The Demand Generation Playbook: Simple Steps to Drive Growth and Close Deals

Does your business struggle to generate consistent, high-quality B2B leads?
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Demand generation in B2B is hard as the sales funnel is long and complex, requiring demand generation strategies that address prospects at different stages of the funnel. A structured approach is essential for attracting the right prospects and nurturing relationships that fuel long-term growth.

This guide offers practical steps to help you build and optimize your demand generation strategy. From understanding core principles to crafting targeted campaigns, implementing proven tactics, and measuring success, this guide provides the framework you need to achieve results—whether you're just getting started or looking to enhance your current efforts.

What is B2B Demand Generation?

B2B Demand generation in marketing is a strategy focused on creating awareness, interest, and engagement around a brand’s offerings.

Here are a few key components of B2B demand generation:

• Content marketing: Create valuable, educational resources that resonate with your target audience. 
• Brand authority building: Establish your brand as a thought leader in the segment.
• Target audience identification: Analyze demographic and behavioral data to find ideal prospects.
• Multi-channel distribution: Utilize channels like social media, podcasts, and community events to reach your audience.

Demand generation vs lead generation

People often confuse demand generation with lead generation, but they serve different purposes in your marketing strategy.

Demand generation focuses on creating awareness and educating potential customers at the top of the sales funnel. Its goal is to build long-term engagement through valuable content that addresses pain points and fosters a relationship with the audience, without directly pushing for a sale.

Lead generation, on the other hand, is more focused on capturing and qualifying potential customers' information. The goal is to move these leads further down the funnel and eventually convert them into paying customers. It’s more direct and measurable, with a clear emphasis on driving sales.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the differences:

Why is Demand Generation Important in B2B?

Demand generation is key to B2B success due to its ability to build credibility and shorten long sales cycles.

Here are a few key reasons:

1. It builds brand awareness

Not everyone knows your company exists. To grow, you need to reach potential customers across various market segments. While personal outreach isn't always feasible, demand generation in B2B marketing helps you connect with these audiences effectively.

How, you may ask?

Take HubSpot, for example. The company creates in-depth guides, eBooks, and webinars focused on inbound marketing, content marketing, and sales strategies. By pioneering the concept of "inbound marketing," HubSpot has become synonymous with the term.

By positioning itself as a go-to authority on inbound marketing, HubSpot not only increased brand awareness but also established itself as a trusted resource, leading more prospects to view its CRM and marketing software as industry-standard tools.

2. It educates potential customers

When customers get to know about your brand or land on your website for the first time, you have the responsibility to ensure they understand what the product/service is all about. You can educate the readers by providing guides, video content, or free training.

For example, Salesforce offers free training and certification through its Trailhead platform, which teaches users everything from Salesforce basics to advanced integration skills.

By educating potential customers about the capabilities of Salesforce products, the company builds trust, demonstrates value, and educates the potential customers about the product.

This content is invaluable for prospects needing information before investing in such a complex tool, and it helps to accelerate their decision-making process by promoting familiarity and confidence with the platform.

3. It nurtures long-term relationships

By providing educational content and value at all stages, you establish yourself as a go-to authority for your customers. This helps clients feel that they are working with a partner who understands and supports their long-term success.

When people trust you, they are more likely to engage with your brand over the long term. They become advocates, sharing their positive experiences with others, which not only enhances your reputation but also attracts new customers.

4. It shortens your sales cycle

In B2B, when you make your customers aware of the problem and show a solution that works, people tend to gravitate toward that solution.

Along with this approach, when you combine lead scoring based on their engagement and purchase intent, it reduces the decision-making time for the customers and the sales cycle for you.

5. It creates a better sales pipeline

Even though the resources you create for your customers might be a one-time investment (blogs, ever-green webinars), they can provide lasting benefits over time.

Take SEO as an example. It helps you get organic traffic consistently so that you can have an ample amount of leads that you can nurture into long-term customers.

Moreover, those who engage with your funnels often have a genuine interest in your brand's offerings. This ensures your pipeline maintains a steady flow of work and minimizes downtime.

How Does B2B Demand Generation Work?

Here's a breakdown of the stages involved in an effective B2B demand generation strategy:

1. Brand awareness

In this initial phase, the goal is to introduce a broad audience to your brand through strategies like content marketing (blog posts, eBooks, whitepapers), social media, and SEO.

Whatever marketing channel you choose, make sure it addresses common industry challenges, provides valuable insights, and positions the brand as a helpful resource.

For instance, a blog post about industry trends can attract prospects who are looking for information and solutions.

2. Lead generation

Once awareness is established, engaging and educating leads is crucial. This stage often involves creating more targeted content, such as webinars, case studies, and email campaigns. The content should help prospects understand the unique value of your product or service and turn them into leads.

For example, a webinar on best practices or industry-specific challenges can help prospects recognize the brand's expertise, positioning it as a trusted advisor.

3. Lead nurturing

At this stage, demand generation focuses on nurturing leads who are considering solutions but may not yet be ready to purchase.

Personalizing interactions, sending targeted emails, and providing in-depth resources like product comparisons or buyer guides help prospects see how the brand's offerings align with their needs.

This phase is about positioning the brand as a top choice, emphasizing unique features and benefits that solve specific problems.

4. Conversion

When prospects reach the decision stage, demand-generation tactics shift to support the sales team and facilitate conversion.

Free trials, product demos, and tailored consultations can help leads make a final decision. These interactions allow prospects to experience the product or service firsthand, reducing any remaining hesitation.

At this point, the content should be highly specific to the prospect's needs, with clear calls to action encouraging them to take the next step.

For example, sneak peeks, testimonials, and success stories might give a final push to encourage customers to purchase.

5. Retention

Effective demand generation doesn't end with a sale.

After conversion, retention tactics like customer success resources, onboarding support, and educational content help keep customers engaged and satisfied.

This stage often includes content that helps clients maximize the value of their purchase, along with expansion opportunities like upsells and cross-sells. Nurturing these existing relationships not only promotes loyalty but can also lead to referrals, creating a cycle of ongoing demand.

How to Create an Effective B2B Demand Generation Strategy

Building a successful B2B demand generation strategy requires a multi-faceted approach, balancing creativity with data-driven tactics.

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a demand generation strategy that attracts, nurtures, and converts high-quality leads:

1. Define clear goals

Establishing clear objectives is essential to aligning your demand generation efforts with overall business goals. These goals could range from increasing brand awareness to generating a specific number of leads or improving conversion rates.

2. Create your ideal customer profile(ICP)

To generate demand effectively, you need a deep understanding of your audience's pain points, needs, and preferences.

Conduct thorough audience research through customer surveys, interviews, and industry data. Develop detailed buyer personas that include demographics, behaviors, challenges, and decision-making processes.

This research helps you create an accurate ICP and pinpoint the specific pain points of your target audience.

3. Choose marketing channels wisely

Maximize your reach by using a multi-channel approach that incorporates email marketing, social media, SEO, paid advertising, and webinars.

For example, SEO attracts organic traffic, while paid ads allow precise targeting based on factors like company size, industry, or location. Social media and email marketing facilitate direct communication and engagement with prospects. A diversified strategy ensures that you connect with potential customers across various platforms and touchpoints.

4. Create content that resonates

Content is at the heart of any demand-generation strategy. Create content that covers different stages of the buyer's journey, from awareness to decision-making.

Use a mix of content types such as blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, and webinars to engage and educate your audience. Ensure each piece addresses a specific need or challenge, providing value at every stage.

5. Qualify leads

Qualifying leads is essential to determine which prospects are most likely to convert.

You can qualify leads based on their score, behavior, or budget, helping you focus the sales team’s attention on prospects that have the highest chance of conversion.

6. Test and improve

Use A/B testing to experiment with different lead nurturing methods and gather feedback from customers and the sales team to refine your strategies.

Keep experimenting to learn what works and what doesn’t. This way, you can double down on successful strategies while improving areas that need more attention.

Key Metrics to Monitor for Demand Generation

Here are some critical metrics to consider for demand generation B2B:

1. Cost per lead (CPL)

CPL measures the average amount spent to acquire a single lead. It provides insight into the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your marketing efforts.

CPL = Total Marketing Spend / Total Number of Leads

CPL helps assess whether marketing spending aligns with your budget and revenue goals. A high CPL may indicate inefficiency, while a low CPL suggests your campaigns are more cost-effective at generating leads.

2. Customer lifetime value (CLV)

CLV represents the total revenue you can expect from a customer throughout their relationship with your business.

CLV = Average Purchase Value * Purchase Frequency * Customer Lifespan

Knowing your CLV helps optimize your budget and target high-value customers, allowing for better long-term revenue planning. If CLV is higher than CPL, your demand generation efforts are likely sustainable.

3. Average deal size

This metric calculates the average revenue generated per deal, offering insight into customer purchasing power.

Average Deal Size = Total Revenue / Total Number of Deals

By understanding your average deal size, you can adjust strategies to either increase the size of deals or drive more deals, depending on your demand generation goals.

4. Marketing cycle length

This measures the time it takes from the start of a marketing campaign to converting a lead into a customer.

Marketing Cycle Length = Time Taken to Convert a Lead to a Customer

Shorter cycles indicate faster revenue generation, while longer cycles may suggest the need to streamline your funnel to optimize lead conversion.

5. Return on investment (ROI)

ROI measures the profitability of your demand generation activities relative to the amount invested.

ROI = (Gain from Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment

A high ROI indicates successful demand generation campaigns. It's the ultimate indicator of your marketing's financial impact.

How to Structure a B2B Demand Generation Team

1. Demand Generation Manager

Role: Oversees all operations

Responsibilities:

- Develop and implement an overall demand-generation strategy

- Set goals and KPIs for the team

- Coordinate efforts between different team members

- Manage budget and resource allocation

- Report on results to upper management

Skills:

- Strong leadership and project management abilities

- Deep understanding of the B2B marketing landscape

- Strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities

2. Content Strategist

Role: Develop plans for content

Responsibilities:

- Create a comprehensive content strategy aligned with business goals

- Plan and oversee content creation across various channels

- Ensure content quality and consistency

- Collaborate with other team members to align content with campaigns

Skills:

- Excellent writing and editing skills

- Understanding of SEO and content marketing best practices

- Ability to create diverse content types (blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, etc.)

3. Social Media Expert

Role: Handle all social media operations

Responsibilities:

- Develop and implement social media strategies for B2B audiences

- Create and curate engaging content for different platforms

- Monitor social media trends and adjust strategies accordingly

- Engage with followers and potential leads

- Analyze social media performance and report on ROI

Skills:

- In-depth knowledge of various social media platforms and their B2B applications

- Strong communication and community management skills

- Familiarity with social media analytics tools

4. Email Marketing Specialist

Role: Focus on lead nurturing and retention through campaigns

Responsibilities:

- Design and implement email marketing campaigns

- Segment email lists for targeted communications

- Create compelling email content and subject lines

- Set up and manage marketing automation workflows

- Analyze email performance metrics and optimize campaigns

Skills:

- Proficiency in email marketing platforms and automation tools

- Understanding of email deliverability best practices

- A/B testing and optimization techniques

5. Data Analyst

Role: Extract actionable insights

Responsibilities:

- Collect and analyze data from various marketing channels

- Develop dashboards and reports to track KPIs

- Identify trends and opportunities in marketing data

- Provide data-driven recommendations for strategy improvements

- Collaborate with team members to optimize campaign performance

Skills:

- Strong analytical and statistical skills

- Proficiency in data visualization tools

- Ability to translate complex data into actionable insights

Each team member brings specialized skills that, when combined, can significantly boost your demand generation efforts.

To ensure success, encourage collaboration between team members, set clear goals, and regularly review and adjust strategies based on performance data. This structure provides a solid foundation for scaling your demand-generation efforts as your business grows.

Generate Demand for Your Business on Autopilot with Triple Dart

To wrap up, by focusing on brand awareness, lead generation, nurturing relationships, and continuous optimization, you can establish a solid foundation to generate demand and convert high-quality leads. 

Now that you have a better understanding of B2B demand generation and its importance for your business, it's time to design a strategy tailored to your specific needs. This is where TripleDart comes into play!

We specialize in creating demand generation strategies that align with your unique objectives and challenges. By leveraging expertise in content strategy, pipeline marketing, and conversion rate optimization, TripleDart helps B2B companies enhance lead flow, reduce costs, and maximize ROI.

Book a demo call with us to see how we can help you with demand generation.