Die richtigen Leads anzuziehen und Verkäufe abzuschließen – darum geht es in Ihrem Unternehmen. Welche Taktiken zur Leadgenerierung werden Ihnen also im Jahr 2025 die meisten Leads bringen? Hier sind die 8 effektivsten Leadgenerierungs-Strategien.
Lead generation is about engaging your target audience to the point where they want to give you their contact information.
However, this engagement and maintenance process is not something you set up once and then forget. Instead, it is an ongoing strategy that needs to be refined. Why? Because popular culture and the rules of engagement change every year in parallel with the evolution of technology. After all, consumer:in preferences also change from year to year. Therefore, your lead generation strategies need to be regularly adapted accordingly.
According to surveys, B2B salespeople consider lead generation to be the biggest challenge in the entire sales process. In a survey conducted by CRM provider HubSpot 42 percent of the sales managers surveyed stated that the acquisition of leads - i.e. information about potential customers - was one of the most important tasks for them.
For this reason, in this article we will take a closer look at how B2B lead generation works and show you 8 unbeatable methods for your B2B marketing. But first, let's define a few important terms or at least recall their meaning.
What is a B2B lead?
The term "lead" is derived from the English word "to lead" and refers to a new contact generated by any kind of marketing activity. Speaking of "B2B lead": It is important to note that this lead is not a private person, but is acting on behalf of a company.
The contact details that make up a B2B lead depend on the company's individual definition. For example, a B2B lead can consist of a name, a business email address, the company name and/or a phone number.
Besides this data, the lead must have the potential to become a new customer. The best indicator of being a promising lead is when someone aka a company shows interest in your product and content. Let's say a:e visitor:in downloads a whitepaper from your website or asks for prices - this is a clear sign that a business has a demand or need that the person interacting with you wants to solve with your product.
What are MQL and SQL?
A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a lead who has shown interest in your offer as a result of your marketing campaigns or is highly likely to become a customer for other reasons. A good example of an MQL would be a lead who downloaded a whitepaper on your website.
An MQL is usually a very promising lead. This is because such a lead is more likely to be ready for a sales conversation than a lead who has not voluntarily shared his or her data with you through a download. With this type of lead, you can therefore be fairly sure that he or she is interested in your offer.
By submitting data, MQL has taken the first step towards becoming a customer. Behind this, however, is not yet a clear purchase intention. Before MQLs are passed on to sales, they must first accept the status as SQL, Sales Qualified Lead.
A SQL is a lead that is ready to be contacted by sales representatives. The lead becomes an SQL either through lead nurturing or a direct purchase intent (e.g. by requesting a demo). Sales Qualified Leads save your sales force valuable time because a SQL is considered a truly relevant lead.
How does B2B lead generation work?
Now that you know what a B2B lead is and why lead generation is essential for efficient sales, let's get straight to the point: what exactly is B2B lead generation and how does it work?
B2B lead generation describes the process of acquiring prospective customers for a product or service. B2B leads are usually acquired through various marketing measures. Marketing measures include, for example Content marketing or advertising. You can include checklists and trial versions in your free content so that leads are generated directly before readers even click on your product page.
The trick is that your readers don't get these "extras" for free. If they want to download the checklist or test your product, they have to fill out a so-called lead form before they receive anything. This lead form is your gateway to data that is essential for a B2B lead. When creating a lead form, however, you must be careful not to overwhelm your potential lead!
You should always ask yourself the following questions:
- What data do you absolutely need?
- Which data can you subsequently enrich with external data?
- How much data is a person willing to give away in return for a white paper or a test account?
As a rule of thumb, the less data you ask for in your lead form, the higher the conversion.
Only when a person has voluntarily provided their data do they get access to the "extras" - and you have generated a B2B lead with the contact data provided. There are many different ways in which you can generate B2B leads. We have summarised 8 different types of lead generation for you here. Are you ready?
Practical example: B2B lead generation at WEKA Industrie Medien
WEKA Industrie Medien provides a current example from practice. The specialist media publisher uses webinars and whitepapers specifically to generate high-quality B2B leads, focusing on a customised approach. With access to an exclusive database of over 180,000 decision-makers and a granular target group selection, they minimise wastage and maximise the quality of the leads. As a media company with extensive sector expertise in automotive, industry and construction/building technology, they ensure that only the most qualified leads are generated.
Their recipe for success is based on a deep understanding of target group needs and the provision of targeted content that arouses the interest of potential customers. This strategic approach ensures high lead quality with minimised wastage, making the process more efficient and effective and serving as an exemplary model in the industry.
WEKA Industrie Medien shows how effective lead generation works in B2B. For its customers, the publisher uses its exclusive database and targeted content to generate high-quality leads in sectors such as automotive and industry. Here you will find more information on the approaches.
Content marketing at the centre of lead generation
Über 90 % der B2B-Kaufprozesse beginnen mit einer Online-Suche. Als Kommunikationsdisziplin steht Content Marketing daher im Zentrum der digitalen Leadgenerierung. Zielgruppengerechten Content zu produzieren und über geeignete Kommunikationskanäle zu verbreiten, hat sich in den letzten Jahren als die effektivste und damit beliebteste Lead-Quelle erwiesen.
In content marketing, a company's own website is of particular importance. Individual pages, so-called landing pages, provide interested parties with valuable content and give them the desired information about a company and its product. Therefore, you should pay special attention to optimising your landing pages.
On the one hand, landing pages must meet the highest usability standards, on the other hand, they should be SEO-optimised. If potential customers need a solution to their problem and your article or landing page could help them, it is best if your landing page ranks well. The better the findability of a content offer and the easier the access, the higher the probability of reaching your target customers.
All formats have basic characteristics in common: they contain comprehensive, specialised information that offers consumers a recognisable benefit and added value.
Whitepaper as a popular lead generation tool
In B2B, spontaneous purchasing decisions are rare. Instead, interested parties first obtain comprehensive information before they even consider a product.
Therefore Whitepaper a proven method for generating B2B leads. With whitepapers, you can support the research process and demonstrate professional expertise. Give your target customers relevant information that justifies receiving a business email address in return.
You should include some kind of reference to your product in your offered content, as this is the first and basic step of lead qualification: An interested reader will automatically come into contact with your product, even though it is not the focus of your white paper.
Webinars generate leads, especially in B2B
In B2B, products or services usually require more advice than in B2C. Prospective customers like to compare several providers and products before buying. They want to get a feeling for whether they are investing in the right tool or not.
If you are a provider of a Webinar to generate leads, you can present your product to several people at the same time, show benefits and areas of application and answer questions. This is your chance to spotlight the best aspects of your product and all the benefits that customers can expect from it - don't waste this opportunity!
Participation in a webinar is usually not as time-consuming and registration is easier than with an online demo - including higher conversion rates! The lead generation takes place with the registration of the interested parties, who in return can participate in the webinar free of charge.
Boost your B2B marketing with targeted webinars: Learn how to encourage interactivity and generate qualified leads. Visit our page for detailed information and strategies on how to use webinars effectively. Click here for proven webinar approaches.
Blogs pick up leads at the top and middle of the funnel
A Blog is an excellent way to generate B2B leads. Try not to focus too much on marketing your product or service there, but support your target group with relevant content. Position yourself as an expert on your topic and build trust with potential customers. When it comes to making a purchase decision, they already know your product and will be more receptive to making a purchase.
It is important that you provide content that your target group also searches for on Google or other search engines. Optimising your articles based on key terms or search queries is the key here if you want to prevent your competitors from taking the lead. Improve your rankings on Google and you will achieve more visibility with your target group, get more views and - you guessed it - more leads.
In den Artikeln selbst können Sie Checklisten, Blueprints oder sonstiges zum Download anbieten und über diese sogenannten Lead-Magnete B2B-Leads generieren. Interaktive Inhalte wie ROI-Rechner, Quizze oder interaktive Webinare erzeugen ebenfalls ein höheres Engagement. Diese Inhalte animieren Nutzer dazu, sich aktiv mit einer Marke auseinanderzusetzen, wodurch die Wahrscheinlichkeit steigt, dass sie ihre Kontaktdaten hinterlassen.
Deepen your understanding of B2B lead generation through the use of corporate blogs. In our article, you will learn how they function as an effective element of B2B content marketing: Corporate blogs as a success factor in B2B content marketing.
Identification of web visitors as leads
If you have the contact details of someone who has shown interest by asking for your product or service, they are considered a B2B lead.
Every day visitors come to your website - unfortunately not every one of them downloads your white paper, asks for prices or books a demo. This person is still interested in you! They have already shown interest in your product - they just haven't responded yet. The next step is to figure out how to interact with them.
The question is: How do you find out who has visited your website? The solution is called visitor identification! There are tools that reveal the IP addresses of your website visitors and tell you which companies are potentially interested in your product. This gives you B2B leads that you might otherwise have missed.
In addition, these tools often show other relevant company data such as employees and contact details. Especially exciting: IP recognition and visitor tracking tell you exactly which of your pages were visited and how often. This way, you can easily prioritise the next steps and the sales approach with the respective visitors.
Social selling: lead generation in social networks
Especially in B2B LinkedIn is an absolute must-have. Not only will you find lots of useful content here, but you can also take action yourself.
On the one hand, you can build a network by providing relevant content and seeking exchange with your target group. With a little diligence, you can position yourself as an expert on your specific topic. The goal is that prospects will approach you or someone will recommend you because you have already achieved a certain visibility on a specific topic.
On the other hand, you can still post about other relevant content such as webinars, more exciting insights on your blog or topics on your company website. This increases the perception of your company - and you gain more leads!
Social media is becoming increasingly relevant for B2B lead generation - don't miss out on this development!
Advertising and traffic generation
Effective lead generation with the help of content marketing follows clear steps. First, you need to capture the attention of your target customers: A detailed and carefully planned analysis of your target group provides you with the necessary information.
Then see which media are suitable for which target group. You should find out which channels appeal best to certain groups: Touchpoints include social media and search engines. If you know which touchpoints are most important to your prospects, you can place ads and drive traffic to them.
Google Ads as a lead magnet
As a supplement to the general Search engine optimisation of its own content, the strategic use of Google Ads proven. When your target customers search for specific topics or problems, they automatically find adverts for your content, which in turn generate leads. In search engine marketing, a link always leads to your landing page.
Here the content - for example a white paper - is described in more detail. In the next step, you have to "seduce" the prospect to get to the closed content (e.g. a checklist) or a lead form (e.g. price lists).
As already mentioned, in most cases a business email address is sufficient for a lead form. Of course, it is always helpful to have as much information as possible from a lead. However, the danger remains that your target customers will be put off by a lead form that asks for too much information and will then cancel the registration.
LinkedIn adverts for B2B leads
B2B lead generation via Social media is different. LinkedIn in particular is of great importance in B2B, although Facebook and Instagram offer comparable opportunities that can be considered in B2C. You can direct your target customers to an external landing page via a link in social media. These platforms save you time and money, significantly increasing the efficiency of your marketing measures.
On LinkedIn there are so-called Lead Gen Forms with which you can create ads, sponsored content or sponsored InMails with a call-to-action. With one click, the user's profile data, name, contact details, company, position, job title and location are transferred to a form and, for example, a linked e-book is released for download. The most important information for lead qualification is the name of the company. Regardless of the person filling out the registration form, this provides the basis for further research.
The data collected via Lead Gen Forms can be downloaded directly from your LinkedIn account and even transferred directly into your preferred CRM system.
Erfolgreiche Leadgenerierung funktioniert jedoch am besten über mehrere Kanäle hinweg. Ein durchdachter Cross-Channel-Ansatz integriert E-Mail-Marketing, Social Media, Website-Content und bezahlte Werbung zu einer einheitlichen Strategie. So kann ein potenzieller Lead beispielsweise über eine LinkedIn-Anzeige auf ein Whitepaper aufmerksam werden, das per E-Mail nachverfolgt wird.
Native advertising supports lead generation
Advertising has received rather negative attention in recent years, especially in B2B. Even the largest advertising budgets no longer achieve the response that advertisers were used to. Quite a few experts even predict the end of classic advertising. At the same time, trust in independent content is growing. Editorially prepared information on companies, products and services is given the attention that is often denied to advertising today.
Native advertising, for example the offer of the US company Taboola, combines the goals of advertising with the basic principles and possibilities of editorial reporting.
Today, advertisements can be found as native ads targeted on blogs, in newsletters or on news sites and in social media. Of course, they have been adapted visually and stylistically to editorial formats. As teasers, they consist only of excerpts and link to landing pages of the clients.
With ads you can create trust, which can be used on the landing page through clever design. Attractively designed advertorials attract attention and help you generate new leads.
Künstliche Intelligenz in der B2B-Leadgenerierung
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if you no longer had to wait for leads? If you could simply approach companies that are similar to your existing customers?
Wir haben Neuigkeiten für Sie: Das geht! Mithilfe von künstlicher Intelligenz können Sie eine Kund:innenliste hochladen und die KI spuckt Ihnen eine Liste ähnlicher Unternehmen aus. Diese Unternehmen werden auch B2B-Lookalikes genannt. Lookalikes haben bestimmte oder die gleichen Eigenschaften wie die Unternehmen, die Sie als Basis eingegeben haben.
You can use B2B lookalikes for cold calling or even for advertising. Often you already have suitable sales stories or use cases that make it easy for you to convince prospects of your product.
For more information, benefits and best practices of B2B lookalikes, see our article "Find similar companies: How to generate relevant leads with Lookalikes".
Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) hat sich in den letzten Jahren als Game-Changer für das B2B-Marketing erwiesen. Insbesondere in der Leadgenerierung ermöglicht KI personalisierte Ansprachen, indem sie Muster im Verhalten potenzieller Kund:innen erkennt und Inhalte individuell ausspielt. Unternehmen, die KI nutzen, können relevante Inhalte gezielt bereitstellen, um höhere Conversion Rates zu erzielen. Automatisierte Lead-Scoring-Systeme helfen zudem, potenzielle Kund:innen schneller zu identifizieren und priorisieren.
Optimierung für Sprachsuche
Bis 2025 erfolgen rund 50 % aller Suchanfragen per Sprachbefehl. Daher sollten B2B-Unternehmen ihre Inhalte für die Sprachsuche optimieren. Dies umfasst die Anpassung von Keywords an natürliche Sprache und die Optimierung von Inhalten für Featured Snippets in Suchmaschinen. Wer sich frühzeitig darauf einstellt, verbessert seine Auffindbarkeit und steigert die Chancen, von potenziellen Leads gefunden zu werden.
Blockchain-Technologie zur Lead-Verifizierung
Datenqualität ist eine der größten Herausforderungen in der B2B-Leadgenerierung. Durch Blockchain-Technologie können Unternehmen die Echtheit und Herkunft von Leads nachvollziehen, was das Vertrauen in die Daten erhöht. Smart Contracts ermöglichen eine transparente Verifikation von Leads, die sich insbesondere für Branchen mit strengen Datenschutzanforderungen als vorteilhaft erweist.
Cross-Channel-Ansätze für eine bessere Leadgenerierung
Erfolgreiche Leadgenerierung funktioniert über mehrere Kanäle hinweg. Ein durchdachter Cross-Channel-Ansatz integriert E-Mail-Marketing, Social Media, Website-Content und bezahlte Werbung zu einer einheitlichen Strategie. So kann ein potenzieller Lead beispielsweise über eine LinkedIn-Anzeige auf ein Whitepaper aufmerksam werden, das per E-Mail nachverfolgt wird.
Personalisierte E-Mail-Kampagnen durch maschinelles Lernen
E-Mail-Marketing ist nach wie vor eine der effektivsten Strategien im B2B-Bereich. Mithilfe von maschinellem Lernen lassen sich Kampagnen jedoch noch besser personalisieren. KI analysiert das Verhalten von Empfängern und optimiert den Versandzeitpunkt, die Betreffzeile und den Inhalt automatisch, um die Conversion Rate zu maximieren.
Conclusion: How to excel in B2B lead generation
Leads are the basis for any business success in B2B. Without reliable information about potential customers, you are in the dark and leave the results largely to chance. With strategic planning, it is possible to gather information about potential prospects and generate leads.
Define your target audience, analyse their customer journey and determine touchpoints - then you will understand when to capture the attention of prospects and how to convert them into leads with clever advertising and strategic content marketing.
Your goal should be to use existing aids and tools in such a way that lead generation delivers optimal results in terms of quality and quantity. In addition to the continuous generation of new leads, you should also include the enrichment and qualification of leads in your lead process.
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