(Part 1 of 4)
For a B2B company, reaching potential customers and converting them into leads is essential to sustaining and growing the business. But how can you generate leads effectively in today’s digital landscape?
In the first of four parts, we present the top 20 lead generation tactics for 2023 to help you generate high-quality, qualified leads. From social media marketing and email campaigns to content marketing, these tactics can help you increase lead volumes and successfully scale your B2B business.
1. Content marketing
Content marketing is a marketing strategy that attracts and engages a target audience by creating and distributing relevant, valuable content. The aim is to reach potential customers subtly by offering the information, advice or entertainment they are looking for or need.
Examples of content marketing include high-quality blog posts, case studies, podcasts, infographics, eBooks, white papers, newsletters, webinars and videos.
The main aim of content marketing is to build trust and customer relationships, ultimately increasing revenue.
Examples of content marketing:
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Case Studies: Customer examples show potential buyers how a company can solve specific problems and what results it has achieved.
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White papers: Detailed, informative and well-researched white papers can provide potential customers with important information and demonstrate the value a company offers.
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Podcasts: Longer podcast episodes can help a company establish expertise and authority within its industry.
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eBooks: Informative, carefully designed eBooks can give potential customers valuable information and spark interest in a company.
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Infographics: Carefully designed infographics can make complex data and information easy to understand and memorable.
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Webinars: Webinars allow B2B companies to demonstrate their expertise and show potential customers the value of their solutions.
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Videos: Videos can create an emotional connection, explain complex problems simply and help communicate product details in particular.
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Newsletters: B2B companies can discuss current topics and draw attention to their solutions and products.
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GROWSaaS tip: Before starting your content marketing activities, establish the foundations with a content marketing strategy and produce relevant content for every stage of the content marketing funnel — TOFU, MOFU and BOFU. This helps you support each potential lead or customer throughout their customer journey with the most relevant content. |
Useful link → Find out more about content marketing in our blog post, “The ultimate guide to creating a successful B2B content marketing strategy”.
2. Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Search engine optimisation, or SEO, is a set of techniques, strategies and tactics used to improve a website’s or web page’s position in search engine rankings for particular queries or search terms.
Optimisation primarily aims to improve a website’s relevance and authority in the eyes of search engines, generating more traffic, visibility and ultimately revenue. It considers on-page factors such as content, architecture and structure, as well as off-page factors such as backlinks and social signals.
On-page optimisation involves improving elements on a website to increase its visibility and relevance for relevant search queries. This includes adding keywords, optimising meta tags, using heading tags and internal links, and optimising images and videos.
Examples of on-page optimisation
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Title tag optimisation: The title tag is the heading for your web page that appears in search results. Optimising it is important for achieving a high click-through rate.
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Meta description optimisation: The meta description is a short summary of your web page displayed beneath the title tag. A good meta description can increase click-through rates.
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Heading optimisation (H1–H6): Headings describe the content on your web page. Optimising them helps both readers and search engines understand it.
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Using keywords: Using relevant keywords in copy and headings can improve the discoverability of your web page for particular searches.
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Image optimisation: Optimising images for image search through alt tags and user-friendly filenames can help increase traffic to your website.
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Using internal links: Linking to other relevant pages on your website can encourage visitors to stay longer and help them navigate.
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Load time optimisation: Improving load times can enhance the user experience and lead to a higher position in search results.
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Mobile optimisation: Optimising for mobile devices is an important ranking factor and helps provide the best experience across all devices.
Off-page optimisation refers to measures taken outside your website to increase its visibility and authority. These include building backlinks from other websites, improving social media profiles and participating in forums and online communities.
Examples of off-page optimisation
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Link building: Link building is an important part of off-page optimisation. This includes backlinks — links from other websites to your own. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more favourably search engines assess your site.
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Social media marketing: Social media is an important part of off-page optimisation. Building a strong presence on social channels allows you to reach your audience, strengthen your brand and drive traffic to your website.
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Online directories: Listing your website in online directories can help build backlinks and improve its visibility to search engines.
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Guest blogging: Writing guest posts for other websites can help you build backlinks and improve engagement with your website.
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Press release distribution: Distributing press releases about your company or products can generate backlinks and increase your visibility on major news websites.
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Influencer marketing: Working with well-known people or influencers who promote your products or services can increase your visibility.
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Blog comments: Leaving meaningful comments on blogs and forums can generate additional traffic and backlinks to your website.
The aim of SEO is to increase a website’s organic reach and improve its visibility in search engine results.
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GROWSaaS tip: Target the right keywords Before starting search engine optimisation, carry out keyword research and distinguish between the organic and paid keywords you want to focus on. Base your SEO strategy primarily on “intent keywords”: long-tail keyword combinations that reveal a specific intention, such as “buy/order”, “comparison/compare” or “test/experiences/review”. People searching for these keywords are more likely to have a specific interest in buying. If you offer a SaaS service or cloud software, ensure that your landing page content matches the relevant search intent. This can bring you more qualified traffic while reducing irrelevant visits and quick exits from your site, which can in turn negatively affect your search engine rankings. We would be happy to help you carry out keyword research as the foundation of your SEO strategy. Book a no-obligation consultation here. |
3. Social media marketing (SMM)
Social media marketing uses social platforms to promote products or services, distribute content and interact with potential customers.
It includes:
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Creating content — text, images and video — for social platforms
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Running social media advertising
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Interacting with customers and followers
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Analysing data to improve strategies and campaigns.
The aim of social media marketing is to increase brand awareness, reach the target audience, support lead generation and ultimately generate more sales or revenue.
Well-known social media channels include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, XING, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Flickr, Weibo, VKontakte, Telegram and WhatsApp.
Examples of social media marketing
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Facebook ads
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Instagram Stories
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Twitter campaigns
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LinkedIn ads
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XING ads
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Influencer marketing on YouTube
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TikTok videos
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Pinterest pins and boards
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Snapchat filters and lenses
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Blog posts and guest posts
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Facebook groups and communities.
We recommend developing a social media marketing strategy before preparing and launching campaigns.
4. Email marketing
B2B email marketing uses email to advertise and market products and services to businesses and their representatives. This digital marketing method communicates marketing messages and information to potential or existing business customers through their individual email addresses, with the aim of building, nurturing and strengthening business relationships.
B2B email marketing often uses targeted, informative and practical content to help solve business problems and improve processes. Analysing data also helps businesses send more targeted, personalised emails to specific B2B audiences and improve effectiveness.
Here are 10 examples of B2B email marketing campaigns:
Welcome email
An email sent to new subscribers to welcome them and explain the benefits of subscribing.
Newsletter
A regular newsletter can include company information, product updates, training and events.
Announcements
An email announcing new products, services, employees or partnerships.
Event invitations
An email invitation to a company event, such as a conference, trade fair or webinar.
Follow-up emails
An email sent to prospects after a sales conversation, demo or another interaction.
User feedback emails
An email sent to customers to collect feedback about products or services.
Post-purchase feedback emails
An email sent to customers to collect feedback about the purchasing process, the quality of the product or service, or customer support.
Reminders
An email sent to customers to remind them about upcoming sales promotions or product launches.
Upsell and cross-sell emails
An email recommending other company products or services that could complement or extend what the customer has already purchased.
Renewal reminders
An email sent to customers whose contracts are expiring or who need to renew a service.
Many software providers and tools support email marketing. Some of the best known — including tools we use ourselves at GROWSaaS — are:
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Mailchimp
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Campaign Monitor
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Constant Contact
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HubSpot
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GetResponse
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AWeber
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ConvertKit
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ActiveCampaign
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Drip
These tools typically offer features for creating email campaigns, managing email lists, analysing campaign statistics and automating emails. It is worth comparing different options and choosing software that meets your company’s individual requirements and needs.
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GROWSaaS tip: Use drip marketing campaigns Try combining email marketing with a drip marketing campaign to get the most from your emails and effectively generate and nurture leads over the long term, guiding them through your sales funnel. |
Useful link → Find out more about email marketing in our blog post, “The power of drip marketing campaigns in the SaaS industry… and why you should use them”.
5. Events, trade fairs and conferences
Events such as trade fairs and conferences are important for generating leads and building relationships with potential customers. They give you an excellent opportunity to network with other businesses in your industry, present your products and services, and market your company. A clear marketing strategy is essential to maximise the number of leads you generate and build relationships with potential customers.
One of the best ways to generate leads at events is to have a stand where you can present your products or services. Once you have sparked visitors’ interest, you can invite them to leave their contact details so that you can follow up and discuss further details. You can also attend conferences to stay up to date with the latest industry trends and developments, gathering valuable knowledge to improve your products or services.
Finally, once you have generated leads at events, it is important to nurture them respectfully. Effective communication can strengthen your relationships with potential customers and reflect positively on your company. Keep lead nurturing personal and human so that potential customers feel valued and want to build a lasting relationship with you.
Overall, trade fairs, conferences and other events are an important part of your marketing strategy for generating leads and building relationships with potential customers. Clear objectives and effective communication can help ensure that your event activities succeed and position your company positively.
Coming soon — Part 2
–> Continue to Part 2 of “The top 20 lead generation tactics for B2B companies in 2023”
Ready to take your B2B lead generation to the next level?
Are you a SaaS, IT or technology company looking to generate more qualified leads?
GROWSaaS can help you implement and optimise your lead generation!
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