Attracting and engaging prospects has gone far beyond transactional interactions and evolved into a truly personalised journey, with the development of meaningful connections now a key part of lead generation for business.
Let’s explore the current trends shaping lead generation, and explore the impact emerging technologies have on lead generation and marketing.
What is lead generation?
In the early stages of the pre-sales process, lead generation encompasses the strategies and activities aimed at attracting and engaging prospects, with the goal of converting them into customers. Ultimately, this process revolves around establishing connections with key decision-makers and businesses that could benefit from your service or solution.
For effective lead generation, it’s essential to first identify your target audience and ideal customers, and explore their goals and challenges. This research allows you to understand whether prospects have a genuine need and motivation for your business’ offering.
Current landscape of lead generation trends
The landscape of lead generation is evolving constantly. 2023 has seen brands increasingly use a multi-channel approach to optimise their lead gen efforts – across digital channels, social media platforms, along with the incorporation of data analytics.
Targeted marketing and strategic personalisation have become essential, with the ability to engage audiences more contextually now crucial across organisations. Businesses must tailor their outreach to specific audience segments, in order to enrich the experience for potential customers.
AI (the hot topic on everyone’s minds just now!) is enhancing the efficiency of lead scoring and qualification processes, but those who adopt this method of scaling interactions should also bear in mind potential risks and ethical implementation.
As the buyer’s journey becomes more digital, current lead generation trends emphasise the importance of having an omnichannel presence and the strategic use of data to drive effective lead generation campaigns and enhance competitive advantage.
Emerging technologies in Lead Generation
The future of lead generation is tied to the adoption of new technologies.
AI
Artificial Intelligence is ready to play a pivotal role in pre-sales, enabling brands to analyse huge amounts of data to identify and target potential leads with new levels of accuracy. Chatbots and conversational AI features have become increasingly common, providing real-time assistance and engagement to prospects.
Reality, but not so
Augmented and Virtual Reality are also used more to create immersive and interactive experiences to both captivate and convert prospects. These technologies can allow potential clients to experience products or services firsthand and facilitate a more effective conversion process.
Don’t come in, it’s private
As privacy concerns shape the digital environment, blockchain tech is emerging as a solution to ensure secure handling of customer data, creating more trust within lead gen processes that use it.
The ongoing integration of these technologies throughout 2023 signals a potentially transformative era in lead generation! Innovation and adaptability are key to staying ahead in 2024.
Prospects on the Go: Lead Gen via Mobile
Mobile is a game-changer for lead generation. Mobile phones are everywhere, making them a key way to connect with potential customers. While digital marketing is a big player, there’s something special about picking up the phone and having a chat. It adds a personal touch, goes beyond the online exchanges, and helps build real connections and rapport. Mobile lead gen is about finding the sweet spot where efficiency meets authenticity, to capture the attention of people on the move.
Making direct calls is a way to stand out in the lead gen process, as people tend to remember a personal conversation over a digital exchange. The efficiency of direct communication means it is much quicker for you to gather answers, qualify opportunities, nurture leads with longer sales cycles, and explain the value of scheduling an appointment.
As we navigate the post-COVID era with flexible working norms, having access to mobile numbers becomes even more crucial. Calling prospects on their mobiles ensures that you can connect with individuals wherever they are, creating a more adaptable and responsive approach to lead generation.
Digital Networking on the Rise
Platforms like LinkedIn and other digital tools play a key role in nurturing leads. Once a lead is confirmed, connecting with the individual on LinkedIn allows for ongoing engagement and relationship-building. Using LinkedIn helps you stay on the prospect’s radar, particularly if you are engaging with your company’s posts.
This digital interaction not only reinforces your brand but also creates a sense of connection. Leveraging digital networking tools like this provides an opportunity for leads to develop into real long-term partnerships.
Email is not dead
Contrary to the notion that email might be losing its appeal, email marketing remains a really effective tool for lead gen. Email continues to be a reliable way of not only reaching but engaging prospects, and the direct and personalised nature of this type of communication allows you to tailor messages to specific audiences. It really is an invaluable channel for delivering targeted content, promotions, and useful updates. Far from being obsolete, it is a cornerstone in the toolkit of successful lead generation. Email is on trend!
ABM: the new normal
Account-Based Marketing has become the new normal for B2B brands. This personalised approach involves tailoring marketing to individual accounts rather than distributing a message broadly. This results in precision targeting but also improves the ability of brands to develop more meaningful connections with key-decision makers. As ABM becomes integrated into marketing strategies, we see a shift towards more relationship-focused interactions. ABM also allows for less variation in lead quality and an increased alignment of goals between sales and marketing.
Automation
Integrating automation tools helps to streamline lead gen processes, allowing businesses to become even more efficient. From automated email campaigns to data analysis and lead scoring, automation helps to optimise repetitive tasks and free up valuable time. It contributes to more personalised and timely interactions with prospects, too, as we let technology help us make data-driven decisions and anticipate customer needs. As automation continues to evolve, it becomes more central in the lead generation process and provides a scalable approach for businesses in a dynamic environment.
Future predictions and implications
Reflecting on the lead generation trends of 2023, we also take a look forward to what will be key for B2B brands in 2024.
Maximising customer lifetime value
Lead generation is not a linear process. Beyond initial acquisition of customers, brands need to nurture relationships to maximise the value they bring over time. A strategic focus needs to be on engagement, personalisation, and continual efforts to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of customers as they evolve. Customer relationships are dynamic and ongoing, rather than transactional. By thinking of lead generation this way, you can ultimately extend the lifetime value of your customer base.
Hyper-personalisation
This might seem like a buzzword, but it is essential for successful lead generation. Going beyond conventional personalisation, hyper-personalisation gets even more granular. By tailoring marketing to specific preferences and behaviours of prospects, it creates an even deeper level of engagement. The overall experience for the prospect is improved, as is the likelihood of converting them into a customer. Embracing hyper-personalisation could be crucial.
B2B brands need to bring all of these elements together or face being left behind. Lead generation strategies must align with maximising customer value and providing a personalised experience for prospective buyers. Integrating these trends into your sales playbook will ensure you are not only ready to keep up with leading brands, but lead the way yourself in driving new connections and lead generation success in business. Ready to FastTrack your lead gen? Get in touch to discuss how we can help you make tracks.
