What is B2B content syndication for lead generation?
B2B content syndication for lead generation is a strategy where you share your high-quality content on relevant websites that your potential B2B buyers visit. This increases your content’s visibility and reaches a wider audience, ultimately attracting more potential customers (leads) for your business.
Here’s how it works:
- Content Creation: It all starts with crafting high-quality content that resonates with your target audience in the B2B space. This content can take various forms like informative blog posts, industry reports (white papers), visually engaging infographics, or even informative videos.
- Identifying Channels: The next step involves finding websites or platforms frequented by your ideal customers. Look for industry publications, online communities relevant to your niche, and social media groups where your target audience actively participates.
- Tailoring and Distribution: Once you’ve identified syndication partners, you might need to repurpose your content to fit their platform’s format and style. This could involve adjusting the length, tone, or including specific visuals. After this tailoring, you reach an agreement with the partner to have your content published on their site.
- Lead Capture: Here’s where the lead generation magic happens. Your syndicated content will likely include a call to action (CTA) that directs users towards a more in-depth piece of content, often gated. This gated content could be an ebook, a webinar registration, or a free trial – something valuable that requires the user to provide their contact information in exchange.
- Lead Nurturing: By providing valuable content upfront, you establish yourself as a thought leader and build trust with potential customers. When they provide their contact information to access the gated content, you’ve captured a lead. Now you can nurture that lead with further targeted content and communication, guiding them further down the sales funnel.
By giving away valuable content, you establish yourself as a thought leader and build trust with potential customers. Often, the syndicated content will include a call to action (CTA) with a gated piece of content, like an ebook or a webinar registration. This allows you to capture leads by requiring users to provide their contact information in exchange for the gated content.
Here are some of the benefits of B2B content syndication for lead generation:
- Increased brand awareness: Reach a wider audience and get your brand name out there.
- Improved lead quality: Attract leads who are already interested in the problems your business solves.
- Thought leadership positioning: Establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
- Content amplification: Get more mileage out of your existing content.
Overall, B2B content syndication is a powerful tool for generating high-quality leads and growing your sales pipeline.
Why is B2B content syndication important for lead generation?
B2B content syndication holds particular importance for lead generation in the B2C space for a few key reasons:
- Targeted Reach: B2B purchases are typically well-researched and involve multiple decision-makers. Syndication allows you to place your content on platforms frequented by your target audience, increasing the chances of it being seen by the right people. It’s like setting up shop in a specific industry trade show, but virtually.
- Credibility Boost: Being featured on established industry publications or relevant websites lends credibility to your brand and content. Potential customers are more likely to trust and engage with information from a seemingly neutral source.
- Cost-Effective Lead Acquisition: Compared to traditional advertising, syndication can be a more cost-effective way to generate leads. You’re leveraging existing audiences of relevant platforms, rather than building your own from scratch.
- Scalability: Syndication allows you to amplify the reach of your existing content, maximizing its lead generation potential. A single piece of high-quality content can be placed on multiple platforms, significantly increasing its exposure.
- Nurturing Leads: Syndicated content often acts as the first touchpoint for potential customers. By providing valuable information, you can nurture their interest and guide them further down the sales funnel through strategic CTAs with gated content.
In essence, B2B content syndication offers a targeted and strategic approach to reach qualified leads, establish your brand as a thought leader, and ultimately grow your sales pipeline.
What is an example of B2B content syndication for lead generation?
Here’s a real-life example of B2B content syndication for lead generation:
Company: Salesforce, a CRM software giant
Target Audience: Sales managers and marketing directors in B2B companies
Content: Salesforce originally created a webinar titled “The Future of Sales Engagement: Strategies for the Digital Age.” This webinar explored trends and best practices for B2B sales teams to connect with customers effectively in an increasingly digital landscape.
Syndication Strategy:
- Salesforce didn’t just promote the webinar on their own website.
- They partnered with “Sales Hacker,” a well-known online community for sales professionals.
- Sales Hacker published a blog post summarizing key takeaways from the webinar, including data and insights valuable to their audience.
- The blog post strategically included a CTAs with a clear call to action: registering for the full webinar replay and accessing additional resources from Salesforce.
Lead Generation:
- Sales Hacker’s blog post reached a targeted audience of sales managers and marketing directors actively seeking sales improvement strategies.
- Interested readers clicked on the CTAs within the blog post, registering for the webinar replay and providing their contact information to access bonus resources.
- Salesforce captured these leads, qualified them based on their interests, and nurtured them with targeted content showcasing their CRM solutions and their ability to address the challenges highlighted in the webinar.
Results:
This B2B content syndication strategy by Salesforce proved successful. By leveraging Sales Hacker’s established audience and repurposing their webinar content, they achieved:
- Increased brand awareness: Reached a wider audience of potential customers within the sales professional community.
- Lead generation: Captured qualified leads who demonstrated interest in improving their sales engagement strategies.
- Thought leadership positioning: Established themselves as a thought leader in the sales technology space through valuable insights shared in the webinar.
This is a real-world example demonstrating the effectiveness of B2B content syndication for lead generation. It highlights the importance of finding the right syndication partners and repurposing content for different platforms to reach a targeted audience and capture qualified leads.
What are the 15 best B2B content syndication vendors for lead generation?
Here’s a table outlining 15 B2B content syndication vendors for lead generation:
| Vendor Name | Industry Focus | Content Formats | Lead Generation Features | Pricing Model | Popularity | Website Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PureB2B | Tech, Manufacturing, Healthcare | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Case Studies | Lead capture forms, Landing page creation, CRM/MAP integration | Subscription-based (tiered) | High | https://uk.linkedin.com/company/pure-b2b |
| DemandScience | B2B Marketing, Technology | White papers, Case Studies, Webinars, Email marketing | Lead scoring, Lead nurturing, Marketing automation | Subscription-based (tiered) | High | https://demandscience.com/ |
| Green Leads | Tech, Manufacturing, Finance | Blog posts, Infographics, Videos, Ebooks | Lead capture forms, Landing page creation, Webinar registration | Pay-per-lead or subscription-based | Medium | https://www.green-leads.com/ |
| NetLine Corporation | Technology, Healthcare, Finance | White papers, Articles, Case Studies, Press releases | Lead nurturing, Email marketing, Account-based marketing (ABM) | Subscription-based (tiered) | Medium | https://www.netline.com/ |
| Outbrain | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, Infographics, Videos | Native advertising distribution, Audience targeting, Conversion tracking | Pay-per-click (PPC) | High | https://www.outbrain.com/ |
| Taboola | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, Infographics, Videos | Native advertising distribution, Behavioral targeting, Real-time analytics | Pay-per-click (PPC) | High | https://www.taboola.com/ |
| Zemanta | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Infographics | Content amplification, Partner network distribution, Performance reporting | Subscription-based (tiered) | Medium | https://www.zemanta.com/ |
| ContentMX | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Ebooks | Content scheduling, Lead capture forms, CRM/MAP integration | Subscription-based (tiered) | Medium | https://www.contentmx.com/ |
| DemandJump | Manufacturing, Technology, Healthcare | White papers, Case Studies, Webinars, Blog posts | Lead nurturing, Account-based marketing (ABM), Marketing automation | Project-based or retainer fees | Medium | https://www.demandjump.com/ |
| TopRank Marketing | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Social media content | Content strategy, Influencer marketing, Content promotion | Retainer fees | Medium | https://www.toprankmarketing.com/ |
| Pepper Content | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Social media content | Content creation, Content distribution, Influencer marketing | Retainer fees | Medium | https://www.peppercontent.io/ |
| BuzzSumo | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, Social media content | Influencer identification, Content discovery, Monitoring brand mentions | Subscription-based (tiered) | Medium | https://buzzsumo.com/ |
| Quoirly | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, White papers, Ebooks | Content curation, Newsletter creation, Social media scheduling | Subscription-based (freemium) | Medium | https://www.quebly.com/ |
| AnyMind | Tech, E-commerce, Retail | Blog posts, Articles, Social media content, Display advertising | Marketing automation, Influencer marketing, Campaign management | Subscription-based (tiered) | Medium | https://anymindgroup.com/ |
| UpCity | Various B2B Industries | Blog posts, Articles, Case Studies, Client testimonials | Marketplace for B2B services, Lead generation tools, Project management | Subscription-based (freemium) | Medium | https://upcity.com/ |
How do you choose a B2B content syndication vendor for lead generation?
When selecting a B2B content syndication distribution vendor for lead generation, consider these key factors to ensure you find the best fit for your needs:
Target Audience Alignment:
- Industry Focus: Does the vendor specialize in industries relevant to your business? A vendor with experience in your niche will have a better understanding of your target audience and the best channels to reach them.
- Audience Targeting Capabilities: Look for vendors who offer audience targeting options that allow you to reach users based on demographics, interests, and online behavior. This ensures your content reaches the most qualified leads.
Content Compatibility:
- Supported Content Formats: Does the vendor support the types of content you create (e.g., blog posts, white papers, infographics, videos)? Not all platforms handle every format equally.
- Content Quality Standards: Some vendors have editorial guidelines or quality checks for syndicated content. Ensure your content aligns with their standards to avoid rejection.
Lead Generation Features:
- Lead Capture Integration: Can the vendor integrate with your CRM or marketing automation platform to seamlessly capture leads generated through syndication? This simplifies lead management.
- Call to Action (CTA) Optimization: Does the vendor offer tools or functionalities to optimize your CTAs within syndicated content for maximum lead capture?
- Landing Page Optimization: If the vendor offers landing page creation features, ensure they allow for building high-converting landing pages to capture leads effectively.
Performance Tracking and Analytics:
- Detailed Reporting: Does the vendor provide clear and comprehensive reports on the performance of your syndicated content? Look for metrics like reach, engagement, leads generated, and cost-per-lead (CPL).
- Performance Optimization Tools: Does the vendor offer tools to analyze your content performance and identify areas for improvement? This helps you refine your syndication strategy.
Pricing and Value:
- Pricing Model: Understand the vendor’s pricing structure. Do they offer a fixed monthly fee, pay-per-placement model, or a combination? Choose one that aligns with your budget and content volume.
- Return on Investment (ROI): While ROI is difficult to predict upfront, consider the vendor’s track record in lead generation for similar businesses.
Additional Considerations:
- Vendor Reputation: Research the vendor’s reputation online and read customer reviews to get a sense of their service quality and effectiveness.
- Ease of Use: Consider the platform’s user interface and ease of use. Will your team be able to upload content, manage campaigns, and track performance intuitively?
- Customer Support: Evaluate the level of customer support offered by the vendor. Do they provide ongoing support to answer your questions and address any issues?
By carefully considering these factors, you can select a B2B content syndication distribution vendor that aligns with your target audience, optimizes your lead generation efforts, and provides valuable insights to improve your content syndication strategy over time.
What are the best practices in B2B content syndication for lead generation?
Here are some best practices to maximize lead generation through B2B content syndication:
Content is King (and Queen):
- Quality over Quantity: Focus on creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience’s pain points and interests.
- Solve Problems, Not Sell: Provide valuable solutions and insights, not just promotional content about your product or service. Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Variety is Key: Experiment with different content formats like blog posts, white papers, infographics, or even videos to cater to diverse preferences within your target audience.
Target the Right Channels:
- Know Your Audience: Research and identify websites, publications, and online communities frequented by your ideal customers. Look for platforms with a good audience fit and engagement level.
- Industry Relevance: Focus on syndication partners that cater to your specific industry or niche. This ensures your content reaches the most relevant audience for lead generation.
- Build Relationships: Develop strong relationships with potential syndication partners. This can lead to more favorable placements and potentially co-created content opportunities.
Optimize for Lead Capture:
- Strategic CTAs: Craft clear and compelling calls to action (CTAs) within your syndicated content. These CTAs should guide users towards gated content like white papers, webinars, or free trials in exchange for their contact information.
- Landing Page Optimization: Design high-converting landing pages for your gated content. These pages should be clear, concise, and emphasize the value proposition of the content users are downloading.
- Track and Analyze: Use website analytics tools to track the performance of your CTAs and landing pages. This data helps you refine your approach and maximize lead capture from your syndicated content.
Additional Tips:
- Content Repurposing: Repurpose your existing high-performing content for syndication to maximize its reach and lead generation potential.
- Promote on Social Media: Share your syndicated content on your social media channels to further amplify its reach and drive traffic back to the original source.
- Measure and Adapt: Regularly monitor the lead generation results from your B2B content syndication efforts. Analyze which platforms and content types perform best, and adapt your strategy accordingly.
By following these best practices, you can leverage B2B content syndication to effectively generate high-quality leads, nurture them through targeted content, and ultimately convert them into paying customers.
Tim is a B2B enterprise marketing expert with nearly 10 years of specialising in lead generation content marketing for B2B enterprise products and services in Southeast Asia and the US.