Lead generation is the lifeblood of any business. To ensure your organisation continues to prosper and grow, you must have a steady stream of prospects flowing through your conversion funnel each financial quarter.
Yet, while nearly 80% of marketers agree that lead generation is their top priority, more than 60% still rank it as their number one challenge [1] – so, what’s the solution? To answer that question, here are five actions B2B marketers can take to improve declining lead generation metrics.
#1 Optimise your email marketing
Despite the meteoric rise of social media over the last 10 years, the age of email marketing is far from over. According to research by The Marketing Centre [2], email still the most popular lead generation tactic for 70% of UK SMEs and is the first place you should look whenever lead generation metrics start to decline. Here are some tips on how to optimise your strategy:
· Create snappier subject lines: use power words that trigger emotions and include the name of your target customer or prospect to add personalisation and increase open rates.
· Make sure you hit key messages: clearly explain how your product or service benefits the reader personally as early on as you can, using the lowest number of words possible.
· Target the people that matter: think about who will be using your product or service, and build your email around their specific wants, needs, challenges and desires.
#2 Don’t forget about LinkedIn
While email maintained top position, the same Marketing Centre report [2] found that more than half of UK SMEs say LinkedIn outreach is their channel of choice for generating new leads. To make better use of it, here are some actions you can take:
· Add a personal touch: introduce yourself and let the reader know you’re aware of who they are, how you found them, and why they should care about what you’re offering.
· Provide value upfront: be it a key insight or a useful tip, always make sure you offer the reader something of value before asking for anything back in return.
· Always follow up: if you’re email goes unanswered, don’t be afraid to follow up with another to remind your reader who you are, what benefits you can offer them, and maybe offer them another valuable resource.
#3 Perform split tests during every campaign
If you find that leads generation metrics are still declining, performing split tests, aka A/B tests, can have a significant impact on the success rates of your campaigns. To get a better idea of how to perform a split test successfully, consider the following steps:
· Pick one standout variable: be it the subject line, image or call to action button, always isolate one variable, and measure its performance to see which option your target audience engages with best.
· Split sample groups evenly: be sure to send the asset to the same number of people at random for more conclusive results.
· Only run one test at a time: while you may be tempted to run multiple tests simultaneously for each campaign, sticking with just one helps you clearly see which change caused the increase (or decrease) in leads.
#4 Consider giving your website a revamp
With more than three quarters of B2B buyers and sellers saying they now prefer digital self-service and remote human engagement over face-to-face interactions (even after lockdowns have ended) [3], now may be the time to reassess the quality and user experience of your landing page. Here are some things to consider.
· Stick to the point: while a website should be eye-catching and innovative, it’s primary function must always be to answer your customers’ questions clearly and inform them how your product or service can solve their problems.
· Follow a clear narrative: set the scene with clear challenges your target audience will relate to, then explain how your product or service can solve them - using as many valuable resources as possible to validate your claim.
· Close with a strong call to action: use power words that compel your audience to engage with your CTA, and always try to add a personal benefit to sweeten the deal.
#5 Flesh out your content marketing strategy
Your customers and prospects expect to receive valuable content from your business. And while the right content marketing strategy can help boost leads and build trust with your target audience, the wrong one can drive people away, fast! Here are some tips to make sure that doesn’t happen:
· Have a clear plan in place: before you begin, build out a detailed map of assets that will engage your audience from the top of your marketing funnel (awareness stage), through the middle (consideration stage), down to the bottom (decision stage).
· Make sure it’s relevant: don’t fall into the trap of making content just for the sake of it. Always create assets with your audiences’ needs and interests in mind – and ensure you align your campaign with your main business objectives.
· Mix things up: variety is a key component of every successful marketing strategy. Considering this, ensure you offer a wide range of assets spanning across various mediums to keep your audience engaged and interested in your business.
If you’d like to know how else LogicLogicMagic can help increase the volume of valuable leads coming into your business, please contact sinead@logiclogicmagic.com If you're interested in learning more about the LogicLogicMagic approach and how we can help your organisation establish stronger connections with your target audience, you can download our quick guide: "11 ways to making technology marketing memorable", or the more comprehensive: "Mogic's guide to making marketing more memorable"
[1] State of Marketing Trends Report 2022
[2] What are the top B2B lead generation tactics in the UK right now? The Marketing Centre
[3] How COVID-19 has changed B2B sales forever, McKinsey