Lead generation lies at the core of any successful business. No matter how good your product or service is, if you can’t sell that product or service to your target audience, you will remain financially unsuccessful.
Lead generation in the B2B niche requires a slightly nuanced approach, differing in some key ways from B2C lead generation. We take a slightly closer look at B2B lead generation with the Headley Media team, going through all the basics of what you need to know.
Longer sales journey
Unlike B2C businesses where multiple smaller sales are made on a regular basis, the B2B sales journey is a longer process. When companies make a purchase, it often takes them longer to make that purchasing decision – the stakes are higher, as orders are often made at a far larger scale and will likely have a direct impact on the business itself.
It’s important to accommodate these factors of scale and impact when generating and converting leads; businesses may be cautious in deciding to buy a product, but that caution can be alleviated to a degree by supplying in-depth information on topics of potential concern.
Detailed and informative content
B2B buyers are driven by research. They want to know as much as they can about a product before purchasing it, for the reasons stated above. This means that the kind of marketing content they’ll find useful will differ slightly from that in B2C. Businesses will want to see case studies, and in-depth analyses of data surrounding your product or service.
This information doesn’t have to be conveyed in a boring manner, of course, quite the opposite – easily interpretable infographics should be included with well-written text, all in keeping with your brand’s style guide.
Smaller target audience
It’s likely that a B2B target audience will be far smaller than in B2C. It’s incredibly important to spend time identifying that target audience, learning as much as possible about their purchasing habits and the kinds of information that inform their purchasing decisions. This in turn will allow you to optimise your marketing approach to accommodate that demographic, leading to more effective lead generation.
Buyers can tell when content is generic and created without consideration for their needs; on the flip side, when buyers find content which displays an obvious understanding of their needs, they’ll feel engaged and be more likely to try to find out more.
Focus on the long term
The ideal relationship in B2B is long term and stable. Focus on nurturing that kind of relationship in every step of the lead generation process, from initial marketing content to sales calls. B2B buyers want a genuine service which provides as much value as possible – values like honesty and straightforwardness are of considerable importance and should inform your lead generation strategy.
