Alastair Sanderson and Richard Sanderson on the B2B Marketing Activities Everyone is Doing to Drive Leads

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Lead generation remains one of the most important and often the most challenging tasks any B2B (or even B2C) business has to tackle.

And while there are countless “hacks” and “tricks” advertised out there, lead generation isn’t about a shortcut or a gimmick. It’s about putting in the work and reaching for marketing activities that work.

That’s not saying there is no room for innovation and creativity – just that you can’t really expect to see massive results overnight by relying on the latest marketing fad.

Today we have the pleasure of getting a glimpse inside the thoughts and ideas of Alastair Sanderson and Richard Sanderson from Oxford, who run businesses on three continents. Having started down their entrepreneurial path back in 2009, they have certainly amassed plenty of experience with lead generation to be seen as very valuable sources of advice.

Here is what they have to say:

Choose the Right Channel

Lead generation can often come down to choosing the right avenue to approach your target audience. This avenue can be social media, influencer marketing, content marketing – as long as it aligns with where your audience normally spends time online.

Alastair Sanderson also points out that you can benefit from thinking outside the box when looking at your marketing channels. To illustrate this, he offers a personal example: “At LFA Machines Oxford, we do this through our YouTube channel. Despite the fact that we sell a very boring product used in industrial food manufacturing, we have four million video views to date.”

Just because no one in your industry is using a certain channel does not mean there is no audience there – and you might uncover there is incredible interest there.

Don’t Forget About Email

Although some tend to write off email marketing with “everyone’s doing it” and “it’s outdated,” the fact is that email remains one of the best ways to generate leads. In fact, 42% of marketers believe email is their best lead generation channel.

Richard Sanderson also reiterates the importance of sending out emails. They are, without a doubt, a marketing channel most people access several times a day. In fact, many people don’t even look at email as a marketing channel – it’s just email.

Think of ways to acquire emails and generate newsletter signups in organic and non-intrusive ways. Once you do get access to someone’s inbox, use it wisely but use it religiously.

Value Above Everything Else

Both Alastair and Richard Sanderson agree that the one thing that matters in B2B marketing (as well as, ultimately, B2C) is value and content. Providing value allows you to position yourself as an authority.

“When a business buys, it is not the whole business that makes the decision, it is an individual in that business. What that individual really wants to know is that they will not look bad in front of their team. If you are positioned as an authority with some good social proof, then they will have the confidence to put their reputation in your hands,” says Alastair Sanderson.

If you focus on providing value, your lead generation process will be much smoother. After all, a happy and satisfied client is always happy to recommend you to others – so if you are able to not only demonstrate but actually provide real value, you should be in the running for some serious conversions.

To Sum It All Up

Ultimately, lead generation comes down to the work you put in. That includes defining and understanding your target audience, approaching your leads through the right channels and with the right message, and providing real value and actionable content your leads can relate to.

Don’t try to rush the process, and don’t try to push your leads anywhere. Let them make their own decisions – just inspire them to make the right ones.

To get more details on Richard and Alastair visit their site sandersonholdings.com.