The Top Lead Generation Strategies and Trends for 2020
by Mike Khorev
Millennials are driving marketing strategies and decisions. In fact, over 70% of the millennials are the ones making corporate buying decisions. Plus, researchers report they are doing twelve searches online before actively engaging with a website.
Why do those twelve searches make a difference to a marketing strategy? Because the twelve online searches are done by people hoping to receive the same high-quality digital experience as when they make a B2C purchase. Since most of the environment is online, trying to figure out what lead generation strategy will work, has now become of utmost importance to you and your business.
Timing is everything in marketing. That hasn’t changed even in the marketing strategy environment. Every marketing strategy industry usually has leaders using last year’s trends, tools, and techniques.
You’re smarter than that, so read on so you can stay on top of the continuously evolving trends in lead generation strategies.
2020’s Popular Lead Generation Strategies
There’s always been a difference between using a popular lead generation strategy and finding the best lead generation strategies for your business. Both will probably give you some positive marketing returns. There are a few smart ones that will leave all the popular ones in the dust.
When learning about lead generation strategies, it’s important to move through a few of the more known 2019-2020 marketing strategies. The concept of the world in 2020 is that we live in a global village. We inhabit a global village that offers universal communication throughout most of the world.
That makes digital marketing a prevalent lead generation strategy.
#1 Digital Marketing
Digital marketing isn’t new, and it’s not hard to connect the dots, but according to Statista, digital ad global marketing will reach over $385 billion in 2020. Digital ad global marketing spend is projected to reach $517 billion by 2023. More and more people are actively using and connecting through the internet and smart devices making information more accessible to consumers.
If your company is competing for business, what popular lead generation strategy are you hearing about? Chances are there are many business owners who may have already built digital marketing into their overall lead generation plan. Yet many businesses are using this as their only lead generation strategy, and that’s never a smart action.
#2 Atomic Content Concepts
Implementing atomic content concepts is when there are creation and customization of small content elements. Marketers call these the atoms. These atoms are the copy and imagery that create videos, web pages, emails, and other communication formats that are considered marketing assets.
The most essential and defining characteristic of the atomic content concept is its dynamic nature. It is given the responsibility of improving customer experience, and it rises to the occasion well. Many times the atomic content concept will help grow and strengthen customer relationships.
A company doesn’t have to provide a customer with an e-book to make a marketing impact. Many times businesses provide atomic content in real-time through an email viewed on a mobile phone that gives you images, copy, headlines, promotional offers, and a call to action.
#3 Influencer Marketing
If there’s a lead generation strategy that has a love/hate relationship with its targeted audience or customers, it’s the prevalent influencer marketing concept. In a celebrity-crazed world, most marketers know that sometimes no matter how good their lead generation strategy, they haven’t reached everyone they wanted to reach. Marketing statistics back the theory that people are more likely to buy based on a recommendation from someone they trust.
The kicker is the consumer who doesn’t even have to know them to trust them. It can be a hyped celebrity endorsement that makes the product or service something a consumer wants, and that ends up enhancing their sales.
#4 Evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Most businesses have been using AI in their lead generation strategy for a while. Everything from chatbots to virtual assistants makes up the AI marketing strategy world. The real paradox of AI is that while 40% of all millennials interacted with chatbots in 2019, no one can really peg or project AI’s ability to penetrate the marketing strategy world in 2020 and further.
That’s because AI possibilities are endless. Everyone’s experiences with AI meets the recipient need based on their unique customer journey. Everyone’s path and journey are different. That makes AI a real unknown in how big it can grow and how much power it will wield in the marketing strategy environment.
2020’s Effective Lead Generation Strategies
Businesses may know they need to promote their brand awareness through digital media. However, they are still usually searching for the most effective lead generation strategies and channels in 2020 to make that happen.
#1 SEO
There’s a reason B2B SEO is still on the list of effective lead generation strategies. The reason is that it works and it works well. There is one rule for SEO, and that’s to increase the position in Google’s search engine results page to drive traffic to the customer’s website.
Like it or leave it, Google reports 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during their research process, and 71% start with a generic Google search. Most companies can’t utilize any other lead generation strategies that give them more significant results at such affordable prices. That’s because SEO within the environment has a search strategy that accomplishes two goals.
The first goal is it drives organic traffic. The second goal is it supports other sales channels with meaningful content.
#2 Content Marketing
If a lead generation strategy were a battle plan, content marketing would be the details of your plan of attack. It is the details of D-Day for the war battle. In marketing strategy, it represents how the content assets you’re using have been found, created, promoted, published, and then marketing or promoted.
72% of marketers think that good content strategy and marketing is the key to their success. The problem is that not all businesses understand the importance of their marketing strategy. They tend not to implement content marketing campaigns or strategies correctly.
Almost any B2B growth marketing consultant will tell you prospects don’t have the time or interest to read a bunch of content. Especially if they content they’re reading doesn’t answer relevant questions, so you’re wasting your money if you don’t give the customers what they want.
#3 Social Media
It’s a puzzler why more companies don’t use more social media exposure to help them strategically leverage their brand. It’s not rocket science, and social media platforms are around to use almost free of charge. Companies can use everything from Facebook, Twitter to LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Every time a company leverages its brand on a social media platform, they help put more money on their table due to smart and effective lead generation strategy.
#4 – Email Marketing
The lead generation strategy of using email marketing is an old one, but it has lucrative results. A well-executed email marketing campaign generates an average return of $44.25 for every $1.00 the company spends. What’s more, 72% of buyers share content through email forwarding or copying to others.
You really need to be using a good email marketing strategy to communicate with your customers and potential customers. The rewards can be more than you ever imagined.
#5 Conversion Rate Optimization
Conversion rate optimization has been an ongoing quest for companies to get since the lead generation strategies were created. It vital you use professional digital marketing and lead generation companies to help your lead generation strategy. Many companies learn too late about the dangers of overcomplicated their sales funnels and customer experiences.
Any complicated sales funnels or customers’ experiences don’t help their conversion rates and leave frustrated customers behind. By simplifying your design, you offer up an opportunity to influence 76% of B2B buying decisions. You also want to place your content more strategically and target it to what your customers care about.
If at all possible, join your SEO campaign with a PPC campaign, and your conversion optimization will jump in growth.
Finding the Best Marketing Strategies for Your Business
The detailed primer above listing effective and popular lead generation strategies have the ability to make the difference in business succeeding or failing. Sometimes it means the difference between a business being almost great. There are lead generation strategy leaders you can use and it’s important to find the one that you feel meets your needs best.
Use the right lead generation strategy expert that knows what steps you need to take that can move you out of almost great to stellar. There is almost no second chances offered or many do-overs when businesses falter or can’t beat their competitors. You do have the opportunity to reach out to a company that’s made a name in exemplary lead generation strategy.
Reach out to SEO expert Mike Khorev when you’re ready to consider what you need to do next. You may be surprised to learn your business competition already made that decision.
Mike Khorev
I'm a growth marketing consultant who helps B2B, SaaS, IT, technology and software companies generate more leads, sales and grow revenue online. I offer expert advice on marketing your company the right way through performance-based SEO, digital marketing, social media, search engine marketing and many other online practices. Connect with me on LinkedIn and schedule a free marketing strategy session!
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