If you own a small to medium-sized business in Nashville, or head its marketing operations, chances are that finding (and retaining) a constant supply of ideal customers is a core part of your company’s objectives.
One of the most effective ways to find such customers is lead generation.
If you’re looking to increase your B2B lead generation efforts without the stress and added costs of hiring and training new staff, lead generation outsourcing may be the solution for you.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and possible disadvantages of outsourced B2B lead generation, what to expect from your lead gen service provider, and how to choose the right one for your business needs.
What should you expect from your lead generation outsourcing companies?
Lead generation can be a critical component in marketing operations and demand generation. When considering outsourced lead generation, there are certain expectations that the service provider should be met.
The outsourcing lead generation services provider should offer an experienced and knowledgeable team with a proven track record of successful marketing strategies that will bring high-quality leads and customers you desire. You should expect your lead gen service provider to provide comprehensive services that will help you generate and identify potential leads, filter them for fit and interest, target them with relevant messaging and nurture them through the sales funnel, track their engagement over time, and measure results and conversions.
When selecting an outsourced lead generation service provider, research their marketing methods and strategies and make sure they are aligned with yours. Look for indicators of success, such as customer testimonials or case studies demonstrating successful campaigns delivered for clients in similar industries or objectives. They should also have a proven track record of success in helping companies like yours increase their revenue from B2B lead generation efforts.
Additionally, they should provide insights into how your current efforts are performing so that you can make data-driven decisions about optimizing your strategies for better results. Finally, they should be able to work closely with your team and ensure that all goals are met on time and within budget.
The case for outsourcing lead generation
If lead and demand generation strategies are taking up too much of your business time and resources, it may be worthwhile to consider outsourcing demand generation and sourcing leads to a specialized B2B lead generation service.
You should consider outsourcing lead generation if any of the following sounds like you and your company.
You’re too busy
First and foremost, outsourcing lead generation allows you to save time. Handing your campaign over to an experienced team of professionals like Take the Stairs can free up much-needed time and allow you to focus on other aspects of your Nashville business.
In addition to saving valuable marketing resources, outsourcing can also save you money. By partnering with lead generation outsourcing companies, you avoid the extra cost of hiring additional marketing staff or allocating additional resources for campaigns. This is especially useful for small businesses where resources are limited.
That being said, it’s important to be involved in the lead gen process even after outsourcing. The more you can tell your ad agency about how you differentiate from your competitors and provide details about your ideal customers, the better your campaign will function.
You don’t know your audience
Demand generation ouutsourcing to a skilled B2B lead generation company like Take the Stairs also gives you access to a team of experienced professionals who know how to reach potential customers effectively.
Take the Stairs can also provide valuable insight into the best strategies for reaching prospects and crafting campaigns designed to maximize conversions. A skilled lead generation company will help you build your buyer personas or ideal customer profiles before even starting a campaign. Make sure you invest in the appropriate strategic elements of an advertising campaign or your likely to be just giving money away to ad platforms.
You are not tech-savvy
Lead generation campaigns require several marketing tools and software.
There are a lot of digital tools that are used to create a lead gen campaign like CRM, a data scraping solution, data enrichment software, graphic design tools (like Adobe Photoshop), email marketing tools, and attribution tracking software, just to name a few.
If you’re not tech-savvy and feel overwhelmed by the thought of having to manage digital marketing campaigns, outsourcing your lead generation efforts can be a great solution.
By utilizing the services of a competent B2B lead generation provider, you can leverage the expertise of marketing professionals who know how to effectively build campaigns designed to reach potential customers.
The case against outsourcing lead generation
You need instant results
Lead generation is not magic. It is a long and time-consuming process. It may take some time before you start seeing any results, as you first need to build relationships with potential leads and understand your target market in order to generate quality leads. Lead gen is better utilized as a long-term strategy. If you’re looking for immediate leads, it is not for you.
You have low budgets
Outsourcing lead generation requires significant resources. You will need to invest money in experimenting with ads and strategies until you find an effective marketing campaign that will generate the kind of leads you want. Also, lead generation requires several digital tools and software. For Nashville businesses with a limited marketing budget, it might not be the right fit.
Despite, larger budgets, once your lead generation campaigns get going you’re likely to save a lot of money in the long run since your budgets will be relatively low compared to more traditional ad campaigns. So lead generation can still be a great fit for small and mid-market businesses, there’s just upfront fees that must be considered.
You have an internal marketing team
If your business already has a marketing department, outsourcing lead generation to an external lead gen service provider might be overkill.
The lead generation process can be learned and isn’t rocket science as long as you have a talented team that includes design, email marketing, ad management, and short copy development professionals, you should be able to put forth compelling campaigns for your top clients.
You can, however, employ an external lead gen service provider to help consult in the lead gen process and get your team set up. If your team just wants a little bit of lead generation consulting, an agency like Take the Stairs can help you with that, too.
Questions to ask a lead generation consultant
Lead and demand generation is a core aspect of any sort of marketing strategy for businesses in today’s world.
While lead generation, when done right, allows you to find the customers at the right time, it can be a challenging and time consuming process that you’d be better off outsourcing to someone else.
Consider the following questions and ask whether lead generation outsourcing companies can help you solve them.
Can I devote time to lead generation?
Lead gen is a long process and for it to work as it should, you need dedicated and experienced hands on it. As a business owner in Nashville, you probably have many roles to take on, and this factor might make dedicating time to lead generation difficult.
Is my current strategy generating the leads I want?
The success (or failure) of any marketing strategy depends on the quality of the leads your campaign yields. If your current strategy is not generating the leads you want, an external B2B lead gen provider can help by providing a comprehensive set of services that will generate more qualified leads and increase conversion rates.
Do I know my audience really well?
The effectiveness of any lead gen campaign is often related to the extent to which you are familiar with your target audience. For small business owners lacking the time and resources to conduct research, including developing a buyer persona, outsourcing lead generation services and other marketing tasks may be a good investment.
If you need help with any of the questions above, a skilled lead generation company can help you address these issues.
Ready to explore lead generation outsourcing with our marketing agency in Nashville?
Take the Stairs is a Nashville-based B2B lead gen company, specializing in outsourced B2B lead generation, with the resources you need to find the right customers for your Nashville business. Contact us today to discuss your needs and how an outsourced demand generation company can help you reach your business goals.
