Effective Lead Generation Examples For Small Business

Lead generation is the lifeblood of any B2B business. No matter the size.

But for small B2B companies with limited resources?

It’s a different kind of challenge.

With a constrained marketing budget it’s not easy to generate quality leads consistently.

However, it’s not impossible.

With the right strategies and tactics, you can attract quality leads even if you’re a team of one with a small amount of organic traffic.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the best lead generation examples for small B2B businesses with practical tips to help you attract leads effectively and efficiently. 

But I’m leaving out things like starting a podcast or a YouTube channel.

The reason?

I want to give you actionable advice that isn’t super resource intensive.

Instead, you’ll find lead generation examples you can implement ASAP that are cost-effective, scalable, and get results.

Actionable Lead Generation Examples For Small B2B Businesses

Looking for actionable lead generation ideas that work for low-traffic businesses?

You’re in the right place.

Here are some effective lead generation examples that can help you attract leads without a large marketing budget or thousands of monthly page views.

Provide Real Value With Content Marketing

Successful small B2B businesses know how to deliver real value to their prospects – thanks to content marketing. 

But what makes this a good lead generation example, and how can it help you stand out from the competition?

It Builds Credibility: You can establish yourself as an industry thought leader by creating high-quality, informative content. According to a 2022 survey by Content Marketing Institute, 75% of B2B companies have successfully used content marketing to build trust and credibility with their audience.

It Generates Leads And Builds Relationships: Content marketing can generate 3x as many leads as traditional marketing. Those who are blogging witness their monthly leads increase by 126% more than those who don’t.

It Provides Long-Term Results: Blogging provides long-term results for businesses. According to HubSpot, 75% of their blog views and 90% of blog leads come from old posts. This means that blog posts continue to generate traffic and leads long after they’ve been published.

Master Cold Outreach Campaigns

Cold outreach is a lead generation example that works incredibly well for small B2B businesses.

Why?

It allows you to use proactivity to your advantage.

Instead of waiting for prospects to find you, you’re making the first move.

This means you can tap into a wider pool of potential customers without waiting for your traffic to grow. Or for a viral social media post to strike.

The key to a successful cold outreach email campaign? Relevancy.

It’s mission-critical.

You’re wasting time if you’re reaching out to someone who is not your ideal customer or has no need for your product or service.

All you’re doing is becoming another deleted email.

But when you’re relevant? That’s a different story.

It means you’re targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time.

This involves researching and understanding your target audience’s pain points, needs, and interests. By doing so, you can tailor your messaging to resonate with their specific needs and increase the chances of a positive response and conversion.

Takeaway: Research potential prospects before you reach out. Figure out if they have a problem you can solve and how you can position your business as the best solution.

Create A Partnership Program 

Ever heard of the know, like, and trust (KLT) factor?

The KLT is a marketing concept based on the idea that people buy from people they have a relationship with.

Think about it.

What will sway your opinion more if you’re in the market for a tax consultant?

A: Your friend’s raving personal recommendation.

B: A LinkedIn in-feed ad.

Without a doubt, it’s A.

In fact, 90% of people are more likely to trust and buy from a brand recommended by a friend.

Why?

Your friend’s experience with the product or service creates three things:

1. Authenticity
2. Empathy
3. Logic

All these factors work together to create a triangle of trust. 

The KLT factor strengthens the success of your partnership program because it leans on familiarity.

According to the Gustavson 2021 Brand Trust Index, consumers gravitate towards familiar brands because of the peace of mind they provide.

That’s not the only business benefit.

Partnership programs are a cost-effective way to attract high-quality leads. It has the lowest customer acquisition cost possible and requires zero upfront investment.

Plus, these leads tend to convert quickly because they’re experiencing the same challenges and value the same solutions as the referee.

But partnership programs aren’t only about bringing in new business leads. It’s also a way to strengthen your relationship with existing customers.

Takeaway: Embrace the power of word-of-mouth marketing to spend less time approaching cold leads and attracting more warm leads to your business.

Educate Potential Customers On LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the best places to source B2B leads.

A recent study, found that LinkedIn is 277% more effective at B2B lead generation than Facebook or Twitter.

The good news doesn’t stop there.

B2B marketers report 80% of their social media leads come from LinkedIn.

Sounds great. So what’s the catch?

The noise.

To cut through and get noticed, you need a strategy.

Enter: LinkedIn thought leadership.

It’s a way for you to gain visibility without the sales pitch.

Think of it as another way to repurpose your long-form blogging content and reap its rewards without building links and competing for the top spot on the first page of search results.

How do you develop thought leadership and use it to generate leads for your small B2B business?

Take a page from Jake Ward’s book.

In August 2022, he hit send on his first LinkedIn update, sharing his SEO and content marketing expertise in bite-sized updates.

Jake started his posting strategy with the following:

• No network
• 323 followers
• 0 engagement

What are his results after 100 LinkedIn posts?

• 5.7M content views
• 30,701 followers
• 109 inbound leads
• 2x his monthly income

The takeaway: Use personal branding on LinkedIn to build credibility and demonstrate to your ideal audience why you’re the go-to expert.

While it might take time to build momentum, it’s a valuable investment for your lead generation machine. It can help you gain exposure without competing directly with more established brands in search.

Use Exact Match Keywords (Google Ads)

Exact match keywords are a Google Ads keyword match type that gives you the most control over who sees your PPC ad but reduces your reach.

Instead of targeting a broad phrase, your ad is only served to users who type in the exact keyword phrase relevant to your business.

Why are exact match keywords a good lead generation strategy?

It gets your business in front of potential customers actively looking for your product or service. These searchers are in the decision-making stage of the buyer’s journey and are more likely to convert than those still pain/problem aware.

For small B2B businesses, exact match keyword PPC is a great way to get direct traffic to your offer without needing a large advertising budget.

Takeaway: If you have a small budget for PPC ads, experiment with exact match keywords and see if you’re able to see ROI from this lead generation strategy.

Demonstrate Your ROI With Industry Case Studies

As a small B2B business, standing out from the crowd is tough.

When working with a small budget for sales and marketing, creating brand recognition and breaking through to your ideal customer is a challenge.

Every day leads receive dozens of messages from strangers trying to sell them new products or services. It creates an environment where the person has a million reasons to say “no.”

So how do you get someone to say “yes”?

Provide a tangible proof of concept. 

Relevant case studies are a great way for small B2B businesses to demonstrate credibility and quickly establish trust with potential customers.

Instead of vague promises and empty claims, you show prospects the true ROI of working with your business.

That’s not all.

A case study is a powerful lead generation example because it highlights your unique value proposition. You’re differentiating yourself from your competitors and speaking directly to the needs of your target audience.

The more relevant you are, the more your marketing materials will attract the right leads to convert customers.

But what makes a case study successful?

It needs to anticipate buyer concerns and then address them through real-world examples.

Show how you’ve helped similar clients thrive in the past and support your claims using stories with key metrics and exact figures.

Let’s look at an example.

Applivon, an app development company, approached us to help build an email list of potential clients.

After finding 13,000 potential leads, we narrowed the list down to 1,800 companies that had the highest potential for becoming clients.

The result of the outreach campaign? Applivon has a 10% positive reply rate with requests for meetings, and the cost per interested client is running at $21.

Not bad!

Takeaway: Create case studies highlighting your most successful customers. Use as much data as you can to demonstrate your ROI and attract similar businesses to your company.

Create An Irresistible B2B Offer 

An irresistible B2B offer costs nothing, helps you stand out from the crowd, and convert traffic into customers.

…But how does it work?

1. You need a desirable outcome.
2. Structure the offer so the customer has little to no risk.

For example, Sales Higher used a Pay Per Lead service as an irresistible offer.

Our clients were only charged when they received a qualified lead that was interested in their product or service.

The result? Their marketing spend became a fixed return.

It helped Sales Higher get our foot in the door, gain valuable industry experience and loyal customers who stuck around when we switched to a lead generation subscription model.

The Takeaway: Create an offer with no risk to your customer and make it a no-brainer for someone to say yes to your services.

Final Thoughts On Lead Generation For Small B2B Businesses

You’re probably wondering, “Which lead generation example is the best option for my small B2B business?”

The honest answer: The success of these lead gen tactics depends on your specific goals and target audience.

While these strategies are effective, the secret to generating high-quality leads is creating a unique combination of these methods. Start with one or two before growing out another channel and see what works best for your business.

For example, you may find a blend of case studies, LinkedIn, and cold outreach attract your dream customers in droves, but you don’t see much ROI from Google Ads.

Only through testing and iterating can you find the perfect approach for your business to yield the best lead gen results.

What lead generation examples would you recommend to small B2B business owners? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Let us know on our contact page.