How To Generate Leads Digitally During The Coronavirus Outbreak
As a brand in the B2B space, the COVID-19 or Coronavirus pandemic has changed how business is done.
For most B2B companies, attending events is a major way through which quality leads are generated and eventually converted – allocating a significant portion (21%) of their marketing budget to event marketing alone.
It is said that 68% of B2Bs use in-person events for lead generation initiatives, which is important to note since the quality of leads generated can determine whether or not revenue objectives are achieved in the year.
With that in mind, loss of this acquisition channel due to the pandemic weighs a heavy burden on how B2B businesses can bring minimum disruption to their inbound cashflow. Now more than ever, there is a requirement for companies to change from what they’ve always done and implement fresh marketing strategies relevant to the present climate.
This article provides some ways in which brands can shift their focus to digital marketing channels to make smart investments with their marketing dollars in a time of crisis.
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Invest in your Website
Social isolation has meant that people have now shifted the way they live and work to the digital sphere. Therefore, it is no longer acceptable to have a subpar website but making a good digital impression is crucial to discoverability.
In many cases, the website is the first touchpoint that a potential client has with a business. Therefore, careful consideration into the design, content and general user experience is one of the first things that needs to be analyzed.
A website is a reflection of the value a business provides in comparison to competition. It is also a visual determinant to the health of a company. Therefore, investing in upgrading or redeveloping your company’s website in line with today’s best practices (mobile friendly, keyword rich, responsive, relevant content) could significantly improve your digital ranking and impact lead generation.
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Focus on SEO
SEO is a tactic that needs to be considered when adapting your marketing strategy and is closely related to keeping your website up to date.
As peanut butter is to jelly, a website is incomplete without search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the tactic through which your brand is digitally visible in the long run.
Growing organic search traffic is paramount when using your website as tool for lead generation, and something that improves SEO is content. HubSpot found that blogging is particularly important for SEO, since it results in 55% more website visitors, 97% more inbound links, and 434% more indexed pages.
Content marketing is a proven way to establish your brand as a marketing expert while also effectively communicating the value you provide through your products and services.
When it comes to generating leads, using strategic content coupled with specific, relevant offers will increase your conversion rate and provide the best user experience. Run an email marketing campaign that links back to a blog on your website. Develop video content that directs visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or to book a demonstration. There’s a lot than can be done.
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Leverage Social Media
In addition to the above, social media can also be primarily employed to overcome the dangers of social isolation that many B2B companies currently face. It equips businesses to maintain engagement and manage relationships without skipping a beat.
Earlier, social media may have been an afterthought that businesses may have engaged in every once in a while, but that cannot be the case anymore. Now, social media needs to be the driving force of a business’ marketing strategy to accommodate to the current times.
Social media channels need to stay current and relate to the current environment. A cadence needs to be set for timely updates that are not only useful to followers and redirect them to your website but also relate to their current mindset.
In a time where in-person networking and meeting is impossible, social platforms like LinkedIn help to connect with leads and keep conversations going. The benefit here is that it can be done anywhere and from the convenience of your home.
Furthermore, managing online reputation through reviews is a painstaking yet crucial step in building online presence. Appreciate feedback and appropriately handle unsatisfactory ones to build positive referral campaigns online.
While social distancing is a scary reality for most businesses, the digital age has provided us with so much to keep customers engaged. Online marketing might not provide the same in-person experience like events, however technological advancements has meant that digital channels are not too far behind.
The rise of certain marketing tactics like conversational marketing has enabled companies to connect and personalize visitor experiences to their website unlike anything before. Brands that would have otherwise spent their budget on in-person events can now invest more into developing their online presence through better content and user experience instead.
