5 B2B marketing tactics beyond lead generation

There was a time when we hung our hats on the number of B2B leads we could generate in a day. Those were the days of high volume and high hopes — where a little bit of budget could guarantee a steady stream of leads handed off to the sales team.

The premise was a win-win for marketing and sales teams, and both marketing teams and martech providers sold an easy-to-replicate formula that seemed straightforward:

• Identify your target persona.
• Apply budget to form fills (e.g., search ads or content syndication).
• Hand off all form fills to the sales team.
• Make money.

Unfortunately, that promise didn’t match reality. As the leads made their way into the hands of sales teams, problems became apparent:

• A good portion of form fill leads weren’t ready to buy — rather, they were in the research phase.
• Leads that were ready to buy weren’t always qualified or a fit for the purchase.
• A scary portion of form fills turned out to be spam.
• Sales teams began to lose confidence in their marketing teams, as the high volume of leads didn’t translate into a high volume of wins.

Sound familiar? In B2B, the idea of a singular funnel — where a lead enters via a form fill, gets handed off to a salesperson, and becomes a client — doesn’t match how buyers actually make decisions.

Sales teams know this — the buying cycle isn’t linear. A prospect may be interested but lack budget, or have budget but need to convince a broader buying group. Others may not even realize your solution fits their problem. B2B sales can take years, with prospects moving in and out of engagement with your brand and sales team.

Simple lead generation models aren’t built to support a non-linear buyer journey. They need to evolve to reflect how buyers actually engage. 

As you consider an evolution from the linear funnel, consider layering the following tactics into your marketing stack.

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1. AI search

One of the more interesting developments in search marketing is the recommendations introduced by AI search. Is your site attempting to rank on a handful of service-related topics, or is it answering the questions your buyers are asking more holistically? AI search is a great way for prospective buyers to discover solutions they may not have previously considered.

2. ABM ads

If you already know which accounts you want to do business with, why waste your digital advertising dollars on any others? 

Account-based advertising tools are a game-changer for B2B marketers. They allow you to focus your ad dollars on the accounts you actually want in your sales funnel, identify what those accounts are most interested in buying, and know whether or not they’re sales-ready.

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3. Buyer groups and audience targeting

People buy in groups — and those groups are getting larger every year. Buyer groups now average around 13 people, according to Forrester — which means your marketing efforts can’t just target the C-suite.

Messaging needs to be tailored to each type of buyer, and questions need to align with their role for maximum success.

4. Email nurtures

Lead gen needs a nurture strategy. If you’re using form fills beyond contact us conversions, be sure you have a tailored email nurture strategy.

Properly segment your various audiences, buyers, and industries into tailor-made email campaigns that can keep them engaged. Establish trust and credibility over the long haul. 

When treated with respect, email is how you can keep your buyers front-of-mind with your brand, no matter how long the sales cycle.

5. Triggered actions and journey stages

Are you able to identify where a target account is in the sales cycle, either through scoring or your account-based intelligence tool? If so, consider what sorts of messages make sense for target accounts who are just getting to know you versus ones that might be closer to buying. How can you segment your audience based on what they need at that exact moment?

Measuring what actually drives B2B growth 

Shifting away from quantifying leads can be a challenge, but there are more ways to measure success beyond lead count. Look for opportunities to report on leading indicators, like the following:

• Increase in contact us submissions.
• Increase in meetings booked.
• Increase in target accounts engaging with your digital footprint.
• Increase in brand awareness from target accounts through initial visits.

As you look to increase quality interactions, the revenue will follow — and so will your trust and connection to your sales team.