What is B2B lead generation? Today, we’re going to answer your lead generation questions and go in-depth to learn more about how to grow your business and succeed.Â
Inbound marketing tactics primarily focus on creating content that is aligned with your target market. This would include social media posts, SEO, and blog posts. It’s about brand awareness for your prospective customers to showcase your existence and build credibility around the solutions you have to offer for their pain points.Â
Lead generation is often done from the perspective of a campaign. This means that there are several steps and objectives that need to be accomplished in a certain order. A B2B lead generation campaign usually starts by capturing leads from various sources.Â
Capturing leads is the process of collecting the names and contact information of prospective customers. These leads can then be stored in a database, and marketing content can be sent to them (often in the form of an email marketing campaign).Â
However, where do you get the contact information in the first place? This is where knowing how to generate leads is important.Â
You could try building a lead generation funnel where customers wind up on some kind of webpage and are offered something (a free booklet or video series) in exchange for their contact information. These funnels can be difficult to set up and share with a wide enough community.Â
An alternative way to generate leads is to use a B2B lead generation service. What are B2B lead generation services? These services are run by companies whose objective is to help your business increase sales by increasing the number of leads in your sales funnel. Outsourcing to one of these organizations can result in huge costs and time savings for businesses.Â
The best lead generation companies will let you input your preferred objectives and demographics and will then connect you with targeted leads that fits those specifications. Here is a list of 5 of the top lead generation companies in the USA:
These companies all share one thing in common; they can effectively generate leads for your organization. However, few companies make it as easy to generate leads as ViB does.Â
You only have to put in a few details to define your target audience, and we will tap into our database of millions of professionals who are in the market for new solutions to deliver you verified contact information to help you secure more high-quality leads. Plus, we feature a proven program to increase your conversion rates so that you can turn those new leads straight into new profitability.Â
B2B lead generation is all about organic growth. The idea is to push prospective customers to the organization through several different inbound and outbound marketing tactics.Â
Top B2B lead generation companies
The companies we have just listed are the top lead generation companies. Some are designed to serve a specific target audience, while others are broader. Some of these companies are specifically focused on serving large enterprises, while some would be a better fit for small businesses. It’s important to do your research before settling on any particular lead generation company.Â
These top B2B lead generation companies also provide a variety of services. For example, CIENCE provides lead generation by using AI to research your target market and then sends out the phone, email, website, and social media content with the goal of bringing in leads for your business.
On the other hand, Belkins is one of these companies that sell leads using a different method. They offer email and LinkedIn influencer marketing services to generate high-quality leads. ViB is a B2B lead generation agency that generates verified leads using its proven appointment setting program.Â
Once you put in the details of your target market, we build a program to reach out to our specific community. If a community member believes that your solution could solve their problem, they are empowered to reach out to you and set up an appointment. The proof is in the numbers. This program works. Some of our customers have seen an 80% conversion from lead to opportunity.
Lead generation strategies
Every B2B lead generation agency will promise high-quality leads. But what is a high-quality lead? Basically, a lead that is actually in the market for a product or service and that makes them more likely to convert.Â
Poor quality leads mean lower conversion rates which means fewer sales opportunities. To get high-quality leads, you need great lead generation strategies. Here are a few of the best lead generation strategies out there:
- Create Social Media Ads
- Write a Blog
- Do Market Research and Educate Your Audience
- Create a Free Course As a Lead Attraction Tool
- Set Up A Chatbot For Your Site
- Attend Online Events to Expand Network
- Build a B2B Podcast
- Create Infographics For Your Audience To Share
- Ask Your Best Customers for Referrals
- Offer a Free Consultation to Build Trust
- Create a Free Interactive Tool to Engage Visitors
- Create a Buyer Converter Product
- Give Special Offers to Create Exclusivity
- Personalize Email Campaigns to Drive Leads
- Build an Online Community Using Groups
These are just a few of the many lead generation strategies that lead generation agencies are using out there. All of them are designed to reach out to prospective customers and nurture them. This is the overall goal of digital marketing agency lead generation strategies. Different companies also follow different lead generation agency pricing strategies.Â
For instance, one B2B lead agency sets its pricing based only on the results it brings to your business. Lead generation agency pricing also varies depending on whether or not the agency is focused on providing services to smaller businesses or larger organizations.Â
Free lead generation tools
Although there are free lead generation tools available, the best lead generation tools are not free. Here’s a list of the best tools for generating leads:
These tools come from some of the best in the business because of their effective features. HubSpot, for example, is well known for being an excellent lead generation tool and includes a wealth of handy features that support email marketing, social media marketing, and even website SEO.Â
Albacross is another tool that’s great because they monitor visitors to your site and identify potential leads. All of these email lead generation companies help lead generation, but one tool shines above the others, and that is ViB.Â
Customer testimonials have repeatedly included glowing descriptions of what ViB’s platform is capable of offering. We have several case studies right on our site that show our unique capabilities for helping your business generate more leads at a higher conversion rate, resulting in more sales and greater growth.Â
B2B lead generation companies
Doing lead generation on your own can be challenging. You saw the long list of different strategies above, and that was only a sample of all the different ways you would need to be working to drive new leads to your site. That’s why many companies turn to a lead generation agency. Lead generation agencies at a high level offer the opportunity to increase your sales.Â
That’s the overall goal of lead generation. The idea is to increase the number of leads in your sales funnel, which if you maintain a consistent conversion rate should lead to increasing in sales.Â
Some companies like ViB commit such high-quality leads that they can even offer an increase in conversion rates, resulting in more profits for your company.Â
The best lead generation companies and the best B2B lead generation companies take the time to understand the needs of their clients and do all they can to reach out to the target audience, creating new leads and, ideally, converting them at a higher rate.Â
Pay per lead generation companies
There are many different pricing models for lead generation companies. One of them is the pay-per-lead model. Pay-per-lead generation companies provide the same services as other companies, but they only charge for each qualified lead that they actually deliver to your business.Â
This is a great pricing model because it further incentivizes the agency to work hard to get great leads and avoids the scenario where you pay a great deal for services that fail to actually deliver results.Â
The best pay-per-lead companies consistently provide high-quality leads to your business and help your organization to grow. Another pricing model for these companies is pay per appointment lead generation. In this case, you only pay for each appointment you have with qualified leads.Â
This pay per appointment lead generation model is the one ViB uses and has the same benefits as the pay-per-lead model. If we don’t deliver the results we promised, you don’t need to pay. We are a B2B lead generation agency that’s fully invested in seeing your company succeed at its marketing efforts.Â
What are lead generation companies
At this point, you should have a much better idea of what lead generation is and what companies provide when it comes to lead generation services. Generating leads is one of the first steps when it comes to the sales funnel, and the most important.Â
Without leads, the sales team has no one to sell to, and your solution goes unpurchased. However, we have seen how difficult it can be to do lead generation on your own. That’s why many companies choose to hire a B2B lead generation company, like ViB. It’s important to do your research and go with the company that best fits your needs.
How to write B2B emails
According to statistics, the average open rate for email is hovering at 24%. Writing compelling B2B sales email subject lines can help you increase the number of prospects who open your emails.Â
Professional email subject line examples show that employing action-oriented verbs and calls to action like “improve,” “grow,” “receive,” “shop,” and “obtain” may help readers feel compelled to act swiftly.
Types of B2B emails include cold emails, sales emails, and newsletters. Regarding B2B cold email subject lines, one tip is to keep it short and sweet. Long subject lines are frequently cut off when clients look through their inboxes using their mobile devices. A truncated subject line may deprive you of the opportunity to convey your message.
Another technique to boost open rates is to include a question in the subject line to pique consumer curiosity and encourage them to think about your value proposition.Â
Finally, refrain from using language that machines may interpret as fraudulent or malicious, as well as statements that make excessive claims and promises. “Cash,” “huge dollars,” “act immediately,” “great discounts,” and “free offer” are a few examples of spam trigger words and phishing phrases.
Storytelling is a great strategy to engage with your audience. Your brand story should aim to elicit emotion from your audience and establish trust with your subscribers.
B2B email newsletter examples, on the other hand, highlight the importance of identifying your target audience and communicating with them in a professional manner. Segmenting your email lists or clustering your contacts, for example, can enable you to send a more targeted message to your existing and prospective clients.
An effective email marketing B2B lead generation campaign should enable you to convey your message directly to your target and prospective customers. To accomplish this, you would need to establish a list of relevant B2B prospects.
With ViB, you can have access to an engaged community of millions of professionals from various fields, including IT, engineering, marketing, sales, legal and human resources. Adding fresh contacts to your email list, particularly decision-makers that represent the end-users of B2B customers can help you move qualified leads to the top of your sales funnel.
Get more insights on B2B email marketing:
B2B email frequency best practices
Perhaps you are unsure how to adjust the frequency of your emails to achieve the best results while avoiding losing potential consumers. Sending daily emails may be appropriate for some businesses, but sending two to five email campaigns each month might be sufficient for others.Â
While email frequency and timing may vary, email marketing statistics 2022 show that the best days to send emails are typically Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays in case you plan to send more than one email per week.
Simply said, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for fine-tuning your email frequency. Knowing how to contact your subscribers can be tricky, and this will most likely depend on the nature of your organization. You should consider adjusting your email frequency to your clients’ profiles and purchase lifecycle because changing your email cadence can significantly impact your bottom line.
See the 10 B2B data providers we trust
When looking for B2B lead generation tools, it’s important to do your research to determine what’s best for your business. For instance, you could browse a lead generation tools list to get a better idea of what’s out there. You can find these tools on lead generation sites. Some tools used for lead generation are more effective than others, so it’s important to thoroughly compare your options.Â
Here’s a quick look at some of the best lead generation for B2B.
- HubSpot Marketing Hub: HubSpot plans start at $45/month and are best for those looking for a tool that can provide robust functionality for emails, landing pages and social promotions that easily integrate with their CRM.
- Intercom: Intercom, like HubSpot, allows users to manage their marketing, sales, and support tools in a single platform.
- Proof: This platform relies on social proof and A/B testing to improve the quality of users’ websites.
- MobileMonkey: With Mobile Monkey you can leverage your website, messaging, and social media tools to capture leads.
- Mailshake: Mailshake is great for sales development, link building, content promotion, and more. It remains a popular choice for those that prioritize email outreach.
- Qualaroo: Qualaroo is a polling tool that is used to gather feedback and generate leads.
- HotJar: HotJar offers several useful tools for B2B lead gen, including heat maps, session replays, and form analytics.
- Turnstile by Wistia: This product helps users collect information by requiring that leads enter their email before continuing to watch videos after a certain period of time has elapsed.
- Survey Anyplace: Survey Anyplace generates personalized PDF reports for survey respondents, like the best product match based on their answers.
- Formisimo: Formisimo helps users optimize their lead gen forms.
B2B lead generation examples
Viewing B2B lead generation examples can give you a better idea of what quality lead gen efforts look like. They also demonstrate B2B demand generation tactics and lead generation strategies.Â
Here are the top 10 lead generation strategies with corresponding examples of lead gen campaigns.
- Chatbot conversations: The Bot Lab created a bot designed to teach users about chatbots and ultimately ask them to set up a meeting. Chatbots can be particularly useful when leveraged correctly, considering 71% of prospects expect immediate answers to their questions.Â
- Gated content: HubSpot provides gated content tools that users can access upon completion of lead capture forms.Â
- Value-packed newsletters: Marie Forleo offers a value-packed newsletter, encouraging leads to sign up.Â
- Events: Content Marketing Institute hosts regular events to generate high-quality leads.
- Coupons and discounts: Bed Bath & Beyond offers a 20% off coupon to first-time subscribers of their email list.
- Freemium products and free trials: Trello offers a freemium service to encourage users to eventually sign up for a paid plan.
- Website optimization to promote your lead magnet: Podio makes it easy for leads to sign up for their free trial.
- Social media optimization: Michael Hyatt’s Facebook page is designed to drive visitors towards a free offer.
- Paid promotion on social media: Conversocial pays for Instagram ads to drive prospects.
- Top-of-funnel keyword targeting: SmartAsset targeted a top-of-funnel term and created quality content based on that term to attract leads.
B2B lead generation case studies
Partnering with a B2B lead generation agency is a great way to improve your lead gen efforts. These agencies do most of the dirty work for you, identifying the most fruitful channels to target and helping you discover the highest quality leads—even tapping into markets you hadn’t previously considered.Â
Lead generation can be incredibly tricky and time-consuming, which is why you may want to outsource your efforts to someone that can dedicate all of their time and energy to the sole purpose of generating leads. Outlining your overall lead gen goals can help you pick the right agency to work with.Â
You might also view B2B case study examples to see exactly how different agencies have helped clients achieve their lead gen goals. ViB has B2B lead generation case studies detailing client success stories.
In one example, Nutanix utilized ViB’s services to improve its email marketing strategy. By leveraging the ViB Emails, Nutanix was able to find the right balance between content, cadence, and audience, resulting in more leads moving through the funnel.
Lead generation tools
There are many types of lead generation tools offered by different lead generation companies. Choosing between them can be challenging, especially for those that are new to the lead gen game, which is why it can be helpful to study lead generation examples to get an idea of how the process works.Â
It’s important to note that different lead generation services are best for different types of businesses. For instance, some are more compatible with small businesses, while others are capable of meeting the needs of large companies with complex lead generation strategies. Each lead generation website should outline the tools and services provided, allowing you to get a better sense of what’s offered by each company.
ViB offers a range of B2B lead gen services, including email marketing, appointment setting, content syndication, and virtual events. Unlike some other agencies, ViB is simple to install (no extensive training required) and, offered at 1/2 the price of the average agency cost, affordable for businesses on a budget.Â
In addition, the company boasts a 4.7 customer satisfaction rating. Some businesses may consider partnering with multiple lead gen agencies, but generally speaking, one company should be able to meet your needs. ViB is one such B2B lead gen agency that offers a suite of marketing features, eliminating the need for users to partner with multiple companies to get the leads you need to hit your goals.
How to generate B2B leads
When considering how to generate B2B leads, the question of cold calling often arises. How effective is this strategy, and how can you generate leads without resorting to cold calling? Here’s how to generate leads without cold calling:
- Network online via email and social media
- Publish quality web content
- Offer incentives for referrals
- Host events
- Deploy surveys
Still, cold calling can be helpful in some cases. For example, if you are looking to kickstart a business relationship, cold calling is a great way to establish initial contact. This strategy can also be useful for those that lack the resources to invest in better marketing strategies, as it tends to be one of the more cost-effective methods for generating leads.Â
If all else fails, you can always buy B2B leads, though this is not without its downsides. Although it can save you time and provide comprehensive data on leads, it can be costly and offers no exclusivity, meaning that you’ll be facing even more competition.
How to generate sales leads online
In terms of how to generate sales leads online, you have several options. Starting a blog is one of the best ways to do so. B2B lead generation blogs are designed to attract leads with quality written content.Â
Ideally, you should provide something of value to blog visitors, such as information about their needs or interests. If you’re thinking about starting a blog to generate leads, it’s important to follow blogging best practices. These include blogging on a regular, consistent schedule, including CTAs, and optimizing your titles.Â
At the end of the day, whether you’re generating leads from a blog or otherwise, you should understand how to generate leads in sales B2C and how this differs from B2B lead gen. In the B2B space, businesses are targeting other businesses. They need to be much more knowledgeable about the content they’re promoting and be able to demonstrate how their services can see another company’s needs.
B2C lead gen, by contrast, targets individual customers and centers around brand awareness and getting consumers closer and closer to making a purchase. In other words, B2B lead gen is more about fostering an ongoing relationship between companies, while the B2C strategy is designed to turn leads into paying customers. Some of the best practices for B2C lead gen include the use of content marketing, paid ads, and gated content.
