There was a time when we got hung up on how many B2B leads we could generate in a day. These were the days of high volume and high hopes – where a little budget could ensure a steady flow of leads passed to the sales team.
The premise was a win-win for marketing and sales teams, and marketing teams and martech vendors sold an easy-to-reproduce formula that seemed simple:
- Identify your target persona.
- Apply a budget to form fills (for example, search ads or content syndication).
- Submit all completed forms to the sales team.
- Earn money.
Unfortunately, this promise did not correspond to reality. As leads got into the hands of the sales teams, problems emerged:
- A good portion of leads filling out forms weren’t ready to buy; rather, they were in the research phase.
- Leads ready to buy weren’t always qualified or suitable for purchasing.
- A scary part of the filled forms turned out to be spam.
- Sales teams began to lose confidence in their marketing teams because the high volume of leads was not translating into a high volume of wins.
Sound familiar? In B2B, the idea of a single funnel – where a lead enters via a form, is passed to a salesperson, and becomes a customer – doesn’t align with how buyers actually make decisions.
Sales teams know: the purchasing cycle is not linear. A prospect may be interested but lack the budget, or have a budget but need to convince a larger group of buyers. Others may not even realize that your solution fits their problem. B2B sales can take years, with prospects coming in and disengaging from your brand and sales team.
Simple lead generation models are not designed to support a non-linear buying journey. They need to evolve to reflect how buyers actually engage.
As you consider a move away from the linear funnel, consider integrating the following tactics into your marketing stack.
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1. AI Research
One of the most exciting developments in search marketing is the recommendations introduced by AI search. Is your site trying to rank on a handful of service-related topics, or is it answering the questions your buyers have more broadly? AI search is a great way for potential buyers to discover solutions they may not have previously considered.
2. ABM Ads
If you already know which accounts you want to do business with, why waste your money on digital advertising on others?
Account-based advertising tools are a game-changer for B2B marketers. They allow you to focus your ad dollars on the accounts you actually want in your sales funnel, identify what those accounts are most interested in buying, and know whether or not they’re ready to sell.
3. Buyer groups and audience targeting
People buy in groups – and these groups get bigger every year. Buying groups are now average about 13 peopleaccording to Forrester, which means your marketing efforts can’t just target senior executives.
The message should be tailored to each type of buyer and the questions should match their role for maximum success.
4. Email feeds
Lead generation needs a development strategy. If you’re using form fills beyond Contact Us conversions, make sure you have a tailored email development strategy in place.
Properly segment your different audiences, buyers, and industries in tailored email campaigns that can keep them engaged. Build trust and credibility over the long term.
When treated with respect, email allows you to keep your buyers top of mind with your brand, no matter how long the sales cycle is.
5. Triggered actions and journey steps
Are you able to identify where a target account is in the sales cycle, either through scoring or your account-based intelligence tool? If so, consider what types of messages make sense to target accounts who are just getting to know you versus those who might be closer to purchasing. How can you segment your audience based on what they need at that moment?
Measuring What Really Drives B2B Growth
Moving away from lead quantification can be a challenge, but there are other ways to measure success beyond lead counts. Look for opportunities to report on leading indicators, such as the following:
- Increase in submissions contact us.
- Increase in booked appointments.
- Increase in the number of target accounts interacting with your digital footprint.
- Increased brand awareness among target accounts during first visits.
As you seek to increase the quality of interactions, revenue will follow, as will your trust and connection with your sales team.
