufacturing companies is important, considering an evolving B2B marketing landscape.
SEO is a powerful tool. It should be considered as part of any serious B2B lead generation strategy. First, it is imperative to ensure optimization of your website—this travels together with SEO acumen and the critical development of trusted backlinks.
Another way to view it:
More than 70 percent of B2B types now start their buying journeys in a digital context. By the time you are found online—once your prospect lands on your website, your email message, that LinkedIn note, etc—the countdown to capture and hold their attention has already begun.
At StratMg, we’ve learned it’s best to get straight to the point in our email marketing messages. One way to fire up “cold” emails is by injecting a healthful dose of creativity. If we want to get creative, we could name this message something like a “digital ice breaker” for your next campaign.
KEEP B2B PROSPECTS LOOKING
Those are questions.
The answers may be part of your overall B2B lead generation solution.
Before ever asking to speak with a salesperson, your prospect may return multiple times to your website or material they viewed previously in an email or on another platform. Is it time to start nurturing leads with an email marketing B2B lead generation campaign?
We’ve discovered that populating a targeted prospect database and arranging an initial series of 5 email messages is a perfect way to:
Plus, what if the original message to your prospect was deleted, lost or isn’t easily locatable? It is no longer near the TOP of their inbox! By sharing an introduction and the appropriate follow-ups, you’ve not only better informed your prospect, you are…
MAKING it easier for your customers to FIND YOU and your future clients to DO BUSINESS with you.
It’s been said that the only way to the other side of pain is through it. If your customer or prospect is experiencing pain, they want out of it. They want out and you want to be there to assist—guiding them to the other side.
One of the most effective and creative ways to achieve this is serving high-quality content that caters to understanding and answering your target audience’s actual questions. This translates into offering something of value they can internalize.
You want to be:
When we talk about consistently producing and sharing relevant industry content what we are really talking about is taking more control and ownership of your message. White papers, case studies, jobs stories, customer testimonials, online reviews, etc.
Two ways to set yourself up for more warm referrals and better lead generation is 1) Originating credible content 2) Repurposing the nice things others are saying about you.
This type of marketing collateral helps set a tone for prospects—regardless of how far along they may be in their buying journey!
Meanwhile, your prospects want to vet your credibility.
They want:
–Something factual, thought provoking—easy to reference, consume, digest, share, point to, act on, etc.
–Something tangible—they can use it to make comparisons, inform their buying considerations.
–Something demonstrable—How their expectations will be aligned—how you will deliver.
In this way, you are inviting your prospects to look under the hood—to take a closer look at what makes your manufacturing operation tick.
Being active on social media is super helpful when establishing a digital identity that reflects your authentic, genuine real-world brand. LinkedIn has become the go-to network for B2B marketers.
A HubSpot study of more than 5,000 B2C and B2B companies shows that LinkedIn is the predominant social network for lead generation.
Marketers report the business networking platform is:
Did you know social selling refers to the collective tactics used as a direct medium to reach out to prospects? Relatively new, this is a highly effective strategy for lead generation.
For one, social selling allows for authentic rapport-building, genuine engagement with prospects and easier segmentation of the target audience. This helps build meaningful relationships thus resulting in being a trusted resource to your target audience.
In turn, this trust results in the exposure of new sales opportunities for your company.
TRUST + CREDIBILITY + SOCIAL PROOF = EXPOSURE OF SALES OPPORTUNITIES
Paid media and niche advertising is an important tool for manufacturing companies, especially near trade shows and special events.
The right partner should be able to align your marketing and advertising dollars with your content strategy. Helping pinpoint where your investment will likely have the biggest impact, potential for the biggest returns.
Furthermore, audio and visual marketing—could be a live video, webinar, QA session, etc—is another B2B lead generation tactic. This type of multimedia content pays dividends by connecting more deeply, generating a higher rate of engagement with customers and prospects.
This can connect your B2B audience to a personalized format, providing a more interactive way for them to explore—to learn how your offerings align with their real needs.
Let’s Manufacture Your B2B Lead Generation Strategy
At StratMg, we understand the multiple layers of decision-making and complexities associated with the manufacturing business, supply chains, vendor relationships, the industry. We hope you have found an insight or two that has perhaps helped inform your B2B lead generation sensibilities.
My $0.02 worth on B2B lead generation?
1 – Determine your pool of prospective buyers.
2 – Do more than market to them. Engage with them.
3 – Define and share credible posts that educate, inform and reflect your uniqueness.
Transparency comes first, which goes a long way especially when developing lead generation strategies for B2B. You can always learn more about what StratMg offers from our website.
Or contact us directly about anything we can do to help guide the development of your B2B manufacturing marketing strategy and goals.
Don’t ever hesitate to reach out for a chat!
Also Read: 9 B2B Email Marketing Tips To Boost Your Lead Generation
With over two decades of experience, Parin leads an expert demand-generation agency, StratMg, that helps industrial manufacturing clients achieve unambiguous and quantified organic sales growth across the US, EMEA & APAC.
Parin has built & positioned StratMg to be a value-added marketing services provider that strives to create a culture of quantified sales-driven marketing initiatives leading to sustained business growth through channel management, diversification, new customer acquisition and retention strategies and tactical execution.
