A 2022 Lead Generation Guide for B2B Brands

• admin
• Dec, 16 2021

The pandemic brought a fundamental shift in consumer behavior. And this shift has made a deeper impact in the marketing and sales landscapes at large, rendering many practices ineffective and outdated. So, when you’re creating a B2B lead generation strategy in 2022, it’s critical to factor in the current trends and newer dynamics so as to stay in sync with the market and what your target audience wants and requires.

In this guide, we cover all you need to know about B2B lead generation in 2022.

 

2 Types of B2B Leads

Broadly put, there are two types of leads: Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) and Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)

• Marketing Qualified Leads or MQLs are a term used in lead generation to refer to leads that have not been qualified for sales teams. These leads have been generated by marketing activities like content marketing, email campaigns and social media efforts. Trying to sell an MQL is a waste of time because it will almost never convert. These leads need nurturing by the marketing team for a period of time before they are ready to buy.

 

• Sales Qualified Leads or SQLs are not just random inquiries from someone on the web. A sales qualified lead is one that has openly expressed their interest in what you do and their desire to learn more about it. This is the kind of lead that sales teams are looking for because they are already showing intent to purchase from you. These leads are very likely to convert into customers if they are properly nurtured.

 

3 Essentials of a B2B Lead Generation Strategy

There are a few essential ingredients your B2B lead generation strategy needs.

1.Buyer persona

First and foremost, you need to develop a clear picture of who your target customer is. The more granular you can be, the more narrowly you can tailor your content and services. Without this information, you can’t be sure which marketing strategies will resonate most strongly with your target audience. Recommended Read: How to Create Buyer Personas: A Simple Guide with Defined Steps

2.Content

Creating content that your audience loves isn’t particularly easy, especially in B2B. Even if you can get great B2B content, it doesn’t mean people will read it. This is why you need a well-defined content marketing strategy. The content you create for B2B lead generation needs to be specific to your audience, their industry and the challenges they face.

3.Landing page

This is most obvious. To collect leads, you need landing pages. But, of course, creating landing pages for lead generation isn’t as simple as it may look. We recently published a blog post on this, covering the mistakes you should avoid for higher conversion. Read this: 7 Landing Page Mistakes That Hurt Your Conversion

These are three essentials of a B2B lead generation strategy. Of course, to maximize your conversion rate and to capture high-quality leads, you would require much more than these, including lead magnets, A/B testing, and more.

 

2 Effective Ways to Capture More Leads in 2022

There is a score of ways to generate leads, from Google and LinkedIn ads to scrapping competitors’ data and hiring an experienced lead generation strategy. How a B2B brand should shape its strategy largely depends on its needs, goals, and target audience. So, while publishing long-form content may work for your competitors, case studies may work better for you.

However, here are two things you should do to amp up your strategy in 2022 and capture more leads:

(I) Experiment with call-to-action copy

A/B testing is the process of testing two variants of the same CTA copy, with one being changed slightly from the other. A simple example is changing the color or wording of the button on a landing page to see which converts better. By using this method, you can quickly identify which version of your CTAs works best for your audience and replicate them for future content.

(II) Offer free value with no strings attached

One of the best ways to capture leads is by offering free resources and downloadable content on your website. If you sell a product or service, potential customers may feel reluctant to try it if they have to provide credit card information upfront. Offer a free trial instead, so they can evaluate your offering before they commit to buying it. In short, offer something for free to your audience to compel them to give you their contact details.

Recommended Read: A (Quick) Guide to Create Lead Magnets That Convert Big

Need help with B2B lead generation?

In 2022 and beyond, it’s not going to be easy to capture (high-quality) leads. If anything, if you’re relying on old practices and methodologies, you will end up losing money.

So, if you need help, get in touch with a reliable lead generation company.

DAT-A-CCURATE® is one of the foremost B2B lead generation agencies with a proven track record of helping many big brands accelerate their lead generation conversion and achieve higher growth. Connect with us today and let’s talk.