You followed all the steps in the digital marketing playbook: you got lots of visitors and gathered many email addresses and names on Linkedin· Then, you presented them with a really good offer· Let’s cover how targeted lead generation works.
But what happened next? You ended up losing a lot of customers and not making many sales· It’s disappointing·
So, what went wrong?
Well, chances are, you were talking to the wrong people· You see, having lots of leads isn’t always a good thing· Unless you’re a big company like Zapier, trying to reach everyone rarely works·
The good news is, this can be fixed· Instead of trying to reach everyone, you should focus on a smaller group of people who are more likely to buy from you·
That’s what targeted lead generation is all about· It means going after businesses that match your ideal customer and are the most valuable· Just by focusing on where your leads are in the buying process, you can increase your sales by 73 percent!
But how do you find these good leads? And how do you and your marketing team talk to them? Keep reading, because I’ve got lots of strategies and step-by-step tips for successful targeted B2B lead generation·
Five Simple Steps to Generate High-Quality Leads
1: Define your ICP and TAM
Targeted lead generation starts with finding your perfect customers, which involves understanding two important terms: ideal company persona (ICP) and total addressable market (TAM)·
Simply put, your ICP is the type of company that needs what you offer· These are the customers who already see the value in your services and are more likely to buy without much convincing·
Once you know your ICP, you can figure out your TAM· This tells you how many of these ideal customers you can reach with your marketing and how much money you could make from them·
What’s the benefit? It helps you find high-quality leads and set achievable sales goals·
2: Build a database
Now that you know who your ICP and TAM are, it’s time to start gathering their contact information·
If you prefer a more traditional approach and have the time, you can manually collect this information by entering it into Excel sheets· However, around 80 percent of companies opt for a more modern method using automated lead-generation tools· These tools help build and organize databases efficiently, leading to increased conversions and cost-effectiveness·
For instance, tools like Leedfeeder automatically transfer leads who visit your website to your CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) in real-time· You can even set up filters to ensure you only keep leads that fit your ICP criteria·
Once you’ve populated your database with leads, the next step is segmentation to further refine and organize them·
Read also: 7 Key Methods for Acquiring High-Quality Leads
3: Segment your database
Now that you’ve compiled a stellar list of high-quality leads, thanks to Leadfeeder, it’s time to narrow them down into smaller market segments of potential customers· This process utilizes the information about your ICP and TAM·
The most common filters Leadfeeder users apply for optimization are:
- Demographic Segmentation: This includes factors like gender, age, education, annual revenue, industry, and company size·
- Behavioural Segmentation: Focuses on user status, spending habits, brand interactions, pain points, engagement levels, and desired benefits·
- Psychographic Segmentation: Considers beliefs, values, personality traits, interests, and lifestyle choices·
- Geographic Areas: Filters based on location factors like area code, region, country, city, language, and neighborhood·
Feel free to set any filters that help you better understand your target audience· Remember, the more specific, the better·
Once you’ve applied these filters, you’ll have a refined group of the most promising prospects· This allows you to tailor your outreach messages to each group in a way that resonates best with them·
4: Start the outreach sales process
Now that you’ve refined your target market and narrowed down your leads, it’s time to craft the perfect messaging for your outreach efforts, whether through cold-calling, messaging campaigns, or other strategies, to attract new customers·
To create effective messaging, focus on the segments you’re targeting and answer these key questions:
- What problems or challenges is this client-facing?
- How can our product or service help solve their problems?
- What makes our offering stand out from the competition?
- Which communication channels does the client prefer (email, social media, Google, phone)?
- What type of content do they consume at each stage of the buyer’s journey?
By addressing these questions, you can tailor your message to be personalized, specific, and irresistible· Once your message is ready, you can adapt it for each stage of the buyer’s journey to ensure maximum impact·
Read also: The Ultimate B2B Marketing Automation Platforms of 2024
5: Build relationships
When it comes to profitability, retaining existing customers often proves more beneficial than acquiring new ones· Despite being time-consuming, retention yields significant results·
Why? Because satisfied customers equal loyal customers, and loyalty is invaluable· Loyal customers contribute to steady profits, tend to have higher Annual Contract Values (ACV), and decrease your Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) by advocating for your brand·
Remember to maintain your relationship with customers even after they make a purchase· Offer consistent after-sales support and continue engaging them with relevant content· You’ll be surprised by the positive impact this has on your profits·
Now that you understand these principles, let’s take a step back and delve deeper into lead-generation strategies·
