Lead Generation in Marketing: Future Trends and Effective Strategies by Oleksandra Yanchenko

The lead marketing manager at Sparklead shares valuable insights on marketing efforts in B2B lead generation.

The Role of a Marketing Manager in 2024

“Well, your business needs a marketer who will set up your marketing work from A to Z - in a perfect world, it must be in tight cooperation and synergy with a sales rep, as well as with other departments, with those involved in your work.

Frankly, a marketing manager is a valuable asset from the initial phase of your business. It's important to note that I'm referring to ambitious plans, as selling your product within your network is a completely different story.

In general, a marketing lead is someone who possesses both strategic vision and practical solutions. Within marketing circles, there's a famous joke: 'A marketing manager juggles roles as a strategist, content creator, email marketer, website developer, analyst, and more, all at the same time.’“

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The Motivating Reasons to Pursue a Career in Marketing

“I like this field because it's a pretty dynamic niche, which is constantly improving and changing. I never feel bored; there are no routine tasks. Plus, I enjoy the freedom that marketing gives me. I am like a fish in water, swimming from the bank of analytics to the bank of creativity.

There are certain rules everyone in the industry is playing by. However, in marketing, they are allowed to be broken for the sake of a unique idea. Is it possible not to like this?”

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Different Approaches: IT vs. Lead Generation Agencies

“Honestly, I haven’t noticed any changes in the way I build my work, whether in the IT product company or in the agency. The approach is always developed by a marketing specialist. They plan, analyze, and present; all of these things are the same in every industry. It's the tactics that differ. Why? Because the target audience in every niche is diverse, with their own requests and pains, and accordingly, a unique Customer Journey Map.

That is why everything must be built from scratch, according to the project needs. You can't apply the same marketing strategy or model to all businesses.” 

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The Role of Lead Generation in Marketing

“In a nutshell, lead generation in marketing is the means by which you generate leads. You reach out to relevant contacts to get their phone numbers or emails. These are the people who have shown interest in your product or service and are more likely to make a purchase. As you can see, the role of lead generation here is huge.

Traditionally, there are outbound and inbound lead generation approaches. In inbound, leads come to you when there's a request, while in outbound, you 'catch' a prospect who potentially fits your service.

To sum up, lead generation in all its forms is the main task of marketing."

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The Latest Trends in Lead Generation Strategies

“From what I see, everything is moving towards unique content creation. For several years in a row, everyone in the industry has been advocating for data-driven marketing solutions. Now, it is a must for everyone and something that goes without saying.As a result, our feeds are full of video content, podcasts, and motions, all designed to be remembered and talked about, reflecting the increasing trend of businesses creating high-quality, unique content.

Not to mention the various forms of partnerships — active collaborations among brands to create something that will surprise the audience and increase brand awareness. A striking example of such collaboration is between a car hire app, Uber, and audio platform, Spotify.  They launched a car music playlist partnership. The users are able to link their two accounts within the car hire app and create music playlists for future taxi journeys.I mentioned Spotify for a reason. The company continuously engages in co-branding with different businesses. Along with Uber, there have been collaboration campaigns with Starbucks and Tiffany.

As I work and live in Ukraine, I cannot help but mention the amazing collaboration between Crumb (an organic cosmetics brand) and Ukrzaliznytsia (the Ukrainian railway network). Together, they have created a hand cream in a travel-friendly format with a convenient attachment for a bag, carabiner, or as a vibrant accessory.”

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Top Lead Generation Channels at Sparklead

“At Sparklead, we offer an outbound outreach service, which we actively use ourselves. Outreach in B2B is effective when it is additionally strengthened by raising your brand awareness through partner initiatives, gathering public customer feedback, and creating unique content.”

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Successful Lead Generation Campaigns and Their Impact

“For a business, a successful marketing campaign is one in which qualified leads with high conversion come at the lowest cost.

In my practice, the most successful campaigns were those that combined multiple messages between the lead and the company—a hybrid format of online and offline communication with a person.

Let me give you an example. During the launch of a new service, arrange an event where the lead can interact with the company; follow up with advertising containing valuable content, while simultaneously engaging in social selling.‍

Marketing is all about timing. A successful campaign not only attracts people who need your product or service immediately but also those who will need it in the near future. It's important to note that this principle applies primarily to lead generation campaigns, rather than brand awareness efforts. Brand awareness is a long-term strategy aimed at leaving a lasting impression in people's minds so that they remember your brand when the need arises, whether that's weeks, months, or even years later.

This is where the widely accepted '95:5 rule' in the marketing industry comes into play. According to this rule, only 5 percent of your target audience is likely to need your product or service immediately, while the remaining 95 percent may require it at some point in the future.“

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What Key Metrics Measure the Success Of a Lead Generation Campaign

“Today I say for sure that these are CPL, ROI, and conversion rates.”

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What Can Improve Lead Generation Efforts In a Competitive Market

“If you enter a market where there are already many similar services, 'hook' people with your strong idea and uniqueness. You need to stand out publicly if there is no unique selling proposition  in the service or product. This is exactly when you need strong marketing. Because, really, there are a lot of cases when marketing is not particularly needed — there are unique products (in terms of quality or solution) that are in great demand.”

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What the Future Holds for Content Marketing in Lead Generation

“I think we'll definitely see even more auto-personalized video content, not to mention AI. It's not just the future; it's our reality, and it will be more powerful and influential within all industries and niches.”