B2B companies that blog 1-2 times a month generate 70% more leads than those that don’t blog at all (Source: HubSpot). Wait, are we talking about lead generation or demand generation? Aren’t these two things synonymous? And what does content have to do with it all? Let’s start from the beginning. We all know that customers are the most valuable asset of any company, so marketers and sales people bend over backwards to attract, acquire, and keep them. Demand generation is a complex concept which employs various techniques in order to create a need for your product or service, and it’s one of the most effective customer acquisition tactics.
Lead generation vs Demand Generation vs Inbound marketing
These three concepts can be easily mistaken for one another. Inbound marketing is, basically, a subset of demand generation. On the other hand, the difference between lead generation and demand generation lies in the fact that lead generation has the purpose of obtaining prospects’ information in order to nurture them. Demand generation educates prospects, shows them that there is a problem, and explains how the problem can be solved by means of a product or service. It helps companies to create buzz, promote new product features, and re-engage their existing customers. An efficient demand gen strategy should aim at creating a product need that also increases brand awareness.
1.Offer Free Tools, Products, and Resources
By offering free stuff you attract leads and capture their attention. However, if you want this strategy to work, you need to offer them only the best stuff, because that way you build a relationship of trust between your brand and your prospects. Even though this may seem like an expensive strategy, as developing free tools tends to be pretty costly, it ultimately pays off. You can be sure that this strategy will also convert many of your prospects and customers into the ambassadors of your brand. Finally, if you give them something of value, your visitors will be less reluctant to provide you with their personal information and bingo – you’ve obtained qualified leads. Of course, this strategy requires you to meticulously research and identify your prospects’ pain points and build a free tool that will help them overcome those pain points. The same goes for webinars, how-to, e-books, and other educational materials which address your prospects’ concerns and issues in a helpful, problem-solving manner.
2.Publish Relevant Content
It can’t be stressed enough how producing relevant and quality content is essential for lead acquisition. According to World meters, at the moment of writing this article, more than 2,589,459 blog posts have already been written and published today. It’s clear that we all have a lot of competitors breathing down our neck and trying to outperform us. That’s why the content you publish on your blog should be data-backed, and well-researched, while all your sources should be authoritative. Adding infographics, videos, images, and other visually-oriented content will make it more appealing to your readers. It’s important to be careful when it comes to directly promoting your brand in your blog posts. As we’ve already stated, your blog posts should be helpful and guide your prospects through solving their problems, and if you keep insisting on mentioning your products and services, it will be off-putting and aggressive.
3.Email Optimization
Email marketing is of paramount importance for demand generation. It’s cost-effective and tremendously powerful, but many marketers tend to make mistakes that prevent them from taking advantage of it. A/B testing is crucial for email marketing, and you should test every single element of your emails. Subject lines can make a big difference, as they’re what makes your prospects open your emails, so make sure to craft them carefully. Even details such as your signature or opening line can affect the performance of your email. One of the biggest mistakes that marketers make is that they blast their lists too frequently, sometimes even when they don’t have anything new or special to offer. This annoying behavior is severely punished by unsubscribing and losing their prospects. It’s ok to use blast campaigns, but only if you plan to offer something valuable to your audience. Low-value giveaways will only harm your reputation and turn you into a third-rate brand. If you want to learn more about the secrets of email marketing, check out the recording of our webinar “5 Ultimate Secrets to Creating Emails That Sell”.
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