In the world of B2B marketing, leads are everything. Having a pipeline of solid leads enables a business to see the value of success in each stage of the sales funnel, forecast possible revenues, and foster relationships with potential clients that have a higher chance of converting.

If you are currently struggling to generate leads for your business, you must know even the smallest of marketing strategies can do wonders for you. Here are some of the lesser-known but highly impactful tactics that you can use to generate demand for your B2B company:

1. Produce and promote case studies

Case studies are among the most compelling content marketing tools a B2B company can use to showcase how their clients benefitted from their services. In a 2019 Ascend2 report, 60% of marketers ranked them as the most effective type of content.

The reason being case studies add credibility to your business and help you move your target audience further down the funnel towards becoming sales qualified leads.

The key here is to focus on the typical case study format that goes along the “challenge, solution, results” path. But be creative about how you present it so that it tells a story and not bombard your readers with facts and numbers.

Be flexible about the length too. Some case studies can be shared in 200 words, and some need 2000 words – it all depends on the client’s story you want to share.

Compare the case studies from Lead Genius and IBM. Both pieces of content follow the same structure, tell a story, but their word length varies.

Another smart tip is to call your case studies’ success stories,’ After all, your clients have benefitted from working with you and improved. That sounds like success to me!

2. Use power words in your CTA button copy across the website

Button copy can make a world of difference to how many people sign up for your emails or become paying subscribers. Use words that invite your website visitors to take action.

An excellent way to start is by asking the question, “I want…,” and then filling the blank with what you want your customer to sign up for or download. What you fill in the blank, goes onto your CTA button.

Other popular power words for your button copy to create a sense of urgency are “Get,” “Start,” “Now,” and “Free.”

Example: Anyone visiting Buffer will have no problem getting started with its free trial. The brand lists three important things up-front – 1) credit card requirements, 2) 14-day free trial, and 3) flexible cancellation.

From a design perspective, it is best to make your button easy to spot and easy to click.

3. Avoid the word ‘spam’

The majority of sign-up forms include a disclaimer about the customers not being spammed. While this might seem like a necessary disclaimer, it may have the opposite effect on the reader.

A study conducted by Content Verve showed that the word ‘spam’ on the opt-in form led to an 18% reduction in conversions, simply because the word alone reminded people of spam and dissuaded them from signing up. Instead, just say that you will protect their privacy.

4. Conduct tons of market research

Do your homework before writing your marketing copy so that you know the kinds of content, language and tone that your customers are most likely to respond to. An easy way to do this is to look at online reviews of other products or services in your market space.

What are the things that customers say they like? What do they not like? You can also visit your successful competitors’ websites and see what copy they are using for their most popular products.

Draw up a list of the most commonly used words and phrases and do some A/B testing with them on your ads and website copy. The more you speak your customers’ language, the stronger your connections will be.

5. Design an equally good testimonial formula

Testimonials are crucial to building your company’s reputation. They are an indicator of trust, and customers will almost always look at testimonials when considering your product. It is essential to have a reliable testimonial formula that avoids generic comments like “great product” or “keep it up.”

According to Derek Halpern, the “perfect testimonials formula” clearly outlines the challenge your customer faced, describes how your product was a solution to the problem and truthfully shares the results.

To get testimonials like this, reach out to your most satisfied customers and ask them for a brief interview to understand their experience. Publish these on your website, and you will be winning more leads in no time.

6. Use emotional marketing

One common misconception about B2B marketing is that buyers only use logic when they make a purchase decision. In fact, research shows that personal value has twice as much impact as business value when buying.

One reason is that B2B buyers have much more at stake than B2C buyers – there are several decision-makers, and the business could suffer if the product fails. If the buyer is deeply convinced about the product, therefore, they are likelier to buy.

By assessing exactly how your customer feels about your product and using the emotional copy to tap into those feelings, you can create a much more reliable connection that will increase conversions.

7. Build a lead-generation offer that they cannot refuse

It is not just about providing your potential customers with good content. Your lead generation offer needs to be so compelling that they cannot resist clicking on it.

For example, your blog post needs to provide them with content so valuable that they are willing to hop on a call with you to discuss their requirements.

Similarly, if your lead magnet is an eBook, its landing page needs to hook them instantly so that your potential customers would be willing to download it.

Example: Drip, an eCommerce marketing automation tool, keeps it simple when it comes to its landing page copy, but gives a proper explanation regarding why one must download their resource.

Some content ideas include solving a common problem, offering a solution that matches the stage of the sales cycle your buyer is at and giving them downloadable assets. Be sure to test your content formats and write on topics with clear expertise and experience.

Summing it up

B2B lead generation can be very fruitful for your business, provided you approach it with consistency. Keep experimenting with different ideas. It all comes down to how well you know your target audience and how they interact with your business.

Of course, content is at the fulcrum of it all, so it is best to get an expert on board who can overlook all your copy-related requirements. Check out my B2B lead generation copywriting page to understand how I can help your business.

Until then, why don’t you tell me about any demand generation tactics you have previously applied for your business?