To remain competitive and successful, businesses need a steady stream of leads. Yet, this is easier said than done when the landscape is constantly evolving. To ensure your business not only survives but thrives, you must stay ahead of the curve and ensure you’re using the right B2B SaaS lead generation strategies for your clientele.
No matter how great your product or service is, using the right lead generation solutions is key to attracting your ICP. After all, an innovative solution does not guarantee that leads will appear out of nowhere – but an innovative strategy does. Unsure of where to start? Check out our 15 B2B Saas lead generation tactics to accelerate sales and grow your business.
B2B SaaS Lead Generation Tactics:
- Optimise your website SEO
- Outbound lead generation
- Prove worthiness with case studies
- Review websites and directories
- Referral programs
- Lead magnets and interactive content
- Long-form content
- PPC marketing
- Social media, networking and community management
- Get your experts on webinars, video content and podcasts
- Tradeshows and events
- Influencer marketing
- Email marketing
- Retargeting
- Nurture tracks
Optimise your website SEO
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website so that it appears higher in search engine results for chosen keywords and thus increases visibility. The higher up your pages appear on search engines, the more likely prospective customers are to find your website.
While it sounds simple, we should not overlook SEO for lead generation for B2B SaaS businesses. In fact, it should be one of your priorities when looking to increase leads and conversions. Every page on your website, whether that be the homepage or blog post, should be optimised with your target keywords and ICP in mind.
There are a plethora of tools that can boost your SEO, including Semrush, Moz and Ahrefs. Your chosen keywords should be based on what you believe your target customers are searching for. Consider their problems, intent and questions, ensuring to provide the answers to them in the content.
Building an SEO strategy can be a lengthy process, but start by fleshing out your ICP and understanding their needs before providing content that helps them.
Outbound B2B SaaS lead generation
Having a great inbound marketing strategy is a great way to reel in leads but with the software industry becoming increasingly more competitive, investing in outbound activities is essential. Outbound lead generation is where the salesperson engages with the potential customer first rather than the other way around. This will include cold calling, social selling, proactive email outreach, etc.
Companies typically either build internal Sales Development/Business Development Teams for outbound activities or outsource sales development to specialized firms. Accelerating your outbound activities is key to increasing predictable revenue, since you can be more targeted on the verticals or companies you are looking to engage.
Prove worthiness with case studies
Most potential customers don’t want to just hear about the worthiness of your service but want some concrete proof that it is a tried and true solution to their problems. This is particularly new for those with a limited budget or experience in the type of solution you offer.
Often overlooked as a B2B lead generation tactic, case studies will provide leads with the evidence they need to decide that your solution is worth investing in. Not only are they great for attracting leads, but they can be used as sales enablement tools when your representatives are engaging with prospects.
Ensure these case studies detail the pain points of that particular client, and the specific tactics your team used to solve them. Try to outline specific metrics and results, as well as including a direct quote from the client if possible. You can then convert these case studies into blogs and social media posts to increase reach.
Review Websites and Directories
In a similar vein to case studies, do not overlook the importance of review websites and directories if you want to increase leads. In fact, research shows that 88% of prospective customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations and 85% of consumers say they read up to ten reviews before making a purchase.
Use websites such as G2 and Clutch to reap in reviews, reaching out to satisfied customers to request they leave some feedback. Ensure to advertise these platforms on your website and social media – both G2 and Clutch have widgets that you can use on your website.
Directories are similar in the fact that they make your business easier to find. Ensure to give as much information as possible to help your profile stand out, as well as use the correct keywords so your audience can find you. If your target audience is looking at directories, there’s a high likelihood that they require a solution and will be much easier to convert, so make sure you’re visible to them.
Referral Programs
One of the easiest B2B SaaS lead generation tactics is utilising your current network of satisfied customers. While reviews and case studies are great for doing this, you shouldn’t forget about the benefits of customer referrals.
When customers have a first-class experience, they naturally want to talk about it with others in their vertical. However, it’s a good idea to go one step further in promoting this by setting up a referral program.
People are naturally more likely to recommend you if they get something in return. This could be anything from a gift card upon closing, planting trees for every referral (which is what we do here at Operatix) or discounts for your services.
Outline your referral program to clients, whether that be after they hit a target using your solution, they’ve left a review or when you’re checking in on older accounts.
Lead Magnets and Interactive Content
Free, interactive content and lead magnets are a highly effective lead generation solution. The goal is to provide your website visitors with a tool that is helpful to their work in exchange for information, such as their email addresses.
From here, you can nurture these potential leads and, if successful, turn them into pipeline. Not only are they great B2B SaaS lead generation tactics, but lead magnets and interactive content are great ways to increase organic traffic and raise a positive brand profile.
Long-Form Content
Positive brand awareness is key to attracting new clientele, particularly in a competitive market. Sharing insider knowledge via long-form content can accelerate brand awareness while helping to present your team as industry experts. There are several ways of doing this, including whitepapers, eBooks, podcasts and guides. Consider what it is that your audience wants to know more about, what unique perspective you can offer and your team’s strengths before delving into creating content. Think outside of the box here – you want it to be an innovative idea that hasn’t been overdone, or you won’t see much success.
Once you’ve decided on the topic and style of content you want to offer, you need to join the great debate of gating or ungating your content. Gated content means that the person viewing the page must leave their contact information (typically their name, business, email address and sometimes a phone number) before they can access the content. People are more likely to sign-up and hand over their information if they know they can get something of value, accelerating your B2B SaaS lead generation.
However, ungating your content is sure to increase downloads, improve your SEO and improve brand awareness. The eBook is more likely to be shared and referenced by others if the content is ungated, increasing organic reach. While you won’t have instant access to their information, the quality of leads will be much better as they’ll approach you and already have trust in your brand.
Both ungated and gated content has their place within a marketing strategy, but it’s something to consider whenever you’re launching a new piece of long-form content.
Paid Social & PPC Marketing for B2B SaaS Lead Generation
The PPC (pay-per-click) marketing model involves advertisers paying for every click their ads receive and is typically used on platforms such as Google Ads, LinkedIn and Facebook. It increases visibility to your chosen keywords and audience, driving traffic to web pages of your choice.
There are key differences between social media PPC and Google Ads, both of which have their own advantages and disadvantaged.
Google Ads is a platform that allows individuals to bid on keywords related to their business, products, or services. Once a bid is complete, you can then create text, display, and video ads that appear on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) for these keywords. Advertisers pay only when a user clicks on their ad, which is where the term pay-per-click comes from.
Paid social, on the other hand, refers to advertising on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. It allows for more precise targeting rather than just utilising keywords, as the advertiser can choose the demographics and behaviours they would like to appear in front of. Similarly to Google Ads, you can create graphics and text displays to pop up to the chosen target audience.
Google Ads target users who are actively searching for something related to the advertiser’s business, while paid social typically target users based on their interests and behaviour on social media.
While it’s tempting to advertise on as many keywords as possible, this can end up being incredibly expensive and is only worthwhile if you have a decent click-to-conversion rate. Be tactical about your choice of keywords, keeping track of metrics to ensure you’re seeing both a positive click-through and click-to-conversion rate to justify the expense.
Social media, networking and community management
Social media is now an essential part of any marketing strategy, helping to build a community of followers while growing brand awareness. Plus, platforms like LinkedIn are ideal for promoting lead magnets, blog posts and case studies, thus increasing organic traffic to your website. Most C-Level executives will use LinkedIn for networking, allowing you to target them with the content you post.
It goes without saying that a business LinkedIn page is essential, but you should also ensure to build a personal network. Ensure to post regularly, interact with other posts via comments and connect with those you want to engage with on a business level. Don’t go straight in for the hard sell – people naturally react better to natural conversation.
If you’re a business leader or marketing professional, it’s a wise idea to persuade key people within your team to focus on building a LinkedIn profile. Ensure they share company news and content as well as their own expertise and opinions. Use these accounts to nurture relationships, build a community and solidify your team’s standing as experts in their field.
Get your experts on webinars, video content and podcasts
A key part of organic lead generation for B2B SaaS businesses is ensuring your company is seen as an expert in your industry. Whether you have an inspirational CEO, a knowledgeable VP of Marketing or an innovative Sales Director, getting your team to produce thought leadership and content is a great way of boosting brand awareness.
Consider taking part in webinars, podcasts and shareable video content to get the name of your company out there in a more organic way. Many leaders regularly engage with these types of thought leadership to stay on top of emerging trends, best practices, and industry changes. By taking part in such content, you’ll be putting your brand in front of the right audience and improving your reputation.
Tradeshows and Events
Attending relevant tradeshows and events is a great way of networking, promoting your brand and increasing leads. Such events are specifically designed to connect you with potential customers in your industry, as well as networking opportunities which can be used for future collaborations. Ensure to develop a marketing plan to encourage people to book a meeting or visit your booth while attending to make the most out of your time, as well as following up with all leads urgently afterwards.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is often viewed as a B2C tactic and is therefore overlooked when it comes to B2B SaaS lead generation. However, influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular in the B2B world – and for good reason.
When you think of influencers, your thoughts may go to celebrities and models on Instagram shilling products. In reality, there are influencers for every niche; just a scroll through LinkedIn will show you a plethora of professionals in your vertical with thousands of followers. Partnering with these professionals will grant you access to their following, increasing reach, brand awareness, and, ultimately, sales.
Email Marketing
Cold emailing is a popular B2B SaaS lead generation tactic that involves contacting potential customers without establishing a relationship or engaging with them before. Personalization and tailored content are key to creating engaging cold email campaigns, so avoid reaching out without doing any prior research. Ensure you’re engaging with the right people and don’t make assumptions – it’s worth taking time to browse their LinkedIn profiles and tailoring all cadences.
Keep your emails clear, concise and engaging – this has been dubbed the CCE method by Operatix Training and Development Manager Joseph Grieves. While often used for sales pitches, the same method applies to email campaigns. Your prospects only have a limited amount of time and so are unlikely to read through a lengthy email. Keep your messaging simple and direct with clear calls to action.
Consider what it is this particular lead would like to see or what questions they may have and provide them with this. This could be anything from an eBook or article to a case study or interesting research.
Compared to other methods, cold emailing is inexpensive. When executed correctly, the potential ROI of cold emailing is momentous, as it allows sales professionals to convert leads into clients at a low cost.
Retargeting
Retargeting is a form of online advertisement and typically works by re-displaying your content or website to those who have already visited but didn’t complete a conversion. These ads are usually tailored based on which page of your website they visited and their behaviour, as this will give you an idea as to what kind of service they require.
There are several benefits of retargeting, all of which are useful in B2B SaaS lead generation. This includes increasing brand awareness, completing a buyer journey that had been paused or abandoned and promoting new services to those who have shown interest in previous offerings. Most importantly, it can drive conversions and revenue.
Retargeting is a great way to reengage with those who have taken an interest in your website previously. Consider it a nudge to remind them you exist and encourage them to revisit.
Nurture tracks
Nurturing your leads is vital in encouraging them to convert and send them into pipeline. Nurture tracking is the purposeful process of engaging with prospective customers and supporting them through the buyer journey. This can be via phone calls, retargeting, LinkedIn and email cadences; regardless of the method, it’s important to provide them with relevant content and information rather than pushing them to close.
Think of it as establishing a relationship rather than closing a deal, keeping close contact by providing a helping hand and addressing any concerns they may have before they develop. Define a clear schedule of touch points, ensuring they are tailored to each vertical you cater for. Personalization is key to getting the most out of your nurture tracks, as is regularity. Your sales and marketing departments will likely need to collaborate on this.
Need help generating leads? Get in touch with the experts at Operatix to find out how we can help you accelerate revenue and boost pipeline.
