It’s no secret that the B2B industry is both more competitive and more difficult to successfully penetrate now than ever before. Not only can the number of B2B companies in the industry make it difficult for up-and-coming B2B industries to make an impact on the market; but consumers also have more information available to them than ever before.

This makes it increasingly difficult for B2B companies to influence purchasing decisions. Enter intent data, which gives B2B companies a way to reliably generate leads and focus content marketing, even in the digital age.

What intent data is (and isn’t)

Whenever you make a search on Google or any other search engine, you generate a data footprint of your intent. For example, if you type “what is the best movie of 2018,” data is generated indicating that you are searching for movies to watch.

As a result, you’ll likely start getting ads from publishing houses that have used third parties to purchase your intent data – such as Sony or Fox Searchlight advertising their movies to you. In this example, it’s easy to see the value of intent data for B2C companies, which can use intent data to advertise their products to users who they know are searching for similar items.

In short, every time you get an ad on websites such as YouTube or Instagram, you’re getting ads generated for you using your intent data. Intent data is not, as has sometimes been mistakenly insinuated, a way for B2B companies to – with certainty – predict who will buy from them and when.

Instead, B2B companies can use intent data to effectively generate leads and focus content marketing campaigns, making intent data even more valuable to B2B companies than it is to B2C companies.

How B2B companies can make intent data work in their favor

Crucially, B2C companies are not able to use intent data as effectively as B2B companies are. Because B2B has a longer sales cycle, and B2B purchases are often dictated by buying groups with multiple people, there’s far more leeway for intent data to affect how B2B companies generate leads and target certain clients as opposed to how B2C companies use intent data.

For example, using intent data allows B2B companies to see which members of buying groups are searching for the products or services they offer. Not only does this allow B2B companies to target stakeholders already searching for similar products or services with ads, but it also allows them to focus their content marketing in a way that catches other stakeholders in a buying group and leads them towards their products or services.

Other uses for intent data in the B2B industry

Intent data can also perform other crucial functions for B2B companies. For example, B2B companies can keep track of trends and evolve content marketing campaigns by using intent data to track how searches for B2B products and services are evolving across the industry.

B2B companies can also use intent data to track what previous clients and customers are interested in, allowing them to improve customer retention by constantly keeping themselves on top of their customer and client’s needs.

In conclusion, intent data has the potential to play an invaluable role for B2B companies, allowing them to prospect leads, focus content marketing, monitor industry trends and cross-selling opportunities, and improve customer retention.

If you’re interested in using intent data to help your B2B company reach its full potential, we’d love to help! Our team here at AccelSocial specializes in helping B2B companies generate valuable leads and more. To learn more about what we can do for you, click here

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If you’re looking to grow, then you need a lead strategy that brings in prospects from all areas of the sales funnel and nurtures them until they convert.

If you want leads that click that buy button, then you need to understand lead basics and how different marketing strategies bring in different kinds of leads. We’ll help you through the process so you can maximize your B2B lead generation.

Organic lead generation basics

Lead generation is anything you do to generate interest in your business and earn customers. Your business-to-business leads could be far along the sales funnel and on the verge of buying or could have just started looking.

The first step to lead generation is creating good content on your site and optimizing pages for search engines. Organic lead generation is awesome because you don’t have to pay for it. The content on your site is authoritative and includes good keywords, so Google ranks you well for those keywords.

Businesses simply “Google” it and your site pops up. Your blog posts and web content can lead them further down the funnel through the shopping cart, newsletter signups and others.

B2B lead generation with social media

There are numerous social media channels on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. Each one has their pros and cons for lead generation. If you want business-to-business leads, then LinkedIn is the social media leader.

It was created to link businesses and professionals together. You’ll likely not have your high school friends connected to your LinkedIn profile, but the speaker at the last conference you went to or the leader of the local Chamber of Commerce might be.

Facebook and Twitter have limited B2B connections, but when someone wants to find your business, they’ll look up your profile and send a message. Everything you do on social media connects you to clients and customers, so it’s very important for lead generation.

Email marketing is key to success

When a business or potential client gives you their email for the newsletter, they’re far along the sales funnel. They’ve visited your site, like what they’ve seen and want to keep hearing from you. When you send them newsletters or sales emails, you’re courting them for more sales.

This is the cornerstone of email marketing. Drafting emails with great subject lines and good content keeps you front of mind. Examine statistics such as open rates, deletions and unsubscribes to understand better your audience and how you can improve your emails.

Capture leads and hold on

When you get a lead that is early in the sales funnel, salespeople will let them drop because they want a commission. If you can catch them early, then you can use your marketing to keep them interested and pull them further along the funnel.

If you use these methods for your  B2B lead generation plan, then you’ll maximize the leads that come in. Treat them with respect and help them understand that your product or service is what’s right for them.

If you want more information on lead generation or how to best use social media, then explore our website.

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Stop losing leads to your competitors and develop a lead generation strategy for your business. Your content is what brings them in, so develop your website into a converting machine.

Lead capture hooks the prospect

Your content is what brings people to your website either through PPC advertising, social media or Google search results. When they click on the call to action (CTA) or the ad, they’re brought to the lead capture page.

These are one-page sites or landing pages designed to get people’s contact information. The lead capture page is dynamic and great-looking. The capture page uses high-quality content and free deliverables to entice people to provide their email address for your email marketing list.

There are many design and user-experience elements on the page, so it’s usually best to hire a company that has experience with good lead capture pages.

Design your landing page for conversion

We mentioned earlier about how important the look of the lead capture landing page is for your efforts. The page should be streamlined and minimalistic in nature. Customers don’t want to scroll down to reach your CTA. You’re driving people to one place, so make sure they know where it’s at.

It should have one CTA button and as few input fields as possible. People don’t want to give out too much information. Take some time picking out the colors and fonts for the page. It needs to fit your brand and elicit a response to click on the CTA.

The imagery should be eye-catching, and the layout of the content should have the most important information first. Don’t overdo it on the words; customers could detract from the CTA.

Attract customers with lead magnets

Your lead capture or landing page is the canvas for your lead, but the lead magnet is what they really want. Lead magnets are assets and deliverables that people visiting the site download. The information is so good that they’re willing to give you their email information to get it.

Lead magnets help usher your potential customer further into the sales funnel. They can be e-books, white papers, guides, case studies, bonus content and other long-form assets. The information is detailed and worth the time and effort to read. It gives them something they don’t already have.

Make a touchdown with lead scoring

Leads come in all shapes and sizes. Some leads are ready to buy the second they hit your site, but others haven’t started researching their needs and happened to find themselves reading your website. It’s important to know which leads deserve immediate action, which ones require careful handling and which ones are the least priority.

Lead scoring is a method of rating leads based on their importance using company size, website interactions, asset downloads and other factors. High-importance leads are moved to the front of the pack for follow up and potentially direct content.

This lets you get to leads ready for sales fast. The lead score tells you what is low-hanging fruit and which ones require more nurturing.

If you’re interested in learning more about lead scoring or nurturing through social media and digital advertising, then explore our website.

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In this article, our team here at Accel Social has come together to tell you everything you need to know about the lead generation trends that are going to dominate the B2B industry.

Social media and influencers will play an integral role in marketing

It’s no secret that a major component of lead generation is marketing – after all, if the clients you want aren’t aware of your existence, it’s hard to generate leads in those target buying groups. Fortunately, by utilizing social media and social media influencers in a savvy manner, B2B suppliers can easily increase their lead generation.

First of all, consider upgrading how conversational you are on your social media accounts. Whatever social media you use to promote your products and services – be it Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, or all of the above – will be perceived as a company face by potential clients and current customers.

By regularly engaging with your community and those interested in your products, you can promote yourself as not only a thought leader in your market niche but also as a customer-centric business. Secondly, upgrade your influencer program.

For an example of a B2B company expertly using social media as a marketing tool, look no further than General Electric’s (GE) LinkedIn page. Featuring a combination of well-written articles on niche topics, job postings and updates on the recent company and industry advancements, GE’s LinkedIn profile presents an exciting and innovative example of how B2B companies can use social media to their advantage.

If you use social media in the capacities mentioned above, you’re effectively utilizing one of the oldest and most trustworthy marketing techniques – word of mouth – in a digital capacity.

Doing so effectively has the capacity to drastically increase your sales.

Website optimization is a must

If you haven’t done so yet, consider QA testing your website. By tracking which parts of your website visitors are looking at, and where they’re clicking, you can easily optimize your website, so the most important information is front and center.

Additionally, adding a chatbot to your website with AI capable of answering simple questions (for example, “what’s your refund policy like?”) will help you generate more interest – research shows that 70 percent of individuals prefer to use chatbots to answer simple questions about a company.

Content creation will play a key role in lead generation

There’s a reason why most reputable companies aiming to increase their business have a blog – studies indicate that 81 percent of U.S. consumers trust information and advice from blogs. Blogs act a sort of “in” with potential buyers and having consistently produced, high-quality written content on your website will make it easier for potential clients to trust that your company provides high quality, trustworthy products or services.

Once you’ve got your blog established, however, it’s time to branch out. Video and audio content, such as behind the scenes videos of your production process or a podcast about your specific niche headed by some of your C-level employees, are fantastic ways to generate leads.

On a larger scale, attending events such as CES (or even hosting an event of your own) are amazing ways to both generate leads and build up a community around your products and services. Once you’ve got some interesting content, consider uploading it to LinkedIn as well as your website, as LinkedIn is becoming a more and more stable lead generation device.

Account based marking will reign supreme

Account-based marketing (ABM), in which a B2B company tailors their marketing and branding towards specific target clients, is a buzzword right now. Fortunately, unlike most buzzwords, the hype behind ABM is supported by facts.

Some 97 percent of advertising firms that utilize ABM report a higher return on investment (ROI) using ABM as opposed to using traditional marketing activities. As a result, ABM is undoubtedly one of the best ways for a B2B company to generate leads that will actually turn into sales.

And there you have it! Our list of the B2B lead generation trends that will dominate 2019. Are you interested in generating leads for your B2B business? We’d love to hear from you! Here at Accel Social, we work with clients such as Disney – yes, that Disney – to help them generate leads. To learn more the services we offer, click here.

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There is no arbitrary content in business because everything about it sends a message. Even the way content is presented is significant. Eminent content creation influences high-value leads with a finesse that most entry level sales people have not yet mastered.

Inform and educate

An informed buyer is a happy one. Early in the sales journey, buyers gather information and get to know a company. They often prefer to do this without the proverbial high-pressure sales pitch, instead gathering information from available content.

This type of nurtured information gathering is a vital part of the buying process. Your company’s content should serve to educate potential buyers and clients while sending a consistent message across all mediums.

The highly skilled team at AccelSocial can help you do that. We work with our clients to develop content that engages and energizes their audience.

Qualify and gauge

You can use specific types of content to qualify potential buyers while separating fact finders from serious inquiries. Use downloadable forms and gated content to gauge a buyer’s interest level, budget and even their position of authority.

This type of strategy can save a company’s sales team valuable time and money by identifying a potential client’s position in the sales funnel. Each specific content type serves a fundamental purpose in the sales journey.

Utilizing them effectively is the key to generating the highest return on investment.

Acquisition and value

Every business must establish its community and audience presence. Only then can it harvest the wealth of intelligence within that community and apply it to future marketing decisions. This activity helps set up the acquisition cost associated with each new client.

Not only can eminent content creation lower acquisition costs, but it can also increase the value of each sale. By using highly informative content to educate clients about the products or services they are paying for, you are automatically increasing the likelihood they will be satisfied with their purchase.

Furthermore, there is a greater possibility that you will foster long-term relationships with them while encouraging repeat business.

Authority and credibility

Content creation is a great way to showcase your company’s expertise in a specific industry. Whether content is created and posted on your company’s website or on social media platforms, it can help establish authority and credibility with clients.

If used correctly, it will also impact lead generation quality by helping to weed out ill-suited prospects and build trust with potential clients. This sense of trust and transparency will help guide high-value leads through your sales funnel.

At AccelSocial, we help create and promote compelling content that allows your business to harvest qualified, high-value leads. Our performance-based advertising and social solutions foster trust and growth because your success is our success.

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