When you’re marketing for B2B, you’ll never win with gimmicks. You need to cut through the noise and prove to professionals that you’re the one who can really solve their problems.

But how do you find and nurture these leads until they’re ready to sign off on a pricey purchase - or even just a demo?

Here are 5 simple tips that I’ve used to build my business and deliver results to my clients.

#1: Provide content that’s always relevant and valuable.

Free, informative content on your blog and social media gives potential clients what they’re already looking for and gives you a ton of credibility. Lists, Top Tips and “How To” Tutorials are just a few of the things that will bring you strong leads in the long run.

So now, you’re credible. You’re valid. You want to get talking to as many potential clients as you can. How?

#2: Build a targeted contact list.

Lead databases aren’t all gold mines. They tend to be outdated and miss your specific targets. Here’s how to get your hands dirty and build yourself a contact list that’s a little more customized and a lot more effective:

LinkedIn Connections

If you want to find qualified contacts in any industry, this should be your first stop. This is where you can find businesses, proprietors or employees with surgical precision, build a list of contacts up and down the hierarchy, and draft personalized outreach strategies for every single one of them.

Facebook Groups

Facebook has groups for every niche - including yours. Share valuable insights and establish yourself as a knowledgeable, friendly face in the community to turn your Facebook profile into a funnel that tells clients what you do, how you do it and how they'll benefit. Don’t sleep on it.

Google Maps Results

Look up the types of businesses you want to work with. Once you get past all the titans of your industry in the first few results, you’ll find smaller localized businesses to reach out to in any region you want. Thanks, Maps!

Instagram Suggest

If you use Instagram search to find and follow companies you want to target, it’ll start feeding you similar pages and build your lead list for you. When you’re ready, switch over to LinkedIn to fill in the granular details and find out who does what at every company.

#3: Start conversations - don’t sit on your contact list.

Sales is all about relationships; you build relationships and your outward value brings you leads. It’s simple, but being present and helpful will take you a long way.

Never be afraid to start a cold conversation, but always know how to warm someone up. Most importantly, do your research. If you find a potential client through an Instagram post, find something you genuinely like about their content or their company’s work and use that as an inroad. The deeper you dig, the more likely you are to get a response.

Always remember to put value first. No one owes you a response, but they’ll sure feel a bit more obligated if you can show that you’ve put in the effort to identify their pain points and offer solutions.

#4: Focus on what you can provide.

Make sure your credentials are accessible and obvious. Put client reviews and big wins out in the open. There shouldn’t be any question as to whether you’re a trustworthy authority - or why you’re sliding into business owners’ LinkedIn DMs. If you want to compete with every other B2B business out there, the best way to do so is to show what you can provide.

#5: Find a reputable agency when you’re ready to scale.

When you’re making decisions, managing employees, jumping on calls and wearing 20 other hats, it’s hard to find bandwidth to look for qualified leads all day. That’s why we ultimately recommend finding a competent team to execute these strategies at a scale that will actually bring you results.

An agency’s greatest asset is specialization and expertise. Pretty much any agency will have some experience building lead lists and executing an outreach strategy, but not every agency is built the same. Make sure you do your research before hiring an agency - and I don’t just mean looking at their reviews and testimonials.

If you commit to an informational call, make sure they give you a full-fledged strategy outline before you sign a contract. Ask them questions about why they’re making the tactical decisions they are, and see how they respond to questions about your product that test how engaged they were when preparing.

We built this guide from our experience running a B2B-specialized agency, and we always know it’s a good fit when a client asks us challenging questions on the very first call. That back-and-forth dynamic is crucial for identifying and finding the high-intent audiences that will ACTUALLY convert.

We're always happy to talk and provide helpful advice for any B2B business looking for tips on how to grow an audience - and turn it into a client base. Don't hesitate to contact us for a free marketing consultation today!