There are a million lead generation tactics out there. But which ones actually work? And more importantly, which ones work for B2B SaaS companies?
B2B SaaS lead generation can be incredibly challenging. Why is this the case?
Well, for a SaaS company, cold emails and untargeted ads are no longer effective. Today, a significant part of a customer’s journey is self-directed. This means that your lead generation tactics should be largely personalized.
For any B2B SaaS company, lead generation is about putting their product in front of the customer. It’s also about meeting your customers where they are and showcasing how your software can solve their most pressing needs.
Now, if you are looking for the best lead generation strategies to enhance B2B sales conversion rates, you’re in luck.
This article will discuss 15 B2B SaaS lead generation tactics that actually work. And we’ll also explain why they are effective.
But before we get started, let’s discuss what lead generation in a SaaS company means.
Disclaimer: This content contains some affiliate links for which we will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). This is to ensure that we can keep creating free content for you.
Table of Contents
What is B2B SaaS Lead Generation All About?
B2B SaaS lead generation is the process that B2B software-as-a-service companies employ to attract prospects and convert them into paying customers.
As B2B SaaS companies sell their products to other businesses, they must generate leads through different channels than B2C companies.
B2B SaaS lead generation is difficult because businesses have complex ecosystems with multiple decision-makers who often have different needs and priorities.
B2C companies, on the other hand, typically have a single decision-maker focused on finding a solution to their specific problems.
As a result, B2B SaaS lead generation requires a more sophisticated approach that considers the unique characteristics of B2B businesses.
In order to be successful, B2B SaaS companies must use a variety of marketing and sales techniques to reach their target market. This often involves using account-based marketing techniques to reach key decision-makers within target organizations.
15 B2B SaaS Lead Generation Strategies to Unlock Your Growth Story
According to a 2021 survey, many marketers identified lead generation as their top marketing priority.
Image via HubSpot
Nevertheless, as already mentioned, lead generation is no easy feat, particularly in the SaaS industry, where competition is fierce.
However, having a solid B2B SaaS lead generation strategy will allow you to scale quickly and ensure long-term success.
Here are 15 practical strategies you can implement to enhance lead generation and drive sales.
1. Write Quality Blogs
One of the best B2B SaaS lead generation tactics is to write quality blogs. By creating valuable content, you can attract potential customers and generate leads organically through search engine results pages.
Through quality blog posts, B2B SaaS companies can provide potential customers with information that is relevant to them. This helps them see how your software can solve their most pressing needs.
In addition, blogging allows you to build relationships with potential customers. When they see that you are an expert in your field, they are more likely to do business with you.
Done correctly, blogging also helps you get on the first page of Google, which means that more people will see your content. This increases the chances of converting potential customers into paying ones.
But how do you do this?
Here are three quick pointers:
- Write helpful and informative blog posts that focus on topics your target customers are interested in.
- Include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each post, directing readers to a landing page where they can learn more about your product or service.
- Use effective SEO techniques to ensure that your blog posts are being seen by your target audience.
- Monitor your results and adjust your strategy as needed.
Use these pointers to help you produce regular content. Keep in mind that you must provide value to the customer to generate leads.
To better target B2B SaaS prospects, identify your target audience, gather facts and keywords, and provide actionable tips for the customer.
While at it, ensure that the length of your blog piece is enough to accommodate all your valuable information. Up to 90% of B2B marketers say that short articles of less than 3000 words generate the best results according to the Content Marketing Institute’s 2022 report.
It is, therefore, highly recommended that you aim for this word count while starting out.
Need an example of how to do it right?
Check out HubSpot Blog. Not only do they regularly publish consistently, but they also write clear, customer-centric, actionable blog pieces.
Image via HubSpot
2. Use Gated Content
Creating gated content is another B2B SaaS lead generation strategy that complements blogging.
Gated content is a type of content that is only accessible to people who provide their contact information and is gated behind a form. This helps you generate leads by collecting the contact information of potential customers.
When you use gated content, you’re essentially asking people to hand over their contact information in exchange for something valuable.
This could be a white paper, an e-book, a webinar, a training, or some other type of valuable content.
B2B gated content allows you to increase the number of leads you generate while also building relationships with potential customers.
Additionally, using gated content allows you to track the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts. You can see which pieces of content are most effective at generating leads and focus your efforts on those pieces.
Here’s an example from the Shopify Learn page, showing how a B2B business can offer value to get contact information:
Image via Shopify
For B2B SaaS lead generation, you can use the same tactic. The key is ensuring the content is of high-quality and relevant to your target customers.
Once you’ve created your gated content, the next step is to promote it. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google Ads are all great places to start.
3. Offer a Free Trial or Free Plan with Limited Features
B2B SaaS companies can offer free trials or free plans with limited features to bring in potential customers. It’s one way of enticing people to sign up for your product without committing to a purchase.
By providing a taste of what the full product experience is like, free trials can help increase the likelihood that leads will convert into paying customers.
Through a free trial, the customer can try out the product or service with no risk or a purchase commitment. However, your offering must be something of value. This way, prospects can explore all the premium features within the trial period and be encouraged to purchase the product.
But to do so, the customer must input their contact information for the free trial. You can configure the sign-up process to include details such as their name, email address, and company size.
Microsoft is a great example of a company that uses a free trial to generate leads. It gives customers a chance to try out Microsoft 365 for business for one month before making a buying decision. Have a look at the image below:
Image via Microsoft
Apart from free trials, another easy way for SaaS companies to generate leads is through free plans with limited features. Here, you give potential customers limited access to your SaaS product for an unlimited time.
The goal here is to give the customer enough taste of your product that they ask to pay for more. Here’s how Trello,does it:
Image via Trello
Trello, through their free plan, doesn’t limit customers on the number of tasks they can track with their workflow management platform. However, to access additional features such as unlimited boards and workspace views among others, one must upgrade.
Ultimately, free trials and free plans entices customers into purchasing your product while building your leads database. This allows you to nurture those leads over time and convert them into buyers.
4. Try Lead Generation Software
Wouldn’t it be best if you could automate your B2B SaaS lead generation strategies?
Well, you can take this shortcut and get SaaS leads using some of the best lead generation software available today.
B2B SaaS companies can use lead generation software to identify, capture and qualify leads for their sales team.
The software uses various methods to generate leads, including web forms, content syndication, search engine optimization and social media outreach.
It automatically generates leads by scraping data from these internet sources.
Once a lead is generated, the software tracks and scores them based on their interactions with your brand. This could be through your website or your sales team.
This helps the B2B SaaS marketers prioritize the leads that are more likely to convert into customers.
An excellent example of a B2B SaaS lead generation software is Qualaroo. It allows you to create lead capture forms and targeted surveys. These forms can be used for your website, social media pages, and email, among other channels.
To use Qualaroo, however, you must first sign up for a free trial and install the Qualaroo Insights code on your target channel.
Once configured, go to your account’s dashboard and create a new survey from the dashboard.
You can choose a survey from the predefined templates or start afresh. Qualaroo summarizes how to get started in this guide.
Complete these steps, and the survey will appear on your site. Every time a customer responds, the software captures their details, including the impressions and response rate.
5. Run Webinars
B2B SaaS lead generation using webinars can occur in several ways. By hosting a webinar, you can create an event that will attract potential customers interested in your product or service.
However, for successful B2B SaaS lead generation, landing page optimization is a must. Ensure your landing page captures contact details and asks prospects to register in advance for the webinar.
Check out Slack’s webinar landing page for inspiration:
Image via Slack
Notice how Slack collects contact information, occupation, roles, and other details? You can configure your landing page to collect similar information for a follow-up in the future.
Nevertheless, customers can only register if they know about your event. As such, you must promote your webinar through your website, social media, and email marketing.
And, once you’ve got people registered for your webinar, it’s important to deliver quality content that will leave them wanting more.
The best thing about webinars is that you can repurpose recordings or blog posts to create them.
But if you are starting afresh, identify a topic, choose your speakers, and launch your webinar. Your SaaS topics could range from product demos, descriptions, or customer testimonials.
Since webinars are usually live events, they also allow B2B businesses to interact with their audience. This way, they can build meaningful relationships with potential customers.
Luckily, the Content Marketing Institute’s 2022 report proves that webinars work.
In the study, 58% of survey respondents agree that virtual events/webinars/online produce the best results in content marketing. And 66% of the most successful businesses using these content assets concur with the respondents.
Here’s the comparison with other channels:
Image via Content Marketing Institute
6. Publish Case Studies, Original Data, and Research Reports
Ultimately, the most significant reason B2B customers buy your SaaS product or service is that they find it valuable. They know it will solve their most pressing needs and make lives easy.
Therefore, it is crucial to show them that you know your SaaS product and that it is legit.
And what better way to do this than through case studies, original data, or research?
They are ideal for attracting potential customers looking for more information about your product or service.
Therefore, publish case studies on your website showing how your product has helped other businesses achieve their goals. It might give potential B2B customers the nudge to try out your product.
B2B SaaS customers are also always looking for credible products that are proven and tested. You can showcase this by publishing original data and research. Doing so will also help attract customers who are looking for detailed information about a certain topic.
Take HubSpot, for instance; it has earned the trust of many as a leader in the sales/marketing software industry. How do they do it?
They use their comprehensive reports to generate B2C and B2B SaaS leads.
Have a look at the 2022 State of Marketing Report below.
Image via HubSpot
In the report, HubSpot surveyed 1,600 marketers and conducted interviews with three experts. Then they produced over 50 incredible statistics and trends that help give B2B and B2C businesses direction.
The report is also filled with unique insights that guide today’s businesses across various industries.
Now, this may seem like a lot of work, true. But the long-term rewards are worth it. Especially if you consider the influx of backlinks, the emails you’ll collect, and the potential for generating high-quality leads.
7. Use Pop-Ups
Pop-ups in B2B SaaS lead generation involve creating a small window that appears when someone visits your website.
The window typically contains a message, offer, or form that encourages the visitor to take some kind of action. This could be subscribing to your email or SMS marketing list, claiming an offer, or registering for product trials.
In exchange for these SaaS offers or other valuable incentives, customers can provide information such as name, email, and phone numbers. You can then use the information to reach out to prospects directly or use targeted ads to nurture and convert them.
Pop-ups, however, may not be suitable for every website (due to their distractive nature). But they can be an effective B2B SaaS lead generation tool for businesses, as evidenced by some studies.
According to a recent case study by OptiMonk, the average conversion rate for all pop-ups generated in 2021 was 11.09%. This shows the great potential pop-ups have in converting leads.
So, how do you leverage pop-ups to realize better B2B conversions?
Well, for one, you can outsource to a professional such as Attrock. Attrock offers pop-ups as part of the landing page optimization services.
With Attrock, you can design welcome or exit-intent pop-ups and conveniently place them on your website to capture customer data. Better still, your pop-ups can be customized to match your brand identity using, say, your logo or brand colors.
Coschedule, for example, uses exit-intent pop-ups to capture leads. Here’s how they do it:
Image via HubSpot
Although it is a last-ditch value proposition, it offers value by showcasing how its calendar feature works. Notice the single button? The intent is to get users to subscribe with minimal effort.
8. Optimize Your Website for Mobile
In the second quarter of 2022, Statista reports that over half of the global website traffic comes from mobile. Excluding tablets, mobile devices generated 58.99% of the total traffic.
And there is no doubt that mobile penetration will continue to rise.
This is an obvious sign that B2B buyers primarily depend on mobile phones to make buying decisions.
If you want to attract inbound traffic in the first place, your website should be easy to navigate on mobile. Configure and adjust it to fit any screen size, from desktop to mobile.
Doing so will contribute to a positive customer experience, motivating your B2B prospects to take action.
They could subscribe to your newsletter, sign up for trials, or reach out for clarity on your SaaS brand offering.
Similarly, a strong call-to-action (CTA) on your home page can help you gather leads. The CTA should be easy to spot and click on mobile devices. It should also be clear, concise and offer something valuable to a potential customer.
A good example is a pop-up for a free product trial, a first-timer’s discount, or even a complimentary eBook.
This will encourage SaaS prospects to fill out a form on your landing page, thus becoming new leads.
While at it, ensure that your site is streamlined to load fast. No one wants to wait around for a slow website to load, so take the time to optimize your site for speed.
Lucky for you, you can work with a web developer to make your website responsive and optimized to load fast. Alternatively, you can use some of the best website builders available to speed up the process.
9. Use Social Proof
Social proof is invaluable. Amidst changing consumer trends, social proof can enhance your B2B SaaS lead generation strategy and boost your revenue.
Reviews, testimonials, and case studies work better than paid ads; why?
According to a 2022 survey on B2B buyer behavior, reviews play a critical role in making a purchasing decision. Up to 56% of buyers identified reviews as one of the top factors they look for when evaluating solution providers. A well-written review with a positive experience, therefore, can have a great impact on what matters the most to consumers. Have a look below:
Image Via Demand Gen
An example of such a positive review is this testimonial by Amber Anderson:
Image via Attrock
Looking at the review, you can tell that Attrock is a reputable firm offering stellar SEO services.
The above is one way of showcasing social proof on your website. When you show prospects how trustworthy your product is, they’ll likely sign up for a free trial or demo.
But what happens if your B2B SaaS website is still new or receives low traffic? Not to fret, have them try your product for free first. Then start building reviews by asking customers to leave a comment about your product.
When they sign up for free trials, you can collect their contact information and reach out to them later.
You can also collect customers' email addresses when they create an account to leave a review on your website.
Another method of providing social proof is displaying badges from well-known brands featuring your product. This allows B2B customers to determine your credibility by looking at who you work with.
10. Create A Promo Video
Ever wondered why movie producers release trailers before the actual movie comes out?
Well, because it piques interest. It makes viewers anxious and in anticipation of the premiere date. That’s the power of a promotional video.
If you want your B2B SaaS business to capture more leads, try promo videos. Research on inbound marketing trends reveals that 18.4% of marketers use videos for lead generation.
The five types of videos you must, or at least strive to have, include:
- Product demo
- How-to-videos
- Expert interviews, case studies, testimonials
- Storytelling videos to help humanize your brand
- FAQs in video format
There are plenty of options to explore while creating your own videos. Whichever you choose, always ensure your video aligns with your goals.
To get started:
- Identify and segment your B2B SaaS audience based on their niche, market size, services offered, etc.
- Determine what you want to achieve; in this case, it’s lead generation
- Choose a video type, for instance, explainer, demo, customer story, etc.
Once done, you can use an online video maker to get started. Alternatively, with an in-house videographer, you can invest in some of the best video editing software to expedite the process.
Here is an example of a product demo video by Legend Brands that might inspire you:
Image via YouTube
Notice how it captures a customer’s attention in the first few seconds? It draws inspiration from people’s everyday tasks to showcase the product’s value.
It demonstrates how you can simplify many tasks with Command Hub with just one click.
11. Improve SEO Using Longtail Keywords
Longtail keywords are queries of more than four words. Approximately 98.55% of Google searches consist of four words or more.
By using longtail keywords, B2B SaaS companies can reach their target audience more effectively and generate leads more efficiently.
Compare these two searches:
“Lead generation” vs “B2B SaaS lead generation”
Which one shows that a marketer is specific about what they want? The second one, obviously – because they narrowed down the search to a specific niche.
The second example shows a stronger buyer intent. And this is an excellent reason to use them in your B2B SaaS lead generation strategies.
Better yet, longtail keywords tend to be less competitive and easier to rank for than general keywords. So, B2B SaaS companies can get a leg up on their competition by using them in their content marketing strategies.
So, how do you effectively do this? Begin by:
- Creating a buyer persona to help match customer intent, and
- Researching your longtail keywords with tools such as Ahrefs
Let’s use Ahrefs as an example to find those keywords:
Step 1: Go to Ahrefs.com, click on the “Keyword Explorer” tab
Image via Ahrefs
Step 2: Type the main keyword such as “lead generation”, as shown in the image above
Step 3: Hit the search button and choose your longtail keyword from the list, as shown below:
Image via Ahrefs
Step 4: Since the search term is highly competitive, set the keyword difficulty (KD) to no greater than 40 while maintaining the search volume. It’s difficult to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) if the KD is high.
Image via Ahrefs
Once done, click on the appropriate keyword. This will further give you alternative keywords you can rank for, FAQs, and what to include in your blog piece.
That’s it! You can now begin writing your SEO-optimized article.
12. Engage with Online Communities
Almost every niche, particularly in the software industry, has an online community that you can utilize to establish strong relationships. You can leverage these communities for B2B SaaS lead generation as well.
A few examples include Hacker News and Product Hunt. You can find and target prospects from these communities who express interest in a particular product or service.
For example, Hacker News has an “ask” section where users log in and ask questions about some of the best product alternatives.
Have a look at this:
Image via Hacker News
You can find a question related to your product from this column, answer it, and offer your product as a solution.
You could even go further and click on the “show” tab to explain how your SaaS product works.
Image via Hacker News
From here, you can engage with other users in the community who have the potential to be your buyers.
The trick is to be active in such online communities. Engage with others by upvoting, liking, or commenting on posts. Over time, you can nurture these prospects and eventually convert them into paying customers.
Other online communities you can use include Quora and Reddit.
13. Target LinkedIn Audiences
LinkedIn can be an excellent B2B SaaS lead generation platform – as of January 2022, the platform had 808.4 million users.
Image via Hootsuite
This means that if you use LinkedIn wisely, you can generate qualified leads effortlessly. But to do this, your SaaS company must have a good presence on the platform.
First, create a LinkedIn Company Page for your B2B SaaS business. Here’s a LinkedIn guide on how to create one.
Once done, start developing connections by asking your friends, employees, and acquaintances to follow the page.
You can also grow your following by engaging with others on the platform. The easiest way to do this is by sharing content that will interest your target audience. This could be blog posts, infographics, or even videos.
As you share this content, LinkedIn will show it to more people who fit your target audience.
Better still, when you post relevant content consistently, you’ll become a regular on your prospects’ feed. This familiarity will make it easy to initiate further conversations.
Regularly check your LinkedIn page analytics to determine what resonates with your prospects. This will help you create better content or ads that convert.
Another way of targeting your LinkedIn audiences is by joining groups centered around the SaaS industry. Post relevant updates and have conversations with professionals in these groups.
This makes it easy for you to establish yourself as a valuable source of information. With time, your prospects may reach out for more information about your offering, making it easy for you to persuade them to buy your product.
You can also use LinkedIn Ads to reach a wider audience. Here’s a video by Semrush showing you how to generate leads on LinkedIn:
Image via YouTube
14. Utilize Referrals
Referral programs are a great way to generate B2B SaaS leads. In fact, word-of-mouth is one of the most effective marketing strategies.
A referral program is basically a system that incentivizes customers to refer your product or service to their friends or colleagues.
Referral programs usually work by giving customers a discount or some other type of reward when they make a referral.
This B2B SaaS lead generation method is highly effective because it’s a win-win situation for you and your customers.
But how do you create a referral program for your Saas business?
First, you need to decide what type of reward you want to give your customers.
Do you want to give them a discount? A free trial? A free product?
Once you’ve decided on the type of reward, you need to create a landing page where customers can sign up for your referral program.
This landing page should explain the details of your referral program and how customers can earn rewards.
It should also contain a form where customers can enter their contact information.
Once you have your landing page set-up, you need to promote it to your existing customers.
You can do this through email marketing, social media, or even in-person at events.
Here is an excellent example of a B2B referral program from Bench Accounting:
Image via Bench
Customers get a Visa gift card worth $150 and a free month of bookkeeping for each successful referral.
You can achieve the same in your SaaS business by giving discounts, offering other tools for free, or extending a purchase period.
Remember, however, to make clear the type of incentive the customer will get. While at it, ensure that your product is relevant to your SaaS business.
15. Outsource Your Lead Generation to an Expert
Want to skip the hassle and have someone do the heavy lifting? Outsource your B2B SaaS lead generation to a professional.
There are lots of professional companies offering lead generation services, which can help you get quality leads using different tactics. This includes SEO services, landing page optimization, and guest posting, to name a few.
Instead of blowing up money on SaaS ads that don’t work, a lead generation service company can help. They will help you generate qualified leads by conducting market research, identifying your target audience, and creating personalized messages.
This way, your marketing messages will be relevant and specific to audiences that are likely to convert.
Lead generation companies usually have a team of experienced professionals who know how to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
They also have access to the latest tools and resources that can help you generate SaaS leads effectively.
Nevertheless, while outsourcing lead generation:
- Identify your goals, the kind of leads you are looking to attract, and the client profile
- Hire a reputable lead generation company with proven results
- Get involved with the agency in research and prepare a database of qualified B2B SaaS leads
- Keep in touch and set appointments with your prospects
If you have a practical SaaS sales funnel, the process of outsourcing will be smoother. At this point, you have studied your competition, you know your target market, and you’re aware of the demand/supply gap. It then becomes easy to generate qualified leads faster and cost-affordably.
Tools That Help with B2B SaaS Lead Generation
Now that you know the best lead generation tactics for your B2B SaaS business, let’s take a look at the tools that can help you.
LeadFuze
Packed with prospecting and automation features, LeadFuze is yet another powerful tool that can drive your lead generation efforts.
UpLead
Uplead is a robust tool that scrapes through millions of contacts to help you build highly accurate prospecting lists to drive your lead generation.
ZoomInfo
This is one of the finest tools in the industry that comes packed with a bunch of features to discover your leads. It's due to the low ZoomInfo pricing that this tool stands out from the rest.
ScopeLeads
This tool allows you to automate both your lead generation process and cold emails so you can generate leads on autopilot.
Leadfeeder
Leadfeeder helps you find information about people who visit your website. This lets you find prospects for your business, who, otherwise, would remain unknown to you.
FAQs
Q1. What is B2B lead generation process?
A. B2B lead generation is the process by which marketers find customers for a product/service and attract them to buy. In the B2B industry, these leads are mainly other businesses or business owners.
Q2. How do I generate B2B SaaS leads?
A. For the best B2B SaaS lead generation tactics, include the following in your strategy:
- Blogging
- Gated content
- Offering free tools
- Running webinars
- Publishing case studies, original data, and research
- Using pop-up marketing
- Optimizing website for mobile
- Using social proof
- Creating promo videos
- Improving SEO with longtail keywords
- Targeting LinkedIn audiences
- Engaging with niche online communities
- Utilizing referrals
- Using lead generation software
- Outsourcing your lead generation to an expert
Q3. How do SaaS companies generate leads?
A. SaaS companies can generate leads through quality blog posts, outsourcing to professionals, running webinars, and engaging with audiences online. Alternatively, they use a mix of content marketing strategies such as videos, webinars, and lead generation software for better results.
Q4. How do B2B companies generate leads?
A. B2B companies can generate leads through pop-up marketing, referral programs, testimonials, reviews, and case studies. Discounts and other free incentives and answering questions on online communities are excellent examples of lead generation strategies.
Q5. What is B2B lead generation software?
A. A B2B lead generation software is a tool that automates the process of capturing potential customers. It helps marketers automate the building of customer details for ad targeting or cold outreach.
Q6. How do I generate B2B leads on LinkedIn?
A. First, create a LinkedIn page. Then grow your connections by sharing relevant content and establishing yourself as a valuable source of information. Engage with your audience and develop a sense of familiarity.
This will help in nurturing them and converging them into your sales funnel. You can also use LinkedIn ads to target specific audiences and convince them to buy your product.
Ready to Kickstart Your B2B SaaS Lead Generation Journey?
The ever-shifting cycle of customer subscriptions indicates that companies must be strategic in their B2B SaaS lead generation efforts.
Whether you want to drive growth or convert high-value prospects into paying customers, you can implement the above strategies.
It is all about finding the right B2B strategy. But it all begins with targeting the right audience at the top of your SaaS sales funnel.
Identify your potential customer and what they care most about, then offer your product as the solution. If you understand your customer’s journey, you will know how to target them and enhance your SaaS sales.
Hopefully, the B2B SaaS lead generation strategies we have discussed will help you convert prospects into buyers.
Need an easy way to scale your B2B SaaS sales? Check out our lead generation services and attract the right audience to your business.
Disclaimer: This content contains some affiliate links for which we will earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). This is to ensure that we can keep creating free content for you.
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