What is a Lead Generation Company?

Rarely does a lead generation company use email marketing as a stand-alone service. Multichannel campaigns have a much higher success rate. The big question is: "What channels are best?"

Though there are many options, social media has become the number one marketing channel within the past year. That means LinkedIn is now the platform of choice for most B2B sales experts. In fact, 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a more transparent approach to lead generation because prospects can view the SDR's profile and learn more about their educational and professional background. This can increase response rates as prospects feel more comfortable chatting once they know who's on the other end.

Cold calling is not dead. Even though most salespeople loath calling prospects, most VPs and c-suite executives (57%) would rather have a good old-fashioned telephone conversation, according to a study by RAIN Group.

So then, why do the cold call conversions hover around 2%? In most cases, we have found the misuse of phones contributes to the low success rate. Much like mass blast emails, traditional telemarketing tactics just don't work anymore.

Decision-makers are more receptive to phone calls when there is at least an inkling of brand awareness. So, to increase the chances of recognition, top lead generation agencies only contact those who have engaged with an email or LinkedIn message. Not only does this give the SDRs a valid reason for calling, but also it also signals to the prospect that they're not just another number in the dialer.

As the name suggests, account-based marketing (ABM) involves creating personalized campaigns targeting key decision-makers within organizations deemed most likely to benefit from the solution. This laser-focused approach works best for companies with longer sales cycles, higher deal values, or niche audiences.

ABM is an advanced tactic that requires strategic planning and accurate lead information. Lead gen experts generally have a framework in place that expedites the planning process so campaigns can be launched in a matter of weeks instead of months. In many cases, creating a shortlist can be the most time-intensive task, but with buyer intent data, your outsourced team can create a targeted list of purchasers looking for solutions similar to yours.

Inbound services are broader in scope than outbound and can be anything from content creation to chatbot support. The intent of inbound marketing is to boost your online presence, drive traffic to your website, and increase organic conversions. Outbound lead generation usually delivers faster results; however, inbound marketing can indirectly lift outbound conversions as brand recognition increases.

When hiring a partner to assist in your inbound marketing efforts, it's best to pinpoint the most time-consuming tasks you can offload. Social media management and onsite blog posts are frequently handled in-house, while important off-site projects like guest posting and backlink building are commonly outsourced.

Inbound marketing should be viewed as a long-term investment. For B2B companies, it may take up to 12 months to see significant results, but, fortunately, the effects are long-term as well. As you gain more inbound leads, your customer acquisition costs will reduce, and your outbound campaigns will flourish.

When most people think of lead generation companies, they think of top-of-the-funnel sales, which is usually the biggest hurdle. The support doesn't have to stop there, though. Customer onboarding and account management are other services that top-rated partners can provide. These services allow the same sales professional to guide prospects through the entire purchasing process — including customer success — which makes the journey easier for both vendors and buyers.

For startups, including customer onboarding and account management services can help free up time to focus on product development. And for larger organizations, the additional support can reduce labor expenses while increasing market share.

Outsourcing your entire sales process can be a little scary at first, but it can also streamline your pipeline if you are struggling to generate leads and close deals. If you're unsure whether to opt for a fully-managed service, we recommend starting with appointment setting first to determine whether the outsourced team is a good fit for your company.