B2B Lead Generation Strategies: 5 Tips To Increase Conversions

Ideally, business-to-business (B2B) customers would discover your brand organically. Maybe they’d hear about your services from a colleague or find your social media accounts during a late-night scrolling session. They’d get in touch — credit card in hand — and your sales team would be ready to close the deal.

In reality, B2B sales rarely unfold that effortlessly. Generating leads takes effort and time. It’s all about engaging organizations and demonstrating how your business can meet their needs, but that can be easier said than done. 

Luckily, there are plenty of effective ways to attract B2B leads and build meaningful relationships.

How B2B Lead Generation Differs From B2C

At first, B2B and business-to-consumer (B2C) lead generation might seem pretty similar. Both approaches focus on connecting with potential customers and moving them along the buyer's journey. They also use marketing tactics to raise brand awareness and build relationships. However, there are a few key differences.

Let’s start with the obvious: B2B lead generation targets other organizations, while B2C aims to attract individual consumers. B2B sales often need approval from several layers of decision-makers, like managers and financial analysts. By contrast, B2C customers often make buying decisions quickly, with little input from other people. 

This distinction shapes the goals and strategies of each approach, says Denniz Ozden, Founder of B2B lead generation agency A-Sales AB.  

“B2B is more relationship-focused, with longer sales cycles and higher stakes, while B2C is usually quicker and more transactional,” Ozden said. In other words, B2B lead generation is all about nurturing partnerships and taking the time to build relationships with potential customers. 

Since B2B lead generation is often a lengthier process, companies must embrace that nurturing these leads is a marathon, not a sprint. This means that success requires a sustained and consistent effort over time, focusing on building long-lasting relationships rather than chasing quick wins. 

We connected with industry leaders Jason Swenk, Chris Cozzolino, and Naveed Usman, to discuss how businesses can get the most out of their lead generation efforts. Here’s what we found. 

1. Enhance Web Content for All Stages of the Marketing Funnel

Since B2B sales cycles are often longer, it’s important for businesses to nurture leads throughout the sales funnel. By developing content for every stage of the marketing funnel, companies can provide ongoing support and ensure they don’t leave leads stranded at any point in their journey.

Jason Swenk, founder of the marketing agency Agency Mastery 360, says that one way to create content across different stages of the marketing funnel is by repurposing existing content across different channels.

“First, start by identifying the top-performing channels and double down on those,” Swenk said. “Repurpose high-performing content for different formats — turn blog posts into short videos, podcasts, or social media snippets.” 

At the awareness stage, potential customers are actively seeking answers or trying to solve a problem. They need support, but they may not be familiar with your business. Step in to meet customers’ needs with educational content, such as: 

• Articles
• E-books
• Infographics 
• Podcasts 
• Webinars 
• White papers 

During the consideration phase, B2B leads are intrigued by your brand, but they’re not quite sold. Maybe they’re skeptical about your product claims (“Can they really do X?”) or perhaps they’re weighing your offerings against similar ones from competitors.

This stage is the perfect opportunity to engage leads with credible content that fosters trust and showcases your unique value. For example, you could create: 

• Case studies about existing customers 
• FAQs about your products and services 
• How-to videos demonstrating your product's applications
• Product comparison guides that highlight your strengths 

The most qualified leads will make it to the decision stage. This phase has the highest stakes — you’ll either sway them to make a purchase or lose them to a competitor. Support your sales team by developing persuasive digital content that addresses any lingering concerns or questions. This content could include:  

• Free trials 
• Interactive product tours 
• Live demonstrations 
• Personalized landing pages
• Reviews and testimonials 

For every step of the process, research your target audience and tailor your content to their specific needs. 

Suppose you conduct focus groups and discover that leads in the awareness stage want to learn how to use data analytics software in their finance workflows. You're unlikely to maintain their interest if you create unrelated content, like videos showing your software’s nifty collaboration tools. On the other hand, compelling blog posts and e-books that address their interests could entice them to learn more about your offerings.

2. Optimize Your Landing Pages To Increase Conversions

Many B2B leads will visit your website long before interacting with a sales rep. Optimizing your landing pages will help you move them to the next phase in the buyer’s journey and, ultimately, convert them to paying customers. 

Start by setting goals for your landing pages. Here are a few potential objectives: 

• Collect contact information from leads
• Encourage visitors to download your latest white paper 
• Invite leads to attend an educational webinar series 
• Spotlight product features 

It’s best to focus on one goal per landing page, but don't worry — you can create more than one. That way, you can develop highly tailored content without overwhelming leads with too much information. 

“The best way to increase conversion rates is to keep your messaging short and simple,”  says Chris Cozzolino, Founder & CEO of the LinkedIn-focused marketing agency, Uptown Creation. “[T]he best converting messages are the ones that focus more on the problem you help someone solve instead of the solutions/features you are actually selling,” he continues. 

As you create each landing page’s content, prioritize accessibility and clarity. Strong landing pages typically include these elements: 

• Concise headline: Keep the page’s heading short and sweet. For example, “Comprehensive Automation Software for Busy Finance Professionals” is more attention-grabbing than “Learn About How Our Automation Software Will Help You Save Time and Reduce Errors!” 
• Skimmable content: Most leads don’t want to slog through a novel about your product, especially if they’re reading your landing page on a mobile device. Instead, create easily digestible content that conveys the most essential information. You should also use headings and bullet points to make your landing page user-friendly. 
• Eye-catching visuals: The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” might be a tired cliche, but it holds true in B2B lead generation. Capture your audience's attention with striking infographics, photos, videos, and other visuals.
• Call-to-action (CTA): Every landing page should feature a prominent CTA that guides leads to a desired action. Like your headline, this instruction should be concise and direct. Tried-and-true CTAs include “Request a Free Demo,” “Download Your Free Guide,” and “Join Our Mailing List.” 

3. Use A/B Testing for More Effective Campaigns

You probably won’t create the perfect B2B lead generation campaign on your first try, and that’s completely normal. It takes time to understand your audience’s needs and choose the right strategies. Fortunately, you can speed up this process with A/B testing. 

This method lets you compare how leads respond to two versions of your content to see which one performs best. For instance, you could design two nearly identical landing pages with different CTAs and use web analytics software to track which one gets the most conversions. This finding will help you improve your campaigns to generate the most leads. 

4. Strengthen Customer Service

Effective B2B lead generation strategies focus on improving the user experience at every touchpoint, including customer service. Here are a few ways to achieve this: 

• Use chatbots with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to answer basic inquiries immediately. 
• Monitor response times to make sure your team addresses issues quickly. 
• Offer multiple ways to contact customer service, including email and phone. 
• Reach out to leads proactively to offer support. 

5. Qualify Leads and Build a Productive Sales Pipeline

As an experienced business professional, you know not all B2B leads are created equal. Qualifying leads will help your sales team distinguish between casual browsers and serious prospects. That way, they can dedicate their attention and time to the most promising leads. 

However, the criteria for a qualified lead depends on your business, industry, and goals. To successfully qualify leads, you need to consider a client’s budget, their need, how far along they are in the sales cycle, and timeline, among other items. 

Naveed Usman, the principal and CEO of the boutique digital strategy firm, Usman Group, explained the criteria they use for qualifying their own leads. In addition to identifying where in the sales process each lead is, the Usman Group considers how the project fits into their business’s mission and the value their team can provide. “We assess if we’re the right fit for them, while they determine if we have the expertise and capacity to meet their needs,” Usman says. He goes on to explain that they evaluate clients based on this rubric: 

• Do we have the expertise needed for the project?
• Are we motivated beyond revenue?
• Can we apply this project’s learnings to other clients?
• Is the client willing to be accountable?
• Are their expectations reasonable and achievable?
• Do we have the capacity to deliver?

“If these criteria are met, we move forward. If not, we gracefully step away and suggest alternative options for them,” Usman explains. 

Once you identify your own criteria for qualified leads, you can begin implementing a more targeted approach to your sales efforts. This means directing your resources towards prospects who are most likely to convert, increasing the efficiency of your sales team. 

Automated lead qualification software can take the guesswork out of this process. Platforms like HubSpot and Overloop use AI to analyze customer behavior and interactions to detect high-quality leads. These tools save time and can increase revenue by identifying the best prospects.

You can also use automation technology to improve your sales team’s efficiency and productivity. For example, email marketing platforms like Constant Contact and Mailchimp automatically send follow-up messages to prospects. 

Meanwhile, scheduling platforms like Calendly and SalesRabbit can simplify appointment booking. Crossing tasks off your team’s to-do list will give them more time to focus on building strong relationships.

Level Up Your B2B Lead Generation Efforts 

If you want your B2B business to thrive, you need a constant stream of new prospects. Investing in lead generation campaigns will help you reach more potential clients and develop long-term connections. 

Not sure where to start? Lead generation services provide personalized guidance to help you optimize your strategy. Explore Clutch’s directory and use our convenient filters to find providers with lead generation expertise in your industry.