Run a Google search and you’ll find endless companies that exist for the sole purpose of lead generation.
Some of them sell lists of email addresses and companies. Others claim to have secret formulas worked out to generate leads if you hand over big bucks.
The truth is, you only need a few key tools to earn more leads: relevant content marketing and AI for lead generation.
Why is AI So Important for B2B Lead Generation?
Artificial intelligence creates the experience your leads and prospects expect. In our increasingly digital world, experience matters: 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is just as important as the product or service itself.
It’s no surprise then that 70% of high-performing marketing teams have a fully defined AI strategy. Across the board, AI use has surged from just 28% of marketers using it in 2018 to 84% in 2020.
We’re only in the infancy stages of adopting AI, too. Imagine what marketing will look like in another 10 or 20 years.
For now, try to concentrate your use of AI where it’s needed most. Don’t adopt new martech just for the sake of saying you have it.
1. AI in Lead Generation Reduces the Headache of Scoring
Lead scoring is typically a tedious and drawn-out process. Every marketing analyst has their own set of criteria.
You simply can’t analyze every little detail as you score leads. At some point, information overload takes hold and you’re forced to pick and choose the most important factors like link clicks or email opens.
Artificial intelligence never gets overloaded or tired. It can sort through massive datasets 24/7 without trouble. Plus, AI gets better at its job the longer it goes at it, thanks to machine learning.
AI tools for scoring often pick up on finer details most humans would overlook. As a result, AI-driven lead scoring is far more accurate, and you can use the data to target future leads.
2. It Reduces Your Website Bounce Rate and Increases Engagement
What does your website bounce rate look like?
If you’re like most, probably not too great. Average bounce rates vary widely by industry. However, if you rely on social media for most of your traffic, your bounce rate might be over 50%.
A low bounce rate matters because it shows people are interested in your content, products, and company.
High engagement produces lower bounce rates. The longer someone stays on your website, the more likely they are to convert into a lead and self-nurture.
Most leads won’t give you an email address or contact your sales team until they’re sure you’re a good fit. They want to research on their own.
An AI engine uses your content to create an experience that mimics that of Amazon, Spotify, or Netflix. Several algorithms work on top of each other to study the behavior of every visitor and offer personalized content recommendations.
Plus, the AI system is designed to recommend content assets that guide leads down the sales funnel – before they ever hand over an email address or speak to anyone on your sales team.
Not only will visitors stay on your page longer, but they’ll also self-nurture because they’ll consume more content each session.
3. Artificial Intelligence Lets You Collect Better Information on Leads
Most B2Bs have more data than they could ever sort through in a lifetime. For others, valuable data is stuck in siloes.
Artificial intelligence helps you pool your data from several sources. Plus, it draws better insights from your data so you can learn more about your leads, visitors, and customers.
You can focus less time on generating new leads and more time identifying possible customer churn before it happens. AI in lead generation is nice, but it’s always better to increase a single client’s CLV instead of acquiring a new lead.
4. AI Creates a Hyper-Personalized Experience for B2B Lead Generation
Personalization isn’t a top-of-the-line feature reserved for Fortune 500s anymore. Today’s young B2B buyers expect a hyper-personalized experience everywhere they go online – including your B2B lead generation website.
AI provides several tools for you to generate and nurture leads not with just a segmented or somewhat personalized experience, but also a 100% personalized experience for every visitor.
Here are a few ways you can use AI to improve your lead generation:
- Adaptive content hubs: This is like a shot of steroids for your blog. Instead of scrolling through a catalog of blogs organized by data, you can organize by any vertical or pain point you choose. Once someone starts browsing, the algorithms take over, studying their behavior and offering personalized suggestions.
- Self-nurturing landing pages: The average buyer consumes at least 13 pieces of content from a single vendor before making their decision. Self-nurturing landing pages let your visitors binge relevant content until they’re ready to hand over their email address.
- Exit-intent popups: Instead of asking visitors to submit their email addresses as they try to leave, remind them of why they visited your website in the first place with personalized content suggestions.
5. AI Keeps Your Data Clean
Most organizations – 80% – are expected to abandon their personalization strategies by 2025 due to poor ROI. The culprit? Bad data.
In fact, every piece of incorrect data in your system costs $100.
Segmenting prospects, scoring leads, and developing content all require high-quality data. When your intel is incorrect, missing fields, or outdated, it impacts all your marketing objectives.
Artificial intelligence ensures you only collect accurate data from the beginning. When a lead enters your system, AI scans public sources, like LinkedIn, to verify their company, job role, and contact information.
You never have to worry about bad data again.
Implement an AI Engine and Watch Lead Conversions Skyrocket by 51%
Adding an AI engine to your site lets you take advantage of high-level personalization to generate leads, nurture leads, and build customer loyalty.
Tech-driven tools like adaptive content hubs, exit-intent popups, and self-nurturing landing pages organize your incredible content and put it to smart use.
What would you do with an AI engine on your site? See it in action now for inspiration.
