Digital lead generation

B2B companies, revenue teams and sales managers build their success on leads to record sales and generate revenue for the company. Lead generation is the keyword to building a successful business. Lead generation is the process of turning prospects into valuable leads that generate sales.

Lead generation is therefore the key to a successful business. Even if your product is innovative and unique, you have to find people who need exactly what you sell. You have to earn your leads, because there is hardly a product that is not already on the market. But in this crowded market, how do you make sure your lead generation strategy is innovative and not a chewed-up demand generation method?

We'll show you how to successfully generate leads with automated scheduling and the integration of meetergo into your workflow. In this article, you'll learn our 7 tips for lead generation and what lies behind this important aspect of business strategy.

The process of digital lead generation

In order to really successfully generate leads and implement lead generation strategies, it is first important to understand what a lead actually is. A basic distinction is made between the terms prospect, lead and customer. A lead has already shown interest in a product or service, but is not yet a paying customer. A person who has shown interest via an inquiry is also called a qualified lead.

So lead generation tactics can bring you a lot of inquiries. However, you haven't made any sales with them yet. Your sales team first has to convince the lead to buy.

The different types of leads - lead scoring

Not all leads need to be convinced of your product in the same way. A distinction is made between different types of leads. Also called lead scoring. lead scoring helps you to divide your leads into different categories. Using your online appointment planner from meetergo, you can also color-code, categorize and assign your leads to employees, and have your leads at a glance.

Depending on where the lead is in the lead generation funnel, different sales teams are required:

• Information qualified lead: The so-called IQL is still at the very beginning of the funnel. You have already received information from the lead, but the lead itself still needs impetus from you to be convinced.
• Marketing qualified lead: The MQL has already responded to emails, ads, and links from the marketing team. Free tools, a trial period or a product sample can be used.
• Sales qualified lead: With SQL, it's the sales team's turn to follow up with the lead and find out if this is a valuable customer. To make the lead realize that your product is a perfect fit for them, you can offer them time-limited demos.

Using meetergo's appointment booking software, you can easily filter the information you need for the various leads by color, employee or category. This way, you know directly in which phase of the lead generation funnel your sales or marketing team is currently in with the respective leads.

The difference between Lead Generation and Demand Generation

Lead generation and demand generation are actually almost the same thing. However, one key difference is that they are different phases of the lead generation funnel.

In demand generation, users don't know about your product yet. You first have to show them what the service is about and why it might be interesting for them.

In lead generation, users already have background knowledge about your service. They know what's behind it and have a need for the product.

Accordingly, you have to approach it differently depending on whether it is a lead generation or a demand generation.

How to generate more leads for your business - 7 lead generation strategies

Whether your customers are B2B or B2C, lead generation strategies are not fundamentally different. B2B customers are still consumers, too, and thus have just as much demand for personalized buying experiences, trustworthiness of the company, and making purchases on their terms and in the timeframe they want. You'll find countless tips and strategies on the market to attract more leads in B2B, but only you can know what works best for your business. The following strategies will help you generate more valuable leads to match your marketing strategy.

1. deal with content creation and content marketing

Everyone who has ever dealt with marketing and increasing the success of websites has heard this phrase before: Content is Key! Maybe you're rolling your eyes now: Not this tip again, can't you come up with something else?! But there is some truth to this much-used adage.

Coupled with a solid SEO strategy, you can use content creation to generate a lot of organic traffic for your site that will automatically lead to more leads. Familiarize yourself with the terms your buyer personas are searching for and offer them the exact solutions your future leads are looking for.

Especially in the B2B sector, excellent content tailored to the target group is important. After all, it is precisely these buyers who conduct in-depth research before deciding to make a purchase or make an inquiry.

But not only the content itself is important, but also how you market it. Since you should not only appear on your own page as a professional provider, but links - so-called backlinks - contribute a large part to the success of your lead generation, guest posts on relevant blogs are essential. This way, you establish your brand as a pioneer in your industry and reach an audience you didn't have access to before.

The content marketing strategy with guest posts works best if you pick blogs that are not competitors, but relevant to your target audience and belong to a similar industry.

In both B2B and B2C, content creation and content marketing are indispensable pillars of a productive strategy to generate leads and increase sales.

2. use email marketing

If you've received an email address from your potential client via a request form and have already offered them a free tool, the next logical step is to keep following this strategy. automated scheduling increases revenue for freelancers, but also for businesses, revenue teams, and B2B companies. Invite your prospects to a free conversation about a German Zoom alternative or present them your latest tool as a free trial.

With this strategy, it is important that you do not spend too much time on email communication, but automate it with a functional free online scheduler. Create a list of your potential customers, compose a simple, personalized email and include a link to your offer. In a few minutes you will have sent a series of emails to valuable leads who will become customers thanks to your excellent service.

As key data, you should aim for an open rate of 17 to 18% and a click-through rate (CTR) of 3 to 4%. You are very likely to achieve this, as you already have the prospect's attention through the content or the free product, and by nurturing loyalty and trust, you build it even further.

3. be present on social media like LinkedIn

Lead generation via social media platforms is becoming increasingly important for B2B companies. This lead generation strategy is more about brand awareness and presentation of services.

In B2B, LinkedIn is the platform to generate valuable leads. Here, various tactics are available for lead generation:

• Network with industry and business leaders in your target market
• Advertise on LinkedIn with sponsored posts or ads
• Comment on posts from relevant, related accounts with useful information
• Write directly to contacts that match your service or product
• Ask your contacts for references to your products or services
• Publish posts, articles, case studies, and other informative content on your LinkedIn account

In addition to LinkedIn, Facebook is becoming increasingly popular for using Lookalike Audiences to reach new aud iences and generate more leads.

This strategy is so successful because you are in the exact place where your buyer personas spend a lot of time. In this way, you subliminally offer them your services and place your advertising in a targeted, organic manner.

4. improve your Google ranking

To attract prospects to your website in the first place, you need to be findable, of course. Your potential customers and leads have to find your products or services quickly when they search for them. This is only possible if your website or your entry on Google Maps is placed in the top ranks. How do you do that, you ask? With a successful search engine optimization of your website.

To make sure your leads find you organically, SEO is the best way. Entire websites and businesses are based on SEO and have gained leads through SEO alone. To improve your website's ranking, here's what you need to know:

• Find out your keyword with keyword research tools like Google Ads Keywords, SEMrush or Ahrefs
• Optimize your home page as well as your landing pages for your keyword
• Link your website with backlinks
• Optimize your website for mobile devices

Whether you implement the measures yourself or turn to an SEO agency is up to you. Whichever option you choose, improving your Google ranking will make your business organically discoverable via Google search.

5. use outbound sales development representatives (SDRs)

While inbound lead generation - when the leads come to you on their own - are a surefire way to generate leads for many companies, not all B2B companies can rely on this tactic.

Sales Development Reps (SDRs) are targeted at these very companies, allowing you to reach qualified customers who fit your company's ideal customer profile (ICP).

Sales Development Representatives are inside salespeople who focus exclusively on finding customers. The SDRs contact new leads, qualify them for your company and move the leads further along the lead funnel towards purchase.

6. switch PPC advertising

Although you're likely to get the same conversion rate for Google Ads and Pay Per Click advertising as you would for email marketing, it's still worthwhile to run PPC ads. That's because brand awareness is a big part of lead generation. This paid ad strategy helps you reach your target market without them having heard of you before. This is how you tap into a new market and generate leads who were previously unaware of your service or product.

7. use automated appointment booking

You think that as soon as an inquiry comes in, you can relax and put your feet up and have already done everything for successful lead generation? You thought wrong! Just because someone shows interest doesn't make them a valuable lead, and just because someone makes an inquiry doesn't mean they've already bought the product.

No, to successfully generate leads, you need to start with the inquiry form. Sure, search engine optimization, content marketing, and ads (on social media) will help you position yourself as a professional company and build brand awareness. But nothing is more off-putting to customers than companies that are slow to communicate.

Because who of us doesn't know it when a request for a collaboration or a purchase has been sent and then you get the message "We'll get back to you shortly". This "shortly" can often take a long time - one to two days, a week or sometimes even longer. By then, most people have already picked a provider who will process the request immediately. But how can you offer your leads a quick turn around despite a constant stream of new inquiries - for example, via "Book with Google"?

The answer is: automated appointment booking.

With the integration of meetergo on your website, you offer your leads and interested parties an appointment directly during the inquiry, which they can also choose themselves. Integrated into the inquiry form, your lead chooses a suitable appointment at which you talk to them about your service, your product or a possible partnership. This way, your lead is directly involved and does not have to wait for you to contact him. Quickly and easily he receives an appointment and is reminded of your meeting or phone call by email in time. Even better for you: The appointment is automatically transferred to your appointment calendar, so you save a considerable amount of time.

You give your prospect or lead the information they need in a timely manner and bring your service closer to them. This fast processing is reflected in your sales figures. Your leads become paying customers due to the excellent service and the quick appointment scheduling, which significantly increases the success of your business.

In just a few steps, you can integrate automated appointment scheduling with meetergo on your website and successfully gain valuable leads for your B2B company or B2C business.