Improving the Bottom Line For Your B2B Lead Generation

Every time a business launches a marketing strategy, they must ask the question, “which combination of techniques will deliver the best ROI, the most positive impact on my bottom line?” There are almost endless combinations of formats and distribution channels, from traditional methods like radio, e-mail, direct mail and telemarketing to digital methods including SEO, PPC, social media and so much more.

Depending on who you ask, every channel is the preferred one for delivering the best return. According to HubSpot, search engine optimization (SEO) is the best place to invest your marketing dollars, because they determined that it’s where the highest percentage of B2B leads are generated.

When you ask the same question of Chief Marketer, their research finds that e-mail is the most effective channel for generating B2B leads. What’s clear upon examination, is that while each of these studies tends to favor their own channel, there are a few that consistently settle at the top:

·        E-mail marketing

·        SEO

·        Social media marketing

·        Content marketing

·        Telemarketing

Clearly, there is overlap between some of these, and no business would be wise to try to identify which channel offers the best return and then only invest in that one avenue. What often separates those businesses that experience outsized success in their marketing plan is how well they execute these strategies.

It won’t be effective to pour dollars into a social media campaign if you don’t effectively use the free analytics often available through the platform to refine your messaging and the audience you’re targeting. Likewise, if you’re investing in an e-mail newsletter, but you ignore the fact that every time your recipients click on the call to action, they never get past the landing page, you’re not going to see a good return.

It’s not just about which channel you use for lead generation; it’s how you use it.

When you pour all of your energy into obtaining leads, and forget to invest in nurturing those leads, your marketing strategy won’t likely be effective. Invespcro notes that 80% of all leads never convert to a sale.

Take a look at each of these areas to determine how you might better execute your techniques to improve your return on investment for lead generation:

E-mail: While e-mail is one of the oldest digital methods, it’s still effective and getting smarter all the time. When you invest in e-mail marketing, get the most out of your efforts by utilizing analytics that tell you which combination of images and texts are most likely to deliver the results you want, or if there’s a certain subject line method that tends to yield the most engagement. You can also use market segmentation to create highly-personalized e-mails that deliver your message to the right individuals.

SEO: Your search engine ranking won’t likely improve by accident. While some marketing teams create a website and then let it be, the best search engine optimization (SEO) investments cultivate constant updates and refining of the strategy in order to optimize based on the latest algorithms. From producing new content to including the right elements on your website, SEO is a complex expertise that needs regular attention.

Social Media Marketing: Analytics are one of the keys to making sure your social media marketing strategy produces a robust return. You shouldn’t run an Instagram contest simply because you heard that a lot of businesses are doing that now, and you don’t want to be left behind. Utilize the free analytics that social media platforms provide to find out how best to engage with audiences, and like with any marketing effort, be sure to know what your goal is for the activity. You may be trying to get visitors to your site, or you may simply be trying to engage followers in conversation.

Content Marketing: Content marketing focuses on delivering the right content to the right person at the right time. It is also value-added, with little or no mention of your product or service, but instead seeking to solve the challenges of your audience.

Telemarketing: One of the best ways to build relationships in B2B lead generation is through the conversations that happen via telemarketing. Agents are able to personalize their message to best serve the business contact, as well as answer questions and address concerns. Telemarketing can help you see better results in all areas of your marketing as agents learn where a lead is in the buy cycle and help ascertain what obstacles might exist that could prevent a sale. This can help guide your content decisions, how you personalize your e-mails and what you focus on for each social media platform.

Increasing your return on investment for lead generation isn’t just about finding the best channel for marketing. It’s about integrating your brand message across a combination of effective platforms through content that serves the needs of your audience. Building relationships, engagement and trust across your target audience converts leads to sales.

To learn more about tailoring your B2B marketing efforts to your target audience for a better return on investment, contact us at Blue Valley Telemarketing.