B2B lead generation can feel like a difficult code to unlock.  Fortunately, you’re about to get some ideas on how to generate qualified leads with your content marketing efforts. Here are just a few of the insights I got about B2B growth marketing during a recent chat with David Cardiel, Head of Growth at Cision. What is lead generation? David Cardiel In short, lead generation is how you attract and convert customers who have shown interest in your service.  Lead generation is not about buying email lists and spamming people, although a lot of people think it is. And it used to be about how well you leveraged paid media to generate interest in your products or services. But technology has really changed the process today.  Today, we’re all about AI and data. “We can tell you exactly what they’re doing on your website and can help increase the quality and the volume. We can help influence what you want people to be doing there.”  5 solutions for lead qualification and successful B2B marketing There are more gems in the interview, but these are the tips that really resonated with me. If you’re looking to simplify your lead qualification process, start here: 1. Categorize your leads This doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as easy as: Tier 1: Qualified leads: These people are shopping on the website and asking for demos.Tier 2: Everyone else: People that come in from events, webinars, chats, etc.  2. Take weight off the sales team Set your sales team up for success by creating a team of marketing reps who know how to generate leads for B2B companies and who can qualify those inbound leads. Set up a 5-minute Service Level Agreement (SLA) for outreach with a scoring model that helps the team see who has the highest propensity to convert. 3. Personalize your marketing “How are we going to speak the language of nonprofits, high-tech...travel and tourism?” David asks.  You can do it, but you probably shouldn’t try to cover all the bases at the same time.  Structure your one-to-many campaign down to a one-to-few or one-to-one approach. Take the time to create a different tactic for each sector and you’ll find yourself generating more - and more qualified leads. 4. Timing is everything Know the seasonality of things. B2B brands probably have a longer runway, but, in retail, there is a small window for marketing:  “We know we’ve got to kick off our retail campaigning in late May/early June…really after September, you’re not gonna get a hold of them. They’re too busy in the retail industry.” It’s important to time your marketing based on the busy seasons for each sector.  5. Monitor your social media  Look at who is sharing or re-tweeting your content.  “Are they coming back to your site through the links that you put out there? Can you track them appropriately?”  They should be treated like a potential buyer. Make sure you have a system in place to tag, monitor and segment this activity.  Wrapping up my thoughts on how to generate leads With a dedicated marketing rep team, you can gather information on qualified leads to take your business to the next level.  Make sure you are personalizing your outreach to ...