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There’s a difference between capturing leads and creating demand for leads. In this post-COVID market, b2b organizations need to focus on generating demand as much as they want to focus on capturing new leads. Demand generation will help marketers sustain competition and create long term relationships with the clients for more sales.

One of the biggest mistakes that b2b marketers commit is to focus on the market that has active buyers alone. The other curious lot is the actual target audience that needs to be focused upon. This target audience will give them the opportunity to generate demand and offer prospects with solutions and services that will solve their business challenges.

You can establish your brand or brand reputation and also win loyal customers. This is precisely the target that marketers should reach out to, communicate, develop trust and build long term relationships that are critical for sustaining business in today’s b2b market.

Let us look at some of the primary goals that marketers need to focus upon if they want to grow their business-

• Create strong brand awareness and rapport
• Work on creating brand affinity and familiarity to capture the attention of leads
• Enhance your reach amid the target audience that isn’t exactly buying but looking for services that match their needs
• Drive product or service differentiation to stand out in the crowd and sustain competition
• Consider influencing buying decisions or engaging audience with offers that would be difficult to resist
• Communicate business value through a problem solving approach and being a solution provider for their business challenges
• Last but not the least, generate demand by understanding the exact needs of the prospect

These goals could prove to be some of the best and sure shot ways to generate demand and to help recalibrate sales and marketing strategies to be in-line with your demand gen goals.

Help, instead of sell-

This can be the foundation of all your demand generation initiatives. The change in your sales approach will make the prospect see you in a different light. As they see you as someone who wants to help them more than someone who wants to sell to them, they will then show interest in communicating or engaging further with you.

Empathy and willingness to listen are the key characteristics in establishing relationships today. Communication is extremely crucial and so are the content and content marketing initiatives. Insightful content is one of the best ways to offer them with valuable advice or facts that can actually accelerate their decision making process.

Content syndication:

If you are serious about demand generation, content syndication has to be an important part of your demand gen strategy. But remember, that it’s not just content syndication, but it is the quality of content that you end up distributing. Before you focus on the means to distribute content, focus and have dedicated resources churn out insightful, helpful, relevant and meaningful content that can influence the prospect and motivate them to contact you.

Conclusion-

B2B marketers have been investing their valuable time, efforts and money in generating leads through various different techniques. However, today’s trends are all about generating demand with the help of various innovative initiatives with bigger returns in terms of sales.

For any b2b marketer, there’s nothing more delightful than having a constant flow of quality leads that convert easily. Demand generation is one of the most potent and lucrative activities that can shorten your sales cycle, help get good leads that convert easily and enhance sales and ROI.

Lead generation techniques are evolving and the new and innovative methods are bringing success to b2b marketers. Amid a plethora of techniques, there are some that you need to be pay close attention to, especially in 2021.

The pandemic brought in a lot of changes in the way people do sales. The b2b market had to face a lot of challenges with trade shows and face to face meetings coming to a complete halt. Though this pause is slowly waning away, b2b vendors, service providers and organizations have to reconfigure their strategies in order to adjust with the new consumer mind-set and the changes in the market dynamics too.

Lead generation has always been the fuel for b2b sales and ROI. B2B customer journey has taken to digitization in a major way. Considering the myriad changes in the market over the period of 2020-2021, here are some peculiar trends to observe-

• Importance placed on customer’s voice 
• Customer-centric sales and marketing activity
• Increased activities to enhance brand awareness
• Use of email marketing to reach the right target audience
• Use of social media for brand recall and customer engagement
• More focus on generating demand
• ABM gaining more and more importance and focus
• Sales and marketing alignment being prioritized
• Focus on content and content marketing initiatives to drive traffic and to attract leads
• Messaging and communication undergoing a lot of  change to be able to strike the right chord with target audience
• Increased use of content assets being offered to add value to lead generation and demand generation
• Content syndication gaining more importance for enhanced reach and collaborative efforts for lead generation
• Shortening the sales cycle with more innovative approach and a change of mind-set

Other than the above, here are some more top lead generation trends to pay attention to in 2021-

• Personalized reach with intent data-

To know exactly where the buyer is in the buying cycle, intent data is the best tool one can use. Intent data can help marketers to get a comprehensive idea and knowledge about the prospect. You can then reach the prospect using the right techniques and converting the lead into a customer faster.

The best thing about intent data is that you can personalize your outreach efforts far more effectively and with faster results.

• Sales and marketing alignment-

Lead generation has a lot to do with the alignment between sales and marketing. Often, the sales team needs more high quality leads from marketing. There needs to be proper, streamlined communication between sales and marketing teams in order to know what the other team is doing in terms of strategy, metrics used, analysis of results etc. This can prove to be a win-win for both the teams and it can help the organization get the best leads and convert them too in less time.

Conclusion-

After having used some tried and tested and even traditional methods of lead generation, now is the time for marketers to either combine these or get on with some new, innovative and smart strategies that are in-line with today’s market and with the changing needs of the customers. No matter what you use, if you prioritize personalization it can help streamline many of your lead gen goals with great results.

B2B lead conversion and sales can increase exponentially with a focused marketing approach. ABM is a unique activity in which sales and marketing teams collaborate and come together to target and convert the best–fit accounts into customers. If you are looking to focus on the highest possible ROI you need to pay attention to high-value accounts that can bring spectacular results.

This blog throws light on understanding ABM and how to optimize ABM efforts for more sales.

ABM can solve a lot of b2b problems and ease lead conversion-

• ABM solves the challenge of not being able to show clear and measurable results in terms of the ROI. ABM being a focused activity, one of its main goals is to prioritize ROI. ABM can deliver the highest return on investment with dedicated efforts and resources focusing on building relationships with clients and nurturing leads
• ABM also addresses the problem of accountability of resources in terms of time, efforts and results
• ABM addresses one of the major challenges of b2b organizations- bringing the sales and marketing teams together and on the same page. It’s impossible to achieve spectacular results in ABM if sales and marketing teams work in silos. So ABM requires them to collaborate and this solves the major hurdles of b2b companies.

So what makes ABM the way it is and what are its different elements that make it so special?

Targeting high-value accounts– ABM allows you to target right accounts that are worth your time and efforts. Accounts that are of strategic value, ones that are service-fit, ones that give high gains, quick conversions, etc. are the focus of ABM.

Personalization– ABM being a much-focused activity, you can run personalized campaigns that facilitate building strong relationships and rapport with the targeted accounts.

ABM and ROI –

• As per the survey conducted by Marketo, almost 97% of marketers achieved the expected ROI compared to any other marketing channel or activity
• Almost 84% of b2b marketers say account based marketing activities and results are far superior as compared to results of other marketing activities
• Almost 208% more revenue achieved by companies that have their sales and marketing teams aligned

So how do you optimize your ABM programs to finally achieve the above benefits?

Define high-value accounts– Use all of the data that you have and use intent data as well to clearly define whom you want to target and the accounts that are of high value. Discover these accounts and prioritize focused approach to reach out and engage.

Identify key decision makers– One of the most significant elements that play a crucial role in shortening the b2b sales cycle is the decision makers and key internal players. Identifying these key decision makers and players will get your ABM campaigns into real action.

Create personalized messaging– Content plays a crucial role in sales and in your ABM campaigns. It’s one of the most effective communication tools to reach out and engage the high value accounts. Keep them informed and provide essential and crucial insights from time to time.

Identify crucial channels- Getting in front of your audience and staying in their eye-line is very important for getting those high-value accounts. Consider the top notch channels where your high value prospects spend maximum time.

Execute precisely as planned- Planning is very important for ABM programs. As a focused activity, the execution needs to be well planned out and carried out with the help of dedicated resources.

Measure and analyze- Measuring and analyzing results is crucial in ABM. This gives you a clear idea of what is working and what is not. It will also give you an opportunity to improvise each time.

Conclusion-

ABM can be a rewarding marketing activity. All you need to do is have a strategic plan for carrying out the campaigns successfully from start to end and also have the right insights and knowledge about ABM.

Demand Generation is a dynamic marketing activity that is critical at every stage of the buyer’s journey. It isn’t the kind of technique that can be used just once in the entire sales cycle or only for a particular stage of the buyer’s journey. For attracting the best leads that convert, demand generation should combine various techniques that are intended to address every part of the customer journey and be used at various stages of the sales funnel.

Let us see some smart demand gen techniques that can be used at different stages of the customer journey to help augment lead conversion.

Creating awareness for lead generation-

Every customer journey starts with the awareness stage. Your brand is something that resonates or does not resonate with the needs of the customer. Before the customer gets to know your brand he needs to be aware of your brand. Generating brand awareness is therefore a very critical part of generating demand.

Demand generation plays a vital role in establishing your brand and keeping its value alive in the customer’s mind. It also helps to keep the brand in the eye-line of the customer and therefore you need a solid plan to help raise brand awareness and make the customers remember your brand.

This is how you can generate demand in the awareness stage

Staying in the eye-line of the customer-

• You can create a solid brand image that resonates with the buyer persona
• Create relevant and strong messaging that also resonates with the buyer persona and the buyers needs and requirements
• Create solution-oriented messaging through email marketing campaigns that throw light on addressing the pain points and solutions that can eliminate those pain points
• Have a strong social media presence

Build a smart website to attract leads in the consideration stage-

A website is the most critical asset in the demand gen journey. It is something that attracts leads on its own and generates demand for your products or services. Website visitors are the ones that have come looking for your services and can be the most potential leads that can get converted easily. As a b2b marketer, you need to have a website that is primed for lead generation.

Get your website designed in such a way that your customers get the exact information they are looking for. Have CTAs that will direct the prospect to take action when it comes to making buying decisions.  Have a short form to fill that does not ask for too much information but asks for just the right data. Have a landing page that can help customers get exactly what they are looking for and urge them to take quick buying decisions.

Go for a customer-centric approach for the decision stage-

Buyer-centric sales processes almost always win. A buyer-centric sales process is a huge part of successful demand generation.

When it is more about the customer and less about you, the customer feels you are walking the extra mile to get them what they need. Customers come to you for solutions.

Attract more leads with a customer-first approach. Thinking of how your services can benefit the customer instead of thinking only about sales can go a long way in attracting the right leads to you.

Conclusion-

Most marketers do demand generation everyday even without realizing that they are doing it. But if you do it more consciously and with a strategy in place it can streamline your lead gen journey with more good leads that convert easily.

Demand generation can be one of the best tools for converting leads. It’s a complex and dynamic tool that can change the face of your lead gen business. But to achieve spectacular results, marketers should know how to use it strategically. One needs to have complete knowledge of demand gen and lead generation and the thread that binds these two important elements of b2b.

In this blog, we will find out the various elements that help build strong demand gen formula and how one can strategically pull off successful demand generation for better lead conversion.

It starts with a strategic mindset!

The power of demand generation is in its dynamism! The whole purpose of demand generation is to raise brand awareness and create a cohesive and attractive brand ambience for the audience to notice you and engage with you.

In order to achieve this, b2b marketers need to understand the target audience well and to also know which parts of marketing activities can be directed towards building a powerful demand gen strategy.

So before we deep-dive into knowing how demand gen can be pulled of strategically, let us see the parts of marketing that can be useful in generating interest in the minds of the prospect.

1. Brand awareness and brand storytelling can be activities that can be used as a part of the demand gen program
2. Social media platforms can help build brand awareness and open communication channels
3. Email marketing can very well be used to generate demand amid prospects
4. Content plays a vital role for all the above activities, generate curiosity, and even retarget some of the customers

Demand generation process in a nutshell-

The process that helps in attracting prospects to your brand is a demand gen process. As a demand gen specialist the more you get to know the customer the more you understand their pain points and challenges. This is how you start crafting solutions that are aligned with their challenges. Then establishing brand awareness in the same context helps attract these prospects to your brand and they start engaging with you through content assets, email marketing and social media communication.

As soon as the prospect is aware of your brand positioning as a solution provider, it is then that they think of approaching you. This is how you attract good leads that can be easily converted into business.

So how does one use demand gen strategically to get more leads?

A. Create content assets that are helpful and aligned with what your target audience is looking for. This is a good way to get in front of your audience and stay in the eye-line of your leads. Create a variety of content assets such as blogs, infographics, white papers, etc.

B. Create email marketing campaigns to initiate first contact with the prospects and to leverage the power of content assets that you have created. Start communicating with follow-up emails and let them know that you have the solutions they are looking for.

C. Lead segmenting, lead scoring are important things of lead gen process but they are also a significant part of the demand gen strategy.

D. Keep creating excellent content that is customized at this stage so that you pay focused attention to the customer needs just like ABM. Narrowing down the focus is the key to successful demand gen.

E. Focus on lead nurturing to build powerful relationships and rapport with the leads so that they convert easily

Conclusion-

Each organization is unique and hence the needs of demand gen for each organization will be unique too. But what is important is that sales and marketing teams need to be aligned to be able to pull off all the above strategic techniques that can help generate demand that is in-line with the larger lead gen goals.

B2B marketers have realized the importance of intent data and that it plays a major role in generating leads and getting those leads converted into business. However, many understand only the basics of intent data and it still isn’t clear to them why quality needs to be emphasized upon and prioritized when it comes to generating leads. This blog talks about the many benefits of quality intent data for generating good leads.

There are different types of intent data and each has a role to play when it comes to b2b sales. Though quality may not be directly relevant when it comes to types of intent data, each type certainly has the power to impact getting the best leads and converting them into sales. But most importantly it is how you optimize quality intent data that matters the most when it comes to b2b lead generation.

Contact level intent data-

Lead generation is challenging and b2b is complex. In such a scenario b2b marketers need to focus on simplifying sales processes so that the sales cycles get shortened. Intent data helps them do just that. There are several best practices for sales enablement and lead qualification; however data is paramount to success at every stage of sales cycle. Quality intent data therefore has a major role to play for simplifying b2b sales and making lead generation less challenging.

One of the many things that marketers overlook is that of contact level intent data. In such cases, third party data can be of great use as follows-

• To help identify buyers’ challenges and intent so as to get the messaging right
• To help track the buying journey to understand the different stages of the prospect
• Monitor important competitor engagements and market analysis

Cost-effective and reliable-

Gathering first-party data is cost-effective as resources within the organization can do it. One of the sales team members or data team can gather the first-party data and it can be authentic too. Also, it can be more reliable than any other form of data.

Another advantage of first-party data is that you can have a lot of control over the data.  With third-party data, organizations have little control over the data. However, when gathering data yourself, you have much control over it and can decide what it is that you need. You also be able to save a lot of time which can otherwise be used or invested in capturing good leads.

Quality intent data should always be a priority if you really want to optimize data for lead generation. One of the many things you can achieve is that you can get best MQLs and SQLs with high quality data.

Strategized and focused communication-

You can greatly benefit from third-party intent data if you are focusing on ABM. Also, knowing what the customers are looking for can help you to strategize your messaging and communication for nurturing leads. If you get to know the level of interest of prospects you can then strategize and have email campaigns set up to nurture those leads and get them converted quickly.

Grow your sales pipeline-

Third party intent data can help save a lot of your time. If your sales team is involved in gathering data, then they obviously lose some of their time that could otherwise have been utilized in building the pipeline and in generating demand. Gathering third party intent data can also help you to grow your database that is verified and valuable for lead generation and conversion.

Conclusion-

Data alone cannot augment sales or enhance lead generation and conversion. It’s important to have quality data with you to do the same. Quality intent data can therefore help you to get qualified leads, shorten sales cycle and build a stronger sales pipeline for better lead gen and demand gen results.

B2B marketers have recognized the importance of ABM and its impact on ROI. Due to its immense popularity, account-based marketing is gaining momentum and is creating more opportunities for better lead conversion. However, it needs to be backed by a solid strategy, and b2b marketers need to avoid certain mistakes too so that they can harness the effectiveness of ABM for generating and converting leads.

When ABM is planned and implemented strategically it can give some valuable benefits to b2b organizations.

Here are some important benefits of ABM-

• You can build strong and long-lasting relationships with the prospects
• Get more highly qualified leads that can convert easily
• Develop more personalized engagement with prospects
• Create more relevant and focused content for specific accounts
• Shorten the sales cycle

Though ABM has many more benefits, let us see the common mistakes that can actually stop b2b marketers from enjoying those benefits.

This blog discusses 3 ABM mistakes that should be avoided by b2b marketers at all times.

Targeting more accounts than one should-

Though there is no thumb rule as to how many accounts should one manage at a time, ABM is all about focus. ABM accounts need dedicated efforts, time and resources for it to show results. Rolling out your strategy across too many accounts at a time can reduce the chances of success.

One can think big but when it comes to ABM it’s always better to start small and gradually scale up the resources as well as the number of accounts. The whole main approach toward ABM should be exclusivity and ABM involves specific accounts that demand more and dedicated attention. This exclusivity leads to success in ABM. But if too many accounts are targeted and they flood in all at one time, it won’t give you the time or the focus to achieve the desired results that are expected of ABM.

Lack of measurement of results-

Following up with results is one of the most critical aspects of ABM. It’s always good to begin with a great strategy and planning along with implementation, but if the results are left unmonitored it can hamper the overall effectiveness of ABM campaigns.

Specific accounts need specific measurement and analysis to get the desired results. Measurement techniques need to be very relevant to specific accounts as each account is exclusive and has different needs. There is no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to measuring ABM results.

Innovation is key to ABM! Marketers therefore should think out-of-the-box and create special metrics to make sure they are aware of the results.

Absence of alignment between sales and marketing-

This is where most b2b marketers go wrong- not realizing or not being aware of the consequences of lack of alignment between sales and marketing functions in the organization.

Both team members need to be on the same page and need to be fully aware of what strategy is being used and why. Sales and marketing cannot afford to work in isolation especially in the case of ABM.

Insights, planning, strategies, and implementation can be done more effectively with cooperation from both sales and marketing teams.

Conclusion-

ABM if done systematically and with all the focus it needs can deliver incredible results. It has the capability to convert the best leads into customers. Avoiding pitfalls and taking an innovative approach can help marketers win at ABM.

Generating b2b leads and converting those leads into customers isn’t an easy job. Technology companies often struggle to come up with the best techniques that can generate more leads that convert.

Simply using in-house techniques and resources isn’t enough for reaching out to specific target audience and for capturing and nurturing leads too. It may be due to various reasons such as lack of expertise or experience, absence of marketing mix or lack of innovative strategies. In such a scenario, having a demand gen partner can always help technology companies find new opportunities to get more leads!

Innovation-

When it comes to lead generation, there this one element that could be lacking in today’s tech company strategies and that is innovation! Innovation in strategies and a strategic mix that can enhance lead generation and conversion to a great extent comes from expertise and knowing the prospects well. For example, a demand gen partner can use Omni channel approach to get more leads and create more opportunities to enhance sales.

A demand gen partner can use more innovation in messaging, communication and in their sales approach that can help tech companies to reach out to a wider audience and motivate the prospects to make quick buying decisions.

Solid email campaigns-

Demand gen partners often study the buyer personas in detail to be able to reach out to them effectively through email campaigns. An email campaign is only as strong as it can convey the right message to the right target audience. Tech companies often have specific target audience from different tiers and catering to these needs focused and customized messaging.

Having a demand gen partner means having dedicated resources for different campaigns. This dedicated time and effort can bring better results in terms of reach, lead nurturing and lead conversion.

Retargeting-

Having a demand gen partner means having an expert who knows how and whom to retarget. Technology companies often go searching for new leads forgetting about those leads that had once shown the inclination but did not convert.

One can offer good and unique deals, verify data and communicate with a new approach. The advantage you get while retargeting is that you already know the prospect to a certain extent. So you don’t really have to build the profile from the scratch.

What’s important is that you focus your resources and expertise on those prospects who didn’t convert the first time. You can use Google Ads, social media or email marketing campaigns to retarget and get them back into the loop.

Here are a few things that demand gen partners can help achieve-

• Identify high sales opportunities
• Capture leads that are most likely to convert
• Create more brand awareness and visibility
• Reach out with strong and relevant messaging
• Offer unique content assets to generate more demand
• Communicate strategically for further engagement
• Create differentiation for technology companies in the market
• Retain and retarget leads for more chances of conversion
• Shorten sales cycles for better ROI

Conclusion-

Technology companies can create leads in-house but they are definitely better off with a demand gen partner who has years of experience, knows the pulse of the market and has the expertise to grab the right leads and convert them in less time.

Over the past few years, the impact of intent data has only been expanding in the b2b industry. From simply ‘trying out’ intent data to making it an integral part of the got-to-market strategy; b2b marketers have now matured to actually use and optimize intent data for enhancing sales. Majority of b2b organizations are now incorporating intelligence that is sourced from intent data to be used in their sales and marketing strategies.

Let us see how intent data has impacted and changed the way b2b marketers do business today.

The early applications of intent data were more for identifying and finding buyers in the market. But today, marketers need more than just being able to find customers. They need a hand-raise from the buyers which is not easy to come by especially in the long sales cycle of b2b buyers. In such a scenario, intent signals have come as a rescue to resolve this b2b challenge.

Here are some advantages of intent data and how it has been able to make a huge impact on business in various different ways-

Several business owners are thrilled by the impact of intent data. It is showing a very positive impact on the overall business and sales growth. Intent data is helping to impact beyond short-term pipeline results as it is also helping companies in the longer sales cycle too. Many are witnessing faster conversions, better relationships with prospects, and incredible insights into the buyer’s journey.

Apart from the benefits and advantages of intent data, what marketers need to address today is how to best manage intent data. It is clear that the intelligence it brings across sales and marketing domains is the real value of intent data. Marketers need to optimize it, use it to their advantage to not only convert leads and to enhance sales, but also to understand their end customer well.

Intent data is also helping marketers to focus on their marketing dollars and has helped them bring more relevance in their content and content marketing efforts. With hyper-personalization dominating the market, more and more business owners are looking at intent signals to create relevant messaging and communication to reach the right audience.

Conclusion-

Intent data has come at the right time to solve many challenges of the b2b market. It has not only resolved the long sales cycle challenge of b2b, but it also helping marketers to up their sales quotient and convert leads faster than before. All one needs to do is use and optimize intent data and also learn how to manage it well.

Email marketing has gained immense importance in the b2b industry. It is considered as one of the most critical communication tools that can be further optimized to convert leads. You can reach out to a wider and relevant target audience and engage in personalized communication. Following certain email etiquettes can definitely increase your email conversion rate.

This blog talks about 3 techniques that can accelerate email conversion rates for your business.

Start segmenting

Segmentation is the most critical aspect of email marketing as it makes sure that you send the relevant e-mailers to the right audience. None of your email campaigns will work without segmentation.

Start with the database! Have a clean and updated database or contact lists. Know your target audience well and then align your offers and the e-mailers accordingly. Segmentation will only optimize your efforts.

Segment your emails based on the following –

• Shortlist the type of subscribers
• Update your database and lists from time to time
• Make sure all the contacts are active
• Segment your emails based on the demographics and firmographics
• List out their online behavioral patterns
• Monitor their purchase history and habits
• Use psychographs to further know the prospect well
• Keep it as relevant as possible

Create compelling subject lines and opening lines

No matter whom you send the email to, if the subject line isn’t attractive or engaging enough, your email open rate will always remain low. Create customized subject lines and focus on the opening lines as well.

The subject line should not hint at things that are not offered in the email.  Personalize the subject line by adding the sender’s name and the most exciting offers. You can hint at how a service can solve the most critical problem of the prospect and highlight data if needed. But whatever you choose, be sure to keep it short and crisp.

You can also introduce an element of surprise in the subject line. Compelling content is the key to higher open rates and conversion rates when it comes to email marketing. So invest a lot of time in creating the right subject line, opening lines and keep the overall messaging relevant and insightful.

CTA (Call-to-Action)

A lot has been said about CTAs and still many marketers do not take CTAs seriously and as a result, it hampers the overall success of the email campaigns. CTA or Call to Action is a kind of navigation that you offer the prospect. It can be a big deciding factor as it can motivate the prospect to take further action of doing business with you.

Hence a CTA needs to be relevant to the audience, the CTA button should be in the eye-line of the prospect and the content should be compelling enough to motivate him to take action.

Conclusion-

Email Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your b2b sales and marketing strategy. E-mailers are the best way to reach the relevant target audience and enhance sales. A comprehensive strategy needs to be built if you want higher email conversion rates.