Lead generation

The Essential Engine of Growth for B2B and B2C

How do you find new customers for your brand? Sales and marketing are increasingly collaborating to identify and attract the right potential customers. By sharing content on your website and other channels that assists potential buyers in their purchasing process, you have the opportunity to engage with them early. We call this lead generation. It’s a strategy that’s becoming crucial for many brands.

On this page, you’ll find an introduction to the topics that are important for lead generation. You can also easily click through to the topic you want to learn more about. Ready to dive into lead generation or have a specific question? It might be best to contact us directly here.

Lead Generation Meaning: What is Lead Generation?

A straightforward definition of lead generation is as follows:

Lead generation is the process of attracting and identifying potential customers (leads) who show interest in a company’s products or services. It involves collecting relevant contact information and creating valuable interactions to increase the likelihood that leads will eventually become customers.

Starting with definitions and explanations is always wise: what exactly does lead generation mean and what is it? In our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), we explain this concisely and to the point. Our response naturally sets the stage for the other topics discussed on this page, giving you a clear picture right away. Continue reading to delve deeper into a specific topic or aspect of lead generation.

Lead Generation Companies

The buying process has radically changed in virtually all markets. An increasing portion of the purchasing journey takes place online, and the shortlist (or at least the longlist) is often determined without ever speaking to a salesperson.

In the past, companies could compensate for a lack of lead generation by deploying a large sales force to work the market. However, this approach no longer suffices. You risk being overlooked or starting at a disadvantage compared to brands that managed to stand out during the research phase.In short, brands must actively engage with lead generation companies. In our article ‘lead generation companies’, we discuss the evolving purchase process, an initial approach, and the role of conversion & CTAs.

Lead Generation: The Vast Differences Between B2B and B2C

The difference between lead generation in B2C and B2B is monumental. It demands an entirely different approach. We explain it in our article ‘Why is Lead Generation in B2B Different from B2C?’ as follows:

In B2C, finding customers is like fishing with a dragnet. Cast wide and hope for a good catch. If you miss some, no worries, there are plenty more fish in the sea. For B2B, it’s like fishing in a small pond with just a few fish. You have fewer opportunities; one mistake might scare off an important fish forever. B2B lead generation must align with the complex buying cycle, with building trust at its core.

We delve into the key differences in our article ‘Lead Generation: 10 Differences Between B2C and B2B’:

1. Complexity of Decision-Making
2. Long Sales Cycles
3. High Deal Values
4. Knowledge-Intensive
5. The Importance of Relationships
6. Personalization and Segmentation
7. The Value of Brand Reputation
8. The Role of Content
9. Integration with Sales
10. Necessity of ROI Tracking

Naturally, there are also B2C brands that would benefit from adopting the B2B approach. Practically speaking, the more complex a purchasing process, the more you should lean towards the B2B approach. Conversely, some B2B companies achieve excellent results with a B2C lead generation strategy.

B2B Lead Generation

So, what is the right approach to B2B lead generation? A great question, and the answer certainly varies by market and sometimes even by brand. While the principles remain the same, it is essential that you tailor your approach to align with your audience’s expectations and market standards. What does your audience’s purchasing process look like? What information and knowledge do they need at different stages, and where are the opportunities for your brand? With the answers to these questions, you can start crafting your approach.Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities. B2B lead generation is heavily driven by technology. New technologies, platforms, and tools can help you make a difference and bring your brand to the attention of the right audience. In ‘B2B Lead Generation: Guide to Effective Customer Contact and Conversion,’ we discuss six key trends and developments that contribute to lead generation success:

1. Role of technology
2. Automation
3. Online marketing
4. Data and Analytics
5. Personalization
6. Future trends and technology

Naturally, the article concludes with some practical tips to help you make swift progress.

Lead Generation Strategy

Strategy and tactics—how will we achieve our goal, and what will it take to get there? The goal, of course, is lead generation, and we have just explored how the approach depends on the type of brand (B2C or B2B) and your target audience’s buying process. But once you have that clear, how do you proceed?

We explain this in ‘Lead Generation Strategy and Tactics for B2B Companies,’ where we discuss the three main strategies—inbound, outbound, and account-based marketing—and delve into eight tactics you can start working with. Of course, we also help you choose, but the key takeaway is to discern from the results what works for your brand.

Lead Generation Success

The burning question: When are we successful? A question to which we dedicate an entire article. Especially if you haven’t had much experience with structural lead generation, it’s a complex question. Whether leads are coming in is simple, but are you maximizing your budget? Perhaps it would be better to employ different tactics.

In short, it’s important to understand the key performance indicators (KPIs), use the right analytics tools, conduct A/B testing, and, of course, gather feedback from customers. The latter is often overlooked. Asking, “How did you find us?” is asked far too infrequently and is a missed opportunity to improve your lead generation.We prefer to distill lead generation success down to a single, clear dashboard where all KPIs and trends are visible. This way, our clients can instantly see whether we’re on the right track or if there’s room for improvement. (Hint: there always is).

Outsourcing Lead Generation

You’ve been successful for years, so why suddenly outsource your lead generation? The answer is simple: your potential customers are increasingly conducting online research before reaching out to potential providers. Companies that can set themselves apart in this early stage have a significant advantage. Providing the right information at the right moment during the customer journey greatly increases the likelihood of being chosen for a conversation or making it onto the shortlist.

But, this isn’t exactly your realm, so to speak. You know everything about your product or service and understand your customers inside and out. Yet, optimizing lead generation might be uncharted territory.

You’re probably clever enough to figure it out on your own. But do you really have the time and desire to put in that effort? Can your brand afford to wait?

That’s why we wrote the article ‘7 Benefits of Outsourcing to a Lead Generation Agency,’ so you can clearly see the advantages of bringing in a specialist. Like us, of course.

Getting Started with Lead Generation

Alright, your strategy is clear, your tactics are precise, and you have a clear vision of what success looks like. And you can easily monitor this with a dashboard, for example. Now, there’s nothing left to do but dive in. To assist you in this journey, we’ve written a series of articles, each focusing on a crucial aspect of lead generation.Let’s walk through the topics one by one, so you can decide if you need to dive into the full article.

Website Optimization for Lead Generation

The website almost always serves as the central hub for lead generation. It’s the trunk of the tree to which all your marketing efforts are connected. This means you need to be well-versed in what you’re doing when it comes to your website. A well-designed website can lead to a higher conversion rate (a higher percentage of leads from your visitors) or attract more visitors. Both outcomes lead to one thing: more leads. And that’s the ultimate goal.

In our comprehensive article, we discuss the following:

• User-Friendly Design
• SEO
• Call to Actions (CTAs)
• Landing Pages
• Mobile Optimization

Benefits of Visual Content in Lead Generation

The eye craves engagement too. This means that the right visual content can significantly boost your lead generation.

In our detailed article, we not only explore all the benefits of visual content but also provide you with 8 practical tips for creating it. Convenient, isn’t it?

Content Marketing in B2B Lead Generation

Increasingly, content marketing is becoming a key tactic and, in some cases, the foundation of the entire lead generation strategy. Especially in B2B, companies produce and share valuable content to inform their customers and build trust. And what’s simpler than when customers understand and trust your brand? Exactly, they convert into leads.In our article on content marketing in B2B lead generation, we explain why it’s so important and provide three concrete examples from real-world practice to inspire you:

1. Whitepapers and e-books
2. Webinars
3. Case studies

Social Media and B2B Lead Generation

Everyone is on social media. Even those in their fifties who claim to dislike it have a LinkedIn account. For many companies, social media has become their primary communication channel.

Social media is, therefore, indispensable in a modern lead generation strategy. It is often a highly cost-effective way to reach your target audience and is also 100% measurable. You know exactly what it yields!

In our comprehensive article on Social Media and B2B Lead Generation, we focus on the following topics:

1. Understanding the social media landscape
2. Building brand awareness
3. Targeting the right audience
4. The effectiveness of a social media campaign
5. Measuring success

Lead Generation Campaign Examples and Case Studies

What does a lead generation campaign look like in practice? We’re excited to share more through concrete examples and case studies. We present three examples from real B2B brands (our clients) in an article that explains the approach and structure of their campaigns. Guaranteed to inspire!

However, some readers want to delve even deeper into the results. This isn’t always easy, as we often cannot or do not wish to share all data. Fortunately, there is one client who was open to it. We wrote an extensive article about their campaign with a limited budget, walking you through everything from A to Z. From analysis and strategy to the actual campaign, the results, and the optimization throughout its duration. Including all the data! For this client, we even calculate the ROI of the campaign.What more do you desire?

More Information

That’s a genuine question: What else do you seek? Is there information you’re missing or a question you’d like us to address? Let us know via email. We will certainly respond, and you might soon see the answer to your query in our FAQ or as an article on our website.