In order to convert leads to prospects and then customers, your B2B company first must find qualified leads. Driving those leads to join your email list is a priority, because they are your future customers. It makes sense to maximize your lead-gathering system to find as many qualified leads as you can, so that your email nurturing system can further quality them. Here is a list of methods of driving leads to join your mailing list. See if your B2B company is taking advantage of all of these opportunities.
1. Old-Fashioned Sign-Up Sheet
A tried and true method of gaining email subscribers, a sign-up sheet at industry and customer trade shows will net you qualified leads that are interested in further communication. Through a proper email nurturing system, you can prioritize these leads.
2. Ask for Business Cards
While handing out your own business cards may help you network and get referrals, asking for your leads’ business cards can give you additional opportunities to contact them. If you do this routinely, it will become a positive habit for qualifying leads.
3. Host an Educational Event Related to Your Business
Hosting an event for people interested in aspects of your business will give you an opportunity to meet leads face-to-face and then ask for contact information. You can also have an email sign-up sheet at the event or ask for attendees to leave their business cards if they want to hear more.
4. Offer a Giveaway
Depending on your industry, you may be able to offer a giveaway in exchange for an email address. Some industries allow small gifts, while others don’t. If a giveaway is not a possibility, you can offer information in exchange for an email address. An e-book, report or whitepaper on a topic in your industry works well as an exchange gift. Topics that are most successful are evergreen with updated current information such as “closing hacking loopholes” for website providers or “artificial intelligence in manufacturing for a higher profit margin” for manufacturing companies.
5. Highly-Targeted Direct Mail
Direct mail is more expensive than email, therefore should only be used when recipients are qualified and targeted. It is important to send them to the correct name and title as well as physical address. Once they receive the mail, it should work similar to the giveaway. Offer recipients valuable content that is worth it to them to exchange for an email address.
6. Website Email Sign-Up Forms
Set up your website with an email pop-up form that shows up each time a new visitor (within a specified time period) lands on one of your pages. While this method is “in-your-face obnoxious,” it works. Once they see the form, they won’t see it again until after the specified amount of time (usually 2 weeks). If they don’t sign up, they can just click the form to make it disappear.
7. Blog Post Call-to-Action
Add a CTA to every single blog post, article or guest post you publish (unless the channel doesn’t allow it), to remind leads to give you their email address. Busy people often mean to do things that they forget about when distracted by other priorities.
8. Maximize Engagement through Social Media
For B2B businesses, social media can be a valuable method of finding leads, especially if there is an industry-specific social media channel. If not, look for industry groups and clubs on bigger sites. You can also add people to your email address on service-focused social media accounts.
9. Ask for Emails at Time of Order and After Installation
It is never too late to get a customer’s email address because you can always sell them accessories, upgrades and expansions.
10. Add a Sign-Up Link to All Employee Email Signatures
Everyone in your company represents the business and seeks growth (because it pays their salaries), so it just makes good business sense to add an email sign-up link to their signatures.
