Traditional lead generation tools focus on offline strategies, while modern techniques have incorporated digital tools. Lead generation is transitioning even within digital lead generation methods, transitioning from manual and outdated practices to AI-powered processes to streamline lead generation.
Explore six traditional lead generation methods, their pros and cons, and how B2B lead generation tools have changed to increase their effectiveness in 2023.
6 Ways Hushly Improves Traditional Lead Generation Methods
Hushly leads the lead generation industry using AI-powered tools that transform how you identify, generate, and nurture your leads. Here are six lead generation methods and how to update them using Hushly’s B2B lead generation tools.
1. Email Marketing
Email marketing is the cornerstone of lead generation, and 59% of B2B marketers say email is their top revenue generation channel.
Traditional email marketing focused on where users signed up for the email campaign. Website forms captured the lead and triggered an email campaign based on those forms. The campaign ran through the designated emails before it ended.
However, this method didn’t effectively target and adjust campaigns in real-time.
Updated email marketing has combined omnichannel experiences with personalized outcomes.
Leads can join email campaigns across different social media, websites, or even in-person channels using unique forms and QR code opt-ins.
Once they are in a B2B email campaign, AI can adjust the campaign according to user behavior. The following flow chart shows how you can send emails according to how leads responded to the previous email.
Every email that arrives is customized to user names, roles within their business, and needs to ensure it’s relevant and more likely to convert.
Image from Slide Team
2. Cold Calling
On average, only 2% of cold calls are successful. Cold calling has been part of outbound lead generation for years but isn’t one of the most effective methods compared to modern alternatives.
Digital experiences and AI have opened more outbound lead generation options other than cold calling that have higher conversion rates.
If you still use calling, you can use lead scoring to analyze every lead’s potential for conversion before making that first call. That way you’re only spending time on the highest-quality leads. Lead scoring assigns scores to user behavior to help you understand their intent and interest level.
Hushly collects data based on user experience to help you understand your leads and score them more accurately. Our multi-asset browsing experience encourages users to interact with online content so you know what those leads are interested in learning about and purchasing. Use that data to filter out disinterested leads and focus on those interested B2B leads rather than cold calling all leads.
3. Advertising
Advertising is in a constant state of change. Traditional advertising channels on print publications, TV, radio, and billboards are still effective for some industries. However, they lack personalization. You have little control over who sees your ad and what those audiences respond to.
For example, a billboard on the side of the road will look the same for B2B and B2C clients, despite being vastly different audiences.
The digital age allowed advertisers to sponsor searches, add website widgets, and promote through email. Yet, despite the larger number of channels, many ads lacked personalization, as anyone who saw the ad had the same experience.
Hushly believes there’s a better way to advertise. If you’re investing hundreds or thousands of dollars into your ads, you want them to hit home every time. That’s why our tools use AI to personalize your efforts and analyze user behavior. You can also run multi-channel campaigns much easier and faster by using AI to adjust each campaign for the target audiences on your channels.
Each ad and landing page adjusts according to who clicks on the ad. You can track their activity and recommend the most relevant content and products for those users. This guarantees the ad will address relevant pain points, increasing your chances of success.
4. Direct Mail
Before the internet opened new lead generation opportunities, direct mail was a reliable method to reach potential leads. Direct mail ranged from brochures and letters to advertisements in newspapers.
Despite the dawn of the digital age, there is still a place for direct mail. Direct mail can even help a business stand out because there is less competition.
Even with the benefits of this lead generation method, it still lacks one key element. You have little control over who sees the mail and how they respond. When you rely on direct mail, you lose critical lead data that will help you follow up with the lead.
Hushly improves your lead generation efforts by connecting each strategy to reporting analytics. The analytics allows you to trace your results, who it reaches, and how people respond so you can maximize every effort.
You can still use direct mail if you see a high return from the channel. But, Hushly recommends connecting your direct mail to your digital strategies so you can collect those leads’ information. For example, you might add a QR code to the mail that directs the recipient to a customized landing page where Hushly’s AI platform takes over to collect and analyze that lead’s information for more relevant follow-up communications. On average, 47% of millennials went to a business website because of direct mail.
5. Content Marketing
Content marketing is a more recent lead-generation method. The first blog came out in 1994. Since then, blogging has become the norm for many businesses and even some individuals.
Blog content, websites, and social media are valuable lead-generation channels for reaching, nurturing, and converting leads.
With the influx of blogs and content come challenges, especially remaining visible among the ocean of online content. Traditional blogging and content marketing strategies are no longer enough to gain leads. Businesses now need to update to the latest and best B2B lead generation tools to keep up with demand.
Hushly allows you to auto-fill dozens of SEO details to improve your online visibility for the right audience.
In addition, Hushly allows you to create content once and personalize it endlessly for each audience. Now, visitors can find content that relates directly to them, which will help you stand out from the masses and capture attention easier.
6. Lead Generation Forms
Lead generation forms collect lead information so you can begin the lead nurturing process. Traditional lead generation included long forms that asked detailed questions about the lead. That information was necessary to understand who the lead was so you could personalize your nurturing campaigns. You also needed that information to qualify the lead and know whether they meet your ideal customer profile.
While forms are necessary for capturing information, long forms can discourage leads from filling them out.
Hushly’s B2B lead generation software tool offers a modern way to capture leads. We replaced long forms with simple 2-3 field forms. These forms only capture basic information, such as a business email and name.
Our AI tools collect the rest of the information you need based on user behavior and traffic sources. Our AI-powered short-form fields are more effective for understanding leads because we can ascertain a user’s intent and interests instead of just their contact information. You can use this advanced data to create highly personalized experiences for those leads.
Time to Upgrade Your B2B Lead Generation Tools
Is your lead generation changing with the times? Are you using the best lead generation tools for B2B businesses?
Use Hushly’s AI-powered tools to create more personalized omnichannel campaigns in minutes. Our platform is user-friendly, with no coding experience required. Yet, it’s packed with AI power for scaling and reaching leads wherever they are, using the latest strategies.
Schedule a demo to maximize the return from your lead generation efforts.
