6 Things B2B Companies Get Wrong About Lead Gen

Lead generation is the lifeblood of sales growth. Effective lead generation strategies not only attract potential customers but also group them into segments, enabling personalized approaches that boost conversions. However, many business to business (B2B) companies stumble over common pitfalls that hinder their lead gen efforts. This article explores six prevalent mistakes B2B companies make and offers insights on how to avoid them.

B2B Companies Using Unproductive Lead Magnets

A frequent misstep in B2B lead generation is relying on ineffective lead magnets. Tactics like iPad giveaways and indiscriminate badge-scanning at events might generate a large number of leads, but they fail to provide meaningful insights into the prospects' needs and interests.

iPad giveaways and similar gimmicks attract individuals interested in the prize rather than the product or service being offered. While we know a tiny bit about what types of events they choose to attend, we don't even know if they like iPads. I can't tell you how many times we've conducted giveaways only to learn the winner plans on giving the prize away as a gift or selling it. The giveaway approach results in a pool of leads with little to no genuine interest in your offerings. 

Relying on poor-quality lead magnets means missing the chance to understand potential customers' specific needs. A well-crafted lead magnet, such as a comprehensive industry report or an insightful white paper, can attract genuinely interested prospects and provide valuable data for personalized follow-ups.

No Sales Feedback Loop

In conversations with demand gen decision-makers, we always ask, "What is your sales team telling you about the quality of their leads?" About 70% of the time the answer is "nothing."

Effective lead generation requires seamless collaboration between marketing and sales teams. Unfortunately, many B2B companies suffer from a disconnect between these departments, leading to inefficiencies and lost opportunities.

The remaining 30% get feedback from sales about the conversion rate or value of leads. While much better than nothing, there's still a lot more to learn.

For example, how good was product fit? How about market fit? It's possible a lead gen effort was directed at the right audience but the wrong product, or vice versa. 

Marketing and sales teams often operate in silos, with little communication or alignment on objectives and strategies. This lack of coordination can result in marketing generating leads that sales consider unqualified, or qualified leads that could have been obtained for half the price.

When marketing and sales are not aligned, both teams suffer. Sales teams become frustrated with unqualified leads, and marketing efforts go to waste. Establishing a feedback loop where sales provide input on lead quality can enhance lead generation strategies and ensure better alignment between the two teams.

Not Gating Content

Gating valuable content behind a lead capture form is a proven strategy to collect contact information from prospects. However, many B2B companies fail to implement this effectively.

By not gating high-value content such as white papers, eBooks, and case studies, companies miss out on capturing potential leads. Gating content not only helps in lead collection but also signals the value of the information being offered, attracting more serious prospects.

Brands often want to establish thought leadership while engaged in content-oriented lead gen. Understandable. But these are distinctly different strategic objectives that require different tactics, which leads us to our next mistake.

Not Repurposing Content

Content creation is resource-intensive, and failing to repurpose content means missing out on maximizing its value.

You can publish the same content both as an ungated web article and a gated PDF at the same time. Let Google index your ungated content and maximize organic reach with search and social media. Then run paid campaigns promoting the same content as a downloadable in exchange for contact info.

Repurposing content allows companies to leverage a single piece of content across multiple channels. An article used for SEO can be repackaged as a gated lead magnet, shared on social media, or included in email campaigns. This strategy ensures consistent messaging and maximizes the return on content investment.

Sales Contacting Every Lead

Lead-nurturing is a crucial component of the B2B sales process. Yet, some companies either neglect nurturing leads or attempt to call every lead prematurely.

According to HubSpot research, 75% of leads make their purchase decision between 18-24 months. This statistic underscores the importance of a long-term nurturing strategy rather than expecting immediate conversions.

Leads typically require 6-8 touches before becoming sales-qualified. This process involves consistent engagement through various channels such as emails, social media, and personalized content. Effective lead nurturing builds trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind until the prospect is ready to buy.

Having sales contact every lead after the first touch may make a few sales, but it does so at the expense of many others. It flushes good leads down the toilet.

No Creative Testing

In the competitive landscape of B2B marketing, creativity and experimentation are key to discovering what resonates with your audience.

No one—and I mean no one—can accurately predict which ads will be a top performer. When we run a social media-oriented lead gen campaign, we like to run 10 different pieces of content, each with five variations on the descriptive text and image. The cost per lead differences between the best and worst performers is routinely dramatic.

Creative testing involves experimenting with different approaches to determine which tactics yield the best results. By testing various creative elements, companies can identify what drives the highest return on ad spend (ROAS) and refine their strategies accordingly.

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly enhance the effectiveness of lead generation efforts in B2B companies. By employing targeted lead magnets, fostering collaboration between marketing and sales, gating valuable content, repurposing content strategically, nurturing leads patiently, and engaging in creative testing, businesses can build a robust pipeline of qualified leads and drive sustainable growth.