It is a tough time for businesses all over the world as Covid-19 has completely changed how businesses carry out all their activities. If you are a marketer who works in lead generation activities, you are most probably well aware of how difficult Covid-19 has made it to reach your lead generation targets. To put it mildly, it has become quite a challenge to stay afloat during these unpredictable times. And you are not alone. B2B marketers are depending on small glimmers of hope to get through this pandemic. Here are four lead generation practices that you can use to meet your targets that are currently being used by other successful B2B marketers.
Email and Social Media Marketing
As part of your lead generation efforts, you should focus on email and social media marketing as it is one of the foolproof ways to generate leads according to experts. A survey shows that approximately 20% more time is being spent by customers on mobile apps during this pandemic. You should focus on social media marketing as people are using those apps to stay updated and informed. Take Facebook for example which has stated there is a 70% increase in the app’s usage. You can focus on using Twitter and LinkedIn for lead generation and influencer marketing. It will save you money without compromising on the efficiency.
Email marketing is another powerful way of generating leads. It yields a higher ROI when compared to other marketing tactics. For example, you can better target your leads with email marketing. An excellent way of doing this is by creating awareness amongst your potential customers about how your business is handling and responding to the pandemic. You can inform your leads about how they can reach you and when you are available if they have any queries. You should clearly tell them about ways to contact you and clearly mention links that the user will benefit from. When you are offering services, make it personal by enquiring about their well-being and how your brand can help support them during these trying times so they are more interested in your service.
Remote Sales Teams
B2B was all about person-to-person interaction but that is not the case anymore. When you want your lead management activities to succeed, keep in mind that remote selling can work wonders when implemented right and when you are ready to make certain investments. You will need to invest in technology so your sales teams can work efficiently. For example, you will need screen-sharing technologies and video conference tools so you can provide unique experiences to them. You can use collaborative tools so your team members can easily coordinate with each other remotely. CRM software can help manage the relationship with prospective leads. Analytic solutions can help to effectively measure progress.
Priorities need to be set and you should focus on increasing productivity. This can give clarity and help you focus better which is why the B2B marketers are using this practical approach in lead generation during this pandemic. You can schedule daily goals instead of longer-term goals as was done before the pandemic. Routine tasks should be automated so you and your team can solely focus on lead generation. Your marketing team and sales team should work collaboratively so that the best quality leads are found and nurtured. When productivity is improved, it will result in better lead generation.
Virtual Events
Travel restrictions are still a reality in most parts of the world and social distancing is becoming the new norm during the Covid-19 crisis. A McKinsey report stated that more and more companies are giving importance to going digital. As more and more live events are getting canceled because of the spike in cases everywhere, virtual events are the next big thing for B2B marketers. And experts agree that virtual events are one of the best ways to generate leads during this testing time. The benefit is you will be able to reach many more people than if you had a live event so it is time to use this opportunity to score big.
You should communicate with your customers and prospects about virtual events well in advance. Make sure you have thought through the value proposition so people show interest in your virtual event. Whatever live event you had planned can be easily converted to a virtual event if you were already prepared for the live event. Whether you want to organize a virtual conference, benefits fair, or summits, virtual events make it possible, especially with the advent of AR and VR tech. It is not limited exclusively to large businesses and so as a B2B marketer, this is an opportunity to connect and engage with people all over the globe. You should ensure to make your event inclusive and be prepared with a backup presentation or plan if something goes wrong during the event.
Outsourcing
Covid-19 has added complexities to lead generation which is why many experts have turned to outsourced lead generation services. If you don’t have whatever resources are required for generating leads then outsourcing is an option to consider. Outsourcing your workload to experienced lead generation call centers are a fantastic option when you don’t have sales teams that are experienced in lead generation. Outsourced companies have experts who have the skills and are highly familiar with what needs to be done which means they are efficient and productive. This means they are more likely to get you results you need and faster because of their familiarity with what needs to be done.
Outsourcing can help you save time when you are looking for quality leads. You won’t need to worry about setting up appointments and meetings as the outsourced company will do it for you. More than 80% of marketers agree that lead generation is a top priority. When you outsource, you can leave it to experts so you can focus on activities that need to be done in-house. Outsourcing companies have a larger reach to data and they are skilled at separating good leads from bad which can be tricky for some marketers during the Covid-19 situation. If you are thinking of outsourcing, then make sure you do thorough research.
Lead generation might sound like an uphill battle filled with struggle, especially during this pandemic. If you are not ready to take the load on yourself then you can always consider outsourcing as the outsourced company will provide quality services so you can focus on other aspects of your business. An example of efficient outsourced lead generation companies is Expert Callers. We are experts at lead generation with an experience of 10+ years. We help provide relevant and quality leads while saving you effort, money, and time using advanced data solutions, account-based marketing, and marketing qualified leads.
