With getting leads being a vital task for any startup business, companies are always on the lookout for new developments they can take advantage of. And with 2022 starting, new trends are starting to show up in the field. Let’s look at what these trends are and how you can ride them to boost sales.
2022 Lead Generation Trend no. 2: Lead Generation Goes Digital
Okay, this one might be an odd declaration. After all, digital lead generation techniques have been around for years. But for the most part, B2B and B2C companies have relied more heavily on in-person engagements to draw the attention of potential leads. But with the recent developments in the worldwide economic landscape, there will be a stronger push to go all-digital with the lead generation process.
Image from Slideshare.
According to a study by consultancy firm Mckinsey and Co., nearly 80% of B2B decision-makers now prefer to have at least one form of digital lead generation strategy. This isn’t just about safety but also because it affords them reduced costs. These buyers are willing to spend nearly a million dollars to buy products through a digital self-help platform or the help of a remote agent.
Some of the most popular digital lead generation techniques that businesses typically employ include:
- Social media marketing
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Search engine marketing
Note that these are by no means the only ones. As digital platforms evolve, you will encounter more novel ones in the months that come by. Taking advantage of these new methods can help you accelerate lead creation.
How Your Startup Business Can Ride The Trend
However, it doesn’t mean that you have to jump into every new digital lead generation technique you encounter. Instead, you need to carefully assess which of these digital platforms will give you the best results.
One of the strategies that you would want to explore here is hybrid demand generation. As the name says, you will be using a mix of in-person and digital lead generation strategies. Note that this isn’t just about getting more contact lists. Instead, make a more personalized lead nurturing that brings all the digital and in-person strategies together. This way it becomes more relevant to them, encouraging them to provide information naturally.
2022 Lead Generation Trend No. 2: Value-Based Selling
Getting your leads to convert might seem like a straightforward effort. YOu showcase the benefits of the product or service you offer and customers purchase based on their current needs. However, there is a growing trend among companies towards value-based selling.
Here, the goal isn’t just about pushing immediate deals. Companies noted that this approach can sometimes backfire. Leads ended turned off by the constant barrage of offers. Instead, they will put more focus on what long-term value they can provide customers.
Image from AllBusines
The idea here is that leads’ needs can change over time, even when your startup business is still in the process of nurturing them. As such, you need to better capture those changing needs by looking at the larger picture. Companies utilize real-time data trends to map out these changing needs and analyze these to determine what they value the most. They then build the promotion of the product around that value, letting people see first how it can help them.
How Your Startup Business Can Take Advantage
To better understand the value your leads look for, you need to have the right data for it. One particular type that you should note is intent data. This data describes the intent that your leads might have in taking certain actions when engaging with you. You can then use this intent data to create personalized outreach programs to better connect with them.
When doing values-based lead generation, you need to be ready to respond to customer requests for more information. We at Virtua Outsourcing can help you here by expanding your customer support base. Our agents can handle many of these basic questions while collecting additional customer data on the side. We then pass out that data to you and help in developing the relevant outreach strategies for it.
2022 Lead Generation Trend no. 3: The Onset Of AI For Lead Generation
Artificial intelligence-based lead generation tools have been around for a few years now. However, their growing sophistication means that they have become more viable than over for the work. Additionally, the changing business landscape has made them more necessary.
Image from IntelliTricks.
In particular, the ongoing pandemic has severely limited some lead generation strategies, such as in-person engagements. AI can help you move from strategies to a more digital lead generation effort. With it, you can quickly gather customer information in the background and turn this into something you can use when needed.
Additionally, you can use AI for continuous customer engagements. Chatbots have now become sophisticated enough to sustain conversations with customers. They can also now be used to qualify leads, being able to ask the relevant questions.
How Your Startup Business Can Take Advantage
Nevertheless, AI is not a fire and forget tool. To get the most out of it, you need to provide additional support with human agents. These agents will take over certain lead nurturing functions that it is not yet capable of. For instance, agents can handle more complex inquiries that delve deeper into their motives and personal preferences.
You also need to create a more seamless connection between AI and your human agents. This way, leads can move from one to another without a break in the conversation. That is particularly important, as it helps better sustain the interest of leads and convince them to convert.
Image from Neil Patel.
Virtua Outsourcing has always anticipated such a development. As such, our sales agents have been trained to work with the latest AI software. All the while delivering genuine human touch to the lead generation effort. Thus, you can be assured of more conversions.
Let Your Startup Business Ride These Trends With Our Help
Taking advantage of these trends early will put your startup business in a good position this year. And we are ready to help you pull off that feat with our team of professional sales agents. Connect with us and get a strong start attracting leads in 2022.