“How do I generate leads?” is a frequently asked question in search engines. Of course, this is not surprising, since every business needs customers for the services or products they offer. No customers without leads and no turnover without customers. But how do you do that, generate leads?

In this blog post, I will list six effective lead generation tips for you, with explanations and practical tips.

Online classroom

Offering online courses and workshops was already a well-known phenomenon in the B2B sector, but in 2020 this way of sharing knowledge and generating leads has been given a further boost. Video conference software makes it easy to organize live webinars or record a video series to delve deeper into a topic.

Most Effective Lead Generation Tips in B2B -

Why is this a good idea?

  • You increase your thought leadership position by sharing knowledge. By creating valuable content in which you show your expertise, you are seen as an authority in that area.
  • You are not dealing with a full house online. So you can generate a relatively large number of leads with one webinar. Even with free versions of video conferencing software, you can invite 75 to 100 participants.
  • You can record and reuse a live webinar. So you only have to give a webinar once to reap the benefits still later.
  • Following a webinar is easy. People don’t have to travel to watch a webinar. This is different if you give a workshop in real life. People also give a webinar a chance faster because they can easily leave it again.

This is how you approach it:

  • Choose one clear topic. What do you want to say exactly? How does this tie in with what you have to offer your prospects?
  • Choose whether you want to host a live webinar or share a pre-recorded webinar or course series.
  • Choose the video conference software that benefits you the most. Zoom is a popular one, but Jitsi Meet or Cisco Webex are also good options.
  • Call in a webinar host to do the introduction and ask questions. You can also invite a guest once, such as a partner or customer.
  • Look up the interaction through the poll and chat functions.
  • Always take a picture. You can use this later as a lead generation tool.

Which celebrity are you?

Find out which celebrity you are!” is a type of test that you must have encountered on Facebook. Such a test may seem silly at first sight, but it is a smart concept to apply in the business market. For example, you can develop a test where your prospect finds out which of your services best suits their needs.

Why is this a good idea?

  • People like a suitable solution for their specific problem. Such a test is a way to offer someone a personalized solution without actually having a conversation with someone.
  • It is accessible yet interactive, allowing you to gather information about your leads. For you, as an organization, such a lead is therefore nice to receive: you already know a little better what she or he is looking for.
  • You can make an offer based on the need. This way, you don’t have to scare off people with a relatively simple issue with a 5-year plan, and you can offer more complete solutions to leads who are looking for it.

This is how you approach it:

  • Choose your tool. Outgrow, and Typeform are two good tools that you can use in many different directions.
  • Think about what kind of test is relevant for your organization: a poll, audit, quick scan, calculation module, or quiz? Be inspired by the available templates.

Quick & dirty

It is wonderful to be able to grab low-hanging fruit; see an effect with relatively little time and effort. You cannot successfully organize an entire lead generation process in a quick and dirty way. Let me get rid of that idea right away. But if you already know your target audience and know their needs, you can get some quick content ideas from the ground. You are actually a bit of growth hacking.

Why is this a good idea?

  • It’s always a good idea to keep trying, as long as it co-exists with a well-thought-out regular or affiliate marketing sales plan. Sometimes you find that something you don’t normally do, and that takes relatively little effort, time, and money, is very effective.
  • After it appears that your quick and dirty content generates a lot of leads, you can always analyze whether the entire lead generation process fits in well with this and make improvements.
  • The person who consumes the content also likes ‘snackable content, ‘with the short concentration span that we have nowadays. People also like to know what to expect. That’s why lists often do well.

This is how you approach it.

  • Think about what you need: can you easily create new landing pages with forms in your CMS? Or do you need software such as Instapage or Unbounce? Or maybe you skip the landing page completely, and you only work with LinkedIn: directly post articles or advertise with lead forms.
  • Think about how you will get your content quick and dirty, for example:
    • Write a short article with ‘X tips, ideas, do’s and don’ts for…’ or a checklist.
    • Reuse existing content. It is often the case that old blogs dust while you could update them and publish them again. For example, you can also take a piece from an existing whitepaper or webinar to turn it into a blog or e-mail. Sometimes you should work smart, not hard!
    • Offer a quick scan. You only need to create a landing page for this. It only takes work when you actually generate leads.

Dive into the matter

Besides the low-hanging fruit, it is still very rewarding to dig a little deeper into topics. Especially if you also want to be seen as an authority within your field. It may sound trite to do this with a white paper or ebook, but it is effective.

Never change a winning team!

Why is this a good idea?

You often see e-books, whitepapers and the like because it works. People still think it’s a fair exchange: free information from an expert, in exchange for some personal data.

  • With the help of this kind of deeper content, you can educate your prospects. In the B2B world, it is often the case that you have to explain to your prospects what their problem is exactly. A whitepaper or e-book will help you nurture your leads and show that you know what to do with their problem.
  • It can be a good lead generation tool for prospects and leads with a somewhat higher level of knowledge, who are already a bit further in the buyer journey.

This is how you approach it.

  • Think of the main topic. On which topic do you want to claim thought leadership? And what topics is your target group waiting for? What is valuable to them?
  • I always say: that a beautiful design is half done. Make it look attractive, uncluttered, and professional. Outsource it or get started in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Canva, or even Word.
  • Again, you have to ask yourself how you are going to sell your content. Create a landing page, think of external and social media.

The greatest good is giving.

Your goal is to generate leads, but you actually have to consider what your prospect needs. So the point is that the content that you see as a lead generation tool has real added value for your prospects. It is smart to make it clear in the communication that you give them something, and actually do it. This can be done by (partially) giving away valuable information.

Why is this a good idea?

  • By lowering the threshold for consuming content, you ensure that you reach more people and expose you to your brand.
  • This is good for your thought leadership position.
  • If the content you give away is really valuable, it tastes like more. Then your prospects will fill out a form faster for more information.

This is how you approach it?

  • Think about what content you want to give away for free, such as a blog or a quick scan.
  • Also, consider which content you want to offer gated, so which information you hide behind a form. This is often content that is less easy to digest, and where you have also invested more time.
  • For example, an e-book is a shame to just give it away. You can lift a tip of the veil by, for example, giving away a preview of your e-book.
  • You can do with online courses, webinars, and the like to use a tool like Wistia. This limits the number of minutes someone can watch before asking for personal data.

Prefer a dialogue

We prefer our prospects to talk to us, but we all know it’s not that easy. It is quite a big step for someone who does not yet know your organization well to register for a workshop, fill in a contact form directly, or call you. Fortunately, nowadays, there is a range of options for seeking interaction in an accessible, indirect way.

Why is this a good idea?

  • By adding interactive elements to your website, you can help visitors find what they are looking for faster.
  • You also get to know your prospects better, and you gradually discover what their needs are.
  • It makes contact more personal, and it can be a nice stepping stone to more contact moments, such as a download, an introductory meeting, a call, or a newsletter registration.

This is how you approach it.

  • Let your prospect take the reins and schedule an appointment on your agenda.
  • You can also add a chatbot or a live chat function to your website, where people can easily find answers to their questions.
  • A pop-up where you add frequently asked questions with links can also work well to let people navigate faster to the relevant pages. A tool with a free version that you can use is Convertflow.
  • As I mentioned before, you can also use an online test to communicate indirectly with your lead.
lead management in built affiliate marketing software

Conclusion

I hope these ways of lead generation have inspired you to get started yourself. Although most companies are really aware of the options, they often don’t do enough with them. Try to look at what suits your organization and try to alternate different lead generation and content forms. Do you want to know what the best way for your company is? Then take the test and find out which celebrity you are!

Last Updated on November 28, 2023

Author

Elizabeth is a Senior Content Manager at Scaleo. Currently enjoying the life in Prague and sharing professional affiliate marketing tips. She's been in the online marketing business since 2006 and gladly shares all her insights and ideas on this blog.