1. Optimize Your Website for the Right Key Terms

Over 80% of people looking for a product or service begin that search online. Are you positioned to be found?  The number of technology companies that either do not have a website or have one that is not up to par is quite surprising.  Take the time to create a professional looking website—after all, it is your virtual business card.

Make sure the content of your website uses SEO (search engine optimization) tactics that optimize the pages to appear in search results for related keyword terms and phrases. Incorporating the right keywords and internal linking structure to your product pages, blogs, and pillar content turns your website into an inbound marketing tool that ensures when a potential customer is looking for a “POS system” in your area, your business will be found.

2. Create Educational Content

More than 95% of first-time visitors to your website are not ready to buy. They are in the information gathering, problem solving or research phase.  In order to keep your brand top of mind to customers in this stage of the buying cycle, develop content like whitepapers, e-books and checklists that are free educational assets. These materials should present value so that individuals at the top of the sales funnel are willing to fill out a form to download the resource. While developing educational and informative content takes time, having assets like this on your website will position your company as an industry thought leader. Additionally, your business will capture POS lead opportunities that otherwise may have gone unnoticed, allowing your team to nurture them down the sales funnel.

3. Execute Outbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is a tactic that carries your message to a broader audience in hopes you can connect your brand with new potential prospects—or strengthen your presence with current ones. Outbound marketing casts a wider net, and allows you to potentially reach an audience you may not have targeted before. Outbound strategies can include sales literature, email campaigns, digital advertisements (social, pay-per-click, etc.), video demonstrations, and showcasing your products and services at a trade show.

4. Benefit from Manufacturer and ISV Relationships

Vendors are usually a great source for POS lead referrals. Take the time to understand what your business may need to do to receive leads. Realize that your ability to receive leads may rely on networking and relationships you have with manufacturer and ISV partners. The downside: many vendors require that you follow up on leads handed off and report feedback, so make the effort to do so or your lead source may quickly dry up.

5. Use Pay per Lead Programs

There are several companies whose primary business is to generate online leads for POS systems (and other product categories) and sell those leads for profit.  Often, these lead generation companies allow customers to build a profile of the type of lead they are interested in purchasing. Filters can be set so that leads can be purchased in a certain geographic region, by business type (think retail, restaurant, etc.), or by product interest (think hardware, software, total system).  In addition, any POS leads purchased that have false contact information like a bad phone number, contact, etc. can be returned for credit.  The downside: many of your competitors may be also be purchasing these leads—which can lead to potential price wars and lower margins.

6. Leverage LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn is the ideal social network to capture POS leads if you are social-savvy. Make sure you have an individual profile and a business profile that is professional and easy to read. Then begin cultivating your connections, and engaging with clients, networks, and groups. Keep your conversations meaningful and celebrate the successes of those in your network. Leverage LinkedIn’s article tool to further the reach of your blog content to a wide network, while growing your own credibility as an industry expert.

7. Develop Strategic Partnerships

Most resellers are geographic in nature, typically cultivating opportunities in a certain city, state, or region.  Have you ever considered developing strategic partnerships with other companies that offer supplies or services to retailers or restaurants in your area? Often in the sales cycle, a new business will purchase equipment, merchandise, and supplies to kick start their operations first. What typically comes last is technology.  Create partnerships with retail store and restaurant equipment suppliers.  They are good sources for new stores, store redesigns, and POS system leads.

8. Offer Direct Engagement

The way you engage with your POS leads is important to your success. Many resellers choose indirect engagement, like a FAQ page where customers can look up the information they need. While this is still helpful, it would be wise to consider a more direct approach like a chat box. Customers can ask the questions they need and get the answers immediately without having to sift through a list of questions. This also allows you to provide better customer service and foster relationships built on trust right off the bat.

9. Discover Marketing Automation

There are innovative tools that can help you automatically generate more POS leads and then market targeted messages to those leads. Since POS system sales cycles are lengthy in duration, keeping your products and messaging at the forefront of your potential customers is key. Marketing automation allows you to easily and “automatically” send specific messages to a targeted audience based on actions they have taken on your website. Send follow up emails, encourage further engagement, and build trust in your brand easily and effectively.

10. Know When to Ask for Help

Implementing any of the above strategies can go a long way towards capturing POS leads. It’s also critical that you are consistent with your efforts. You can’t just send out one or two emails and expect a full sales funnel. Using a combination of these methods in your marketing strategy will maximize your chances of not only generating more leads, but ultimately closing the sale. It can be a full-time job in itself to keep up with these strategies. If you don’t have the in-house resources to market yourself the way you want, seek out an agency that specializes in your industry.

SkyRocket Group has over fifteen years’ worth of experience in marketing for the point of sale and payments industries. As an agency specializing in technology solutions, we not only speak your language, but help make your brand, products, and services easy to find, and hard to forget. For more information on how you can boost your marketing efforts and capture more POS leads, contact SkyRocket Group today!

The post 10 Proven Tactics for Generating POS Leads appeared first on SkyRocket Group.

Lead generation is the lifeblood of growth. Companies big and small need to generate leads to expand their roster, grow revenue, and build connections. But to take your business to new heights, a comprehensive B2B enterprise lead generation strategy can help you land top-tier clients.

There’s no single definition of an enterprise client. In general, these are the largest companies in your market. They are usually million or billion-dollar companies with 1,000+ employees and are often listed in the Fortune 500.

Compared to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), enterprise clients have unique needs and decision-making processes. We explore the unique challenges of seeking enterprise leads—and the lead generation tactics that can help you with your quest to sign big accounts.

Develop a List of Target Organizations

When considering an enterprise lead generation strategy, you must institute a systematic, strategic approach that begins with a list of target clients. Effective lead generation requires an account-based marketing (ABM) approach—a strategy targeting an industry’s select group of accounts. 

Here are some strategies for creating your list:

• Identify significant opportunities: In your industry or vertical, identify the organizations known for their reach, influence, or market presence. You probably know many of the major players already!
• Start with existing leads and contacts: Research your existing leads, book of business, or past customers or prospects. This can give you a sense of how much of the industry market share you have contact information for. And don’t discount contacts from a previous lead generation funnel. Some may have grown into enterprise-level clients, and others may have relevant connections.  
• Build a custom database: Both free and paid AI tools can build a database of target leads by size and industry tailored to your ideal prospects. You can also purchase contact lists from brokers or partner with industry associations to target their membership. 
• Create detailed profiles: Once you’ve compiled your list of target organizations, create a detailed profile including company size, industry, decision-makers, and the pain points they face. This will allow you to craft personalized marketing and sales strategies and show the prospect that you’ve done your homework!
  

Have Targeted Content at the Ready

According to survey data from Databox, the average length of a B2B sale is roughly 1-3 months. Every deal is different, but that’s usually not the case with enterprise lead generation. Large organizations often make decisions slowly, so it’s more likely a lead generation funnel time of 6-12 months.

To generate interest at every point in an extended sales cycle, you need content that speaks to decision-makers at every phase of the buyer’s journey. The content that appeals to a prospect right after being introduced to you is different from what might convince someone to choose between you and your competitor after months of research.

Valuable, sales-driven content includes:

• Educational blog posts, buyer’s guides, checklists, and instructional ebooks to establish thought leadership
• Case studies and testimonials that outline relevant, real-life examples of your work
• Comparison guides around your unique selling points 
• Easy-to-access demo or pricing information for the decision stage

Include topics that speak specifically to large organizations, like data security, scalability, international expansion, or supporting and maintaining a large technology stack.

Reach the Right People

Now comes the most challenging part of enterprise lead generation: reaching the people who make the decisions. Securing enterprise clients often involves gaining approval from not only key members of the C-suite, but also key influencers inside their circle. 

Digital approaches like email and social media (both paid and organic) are a great way to reach your target audience. LinkedIn search functionality is beneficial for reaching out to leads, as it lets you target your search by criteria such as:

• Job title
• Profile keywords
• Seniority level
• Years of experience at the organization

Don’t count out face-to-face interactions for a cohesive multi-channel enterprise lead generation approach. Trade shows, conferences, and industry association events can help you meet prospective clients and connections.

And you can’t expect to land big clients by blasting out identical, generic introduction messages to potential contacts. It’s important to understand the pain points of each role and personalize your messaging. An IT director will have different needs than someone in operations or marketing.

Different people reach marketing in various ways. Your comprehensive, multichannel approach should cover all the bases—whether it’s in person, online, or in print. 

Track Progress and Refine Strategy

The legendary marketer and author Peter Drucker said it best: “If you can’t measure it, you can’t change it.” Continued lead generation success requires continuously improving your approach by evaluating the tactics that are working.

Marketing attribution lets you assign value to each touchpoint in the customer journey, helping you identify the channels that bring in the most qualified leads and allocate resources more effectively. Modern marketing automation software allows you to assign a score to leads based on marketing activity. This allows your sales team to determine your most active prospects.

With A/B testing, you can experiment with different elements of your campaigns—like email subject lines, calls-to-action, or opening paragraphs. By testing different versions against each other, you can find out what’s working. 

Remember that enterprise lead generation also hinges on effective brand awareness. So don’t count out your day-to-day marketing activities like social media, blogging, and digital ads. 

And don’t worry if your efforts aren’t bearing fruit right away. Most enterprise lead generation funnels are long cycles, and success in landing clients requires persistence.

Technology Lead Generation Help From the Experts

In short: you need to define your targets, define your messaging, and hone an integrated approach to appeal to the right people. Taking these steps will increase your chances of landing the major account that can take your business to new heights. Enterprise leads take more resources to nurture—but it’s worth the time and effort when you succeed.

Are you looking for some enterprise lead generation support? SkyRocket Group’s inbound marketing experts can help you with a digital content strategy that will deliver the right message at the right time to potential leads. We specialize in technology lead generation, but the principles outlined in this blog apply to all types of businesses!

The post Discover Ways to Enhance Enterprise Lead Generation appeared first on SkyRocket Group.