Which business doesn’t dream of a constant flow of qualified leads, right? Just like you, many businesses—from startups seeking immediate sales to established companies exploring new tactics—are constantly on the hunt for high-quality B2B leads.
That’s why I’m not surprised that most business owners and marketers have considered hiring outsourcing lead generation companies. However, some of you might find it to be too costly.
But, here’s the good news: we’ve been in the lead generation industry for two decades, helping businesses find qualified B2B leads and we’re here to share the best practices in this handy guide.
Let’s jump right in and explore where to find those best-fit leads for your business.
Where and How to Find Quality Leads For Your Business: 10 Best Sources
Let me tell you that there’s no general solution to your question, “Where can I find leads?” as it heavily depends on the unique needs of your business. While I could easily suggest you “Just use LinkedIn,” “utilize multichannel marketing,” or “try engaging in cold sales.”
These might work wonders for some of you but may fall short for others. So, before diving into lead generation channels, it’s crucial to consider some key factors:
Key Considerations When Choosing Lead Sources
#1 Target audience
The first thing that you need to do is to identify your target audience. Let me ask you, would you jump into leveraging the sources you’ve found without checking first if it does align with your products/services? Or if it is the place where your target audience spends their time?
Of course, you wouldn’t and shouldn’t!
So ask yourself:
- Who is your ideal customer?
- Where are they located?
- What are their interests?
- What are their pain points?
- What is their industry?
Understanding this will help you target the right lead sources. Creating an ideal customer profile is also essential to avoid attracting unqualified leads and wasting your budget.
#2 Budget
Speaking of the budget: This is the next thing you need to consider. You see, lead generation methods come with varying costs. Consider your budget and the upfront investment required (e.g., content creation tools, social media advertising, Google paid ads) and the ongoing costs (e.g., staff time for email marketing campaigns, travel expenses for conferences).
Just make sure to allocate your resources effectively to maximize your return on investment (ROI).
#3 Time commitment
Lastly is your time commitment. As you may know, some lead generation methods require a more significant time investment than others.
Content marketing, for example, takes time to develop high-quality content that attracts leads. On the other hand, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can deliver faster results, but it requires ongoing management and optimization to ensure effectiveness. Be realistic about the amount of time you or your team can dedicate to lead generation activities and choose methods that fit your schedule.
By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the lead sources that best align with your business goals and resources.
Additionally, remember the golden rule: “Start small and iterate.” We recommend selecting a few actionable lead generation strategies, A/B testing them, analyzing the results, and refining your approach based on what proves most effective for your company.
Do you need help generating more B2B leads and boosting your sales?
Top 10 Sources for Finding Quality B2B Leads
Now, let’s explore the most effective ways and various lead sources where you can find high-quality B2B leads:
#1 Online Communities
Online communities like Reddit, Quora, and specialized forums are ideal for generating B2B leads. By participating actively in these communities, you can establish your business’s expertise, address industry challenges, and build relationships that can lead to valuable business leads.
#2 Google search and tools
Google’s suite of tools, including Google Ads and Google Analytics, offers powerful capabilities for B2B lead generation:
- Google Ads: Businesses can create targeted advertising campaigns based on keywords relevant to their industry. This allows you to reach potential leads who are actively searching for products or services similar to yours.
- Google Analytics: Provides valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. You can use and leverage this data to optimize your marketing strategies and identify potential leads based on website interactions.
#3 Industry events and trade shows
Participating in industry events and trade shows provides businesses with unparalleled opportunities for face-to-face networking and lead generation. These events bring together professionals and decision-makers within specific industries, allowing your business to showcase its products or services directly to potential leads.
For instance, our COO Rebecca Matias, is attending and joining industry events like Finovate and Cloud Expo Europe 2024.
#4 Content marketing
It doesn’t matter if you’re B2B or B2C — if you want to organically generate sales leads online, content is the way to go.
Content marketing involves creating and distributing educational and relevant content such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and eBooks to attract and nurture leads. Your primary intent is not to sell your product/service but to create trust and authority around your voice and, by extension, your business. This is an “inbound” way of generating leads for your business, as opposed to the outbound model of making a plain sales pitch upfront.
High-quality content positions businesses as thought leaders in their industry, addressing the pain points and challenges faced by your target audience.
#5 Email marketing
People like to write obituaries for email. It’s a soft target because it’s a relatively old channel of communication.
But here’s a reality check: email is still alive and kicking. In fact, email marketing remains a cornerstone of B2B lead generation due to its direct and personalized approach
Along with content marketing, email is the most preferred channel for online lead generation.
And the reasons are pretty straightforward too.
- It’s simple (you don’t need a developer’s efforts or a designer’s time to write an email).
- It’s valuable (an email is often the first point of entry to a lead).
- It’s ubiquitous (everybody has an email ID, and that’s not changing anytime soon).
In fact, you even have email templates that you can use to connect with prospects right away.
Imagine a website visitor signs up for your blog. You know they’re interested in what you’re talking about. If you’re a B2B SaaS company, you can leverage this interest to begin a personalized discussion that eases them down your sales funnel.
#6 Paid Advertising
Paid advertising on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and industry-specific websites offers precise targeting to help businesses find quality B2B leads.
LinkedIn allows you to target users based on job title, industry, company size, and skills, making it ideal for reaching decision-makers. For example, you’re a SaaS company offering a project management tool. On LinkedIn, you can create an ad targeting project managers and operations heads in the IT industry at companies with over 200 employees. This ensures your ad reaches the people most likely to need and influence the purchase of your software.
Facebook’s custom and lookalike audiences, on the other hand, along with detailed demographics, help reach relevant prospects. For instance, if you offer accounting software for small businesses, you could use Facebook ads to target small business owners or managers interested in business and finance. Additionally, creating a lookalike audience based on your current customer base can help you find new leads similar to your existing clients.
#7 Webinars and online workshops
Hosting webinars and online workshops allows businesses to showcase their expertise and provide valuable educational content to potential leads. These interactive sessions foster engagement and allow businesses to capture leads through registrations and follow-up communications.
#8 Search engine optimization (SEO)
A landing page is where visitors land after being directed from an ad you’ve posted on Google, or from a link in your social media posts. It’s an opportunity to present your business and convert the visitor into a lead.
Successful landing pages combine copy and design in a way that establishes your value proposition in the reader’s mind.
In the heading of a landing page (called H1 in HTML parlance), you typically outline the customer’s problem or provide a solution. The H1 is consistent with the message in the ad/social post that led the visitor here. The landing page then proceeds to explain how your business can solve the problem, but not in too much detail.
The lead’s information is captured through a signup form and/or a CTA (call-to-action) button on the page. To prevent visitors from dropping off, landing pages generally have no external links, although businesses sometimes take a chance by including a solitary link back to their website.
#9 Referrals and partnerships
Building and nurturing relationships with existing clients, industry partners, and complementary businesses can result in valuable referrals and partnerships. Referrals often bring highly qualified leads who are more likely to convert due to the trust established through mutual connections.
#10 Outsourcing
Outsourcing lead generation activities to specialized agencies or freelancers can streamline the process and deliver consistent results. Outsourced professionals have the expertise and tools to identify and qualify leads, allowing businesses to focus on core operations and strategic growth initiatives.
In fact, studies show that outsourcing lead generation delivers 43% better results than internal efforts, with over 85% of B2B decision-makers reporting a positive impact and 71% noting improved performance from external teams.
Comparing and Choosing the Right Sources
The best approach to B2B lead generation involves a mix of these tactics. Consider your target audience, budget, and time constraints, and experiment to find the combination that works best for your business.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing lead sources:
- Which platforms do my ideal customers frequent?
- What content formats are they most likely to engage with?
- What is the lead generation pricing that best fits my business?
- How much time can I dedicate to managing each lead source?
By carefully evaluating these factors, you can make informed decisions and choose the lead sources that will deliver the highest return on investment (ROI) for your business.
Conclusion
Finding qualified B2B leads doesn’t have to be a complicated task. By implementing these proven methods and tailoring them to your specific business needs, you can build a pipeline of potential customers who are ready to do business with you.
Remember, the key is to be consistent and track your results. Don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust your approach based on what works best for you.
