How to Exceed Your Sales Plan or Digital Lead Generation That Works

If you have a sales force, generating leads is one of the most important things you’ll ever do. Sales lead generation is not a project, it’s a process. It’s about setting up a system that increases your sales force’s productivity and efficiency by identifying potential buyers and giving your sales people the tools to turn them into customers and close the sale. Below we’ll talk about  5 of the top lead generation trends business can afford to ignore.

1. Use Social Media

Social media has become the biggest form of communication in the business world.  B2B marketers are maximizing social media opportunities more than ever, especially on LinkedIn. According to a ReachForce study, 44% of B2B marketers have generated leads via LinkedIn, compared to  39% that have generated leads through Facebook or 30% through Twitter. There are many ways that companies can take advantage of a  business-focused platform, such as introducing yourself, joining groups, using it for pitch research, and publishing articles as an industry expert.

2. Keep On Networking

Networking always has, and always will be, a major part of the lead generation process. The more businesses you can become connected with, the more beneficial the partnerships can become for each other. The problem with networking is after a while, those networks start to run cold. This is because businesses do not continue to put the same amount of effort into those connections as they did when they firstmade them. By keeping those network connections in good standing, it can continue to produce additional leads for all of the businesses involved.

3. Direct Mailing is effective

Direct mailers and automated email marketing are very successful approaches to lead generation for businesses. It allows your business to get informationdirectly to the people or businesses you  want to reach. It is a cost effective approach that takes limited research, resources, and know-how to produce results.

4. Telemarketing still Works

We all hate getting calls from telemarketers and most of us wish they would just stop. The problem is, that is never going to happen. Telemarketing is still one of the best ways to generate leads and has shown absolutely no sign of slowing down. You can easily kick-start a telemarketing campaign by outsourcing to a professional company or starting a small in-house group of telemarketers.

5. Content is everything

At the end of the day, content the most important thing. It is the foremost trend in B2B marketing. Creating and publishing original content like blog posts, white papers, infographics and videos is a proven tool for boosting brand presence and generating leads on a budget. While other trends have grown in popularity and effectiveness in digital marketing, don’t forget the importance of content in your marketing strategies.