Lead Generation Trends for 2018

The main goal for just about every B2B business in 2018 is to bring in more, high quality, leads. Now doing this is not always that simple. Consumer research is the most important part of marketing your business and doing it the right way will save you time and money. How new leads are brought in have changed over the years and that goes for 2018 as well. This year marketers may need to adjust their approach and use the right tools to ensure they are reaching their targeted audience and bringing in the right users.

Targeted Email Marketing

Email isn’t a new concept, it’s been around for years, yet still many businesses don’t take the time to utilize it. Now there’s a difference between getting a generic email from a business and getting a targeted email that is personal to you.

Many of us have received some type of email that showed either products we previously looked at or added to our cart. Businesses can use similar tactics to targeted leads looking for a specific service. Using tools such as Facebook Pixel can help marketers focus ads, specifically email, at users who have expressed interest in their product. Target users who have liked or visited similar pages to ensure the proper users are being reached.

Live Streaming on Social Media

Showing your business in action is a great way to connect with potential leads. One of the most common social streaming platforms is Facebook, however others have begun to increase in popularity.

There’s lots of potential to what you can show with your live stream as well.

• Conduct Interviews – Bring in team members or other influencers in the industry and ask them about trends in the industry.  Ask questions about how things are going with companies, products, services, that will get potential leads intrigued.
• Q & A – Users always have questions about what you have to offer. They want to ask questions before they make a final decision. Here you can provide live answers to any questions that may pop up, and chances are if one person is asking about it another person had a similar question.
• Webinars – Selling a software? Show businesses how to use the product (assuming you don’t offer some type of in house training) which can clear up any issues they may be having.
• Company Events – This can help build your brand name, showing customers that you take pride in what you do. This can be company gatherings or events/conferences that your company is attending. Show businesses how you are a part of the community and enjoy showing your product off.
• Show a Product or Service in Use – Let businesses see first hand how it operates. They get a realistic idea of how fast it is, how large it is, where it can be used, etc. This can be a good opportunity to showcase how a product is constructed or built as well.

Video

Fifty-two percent of marketers believe video has the best ROI. Video continues to grow as one of the top performing pieces of content and every serious business should be playing around with it. Getting started can be easy with some simple, short videos, however to really utilize the video a proper campaign needs to be created. Videos about services or products showcasing features are the most common approach, however marketers are learning to be creative to really get customers interested.

Using video on your site can also be helpful when reducing bounce rate, increasing time on site, and increasing rankings. Users are more likely to watch a video rather than read through an article, which means users will stay on the site longer. This tells search engines that the page is relevant to the query they used to get to the page. Thus, giving the search engines a reason to move it up in the rankings.

Partnering with Influencers

By locating influencers who are active in areas similar to your industry businesses can build connections with these sites/users. Influencers can help relay your message or business to potential leads within the community. Users find these influencers as experts and trust who they promote and stand by.

Start by building a list of these influencers who are relevant to your industry. Now get in contact with these sites and open up some dialogue. Discuss how you can work with each other and benefit from one another. Don’t simply ask to be mentioned and promoted. Make sure you come across as genuine and your goal is to help the industry.

Focused Advertising

With all the tools available to track users, in 2018 it’s vital businesses build focused advertising. Similar to email marketing campaigns, with personalized content that’s directed at specific users looking to make a purchase. Many sites may create landing pages, blogs, or videos aimed at a wide variety of clients, where users are looking for something just for them. This does mean making more content, however the return is well worth it. Giving users this enhanced experience will help build a brand around your business and show users you are the leader within the industry.