The constant chase for more leads can feel like a relentless puzzle in the B2B world. You’ve probably tried the cold calls, and the endless emails, but the results? Well, they’re hit or miss at best.
But what if there’s a different path, one that could scale your B2B lead generation process?
Inbound leads could be the solution you’re looking for. These are leads that come to you, drawn by your content and online presence, rather than you having to go out and find them.
In this blog, we’ll dive into simple yet effective strategies that really work, moving beyond theories to practical steps.
So, if you’re ready to change how you get leads and make your life a bit easier, keep reading. Let’s get those leads flowing your way.
Why do you need inbound leads?
First up, let’s talk about why inbound leads are important. It’s one thing to say they’re helpful, but the numbers really do speak for themselves.
Check out these stats that show just how much of a difference focusing on inbound leads can make:
- Getting leads through inbound methods is 61% cheaper than traditional outbound methods, according to Invesp.
- When you nurture your leads well, you could see sales opportunities jump by 20%, as per DemandGen Report’s findings.
- Blogging more can significantly boost your leads. HubSpot found that upping your blog posts from 3-5 times a month to 6-8 can nearly double them.
- Marketo reports that top-notch lead nurturing programs can create 50% more ready-to-buy leads at a cost that’s 33% less.
- Only about 20% of marketers believe that outbound efforts bring in quality leads, suggests HubSpot’s research.
The takeaway? Inbound leads aren’t just potentially valuable – they offer an immediate opportunity.
In contrast, outbound leads can take a lot more time and resources before they start paying off.
Inbound vs. Outbound Leads
Inbound and outbound lead generation are pretty different in their styles and goals.
Inbound is about drawing people in with great content – it’s educational and focuses on building trust. Outbound, however, is more direct and sales-driven, using tactics like ads and calls to get attention.
Inbound is all about a good customer experience, and it’s usually more cost-effective with better long-term results. Outbound aims to reach a lot of people quickly, but it can cost more and sometimes bring in lower-quality leads.
In short, inbound is like attracting with a magnet, while outbound is more like knocking on doors. The best choice depends on what your business needs and who you’re trying to reach.
Best tactics to boost your inbound leads
Below, we’ve compiled a list of the best strategies to maximize inbound as a lead generation tool.
Provide professional insights into your content
Go beyond basic content
- Focus on depth and expertise: Simply rewriting popular articles won’t cut it. Your content needs to showcase your unique expertise and understanding of the industry. This involves presenting new perspectives or insights that aren’t commonly found online.
- Target specific pain points: Understand and address specific challenges your B2B audience faces. Tailored content that solves real problems will attract more qualified leads.
Showcase your unique knowledge
- Leverage industry experts: Utilize the knowledge of experts within your team or industry. Their first-hand experience and deeper understanding can provide valuable and authentic insights to your audience.
- Reflect the brand’s unique positioning: Every piece of content should reinforce what sets your brand apart. This could be your unique approach, methodology, or experience in solving industry-specific issues.
Do your homework on topics
- In-depth research for richer content: Invest time in researching topics thoroughly. This means going beyond surface-level information and digging into studies, trends, and detailed analyses.
- Data-driven insights: Incorporate relevant data and statistics to back up your points. This adds credibility to your content and can make complex topics more understandable and engaging.
Tell a great story
- Engage through storytelling: Use storytelling to make your content more engaging and relatable. This could involve sharing customer success stories, case studies, or narratives that illustrate how your product or service solves real-world problems.
- Emotional connection: Good stories evoke emotions and build a connection with the audience. They should guide the reader through a journey that resonates with their experiences or aspirations.
At Axellerato, we leverage our case studies as effective sales tools. During discussions with prospective clients from specific industries, we showcase our achievements in similar scenarios. This approach frequently influences their decision to partner with us positively. For more examples and in-depth insights, explore our top B2B content marketing strategies here.
Make LinkedIn an integral part of your lead generation strategy
Not every social media platform is suitable for B2B brand objectives, but some stand out for their effectiveness.
Topping that list is LinkedIn, the largest professional networking platform, making it a prime choice for B2B inbound lead generation. Discover why and how to use it effectively in our guide: “How To Effectively Use LinkedIn For B2B Lead Generation’’.
1. Leverage precise targeting on LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s platform allows you to connect with a wide array of professionals.
While this is beneficial for scaling your lead generation efforts, it also means that without specific targeting, you risk reaching many who don’t match your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).
To prevent this, it’s essential to perform an in-depth analysis of your audience and competitors.
Create detailed buyer personas to ensure your messaging resonates with the most relevant LinkedIn users.
2. Showcase your top content
In B2B social media marketing, the winning formula combines social selling tactics with engaging content.
While the selling part is often straightforward, creating content that strikes the right balance between professionalism and engagement can be a challenge for B2B businesses.
Your goal should be to share content that captivates and provides value, keeping your followers interested and engaged.
At Axellerato, we focus on posts that resonate with our audience and simplify their professional lives.
Effective content topics for our LinkedIn audience include industry updates, emerging trends, practical how-tos, useful tips, key learnings from recent case studies, specific industry challenges and our solutions, engaging polls, and best practices.
3. Create a human touch
Instead of focusing on sales-heavy content, use LinkedIn to show the more human side of your brand. Share stories about your journey, personal experiences, and the lessons your business has learned over time. Talk about the challenges you’ve faced in the industry. Letting prospects see the real people behind your company can go a long way in building trust and loyalty!
Maximize your event marketing
Hosting events is a powerful tool for boosting your brand’s visibility, expanding your professional network, sharing your expertise, establishing credibility, and educating potential clients. All these benefits ultimately lead to attracting new, high-quality leads.
When you organize an online event, you gain more control over the process and receive detailed analytics. It also allows for automating various routine tasks, saving you a significant amount of time.
Another advantage of online events is the ability to record them. You can use these recordings later to attract more leads by offering access to the event materials in return for their contact details and subscription opt-in. For instance, our online workshops continue to garner views and leads long after the event date.
1. Start planning at least a month before
The amount of time needed to organize a successful webinar should be based on the number of attendees you’re aiming to bring in. Essentially, the larger your target audience, the more preparation and promotion time you’ll need. For example, if you’re looking to draw in about 100-200 registrants, a month’s preparation is a good benchmark, as we’ve found in our experiences at Axellerato.
2. Set up email reminder sequences
These emails serve as timely reminders to potential attendees, helping to reduce the number of no-shows for your event.
At Axellerato, we’ve established a four-step reminder sequence: event confirmation on the day they registered, 2 days before, 1 hour before and when the event is live. This ensures that the event stays top of mind for those who have registered.
3. Make sure to practice and check your tech
It’s crucial to always run through your presentation, whether you’re new to webinars or a seasoned pro. Practising out loud, going over your slides, and preparing responses to likely audience questions are key steps.
Also, it’s important to have a moderator to keep an eye on the chat during your event. They should also test any interactive features like polls and live chat well before the event starts.
4. Give each event Its own unique flavor
Mix things up by hosting joint webinars with industry experts, featuring your own team’s specialists, and incorporating different interactive elements in each webinar. Keeping your content varied is essential for engaging your audience and earning their loyalty over time.
If you are not sure where to start with event marketing, check out our article about how to use webinars for B2B lead generation.
Keep your subscribers engaged through email marketing
In the B2B world, where cold emails are common, we’re focusing on other types of email marketing, like newsletters and email digests, to generate inbound leads.
Mastering email marketing takes some know-how, especially because it’s most effective with warm leads. These are potential customers who are already considering what you offer or those who have subscribed to your blog.
Let’s dive into the 4 main elements of successful email marketing:
Targeting your audience
For more effective lead generation through email, start by organizing your contact lists. Sort your leads by categories like industry, location, where you found them, and other important factors. With this information, you can customize your emails for each specific group, making your messages more targeted and relevant. This approach can significantly boost your conversion rates.
What to include in your emails
For your marketing emails to really hit the mark, they need to be packed with value. Educating your B2B leads is key. Consider sending them digests of your best blog posts, key insights from case studies, white papers, in-depth reports, and instructional video guides.
A key tip: Don’t forget to mention upcoming events in your emails. Over time, your subscribers or previous prospects could sign up for your webinars, moving them further along in your sales funnel.
Adding a personal touch
Personalizing your emails can make a big difference in your lead-generation efforts. Statistics from Oberlo show that emails with personalized subject lines see a 50% higher open rate. So if you haven’t been focusing on personalizing your emails, now’s the time to start!
Streamlining with email automation
Using email automation can significantly streamline your marketing efforts. It enables you to manage, execute, and evaluate larger batches of nurturing emails more efficiently, leading to improved outcomes.
A key tip: Always make time for testing. Regular testing of your marketing emails can help you steer clear of spam filters, enhance delivery rates, and ultimately increase your conversion success.
Wrapping it up
Even if you’ve been around the B2B space and have your lead generation tactics down, there’s always room to grow and scale. After going through this guide, you’re equipped with ideas to boost your B2B inbound lead generation.
But if you’re feeling like a little extra assistance would be beneficial, remember, the team at Axellerato is always ready to lend a hand. With our experience in helping numerous clients develop their strategies, our team is ready to deliver real, fast results. Let Axellerato take your strategy to the next level – book a call today.
