How To Get Your First B2B Customer

In recent years generating leads has gone from traditional methods like cold-calling to a more online focused approach. Previously an employee would need to be paid to sit with a phone book dialing business after business and going through the same default script hoping to secure a contract. However, with the emergence of the internet and subsequently the dominance of social media, new methods to secure customers are being created everyday.

Social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn are ideal to in lead generation. Both have a global reach and allow you to instantaneously contact potential customers and offer a range of services that can  generate income.

Additionally Twitter allows you to create a “Lead Generation Card.”  This will be embedded within a tweet with an image then promoted to your selected target group. If a user is interested within one click they share their name and email address to request more information. Twitter also makes available engagement metrics and the ability to easily download all leads result from the “Lead Generation Card”. This method has the benefit of business effectively coming to you, as well as being able to set a budget you cannot exceed due to the pay-per click model.

LinkedIn also offers opportunities to secure leads especially since it is specifically aimed at professional workers and is a business community hub. Likewise to Twitter, LinkedIn offer a similar service in offering pay per click advertising; allowing precise targeting of potential leads by job title, industry, and seniority. 

These tools can be used to generate your first lead but may become expensive. One way to advertise through social media platforms without spending a lot of money is to build up a profile and presence. Keep in mind this route will take a lot of time to research and execute, however this way will pay dividends in free and organic leads. 

Another way of securing leads, which requires minimal time and effort, is through the use of a lead generation service. They will do the research for you, and use a mix of all channels from social media and also uniquely developed software to implement campaigns for you. This results in all high-quality and interested leads being forwarded directly to you. 

Using such services are not only suitable for businesses looking for their first lead but also companies looking to scale without wanting to focus more man hours to the process or alternatively hire more employees. 

Ultimately there are many ways to secure leads. Both traditional and more modern methods will take time to see end results. To save on time it may be worthwhile to utilize services offering to secure leads for you.  This enables your company to spend more time doing what it does best, providing your own service, even if it works out more expensive from the opportunity cost and time. Furthermore, you must take into account the type of business you operate. For some it may be more appropriate to use traditional methods and others a more modern approach, it is all about deciding the right way for you.