Demand generation is about propagating awareness and invoking demand for products and services. Prospects are subtly nudged down the sales funnel by guiding the target audience with informative and engaging content. The consistent flow of leads with predictable touch points makes it easier for the sales team to nurture them and drive conversions. However, businesses must steer clear of 5 common demand generation mistakes that can obstruct the desired results.
-
Implementing B2B Demand Generation without Filtering and Segmenting Leads
Allowing unqualified leads into the sales funnel is the biggest mistake of B2B demand generation. Before content creation and launching a full-fledged demand generation campaign, the ICP should be defined meticulously. The marketing team should not chase leads that don’t match the ICP. Ideally, AI-driven filters should eliminate unqualified leads from all follow-ups immediately.
-
Failing to Score and Prioritise Leads in B2B Demand Generation
Once marketers weed out unqualified leads and prioritise the rest according to their conversion potential and revenue estimate, the market segmentation categorises leads as per their demographic and firmographic data; however, lead scoring is different. It denotes which leads matter the most and require maximum attention or priority. Businesses that devise an algorithm for lead scoring will never make this mistake.
-
Using Generic Forms for Audience Generation
B2B audience generation is an integral aspect of b2b demand generation. All forms of marketing communication with CTAs require customisation per the market segment. It includes sending out webinar invites, emails for newsletter registration, or uploading a query form on the website. Using a single generic template for all market segments will fail to invoke the desired response. Also, the very purpose of lead filtering, segmentation, scoring, and prioritisation is defeated as they eventually club together.
-
Not Focussing on Content Quality/Customisation as per the Buyer’s Requirements
Creating high-quality content aligned with the buyer’s journey is the guiding premise of both demand generation. Businesses are up against the high competition in virtually every industry, running content marketing campaigns to rope in new buyers. Amidst the avalanche of content, prospects will read and share content that is exceptional and exactly caters to their needs. Content not original or optimised well doesn’t stand a chance of invoking demand, awareness, or brand recognition.
-
Offering Mediocre Gated Content and Unappealing Freebies
Providing free content, tools, or resources in return for the contact details of prospects is necessary for systematic lead generation. But businesses that offer low-value or mediocre freebies cannot expect to score high on audience generation. The gated content or resource should be crafted carefully based on the intent data and preferences of the ICP. Otherwise, it will just be a wasted exercise with negligible sign-ups.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, demand generation aims to fuel the buyer’s purchase cycle with proper guidance and engagement. When they consider the business a knowledgeable/trustworthy entity, they are likely to be receptive to sales pitches. As businesses adhere to data-driven processes and avoid the mistakes above, the demand generation ROI is bound to be phenomenal.
Read also: 10 Lead Generation Strategies for Your Digital Marketing Agency
