![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/b2b-vs-b2c-sales-cycle-768x576.png\")
<\/p>\n
But I’m not here to rain on your parade or stifle you from your B2B lead generation efforts.<\/p>\n
What you might not know is that generating hundreds (or thousands) of leads for your B2B business isn’t that hard.<\/p>\n
And you don’t need to resort to disruptive strategies like cold calling.<\/p>\n
If you implement the tactics and techniques I\u2019m about to lay out, you will never have to spend another rejection-filled afternoon cold calling your way through local directories ever again.<\/span><\/p>\n And what\u2019s more is that you will be equipped with an exact strategy to turbocharge your lead generation and achieve a level of success and revenue like never before.<\/span><\/p>\n In this guide, I am going to teach you about the power (and the struggles) of inbound lead generation<\/a>, specifically for B2B marketers.<\/p>\n Let’s dive right in.<\/p>\n Ok, so before we dive headfirst into all the details and juicy secrets about <\/span>how <\/span><\/i>your B2B business can start <\/span>generating more leads<\/span><\/a>, we need to get a few definitions out of the way. <\/span><\/p>\n First and foremost, we need to define a lead.<\/span><\/p>\n It is, after all, a little challenging to understand an article about <\/span>lead <\/span><\/i>generation if you don\u2019t understand what exactly a lead is. <\/span><\/p>\n In its simplest form, a lead is any person or business who has indicated some level of interest in buying your products or services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Just because a person or business has expressed interest in your company does <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>mean that they are qualified to purchase your products or services. <\/span><\/p>\n And it definitely does not mean that they do warrant any further time or resource investment on your part.<\/span><\/p>\n Like George Orwell said in <\/span>Animal Farm <\/span><\/i>\u201c<\/span>Every lead is equal, but some leads are more equal than others.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Or something like that…<\/span><\/p>\n To understand which leads you should be pursuing means that you must first <\/span>understand the difference<\/span><\/a> between a qualified and unqualified lead. <\/span><\/p>\n Qualified Leads:<\/b><\/p>\n Unqualified Leads:<\/b><\/p>\n To summarize this:<\/p>\n Qualified leads have the budget, authority, need, and desire to purchase, whereas unqualified leads lack one or more of these 4 criteria.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When you understand the difference between qualified and unqualified leads, you will be able to allocate your resources more intentionally ensuring that you have an abundance of sales-ready leads coming into your company each and every day. <\/span><\/p>\n Ok, so you understand what a lead is, and you understand the difference between a qualified and unqualified lead. <\/span><\/p>\n Now, you need to understand lead generation. <\/span><\/p>\n Lead generation is simply the process of attracting people who are complete strangers to your company and converting them into qualified leads through a variety of marketing tactics. <\/span><\/p>\n Or to put it more eloquently, lead generation is the art and science of finding <\/span>unique and different ways<\/span><\/a> to attract people to your business.<\/span><\/p>\n Now, before I dive into the best practices and exact methods for lead generation, I want to briefly make one more distinction. <\/span><\/p>\n Since this is an article specifically about B2B lead generation, some of you are probably asking the question:<\/span><\/p>\n What <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> the difference between <\/span>B2B and B2C lead generation<\/span><\/a>?<\/span><\/p>\n The honest answer?<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s easier. <\/span><\/p>\n While the <\/span>advanced methods and specific tactics<\/span><\/a> you will use for B2B lead gen are slightly different from B2C companies, the core principles and practices remain the same. <\/span><\/p>\n The real difference is simply that it is easier for B2B companies to generate a high volume of sales-ready leads than it is for B2C companies. <\/span><\/p>\n Why?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n For starters, B2B products or services are almost always considered an investment instead of an expense.<\/span><\/p>\n And since business owners normally have a mindset of \u201cScared money don’t make money\u201d, this makes B2B products an easy sale.<\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, the number of products on the B2C market make it highly competitive and extremely difficult to generate a substantial number of leads. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And while B2B is still difficult, competition is significantly lower because of the other challenges associated with B2B marketing and the unique solutions offered by different companies.<\/span><\/p>\n Now that you understand all of the definitions and semantic details of lead generation,\u00a0it’s important to figure out where leads are actually coming from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Well, unfortunately for us, the answer is not as cut and dried as you might think.<\/p>\n Look at the chart below from Hubspot.<\/p>\n Ok, so you see about what you would expect.<\/p>\n B2B companies are generating loads of leads from social media, blogs, and email marketing.<\/p>\n But, if you look on the right-hand side of the graph, you will notice that nearly 41% of the leads that B2B companies generate come from “Other”.<\/p>\n This means that\u00a0most B2B companies have no idea where almost\u00a0half\u00a0<\/em>of their leads are coming from.<\/p>\n That’s because most leads are generated through a mashup of various marketing efforts that are executed consistently throughout a business’s lifetime.<\/p>\n Because of the lack of concrete data on the “most” effective B2B lead generation method,\u00a0the methods that we are focusing on will be based upon their rate of growth and ease of use.<\/p>\n In my experience, while there are a plethora of <\/span>different ways that you can generate leads<\/span><\/a>, there are three methods that stand head and shoulders above the rest. <\/span><\/p>\n The first and <\/span>most important lead generation method<\/span><\/a> in 2016 and 2017 is content marketing. <\/span><\/p>\n The rate of content growth over the past several years has been nothing short of astounding, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.<\/p>\n There is so much content floating around the web that it is all but impossible for your business to be found without an intelligent and well-designed content marketing strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And while whole books could be written on all of the various tactics and multifaceted content marketing strategies, the\u00a0following three tips will help you get started in the right direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Create a Website\/Blog<\/b><\/p>\n This should be common sense in 2016, however, you would be surprised by the number of companies<\/a> who still do not have a proper website and blog where they regularly release content.<\/span><\/p>\n If other businesses cannot easily find your company online, then your odds of generating a serious number of leads diminishes exponentially. <\/span><\/p>\n It is absolutely <\/span>mandatory <\/span><\/i>that you have a fully optimized website<\/span>\u00a0set up where potential leads can easily find and connect with you and your company. <\/span><\/p>\n This step does not have to be expensive either. <\/span><\/p>\n You can hire a web design company to create a killer website for less than $1,000.<\/span><\/p>\n Or if you have an eye for design and some technical savvy, you can always do it yourself<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n While it might seem elementary, having a website that is easy to find and use will massively increase your lead generating capacity and increase your company\u2019s revenue at a rapid rate. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Create Epic \u201cRead Magnets\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n Once you have set up your blog, it is time to start filling that bad boy up with epic content, also known as read magnets or <\/span>evergreen content<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n Read magnets are articles or videos that provide a massive amount of value to your audience and help them solve real problems they are facing. <\/span><\/p>\n This marketing strategy<\/a> will require a pretty significant upfront time investment but will generate leads on a long term and consistent basis.<\/p>\n For example, if you run a company that specializes in Facebook advertising, then your read magnet could be an epic 4,000-word post on <\/span>ad hacks<\/span><\/a> that readers can use to double their ROI. <\/span><\/p>\n This article will pique readers\u2019 interest and will likely lead them to dig deeper into your company and your unique offers.<\/span><\/p>\n The key with read magnets is to provide your audience with content that is <\/span>so <\/span><\/i>good that you could easily charge money for it.<\/span><\/p>\n If you’re not using\u00a0content upgrades<\/a>, add them to your\u00a0evergreen content pieces and your B2B leads will\u00a0quickly explode into an automated stream of revenue.<\/span><\/p>\n I know that some of you might be afraid of giving away too much for free, but before you start pacing around the room anxiously, consider one thing. <\/span><\/p>\n This content will likely be people\u2019s first interaction with your company and therefore determine their first impression. <\/span><\/p>\n And if you want to attract leads and <\/span>convert those leads<\/span><\/a> into customers, then you need to make an absolutely staggering first impression.<\/span><\/p>\n If the quality of the articles on your website suck, your audience will assume that this quality is consistent across all of your work and will be unlikely to do business with you. <\/span><\/p>\n Always err on the side of offering too much value in your read magnets and you will easily make up any lost revenue through your new leads and raving fans.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Create Mind-Bogglingly Good Lead Magnets<\/b><\/p>\n Now that you have built your website and created epic content that your audience loves, it is time to convert them from a reader to a lead.<\/span><\/p>\n You do this through <\/span>creating lead magnets<\/span><\/a>, which is gated content that convinces your audience to share their email address or phone number with you.<\/span><\/p>\n This content can be anything from an ebook, free product trial, introductory coaching call, or free video series. The Sky’s the limit.<\/span><\/p>\n Here’s a great example from DigitalMarketer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just like with read magnets, the quality of your lead magnets will determine the success of the products and services further down your sales funnel, so always err on the side of offering too much value.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you have created an epic lead magnet that your readers love, warming them up and converting your new leads into customers becomes a walk in the park. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Social media is one of the most important tools in any modern marketer\u2019s toolbox. <\/span><\/p>\nDefining a Lead <\/span><\/h2>\n
Qualified vs. Unqualified Leads<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"1350147715356_2370646\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/1350147715356_2370646.png\")
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![\"qualify-sales-leads-to-focus-on-profitable-sales-growth-11-638\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/qualify-sales-leads-to-focus-on-profitable-sales-growth-11-638.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhat Exactly <\/span>is <\/span>Lead Generation? <\/span><\/h2>\n
B2B vs. B2C Lead Generation<\/span><\/h2>\n
Where do Leads Come From?<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"hubspotleadsource\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/hubspotleadsource-768x466.png\")
<\/p>\nA) Content Marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"digital-content-growth-2014-mary-meeker-idc-e1447642796790\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Digital-Content-Growth-2014-Mary-Meeker-IDC-e1447642796790.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"cltch0\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/cltch0.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"time-critical-evergreen-content\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/time-critical-evergreen-content.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"swipe-file-lead-magnet\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/swipe-file-lead-magnet.png\")
<\/p>\nB) Social Media Marketing<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"capture\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Capture.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"hubspot-550x416\"](\"https:\/\/www.moneyjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/hubspot-550x416.png\")
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