B2B businesses have ninety-nine problems and lead generation is definitely one of them. B2B sectors Marketers and Sales Heads have been faced with the struggles of generating more opportunities

Generating new leads through content marketing, SEO, and advertising has been, and will always be the major priority for any marketing team as this is exactly what is going to propel your business further towards continuous growth. However, various marketers find that the constant search for new potential clients and customers is very challenging and draining. 

Many marketers blame this on a lack of funding, their team is too small, or their sales team failing to follow up and nurture the leads. 

The truth, however, is that marketers have more tools and resources especially with how advanced technology is now, in order to discover and connect with customers all over the world. Then why are so many businesses still struggling to drive in and converting leads? 

If this is true for your company, then there is a big possibility that you and your team are making these major lead generation strategy mistakes. This may also be a sign that it’s time to tap lead generation services experts. 

Not Understanding your Audience

Having a good understanding of your audiences is the basic foundation of any successful marketing strategy. However, many marketing teams seem to be missing the mark here. 

There is a difference between just having a general idea of the people in your target market and knowing basic information versus really understanding them as well as the intent of the actions of their company. 

Why do they need your service or product? What will convince them to buy from you specifically?

A major aspect of intent is having an understanding of the underlying reasons that drive people to make a purchase.

• Necessity
• Cost
• Brand Associations

These three are the three main reasons that you should look out for when trying to find out how they decide on a purchase. A great way to do this is by taking advantage of reviews in order to create trustworthy content that drives leads to your website. Reviews also help hit all three incentives as they show new customers why they need to buy something and whether or not it is worth it all while improving your brand’s reputation. 

Misaligned Marketing and Sales Team

One of the biggest reasons why your leads are just not converting is because there is a disconnect between both your marketing and sales teams. 

According to this Super Office research, nearly one-third of teams found it challenging to ensure that all leads were nurtured with follow-ups. Having a lack of alignment also means that a lot of your leads are simply slipping through the cracks, and all of your marketing team’s hard work is wasted, but if you have a solid sales and marketing alignment, you’re more likely to convert leads and are more profitable. 

In order to achieve good alignment, I advise that you utilize integrated technology that helps you keep track of all interactions so both sales and marketing teams know exactly how to nurture specific leads. 

Outdated Keyword Data

Another common mistake that many marketing teams are guilty of is neglecting keyword targeting. 

Keyword research is usually not a one-time project. You need to constantly refresh your list of targeted words to see if there are any new ways to drive in leads through different types of queries. It’s important to know which metrics to actually be looking out for when you’re conducting keyword research. Now, while search volume is important, it also doesn’t mean that this is the only thing to focus on especially when you’re trying to target more niche groups. 

Don’t forget to also measure the following:

• Keyword difficulty
• Keyword value in CPC
• Keyword intent
• Related words. 

If you don’t consistently conduct keyword research, you’re going to miss out on valuable audience segments and potential leads.

The Takeaway

The problem in the persistent struggle with lead generation isn’t always complicated. There could be very simple reasons behind the struggling numbers. 

The good news is that these common mistakes are quite easy to recognize and correct.