Website content is one of the most powerful tools for B2B lead generation. Digital content drives audiences to a webpage, informs and engages them, and converts them into qualified leads.
Every page on a website should be created with lead generation in mind. Even if an individual piece of content does not include a lead generation form, it should still fit into a full strategy that leads users through the purchase funnel. All content should tie into the buyer’s journey and play a role in one of the following stages.
- Top-of-the-Funnel: helps people find general information about a topic
- Middle-of-the-Funnel: helps people get more information about a product or service
- Bottom-of-the-Funnel: helps people learn why a specific product is superior to others and tells them how to make a purchase
The rest of this post will explain how to develop and optimize content for each of these stages to improve B2B lead generation. It will also present a content strategy for nurturing leads acquired at any phase of buyer’s journey.
Website content is one of the most powerful tools for B2B lead generation.
Types of Content for B2B Lead Generation
Top-of-the-Funnel Content
The top of the funnel is the awareness and discovery phase of the buyer’s journey. It’s when a potential customer is seeking solutions and answers. They are aware they have a problem, and they are trying to discover a solution.
Top-of-the-funnel content is media that prospects come across through search and social media. It’s content they search for and find, and it’s also content they see pop up on their social media feeds.
To create and optimize your content for B2B lead generation at this point in the funnel, keep the following best practices in mind.
Create content that answers questions and solve problems. Prospects at the top of the funnel are looking for content that helps them. For your content in this phrase, create informative articles, blogs, social posts, and infographics that educate audiences about topics related to your industry. Answer frequently asked questions, solve problems, and help your audience improve their situation.
Target informational keywords. Informational keywords are terms searchers use when trying to find advice, knowledge, and answers to their questions. When you create content in this phase, target those keywords to help your target audience find you through search.
Write blog posts using SEO best practices. Another way to make your B2B content more visible in search is optimizing each post and page using on-site SEO best practices. Use these blog SEO tips to write content that is attractive to both readers and search engines.
Attract leads with e-books, guides, minicourses, and other branded industry-related gated content. To get leads in this phase of the funnel, offer gated content upgrades within your free content. Tease audiences with your free content and then encourage them to get even more information by signing up to receive one of your free, value-packed upgrades. These B2B lead generation tactics bring in leads during the first step of the purchase funnel.
Middle-of-the-Funnel Content
In the middle of the funnel, audiences have already found answers and solutions to their problems. They are now in the consideration and evaluation phase. They know their options and are trying to decide which is the best.
At this point, audiences are looking for specific offerings that provide what they need to solve their problems. They are searching for a brand or business that has the best solution.
To target customers in this phase and implement MOFu marketing, use the following best practices as you create your B2B lead generation content.
Create content that relates directly to your products and services. In this phase, your content should dive deeper into the details of your products and services. Create content that helps audiences get to know your brand and understand your unique approach and position in your industry. This content may include landing pages, case studies, guides, and blog posts.
Target navigational keywords. Navigational keywords are terms searchers use to find a specific website, webpage, or piece of information. In this phase, target these terms that help people find material about your products, services, or brand details.
Optimize your entire website for SEO. To make sure your website shows up when people search for navigational phrases and branded terms, optimize your entire site for SEO. Having an optimized site that follows SEO best practices will help your site appear ahead of competitors.
Attract leads with webinars, case studies, and other product- or service-related gated content. To bring in leads at this point in the funnel, offer content upgrades or experiences that bring audiences closer to your brand. B2B lead generation ideas in this category include creating content that peels back the curtain of your brand and lets audiences better understand your products, services, and business.
Bottom-of-the-Funnel Content
When prospects are in the bottom of the funnel, they are close to knowing what they want. They have weighed their options and are just about ready to buy. They are in the conversion and purchase phase.
Prospects at this point are searching using buying keywords. They are trying to find websites and pages to make their purchase. You need to have content ready to welcome these prospects and guide them toward the sale.
As you create content in this phrase, keep these lead generation marketing ideas in mind.
Create content that helps customer overcome purchasing objections. At this point, prospects are very close to buying. They are trying to find details to determine if the purchase is the right decision. Use your content as a way to help them overcome their final objections. Publish reviews, testimonials, sales pages, before-and-afters, and FAQ pages that alleviate buyer concerns and hesitation.
Target transactional keywords. Transactional keywords are terms searchers use when they are ready to buy. The prospect has the intent to buy, and they are using search phrases (like buy, deals, purchase, coupons, etc.) that show their motives. To improve your B2B lead generation process, optimize your pages for these buyer keywords.
To optimize your site for transactional keywords, use Alexa’s Competitor Keyword Matrix. Enter up to 10 competitor sites and run a matrix report. Then use the filter to “show potential Buyer Keywords.” This setting will adjust your report to include only phrases and terms that show purchasing intent. With this list of keywords, you can identify the terms most likely to be used by prospects who are ready to buy.
Attract leads with demos, free trials, consultations, and other offers that get prospects to sign up. While many prospects at this point want to buy, not every person will be ready. So use opt-in offers that usher prospects to take the next step and allow you to collect information from those who still need more information before making the purchase.
All-Through-the-Funnel Content
When you make B2B lead generation a priority and use content to collect leads at every stage of the purchasing funnel, you create a new avenue for turning readers into paying customers. You create email lead nurturing opportunities.
As you collect leads, you can then nurture those leads using email marketing. This strategy guides prospects through the buying process by delivering useful content via email. As you implement this strategy, keep a few things in mind.
Gather information about leads as you collect them. When you set up opt-ins to capture lead information, also include qualifying questions that can help you get more information about the prospect. Consider adding fields to your forms that ask prospects qualifying B2B lead generation questions such as their role in their business, the number of employees, annual revenue, etc.
Segment your list. Don’t treat your email list as a group of identical contacts. Segment your list based on what you know about each prospect. Categorize users based on where they are in the sales funnel, what products they are interested in, and how qualified of a lead they are.
Deliver content based on each funnel stage. As you segment your list, separate users based on where they are in the purchasing funnel and deliver the information they would expect to find next. For example, if you get a lead at the top-of-the-funnel, start by sending that prospect more content from that portion of the funnel before sending them middle-of-the-funnel information. Use email content that aligns with best practices from each phase of the sales funnel.
Looking for inspiration? Check out 12 lead generation ideas from top brands in our post: 12 Effective Lead Generation Strategies
Improve Your B2B Lead Generation From Top to Bottom
Content is a powerful tool for B2B lead generation, especially when you implement strategies for attracting and nurturing leads at each phase of the purchasing funnel. So use these tips to create and optimize your content to attract, engage, educate, and convert leads that land on your website.
