The Complete Guide to B2B SaaS Lead Generation

Lead generation refers to the efforts of attracting potential customers and converting them into leads. 

On the other hand, leads are potential customers—individuals or businesses— that have expressed an interest in the company’s product or service, mainly by submitting their contact information.

For example, when a potential customer visits your website and then signs up for a free trial for your product (submitting their email address in the process), you’ve generated one lead.

For B2B businesses (or even all businesses in general), lead generation is often the most challenging aspect of the operations. In a recent study, 60% of the surveyed B2B marketers admitted that lead generation was the biggest challenge in their marketing efforts, while MarketingSherpa also suggested that 57% of B2B marketers said that they were currently not satisfied with their lead generation results.

One of the reasons for this difficulty is the fact that B2B buyers (companies and the decision makers within them) are typically harder to reach with more complicated decision factors than B2C consumers. It’s common for companies to have multiple decision-makers with different roles involved in the buying process—each may require different lead generation strategies.

For B2B SaaS companies that don’t sell physical products, these challenges will be even more amplified: it’s harder to convince people that your B2B SaaS solution is the best fit for them, so generating leads will be even more challenging.

So, are you a B2B marketer looking to improve your lead generation campaigns? Or are you a business owner simply looking to grow your B2B SaaS business? You’ve come to the right place. 

In this guide, we will discuss the different strategies and effective approaches you can use to generate more B2B leads. 

By the end of this guide, you’d have learned about the following:

• How to define and understand your B2B SaaS target audience
• How to create valuable content for your audience
• Leveraging SEO to drive traffic to your website and generate more leads
• Using various channels to generate leads (social media, email marketing, paid advertising)
• Networking as a lead generation tool
• How to measure and optimize your lead generation efforts

And more. 

Let’s begin this guide by discussing the basic concept of B2B lead generation.

B2B Lead Generation: The Concept

Above, we have mentioned that ‘lead generation’ is the process of attracting potential customers and converting them into leads. 

We define “leads” as someone (or, in the case of B2B, a company) that has shown an interest in our product or service.

Yet, in practice, how do we convert someone into a lead? How do we know for sure that this prospect is already interested in what we are offering?

In practice, we consider a potential customer has shown an interest a brand when they submit their contact information: their name, email address, phone address, home address, etc. Essentially, they allow your business to contact them or send promotional messages to them. 

These people are not yet customers, but since they have submitted their contact information, they are a step closer to becoming actual paying customers.

Companies can use many different techniques to pique these potential customers’ interest and entice them to submit their contact information: via content marketing, social media, direct mail, email newsletter, and so on. For example, let’s assume you are a B2B SaaS company selling accounting software: 

Assume a potential target company, let’s call them ABC Corporation, is looking for a new accounting software solution to help them manage their finances. 

ABC corporation’s accounting manager, named Eric, does a Google search for “accounting management software” and finds your company’s website. He browses your company’s website, reads your interesting blog posts, and learns about your products. He is impressed by what he sees and decided to sign up for your product’s free trial period, submitting his name and company email address in the process.

When Eric signed up for a free trial, he effectively became a lead from ABC Corporation for your business.

With this example, we learned that there are two crucial components to lead generation:

1. How to bring potential customers to your website, social media, or other platforms
2. How to garner their interest and convince them to submit their contact information

When we discuss the various lead generation tactics and efforts below, we will always stick with these two key components.

The Importance of Having a B2B SaaS Lead Generation Strategy

We have discussed the concept of lead generation and an example of how it works. 

So, why is it important to plan and implement a B2B SaaS lead generation strategy? If our SaaS product is good, won’t we automatically attract people anyway? 

Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. No matter how good your SaaS product is, you won’t make money and grow if not enough people know about what you offer. 

This is where having a B2B SaaS lead generation strategy can help in several ways:

• Knowing who to target

Having a lead generation strategy helps you to identify who is the ideal audience that you should target. Ultimately this can help you save time, money, and resources since you are spending them only on those with the highest potential interest in your B2B SaaS product. 

• Helps you reach a wider audience

By knowing who to target and which lead generation tactics you should leverage, you can reach a wider (ideal) audience. This will give you a higher chance of finding potential leads who are more likely to purchase your B2B SaaS product, and generate more leads. 

• Effective lead generation=effective lead nurturing

By understanding your target audience better, you can more effectively build relationships with captured leads, establish a positive impression of your company, and nurture these leads until they are ready for purchase. Having a clear lead generation strategy would allow you to also have a more effective lead nurturing process, increasing the likelihood of conversion when they are ready to buy.

• Improved marketing ROI

By using fewer resources to attract more qualified leads, a good lead generation strategy can help your B2B SaaS business improve its marketing return on investment (ROI.)

What are The Different Types of B2B SaaS Leads

Before we start discussing how to plan and execute your lead generation strategy, it’s critical to understand that not all leads are made equal, and some might be worth spending your resources more than others.

We can categorize leads in two different ways: based on qualification and based on how they became aware of your business.

Different Types of Leads Based on Qualifications

Qualification here refers to how likely a lead will purchase your SaaS product, and we can differentiate them into three groups:

1. Cold leads/unqualified leads: refers to leads that have not expressed any interest in your SaaS product, yet they fit the profile of your ideal customers. For example, they may have never heard of your band before (not yet aware,) or they may already be aware of your brand but haven’t considered doing business with you.
2. Warm leads/Marketing-Qualified Leads (MQLs): marketing-qualified leads or also often called warm leads, are those that have impressed some level of interest in your SaaS product (visited your website, downloaded your eBook, attended one of your webinars, etc.) 
3. Hot leads/ Sales-Qualified Leads (SQLs): SQLs are leads that are ready to purchase your SaaS product. They may be in the process of evaluating your SaaS product and comparing it with your competitors, or they may have already spoken to your sales representative.

So, how do we define a lead’s level of qualification? We can measure the qualification level of a lead by using a lead qualification framework.

The lead qualification framework is, simply put, a set of guidelines that you use to evaluate the potential of a lead based on various criteria, for example:

• Company size: larger companies typically have more budget to spend on SaaS products, so they may be more qualified to purchase your product.
• Industry: some industries may be more likely to purchase your SaaS product than others.
• Pain points: companies that are currently facing specific pain points are more motivated to find a solution ASAP, so they may be closer to conversion.
• Budget: pretty self-explanatory, companies with large budgets are more likely to make a purchase.

This is a non-exhaustive list, and you can use other criteria to qualify your leads depending on your business and your product. The idea is to focus more of your time and resources on hot leads that are more likely to convert and purchase what you offer.

Different Types of Leads Based on Lead Generation Method

Based on how the leads are generated, we can differentiate leads into two types:

1. Inbound leads: refer to leads that are acquired when they are the ones who come to you. For example, they searched for information on Google Search and stumbled upon your content, so they are now aware of your brand’s existence. Inbound leads can happen through a variety of channels, such as content marketing, social media, email marketing, and so on. Inbound leads are typically more qualified since they are the ones who reach out to us first, so they are more likely to be interested in our offers.
2. Outbound leads: refer to leads that you acquire when you are the one that reaches out to potential customers. For example, when you advertise on LinkedIn or Instagram, and you generate some leads, these are outbound leads. Outbound leads can also happen through a wide variety of channels: email marketing, advertising, direct mail, cold calling, etc. Outbound leads are typically less qualified since when they receive your promotion or message, they may not yet be aware of your brand and your product.

Although inbound leads are generally better and more qualified, attracting inbound leads typically takes more time. Thus, a good mix of both inbound and inbound lead generation tactics is more effective so you can find the balance between speed, quality of leads, and cost (outbound methods tend to cost more.)

Throughout the rest of this article, we will discuss both inbound and outbound lead generation methods and how to incorporate them into a holistic lead generation strategy.

Developing a B2B Saas Lead Generation Strategy

Step 1: Defining your target audience

You won’t be able to plan and execute a successful lead generation strategy if you don’t know who your potential leads are.

Defining—and understanding—your target audience is a very important foundation for a successful lead generation (and marketing) strategy. It allows you to:

• Choose the best channels that are more likely to reach your ideal audience
• Craft more relevant, engaging, and persuasive content to attract this specific audience.
• Develop a tailored pricing strategy that is attractive to this target audience.
• Know which specific audience to prioritize when you are targeting multiple audiences

How to identify your target audience

There are multiple approaches you can use to identify your target audience, which may vary depending on whether you are a brand-new B2B business who is just started, or if you have been around for longer and already have an existing customer base–no matter how small. 

If you are a brand-new business

There are two main approaches you can try if you are a brand-new business (note: these approaches still work effectively for established businesses): 

1. Industry research

If you are just starting out, a viable way to identify your target audience is to research your industry and competitors:

• Identify the major players

Who are the biggest players in your industry? What are their main strengths and weaknesses? Who is their target audience? What are their marketing strategies?

Understanding the major companies in your industry can help you identify potential opportunities and learn about who they are targeting. 

• Identify your competitors

Identify your direct and indirect competitors. Again, analyze their strengths, weaknesses, and their marketing approaches. 

• Identify potential audience

You can either identify underserved potential customers who are not currently being served by your competitors or find ways to serve their customers better and grab the market share.

Look at the needs, pain points, and wants of your ideal customers, and identify how you can meet these needs better than your competitors.

2. Paying a research company or marketing agency

It’s also possible to identify your target audience by paying a marketing agency or a research company (i.e., Nielsen.) Doing so can help you save time and money since they have the experience and experience to quickly—and accurately—collect and analyze the data you need to identify your target audience. This may minimize the need for you to perform trials and errors.

If you are considering hiring a marketing agency or a research company, make sure to work with a reputable one. Be clear about your goals and what you hope to achieve from the partnership.

Make sure to get everything in writing: the scope of the project, the cost, the agreed timeline, KPIs, and so on. This will help prevent any misunderstandings down the road.

Also, be prepared to provide your feedback. Your valuable feedback will help ensure they are collecting and analyzing the data you actually need, so when there’s any misalignment, they can make the necessary adjustments ASAP.

If you already have a customer base

If your business has been around for some time and already has a substantial customer base, then you can analyze your current customer base to identify your ideal audience.

Here are the steps how:

• Review your customer data: analyze information such as demographics, behavioral, and psychographics data. Try to find common patterns and trends in the data to get a clearer picture of who your ideal customer is.
• Survey, interviews, and focus groups: invite existing customers for an interview or focus group discussion (for multiple customers.) Use these opportunities to discuss specific topics or get feedback on your current lead-generation efforts. You can also conduct online surveys with tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to learn more about their needs.
• Analyze website traffic: if you already have a functional website, analyze your traffic to gain insights into what content your customers are consuming, which pages your customers are visiting, where they are coming from (source of traffic), how long they are sticking on your website (dwell time and bounce rate), and other relevant metrics.
• Analyze social media engagement: use the built-in analytics tools of the social media platforms, as well as other tools, to gain insights into how your customers are interacting with your business and what they are saying about your brand/product/service. 
• Analyze sales data: collect and analyze information like how many customers you currently have, how many stopped purchasing/subscribing from you (churn rate), how much they are spending, and how often they are buying from you, among other information.

Additional tips for B2B companies

Here are some additional tips B2B companies can leverage in identifying target audience:

• Attend industry events: since you are targeting other companies, attending local networking and industry events can be a great way to meet professionals from other companies, which can be potential customers or partners. By networking and building relationship with them, you may be able to learn more about their behaviors, demographics, and needs. 
• Read relevant industry publications: industry publications can provide valuable information regarding the latest trends, news, and the players in the industry. This information can help you identify potential customers and better understand your target audience’s needs.
• Leverage social media: monitor conversations mentioning your brand, your competitors, and the industry in general so you can learn more about your target audience’s interests and needs. You can also use social media to connect with potential customers, share content, and engage them by running contests/giveaways.

Step 2: Content marketing as a lead generation tool

One of the most effective and sustainable ways to generate leads for your B2B SaaS business is to consistently create and publish valuable content. 

Content marketing is especially effective as an inbound lead-generation tactic: 

• Attracting potential customers who are looking for information by making your content available as a search result on Google. These people will then visit your website or blog, and when they see your content is relevant/valuable, they may want to learn more about your business.
• By positioning yourself as a thought leader/expert in the field, you are building trust with them. Customers, even more so B2B customers, will only do business with brands they deem trustworthy or credible, and content marketing can help you create a positive reputation.
• You can offer gated content as a lead magnet. For example, when your visitors are consuming a blog post titled “What is SEO,” you can offer them an eBook covering an in-depth SEO guide for free in exchange for their email address. This can be a great method to capture contact information.

In using content marketing as a lead generation tool, consider the following best practices:

1. Do your research homework. 
   1. Market research: Content is only valuable when it caters to its specific target audience. This is where the importance of the previous step—identifying the target audience–-comes in. Do your research and identify what kind of content your target audience will find valuable.
   2. Keyword research: SEO will be an important foundation of your content marketing as a whole, so it’s critical to start your content creation process by identifying what keywords your content will target. Ideal target keywords should be high in search volume, low in competition (keyword difficulty), and relevant to your SaaS business.
2. Be original. There are literally millions of content being published every single day. If your content doesn’t stand out from the crowd, it will be very difficult to attract your target audience’s attention. It’s important to create content that is original and has its own unique voice.
3. Consistency is key. Don’t aim to publish one viral content, but rather, aim for consistency. Publish new and good content on a regular basis, so you can stay top-of-mind with your target audience and establish your SaaS business’s reputation as the expert in your niche.
4. Promote your content. No matter how good your content is, it won’t generate leads if no one is actually consuming it. Promoting your content is just as, if not even more important, than the content creation process. SEO (search engine optimization) will be the primary and most effective way to promote your content, but you should also leverage other channels like social media promotions and email marketing, among others.

SEO as a content promotion strategy

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of optimizing the website and its content so it can rank higher on Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). 

The higher a web page ranks on search results, the more people will visit the page and visit the content, and this is why SEO will be the primary method we’ll use to promote our content to generate leads.

Although SEO might seem overwhelming at first, we can execute SEO by focusing on just four basic aspects:

1. Keyword research and optimization

The first step in any successful SEO strategy is to conduct keyword research.

Simply put, keyword research is about identifying the words and phrases that your target audience frequently uses when searching for information related to your B2B SaaS offering.

There are three main principles of proper keyword research:

• Search volume: you’d want to target keywords that are frequently searched by your target audience, signified with a high monthly search volume.
• Relevance: not all search queries that are popular among your target audience are relevant to your business. Make sure to choose keywords that align with your business and marketing goals. 
• Competition: popular and high search-volume keywords are naturally more competitive to pursue. Depending on available resources and timelines, evaluate whether the competition for the keyword is manageable.

You can leverage various tools, from the free Google Keyword Planner to paid tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz, to aid you in the keyword research process.

2. On-page content optimization

Once you’ve identified your target keywords, you can start optimizing your website content and pages to target these keywords. Naturally include your keywords in the following areas:

• Content body: use your target keyword naturally and sparingly, make sure it’s relevant to the content at hand and sounds natural for human readers. Include synonyms, variations of the target keyword, and semantically-related words to prevent overstuffing your content with the same keyword.
• Title tag: the title tag is the first thing people will see when your page appears in the SERPs. Include your target keyword, but focus on making the title tag compelling and informative to encourage clicks.
• Meta description: Meta description is a short snippet of text that appears just below the Title tag in the SERP. Since you can accommodate more characters/words than a Title tag, you have more space to include your target keyword and related words. However, similar to the Title tag, focus on making the description informative and attractive so more people will click it.
• Heading tags:  use headings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3…) to break up your content into smaller, more readable sections. Include your target keywords in these heading tags when they are relevant.
• Images and non-text content: when there is any non-text content (images, gifs, video, audio files,) make sure to include the alt text attribute that includes your target keyword. The alt text will tell the search engines what the non-text content is about and can also help visually impaired users to consume the content.
• Internal and external links: internal links are links from your page to another page on your website, while external links are links to other websites. Both are equally beneficial for SEO, so make sure to link to relevant internal and external pages when appropriate. Whenever you make any claims or arguments, it’s best to link to a reputable external website, which will send a signal to Google that your content is well-researched and credible.

3. On-page technical optimizations

Besides keyword optimization, another aspect of SEO is to optimize the technical aspects of the website to ensure two things: 

1. Optimal website performance and user experience
2. Crawlability and indexability of the website

There are countless website technical elements that can be optimized for SEO, but here are the most important ones:

• Site speed: Google has confirmed that site speed is a ranking factor, so make sure your website loads fast on both desktop and mobile devices. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool  to evaluate your current speed and optimize accordingly:
  • Leverage Content Delivery Network (CDN)
  • Enable caching (i.e., use a caching plugin
  • Use correct file formats and compress your images/videos
  • Minify your site’s codes
  • Use a reliable web hosting service or invest in a private hosting server
• Mobile-friendliness: Google now prioritizes mobile-friendly websites to rank higher on SERPs, and with more people exclusively using mobile devices to access the internet, making your website mobile-friendly is now a must. Use Google’s Mobile-friendly test tool to assess whether your website is mobile-optimized, and make the necessary optimizations:
  • Use a responsive design (or responsive Theme/template if you are using a CMS or website builder)
  • Use large enough fonts that are readable on smaller screens
  • Make sure all images and videos are properly formatted and compressed for smaller screens
  • Avoid using Flash or other formats that are not supported by mobile devices
  • If you use forms, make sure they are easy to fill on mobile devices and don’t include too many fields
• Website security: Google has also confirmed that website security is a ranking factor, so make sure your website is secure by:
  • Using SSL certificate and HTTPS
  • Keeping your software up-to-date to prevent attackers from attacking unpatched known vulnerabilities
  • Use firewall and antivirus/anti-malware
• Structured data markup: structured data (schema.org) markup is a method of marking up (adding properties and attributes) your website’s content so that search engines can understand them better. For example, you can markup your product page’s content with product schema and reviews with review schema. Structured data markup can help your website rank higher on SERPs and also enable your pages to be featured as rich snippets/rich search results. 

4. Off-page optimizations

Off-page optimizations refer to any efforts made outside the website to improve its ranking on the SERP. Off-page optimizations are mainly performed to improve the website’s credibility and authority in front of search engine algorithms.

Link building (or backlink building) is the most famous and most important form of off-page SEO, but there are other optimization types to consider. Below are some of the most important off-page optimizations you should leverage in your B2B SaaS lead generation strategy:

• Backlink building: backlinks (or inbound links) are links from other websites to your website. Google treats backlinks as votes of confidence—so websites with a lot of links from popular websites are considered more trustworthy—making backlinks the most important ranking factor in SEO. To get backlinks, you can:
  • Publish high-quality content. When your content is good, sooner or later, you’ll get linked by other websites and influencers, and vice versa.
  • Guest post. Look for relevant and authoritative websites that are looking for guest contributions, and pitch your post idea. You can link back to your website from the published guest post.
  • Outreach and build relationships with relevant and reputable websites/influencers in your niche.
  • Participate in forums and communities.
• Social media presence: sharing valuable content, actively engaging your audience, participating in discussions related to your niche, and establishing your expertise via your posts. The idea is to build awareness of your brand and generate interest to attract social media users to your website, which may also earn you those valuable backlinks.
• Citations: submitting your B2B SaaS business’s listing to relevant online directories and listings to improve your visibility. Look for industry and area-specific directories you can submit your listing. Maintain consistency of information across these different listings.
• Brand mentions and PR: monitoring mentions of your brand (that are not yet linked to your site), then asking them for a link can result in gaining valuable backlinks. Also, engage in public relations efforts such as collaboration with influencers or press releases, which can help generate awareness and backlinks.
• Getting social proofs: another important off-page optimization strategy is soliciting social proofs (reviews, testimonials, case studies), which can play a significant role in establishing trust and attracting potential customers. Reach out to your satisfied customers and ask them if they would be willing to provide a review or testimonial. If necessary, you can offer them incentives (i.e., a discount on their next purchase.) Also, promptly respond to existing reviews, especially negative ones. People are more likely to leave reviews and testimonials on businesses that actively respond to older reviews.

Step 3: Leveraging other channels to generate leads

In addition to content marketing and SEO as your primary lead generation strategy, there are a number of other channels you can leverage:

1. Social media lead generation campaigns

There’s no doubt about the potential of social media to reach a massive number of audience. Yet, how can we turn these users into leads? Here are some key strategies to consider:

• Identify the right social media platform: determine which social platforms your target audience frequents. For B2B SaaS companies, LinkedIn is often the best platform to focus on due to its business-focused nature. However, you may also want to consider other social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and industry-specific platforms. 
• Optimize your profiles: the first thing you should do is create professional and engaging profiles. Include an informative and compelling company description, communicate your value proposition, and write a clear call-to-action so visitors know clearly what actions you want them to take.
• Share high-quality content: use the same content marketing principles we’ve discussed above to develop a social media content strategy. 
• Engage: actively engage with your audience by encouraging conversations, asking interesting questions, and responding to comments. Run contests and giveaways. Throughout all these activities, promote your SaaS product naturally when it’s relevant.
• Paid advertising: consider investing in paid social media advertising to expand your reach and get quicker results. You can incorporate lead generation forms directly with your ads to capture leads more quickly and effectively.
• Influencer marketing: identify relevant thought leaders and influencers in your niche, and build relationships with them. Collaborate with them, and ask them to help promote your brand to their followers. 

2. Paid advertising as a lead generation tool

Paid advertising is almost always guaranteed to be effective in quickly generating leads. The catch is advertising is expensive, and if not managed well, you may end up losing money despite generating the number of leads you’re targeting.

So, the key to the successful use of paid advertising in lead generation is managing costs, and here is how:

• Choose the right ad platform and type: there are a number of different paid advertising platforms available, from Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram Ads, Linkedin Ads, and more. Each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to choose the right platform(s) that will be the most effective in reaching your target audience.
• Effective targeting is key: the key to ensuring cost-efficiency is to make sure you are targeting your audience as precisely as possible. Make sure you are displaying your ads only to those with the highest potential to be interested in your SaaS product.
• Create a compelling ad: your ad’s copy and visuals need to be attractive and compelling to get people to click on them.
• A/B test different variations: experiment with different variations of your ads (different copy, different design, etc.) and conduct A/B tests to see what works best for your audience.
• Have an optimized landing page: make sure to have a relevant, informative, and conversion-optimized landing page so people that click on your ad will be compelled to learn further about your brand and take the desired action (i.e., download gated content, sign up for a free trial, etc.) to become a lead.  
• Track your results: it’s critical to continuously track your results, so you can see whether your ad campaign is working and how you can improve upon it. Continuously adjust and refine your ad campaigns to ensure cost efficiency.

3. Other channels to leverage

Here are some more lead generation channels and tactics you can consider:

• Attending industry events: for B2B companies, attending industry events can be a great way to meet potential customers, as well as business partners. You can also host your own events to promote your B2B SaaS product and generate more leads.
• Webinars: webinars are technically a part of content marketing but deserve to be mentioned on their own as an effective strategy in the B2B niche. You can run webinars and promote them via various other channels, then offer a free trial or other incentives to those who register (capturing their email addresses in the process.)
• Partnering with other businesses: partnering with other businesses can be a great way to amplify your reach and generate more leads. Consider partnering with businesses that offer complementary products/services.  Ideally, find businesses that have a similar target audience but are not your direct competitors.
• Content syndication: content syndication refers to reposting or repurposing your content on other websites. This can be a great way to reach a wider audience so you can attract more potential leads. Try submitting your content to directories accepting syndication or partnering with other websites/businesses.

When using these channels, especially those involving networking and partnerships with other businesses, consider the following best practices: 

1. Be authentic and genuine: build your relationships with other businesses and influencers with an authentic and genuine interest in helping each other, not solely to take advantage of them. Focus on creating meaningful and sustainable connections rather than just seeking immediate opportunities to tap into their audience. Building rapport and long-term trust will provide much more benefit for your business in the long run.
2. Listen and learn: both when engaging with partners and potential leads, actively listen and learn about their interests, goals, pain points, and challenges. All this information can benefit you both in tailoring your marketing messages and positioning your offering.
3. Provide value: find ways to help potential partners. It can be offering them access to your leads/customers, sharing knowledge, offering them discounts for your SaaS product (or giving it for free), etc.  Make it a win-win relationship.

Measuring and Optimizing Lead Generation Efforts

Now that you’ve planned and implemented your lead generation strategy across different channels, it’s important to measure and optimize your campaigns over time so you can maximize their results. 

Below are the key practices for measuring and optimizing your B2B SaaS lead generation campaigns: 

1. Setting measurable goals and KPIs

You can’t measure your efforts if you don’t know what your targets are. 

Clearly define your lead generation goals, and establish specific, measurable KPIs.

Examples of proper lead generation goals include:

• Number of qualified leads generated over a time period (i.e., in six months)
• Conversion rate from leads to customers 
• Revenue generated from lead-driven sales

Make sure that your lead generation goals are properly aligned with your overall business objectives.

Once you’ve defined your goals, identify relevant KPIs and metrics to help you track your lead generation campaign’s performance against these goals.

2. Implementing analytics and tracking tools

Now that you’ve identified what KPIs and metrics to track, you can start implementing analytics and tracking tools capable of measuring these metrics. There are a variety of different analytics solutions available, both free and paid. Google Analytics is a popular choice capable of tracking website traffic and campaign performance, but there are also other tools—including your CRM—that you can leverage for this purpose.

3. Conduct A/B testing 

Conduct regular A/B testing so you can compare different versions of lead generation assets: landing pages, email subject lines, ad copies, website designs, and so on. Test as many different asset variations as you can and measure their impact on conversion rates (both prospects-to-leads and leads-to-customers.) 

Analyze the results of your A/Btests, and make iterative improvements to continuously optimize your lead generation assets and campaigns.

Wrapping Up

In this guide, we’ve learned different tactics and best practices on how to plan and implement a successful lead generation strategy for your B2B SaaS business.

We have discussed the different lead generation channels you can leverage and how to measure and optimize your lead generation efforts effectively. By following the tips and best practices we’ve shared, you can dramatically increase your chances of generating qualified leads and growing your B2B business.