B2B Lead Generation in a Post-Pandemic World
Updated On November 11, 2022 | by Alex Jones
The coronavirus pandemic has hit us all hard yet unequally. Online consumption and social media use have increased exponentially, which had a positive impact on eCommerce brands and influencer marketers like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others (not that much for LinkedIn though). Now, as lockdowns are lifted and consumers are getting back to many of their pre-pandemic consumer patterns, most B2C businesses are recovering. For B2B sectors, however, the post-pandemic recovery is not unequivocal. While companies that produce rapid antigen self tests are skyrocketing Some experts report that many B2B companies are reluctant to return their slashed budgets to pre-pandemic numbers while others are confident that the majority of B2B brands will bounce back to pre-crisis levels of business activity by 2022. Before making changes to your business strategies, take a look at statistics:
- 65% of B2B buyers consider switching vendors
- digital payments increased in popularity at least by 10%, as traditional sales channels were closed for many B2B businesses in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- B2B online vendors are to see increased consumer demand as e-commerce has grown 18% in 2020
- B2B industries claim to have experienced a lack of efficiency and worse performance due to the use of outdated processes and knowledge (27%-43%), workflow issues (29%-42%), and a lack of digital skills or capabilities (22%-35%)
What do the stats tell us? No way should businesses cut down on their b2b lead generation efforts. Quite the opposite. It is time to reconsider your methods of b2b sales lead list building, review your past performance, and make sure a sales pipeline is solid and the appointment setting is optimized.
B2B Sales Lead Generation 2021
According to the 2021 LinkedIn Emerging Jobs report, the pandemic experience of many professionals includes acquiring new skills and changing career paths: “We’ve seen Salespeople become Social Media Specialists, Research Instructors become Medical Writers, and Business Owners become Life Coaches.” Given the shifting business and market landscapes, digital marketing and business lead generation practices should be revised and updated according to new challenges. So, what should all professionals and companies involved in b2b lead generation do to better adapt to today’s realities?
Recognize New Consumption Trends
Safety & convenience is the new trend among both B2C and B2B consumers. Getting used to social distancing and remote work during the pandemic, many consumers will think twice before they get out of the house or make a payment decision. That is why, even for B2B clients, businesses need to reevaluate customers’ journeys and make sure payment options are seamless and flexible, delivery options are convenient, and cross-device shopping is possible and easy.
Increase Your Online Presence
Make sure you use online channels to their full capacity. Although only LinkedIn is a legit business activity platform, it may help your business if you reach out to new b2b sales leads through other social media like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Offer many options to get consultation and access your customer service capabilities via instant messaging (Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram) and video conferencing platforms (Skype, Zoom, FaceTime).
Strengthen Communication Tactics
B2B sectors have always recognized the relevance of human relations and communication with customers. The pandemic only highlighted that effective communication is an essential tool for B2B companies to maintain lasting work relations with customers. The email was the top communication channel both internally and externally during the pandemic and will remain such in 2021. At that, ‘Zoom fatigue’ is real so everyone is advised to hold offline events as often as possible.
Upgrade Software
To support all the already mentioned recommendations, make sure the digital technologies you use to communicate with leads and customers are not hampering your progress. On the one hand, the software you use needs to be right for customers and give them a smooth experience. On the other hand, the capabilities of digital technology should allow you to better understand leads and their pain points. Make sure the CRM (Customer Relationship Management) you use is the best and can be integrated with lead generation tools. Check out if email deliverability can be improved with an email spam checker. Some businesses will make use of on-page lead capture forms while others prefer email address finders and advanced email marketing tools to generate leads.
Buy B2B Leads, or Consider Outsourcing
If you buy b2b leads, better use subscription-based b2b sales lead databases. However, most businesses will find it more effective to outsource lead generation and appointment setting if they lack a workforce. Whether your marketing and sales teams have shrunk or you just want to increase your sales rates, consider hiring a b2b lead generation agency. It is possible to reassign any stage of lead generation your team is struggling with. Given that sales reps devote 20% of their time to prospecting and lead nurturing, outsourcing b2b appointment setting is a good investment.
Ready to Face a Post-Covid Business Recovery Now?
Today’s reality is: everyone is going through hardships and troubles associated with the virus, pandemic, and some kind of limitation. Consider what you have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and reconceptualize your business strategy. Business sales leads are still out there. Your sales pipeline just needs a few tweaks and your software requires a few updates. The Belkins team is always ready to assist you with B2B appointments and lead generation. Let’s help each other prosper in the rapidly shifting business landscape together.
