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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.

In today’s b2b market, creating good content alone isn’t enough.  If you really want to put content to good use, you need to focus on content distribution and marketing.

Content syndication can help you to optimize content, get more people to see your content and your brand, thus creating more opportunities to attract leads and enhance sales.

B2B marketers often struggle with the issue of having a limited or ineffective market reach. With limited and repetitive options chosen for content distribution, the scope of growth becomes narrow. Wider market reach can naturally increase your chances at enhancing sales.

What b2b marketers need today is unlimited options to distribute content and a wider reach for better sales.

The process of republishing content on a third-party website and collaborating with partners for content distribution creates higher chances of attracting more leads. This is a powerful way to collaborate for more business.

Third-party websites are delighted to get more content being shared through their website and your content gets a bigger audience by increasing the chances of attracting more business.

Attract more website visitors

One of the important platforms for attracting more visitors to see your products or services is through your website. Often marketers think of a website as a one-time activity. But it is not true!

Today, the website acts as a lead magnet for b2b companies. When you syndicate content on a third-party website with backlinks to your own website, you are attracting potential leads. This is a huge opportunity for allowing more and more people from all over the world to see who you are and what value your brand can bring to them.

Content syndication is one of the most lucrative options if you want to bring more visitors to your own website. Once you start getting more visitors, it is then not very difficult to divert them to the landing page or get them to fill the form, or simply get to know these prospects well for building a rapport with them.

Identify the right target audience

Content syndication is intelligent to work. Just because you have good content should not simply upload it to every other third-party site or collaborate with a partner. It’s a strategic activity wherein you need to choose the right channels, relevant third-party websites, and also the right partners so that your content reaches the relevant audience through content syndication.

It’s very important that your content reaches the target audience who will be interested in your services and also those who are actually looking for your kind of services or products.

Several b2b companies have started adopting content syndication for more benefits against traditional content distribution methods. The tricky part of content syndication is in realizing how to choose the right channels and third-party websites. You also need to evaluate the need for guest blogging and related activities. But most importantly you need to evaluate your content syndication goals. Not all companies need content syndication, but most of them will benefit if they do it.

Conclusion-

A powerful content distribution strategy is paramount if you want to bring more leads through content. Before you start with content syndication, it is important to know why you need it, what are your goals and what is it that you want to achieve. Once you have clear goals, it will help you to choose the channels, methods, and partners for content syndication that are unique to your business type and to your target audience too.

Ideas and innovative strategies can surely bring more leads. Data, insights, and a multichannel approach can help b2b marketers attract and convert leads. 2021 is certainly the year to think out of the box and leverage what you already have in order to convert leads and enhance sales.

This blog talks about some of the best-chosen techniques that you should use in 2021 that will help you to grab the best leads and even give you some new ideas for converting leads quickly.

Grab the leads with Account-Based Marketing– Shift your focus from the top of the funnel for a while and move it to the targeted accounts and the right leads. This guarantees lead conversion. After all, you want to convert the leads and not just chase them. ABM is your thing if you want to convert leads and build relationships.

Use diverse plans for better results– Make sure you adopt a mixed bag of strategies and activities that will yield you the desired results. Instead of sticking to just one of two channels, adopt a multi-channel approach and bring more diversity in your marketing strategies. It will enhance and multiply your opportunities for more lead conversion.

Optimize your website– As plain as it may sound, it is actually one of the most critical things to be done if you want more leads. There was a time when designing and developing a website was a one-time job and the same content existed on the website for ages. But it’s no longer the same today.

Today your website is your lead magnet. Most of the visitors landing on your website could be leads and many of them would actually be interested in engaging with you further. Make sure you optimize the website by updating the design, have great and fresh content and have smart CTAs placed at the right place.

Focus on communication– Sales will exist as long as communication will exist! Great communication is the key to enhanced sales and more leads. This is the age of communication and there couldn’t have been a better way of getting those leads converted than by engaging in conversations with the prospect. Talk with them what they want to hear and not what you want to say. Bring empathy in your conversations and focus on building rapport.

Relationship building is a strong pillar on which your business can thrive. There’s nothing more meaningful than human connection. All the bots and tools can come later!

Make data work for you-  Without the right data, you will most likely be unable to achieve your goals. Lead generation heavily relies on having the right data. Clean and accurate data is the lifeline for b2b lead generation and if you are not targeting the right personas and not contacting the right people, you will not get those leads converted.

Make sure you not only give priority to data but also make the organization data-centric. This will inculcate the value of data in teams that contribute towards lead generation and conversion.

Other than the above, don’t forget to focus on content. Content is being consumed by customers at various different levels and formats today. The more variety of content and insights you give out, the more leads you attract. Customers have a huge appetite for content and today’s market is buzzing with content assets being offered to customers from b2b organizations. Provide a mix of content assets in various different formats and you will have a loyal customer base already.

Conclusion-

B2B lead generation is challenging, but you can make it easy by implementing new ideas and leveraging what you already have. Focus on the right target audience, communicate often with the prospects, and nurture leads to get the best results.