Blog Post

B2B Lead Generation: How to Guide Leads from Contact to Purchase

  • By Mark Baker
  • 14 May, 2015

In a recent survey, B2B marketers cited lead generation as their second biggest challenge, right after SEO. They talked about the several strategies they employ to boost leads, everything from blogging and social media to telemarketing, trade shows, and advertising, and the results the get using each methodology and platform.

But their real issue wasn't the number of leads they werent generating -- it was the quality of those leads, in terms of whic ones convert and boost sales. More than 60 percent noted that generating quality leads was their single biggest concern. Still, more than 1 in 4 don't know their own lead conversion rate, and 65 percent admit to not having a program for lead nurturing.

SO, WHAT'S A QUALITY LEAD?

Depending on the given company and industry, marketers will define "quality lead" differently, but they will probably all agree that the highest quality leads are those that eventually become customers. These types of leads are the ones that know your business, actively need your products and services, and maintain a level of engagement with your company. That engagement begins with the first contact, perhaps because you gave them valuable content they could use and which established you as an expert and trusted adviser.

QUALITY EVOLVES OVER TIME

But engagement isn't a single, isolated interaction, and it can't be measured in clicks or shares. It's a process, a series of integrated, sequential messages that together form a persuasive and compelling argument. In other words, when it comes to leads, quality isn't static; it changes and evolves over time.

Your job as a marketer isn't to capture leads and hold them in a static vacuum. It's to guide them through a process, one which begins by stating the nature of their problem, moves to actionable tips for solving the problem, and concludes by demonstrating that your company is the best one to solve it.

Here are three ways to guide your leads from contact to purchase:

1. USE BLOGS TO ANSWER PROSPECTIVE CLIENT QUESTIONS

B2B companies that blog generate almost 70 percent more leads than those that don't. You can increase the quality of those leads by blogging on topics prospective clients care about, and they won't be shy about telling you. Some will tell you in their social media posts, while others will send questions via email. Make a list of the questions that pop up more frequently and create a blog focused on each one. Let the blog readers comment and ask more questions leading to more blogs. Guide the ongoing conversation to move your leads towards affinity and purchase.

2. CREATE SEQUENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH ACTIONABLE TIPS

TargetX, a college admissions consulting firm, launched its "Email minute" program more than a decade ago. Every Friday, admissions professionals rushed to their inboxes to find the latest tip to enhance their recruitment efforts. In the process, TargetX established its expertise, guided leads to growing affinity, and dramatically increased its client base. You can extend this kind of sequential lead magnet program in your industry, and to other formats, like newsletters and webinars. To be effective, the tips have to be valuable, and you have to include a pointed call-to-action in each message.

3. USE FOCUSED DIRECT MAIL

Marketers sometimes reject direct mail as obsolete and too costly. In fact, 65 percent of consumers have made a purchase from direct mail, which has an average conversion rate of 4.4 percent (vs. email's 0.12 percent) and an average cost per lead of $51.40 vs. $55.24 for email and $52.58 for pay-per-click. Begin your direct mail campaign by limiting recipients to your top 100 or so B2B prospects. Send them a series of direct mail pieces, each with an actionable tip and call to action. Drive them to your website, blogs and webinars with embedded URLs and QR codes. Finally, use a smart CRM tool to track interactions and ensure effective follow up, guiding your leads to make purchases.

CONCLUSION

One of the reasons lead generation is such a challenge for B2B marketers is that competition for those leads has never been greater. There are 31 percent more bloggers than just three years ago, and 84 percent of marketers have now jumped into social media. If you want to beat the competition, you need to identify your highest potential leads and guide them to sales through sequential messaging, which demonstrates persuasively that you understand their problems, and that your company is the one that can solve them.

Mark Baker

Mark Baker is a natural artist. Since starting his first business hand painting graphics onto vehicles in high school, Mark gained experience in the entertainment, sports, and retail industries before founding this company in 1993. Honest and pragmatic, Mark knows that anything can be accomplished with a great communication plan and creative thinking. 

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