Inbound marketing has proven to be a powerful lead generation tactic for B2B companies that need more flexible strategies for attracting high quality leads than B2C companies do. Since the interests, capabilities, and concerns of these customer groups are so different, the strategies marketers use to reach out to them must be as well.
For some B2B marketers, this is a well-known fact. Others are asking, “What is inbound marketing?” But regardless of exposure to inbound marketing methods and strategies, the fact is that new developments in the world of digital marketing are changing the game for everyone involved.
Inbound marketing is a data-driven marketing approach that uses website content to attract and qualify leads. It works because people search for things online all the time, and they consistently purchase from the sources of information they trust most.
How to Use Inbound Marketing Strategies to Generate Leads
Inbound marketing might sound like a complex apparatus for generating leads – and it can easily become one – but it doesn’t have to be. Helpful, knowledgeable salespeople can become inbound marketers simply by hopping on social media and helping someone who has a problem.
This is a simplified version of the underlying mechanics of inbound marketing, but it’s one that works. It is when marketers and salespeople wish to scale their efforts to reach ever wider audiences that they need to adapt.
Until recently, B2B lead generation tactics mostly consisted of purchasing contact data lists and calling every single individual on the list trying to sell the company’s products or services. This produced results for some people, and didn’t produce results for others. In either case, today’s data-driven marketplace no longer responds to such broadly defined customer categorizations.
Now, marketers and sales professionals need to use inbound lead generation marketing strategies. There are many ways to do this, but three methods stand out for today’s web users.
1. Targeted Email Marketing
Many digital marketers are surprised when they find out that email still outperforms any other marketing vehicle in terms of ROI in 2019. Email marketing campaigns can generate 3800% returns on every dollar spent.
Even though email technology is as old as audio cassettes, it is still the primary means of communication between professionals in a vast majority of industries around the globe. A well-crafted, mobile-friendly email marketing campaign that addresses its recipients’ concerns is extraordinarily valuable and will remain so for many years.
2. LinkedIn Posts and Ads
Another high-performing marketing channel for marketers who need new B2B lead generation tactics is LinkedIn. According to the company’s reports, 80% of social media B2B marketing leads come through LinkedIn, and it offers a 28% lower cost per lead compared to Google AdWords.
As the preferred social media network for professionals, it’s an important hub of activity for a wide variety of industries, and one of the most accessible options for gathering data on leads to qualify them. LinkedIn ads and posts can help drive highly targeted B2B lead generation marketing strategies.
3. Helpful Web Content That Answers User Queries
One of the most important ways B2B marketers can generate leads is by answering the kinds of questions that potential leads ask. Marketers who can preempt these questions using web content are essentially performing the most important aspect of all great inbound marketing strategies.
Websites like Quora can operate as functional lead generating platforms if used correctly. Even a website FAQ can generate leads. This is especially true if its content is written in such a way that it manages to become a Google Featured Snippet for a high-volume keyword.
Maximize B2B Lead Generation Tactics with Industry-Leading Expertise
The three methods mentioned above are not the only ways to generate leads in today’s competitive B2B marketing space, but they form the foundation of successful B2B lead generation marketing strategies. There are many other complementary solutions that can increase the effectiveness of any of these approaches.
For instance, marketers focusing on the B2B potential of LinkedIn will want to maximize their presence on the website and gain social media traction. Going to networking events and using them to gain new connections can play a part in this and potentially generate new on-the-spot leads as well. Writing a high-quality blog can help with all three of the tactics mentioned above.
There are numerous things marketers can do to keep their campaigns alive in 2019 and beyond. All it takes is a healthy, resourceful approach and dedication to improving B2B lead generation tactics as time goes on. Marketers who measure the results of their inbound marketing strategies’ results can continuously adjust their performance to meet new needs.
It’s time to take B2B lead generation tactics to the next level. Speak with a marketing expert at Amplify to find out how to get started.
Comments