Leads are the biggest challenge in B2B marketing.
Leads are everything. Leads are the lifeblood of any business because leads translate into customers and sales. Can you imagine running any business without leads? Of course not. But in today’s technological landscape, getting business-to-business (B2B) leads can be challenging.
How to get B2B leads?
Ask Google and you’ll get 1,001 ways to generate B2B leads. The real question isn’t about what to do as much as it is about what works. We can all agree that social media plays a part in lead generation today, but what is the right platform for your business? How do you know you are maximizing your lead potential from your efforts? Are you measuring your ROI on time and money spent generating leads?
All these questions and more play into the quest for leads. The bottom line is that today’s business owners and marketing professionals don’t want “tricks,” they want results.
Where do B2B leads come from?
(Image Credit: Hubspot.com)
After doing a survey of their userbase, Hubspot came up with the graphic above. As you can see, the majority of business leads that are identifiable are coming from social media and SEO (or organic search). This is important information because it validates that social media is not only a viable source of B2B leads but a leading source of leads in marketing today. So the question is, which social media platform is right for your business.
(Image Credit: MediaBistro.com)
According to Media Bistro, the number one social media platform in generating B2B leads is LinkedIn. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, as LinkedIn is primarily a business networking platform anyway. It only makes sense that LinkedIn would provide a prime opportunity to gather leads.
What’s the best way to utilize LinkedIn to gather B2B leads?
First off, as with any social media platform, you’ll need to be active! People can sense when it’s genuine, too. Just slogging through the motions and having a hit-and-miss strategy isn’t going to cut it.
Second, you’ll want to join various groups that align with your business and customer base. Join in on conversations that are taking place. Don’t just offer up help, but ask for help every once in a while. Get to know others in the group and let them get to know you. Become an “expert” on the subject matter that relates to your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for leads once you’ve become part of the atmosphere in the groups.
The bottom line is that for B2B leads there is no better social media platform than LinkedIn. Use a solid strategy and you’ll be able to gather more leads from there than from all of your other online sources.
Need some help with B2B leads?
We can help get your B2B lead generation going! Our ConnectIn Engine is designed just for you. So contact us today for a free consultation and see what we can do for your business!