Everyone who has ever worked in B2B sales knows that lead generation can be…tough, to say the least. It seems as though so many tips are out there for B2C lead generation. But B2B customers can be resistant to change, wary of new processes that will slow down their business with the necessary training and adjustment period.

Fortunately, there are a few tactics that break through the usual resistance. There’s also some overlap between what works for B2C and B2B customers. If you’re looking for effective B2B lead generation tactics, here are some of the best.

#1: Content Marketing

This likely comes as no surprise. Content marketing is recommended when it comes to SEO and lead generation for industries of all shapes and sizes. The reason is that content marketing works, and it’s continuing to grow. In 2022, 67% of marketers reported that their content marketing brought along lead generation, which was a 7% uptick from the previous year.

Content marketing can come in the form of:

• Blogs
• Newsletters
• Social media content
• Videos or “stories” on social media

Good content should be engaging enough to catch the eye of potential leads, and informative and helpful enough to leave them interested in following up. It should also be original and, most of all, relevant to your target audience. Try to be consistent with your content marketing, as well — whether that’s two blogs a month or one video each week. Once you pick a schedule, sticking to it will bring in more leads and give you an air of reliability.

#2: A Honed Lead Capture Form

Generally, when someone wants to follow up with your business, they fill out a form easily found on your “contact us” page. A form that is too long or too difficult to navigate is a sure way to drive your leads away.

Keep the information to the essentials:

• Name and contact information
• Job title and company name
• Company info, such as industry and number of employees
• The lead’s interest in your company/their current needs

You should also consider asking leads where they heard about your business as a final question. This will show you what lead generation and marketing tactics are working.

#3: Landing Pages

Landing pages are pages that your potential leads “land on” within your website while searching for a new product or service. Your landing pages offer in-depth information about what you do, your process, your various services and offerings.

You should have several landing pages — at least one for each service, as well as at least one “about us” page that goes into your company and your process. These landing pages should provide potential leads with a deep dive on what you can do for them, as well as an opportunity to follow up.

Every landing page should have a clear goal: signing up for a newsletter or an upcoming webinar, “contacting” the business to sign up for services, downloading your gated content, etc. Keep these pages informative and engaging without being too lengthy and overwhelming. Varied copy, such as bullet points, subheadings, or bold text can help to keep the page engaging, as well.

#4: Free Trial

It can be challenging to get businesses to commit to a new product or service. It’s not simply a matter of clinging to old methods. Usually, it’s a matter of practicality — of money. Is the product or service worth the time it will take to learn how to use it, plus the subscription cost?

One way to make the lead generation process a little easier is to offer a free trial. A free trial allows your customers to try out your product for a certain period of time before they make the decision to continue services and pay. They can use the free trial to acquaint themselves with your offering and possibly even acquaint their team with it. Then, if it’s a good fit, they will be much more likely to close the deal.

#5: Exit-Intent Forms

There are lead capture forms that users can find while browsing your website. However, some B2B businesses also build in popup exit-intent forms to try to capture potential leads as they leave.

When someone tries to close out of your website or change tabs, a form will pop up asking them to provide their contact information. For many users, this can be an annoyance or an attempt that is trying a bit too hard. You can combat this by offering an incentive: perhaps a discount code for their first purchases or a free informative download in exchange for contact information.

If someone was on the fence as they began to close out of your website, an exit-intent form could just be the thing they need to make the decision.