CONTENT CREATION
The B2B industry is constantly changing, both for buyers as well as for suppliers. As a result of growing buying groups and increased consumer agency and influence on behalf of B2B buyers, B2B suppliers often struggle to generate leads effectively.
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.