We all know that a healthy pipeline of leads is essential for growth, and consequently one of the most common objectives for a B2B marketer is to generate leads. However, 61% of marketers say that generating traffic and leads is their biggest challenge: and in a tech B2B scenario, where the sales funnel is fairly deep, and competition often intense, this issue is exacerbated.

A tried-and-tested strategy is to offer a piece of content of value to a prospect, as the starting point for a nurture campaign: commonly known as ‘lead magnet’ content. The right content, something that delivers value to your target audiences, can double the effectiveness of a lead magnet. So what are some lead magnets that you can use, and how could they be used effectively? Here are just a few that are particularly useful in tech B2B scenarios. 

Webinars

Webinars are one of the most commonly used lead magnets, allowing companies to present issues, technical details and other aspects in-depth and discuss them with a large group of opt-in attendees. As webinars take place in an interactive environment, you can build rapport and trust with your audiences, taking the time to answer any questions.

The content of the newsletter should add value to your readers. Resist the temptation to provide links to every product and solution in your stable. Keep the content timely, relevant and concise.

How to make webinars most effective? Here are some simple best practices:

• Start with your landing page, and make it more than just a sign-up form: use it to promote and generate anticipation. Positioning the webinar as a limited opportunity to get up to speed and interact with experts on something important is an effective tactic.
• Keep in mind the perspective and pain points of your audience and base your introduction and content on this: it’s surprising how many webinars are completely focussed on their own technologies and miss this nuance.
• Rather than just company experts, try and include customers or industry experts in your panel. This provides your audiences with a rounded perspective.
• Extend your webinar’s lifespan by recording it, and promote it via social media channels, websites and outbound marketing.

Newsletters

Newsletters are a great tactic for long-term nurture campaigns and as lead magnets go, they are effective in keeping you on the radar screen of your prospect and building a steady relationship. Many B2B marketers use newsletters in some format or the other so you’ll be in good company!

Newsletter best practices:

• Keep it regular, but not too regular. Pick the frequency of your newsletter carefully. In a B2B setting, monthly could be a good frequency, not so long that you get forgotten and yet not frequent enough to get annoying.
• Stick with it. Unofficial estimates are that over two-thirds of newsletters do not keep to their delivery timetable. Plan your newsletter into your month and ensure that you stick to your schedule, so that your customers get used to seeing you in their inboxes.
• Ensure people can subscribe and unsubscribe easily, and don’t forget to ask your readers to provide feedback.

Whitepapers

A white paper is one of the most used lead magnets in tech B2B because of its versatility: it can be used in any part of the purchase cycle. Its longer format allows you to address important topics in depth and your audiences with authoritative, in-depth content on how they can address key pain points.

To make your white papers most effective:

• Choose your topic carefully: there is no limit to the topics and approaches you can take. Pick themes or pain points that your leads would be concerned about at their particular stage of the purchase cycle.
• Resist the temptation to say everything about everything. Pick just one theme present both problem and solution in an accessible, easy-to-read way. Ensure you include basics like introductions, table of contents, and a call to action.
• An effective whitepaper also needs to incorporate data and expert opinion to add credibility. Add links to outside content that readers can refer to in order to find out about specific topics in depth.

Free consultations

Everyone likes free things, so using free consultations as a way to generate leads is a good idea. It provides your experts with an opportunity to build a one-to-one rapport with potential customers and understand their issues.

To provide an effective free consultation:

• Set expectations beforehand. How long will it be, what will it cover, and what can your leads expect from it?
• Make the consultation a genuine one by keeping your potential customer’s at the centre of the conversation, rather than using it as an opportunity to push products. One way of doing this is to provide your experts with a soft script. This can include a introduction about what you have to offer, and addressing their pain points to show that you understand their problem.
• Follow up the consultation with useful information: this could include any of the lead magnets that we’ve discussed above, or even case studies of similar deployments you’ve handled in the past.

Using lead magnet content is a great way to move your prospects along the purchase funnel and closer to conversion. Whether you’re using automated drip campaigns or running a manual campaign, ensuring that the content you provide is relevant and addresses the key pain points at each stage is critical. Our list isn’t comprehensive, of course: just a starter.

Product demos

Product demos give you the chance to show prospective customers what you can do. At this point, they are obviously interested in your product and this is your chance to seal the deal and convince them you are the right choice.

Make sure you know what the demo needs to cover so you can address the prospects specific challenges and show how your service or product can help them overcome that challenge.

 

What has your experience been with lead magnets? We’d love to hear what you think: [email protected]