In the B2B marketing world, opinions abound on the best way to attract qualified leads in today’s ever-changing market. There are loads of tips and plenty of advice on utilizing social media, crafting attractive email, using more Linkedin connections, and building a top-of-the-line website. Every company’s make-up looks a little bit different, and resources are as varied as budgets and staff.

Hopefully you know that building relationships with potential clients is the key to business success. At the end of the day, everything comes down to the people and the connections made. What works for one company may not necessarily work for another, but there may be a few areas you improve on in order to polish your lead nurturing process.

Growing your B2B company with effective lead nurturing is not always an easy process, and it may require some change. But in the effort of building relationships, you can work more efficiently toward your goal of earning more business from buyers.

Content: It counts. Is your content relevant, useful, and interesting?Will potential buyers want to read what your company presents?

Brian Carroll makes some suggestions for building your content library, and he focuses on putting together a catalog of your resources, which can include:

• Direct mail (newsletters, handwritten notes)
• Email (articles, podcasts)
• Events (shows, workshops)
• Online (blogs, webinars)
• Phone (no sales pitches)

Connection: It is vital. Potential buyers want to have the sense that you care about their needs. If your primary aim is to make the sale, and if prospective customers sense detachment on your part orfeel pressure, they will seek solutions somewhere else.

• Keep in contact (with consent, of course) with prospects
• Know your prospects’ needs. Offer surveys, interact on social media, and ask for feedback.
• Ignoring prospective connections can often mean a missed sale.

Consistency: It keeps the customer. Randomness will not reach prospective clients.

• Keep updates, social media, articles, etc., on a consistent timeline. Put a plan in place so there isn’t too much going out, but enough to keep interest.
• Keep your website updated and current, so each visit is fresh and inviting.
• Lead Liaison notes that it takes an average of seven contacts to make a prospect out of a potential. Stay consistent in your lead nurturing to avoid gaps. Nothing you do can force a prospective buyer to make a decision, but you can do everything to avoid losing the sale.

No matter what your company makeup may be, you cannot afford to ignore or lose a lead. Since 61% of B2B marketers testify that the biggest challenge they face in regards to lead generation is generating high-quality leads, and nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads, it is worth the time and effort to implement a plan. This includes a process of regularly checking up with your marketing team to ensure the plan is still meeting your company’s specific needs. Content counts, connection is vital, and consistency keeps the customers.