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The last two years of the pandemic have dramatically altered lead generation for B2B and B2C businesses. Companies that adamantly refused to wave the white flag of surrender reinvented their digital marketing efforts to keep their lead generation strategies alive and maintain a presence in the lives of their customers and clients. As a result, both B2B and B2C businesses are once again starting to thrive in this not-quite-post-pandemic world. While rapid growth and expansion are returning to some sectors faster than others, a few proven strategies are successful in helping businesses of all sizes and industries flourish and experience growth.
Organizations that routinely used social media to communicate with customers were rewarded for their efforts as the pandemic boosted social media use, with around 80% of US adults using Facebook since the onset of the pandemic. Only 7.7% of adults refrained from using any form of social media platform in a recent study. In addition, working from home and the early months of lockdowns increased the amount of time people spent on social media. This behavior is expected to continue, and it has solidified social media’s place as a crucial resource for lead generation CRM and staying in touch with a growing customer base. Consider using pop-up creator tools to increase the conversion rate.
Through the challenging months of the 2020 shelter-in-place orders, businesses that cleared space in their meeting planner and allocated time to create partnerships strategically positioned themselves to come out strong when restrictions were rolled back. One common collaboration involved B2B and B2C companies working closely with digital marketers and web development firms to add new layers of functionality that were responsive to pandemic conditions. As 98% of Facebook users use mobile devices to access the platform, this illustrates how important it is to optimize content for mobile devices.
Collaborative partnerships took many forms, from customized mobile apps to queue management systems to optimized and accessible e-commerce websites. Businesses that invested in these new systems reaped the benefit of attracting customers despite pandemic restrictions with the bonus that the systems now provide an additional way for customers to purchase or engage.
With many businesses bolstering their online presence to maintain and foster growth, delivering exceptional customer experience must be addressed during the planning stage and not as an afterthought. For many industry sectors accustomed to handling customer care in a face-to-face environment [restaurants, the building trades, and schools, to name a few], transitioning to online or digital customer care can be a challenge. But it’s a challenge that can turn into an opportunity as customers change how they purchase. For example, 70% of B2B buyers said more than before they are willing to spend over 50k buying remotely, and an incredible 15% are ready to spend over $1 million without a physical meeting.
The additional benefit of engaging in continuous quality improvement is that it helps to drive rapid growth and close deals and helps your business develop a reputation that attracts top talent and retains quality employees. The strategies for retaining employees and retaining clients are closely intertwined, and every enterprise needs both to succeed.
What began in March 2020 as a period of “hunkering down” and operating as leanly as possible has gradually transitioned into a new, perhaps permanent, way of doing business. While some enterprises have not survived this cataclysmic change, many more have. Call it dogged tenacity, call it grit, or call it what most business owners do. Simply another day in the life of an entrepreneur and lead with integrity. So, whether you’re celebrating the return of a growth cycle, holding steady, or making some strategic changes to your business plan, keep exploring the options and opportunities that come your way every day.
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