Shane Barker Consulting rounded up some lead-​generation trends shaping up in the B2B space for CMO​.com. Generating valuable leads is often the biggest challenge business owners and their sales staffs face. The following developments can lead to new strategies.

1. Personalized Email Marketing Campaigns

Gartner has predicted that by 2018, B2B companies that use personalization in digital commerce will be able to realize up to a 15% increase in revenues. "And with email being the leading channel for B2B marketers to generate leads, you can expect to see a lot more personalized B2B emails," Shane Barker wrote.

The newest AudienceSCAN survey revealed 25.5% of U.S. adults prefer to get newsletter email messages from their favorite stores or businesses. They probably prefer them to be personalized as well!

"There’s an increasing need among B2B companies to deliver more personalized, relevant email to prospective customers. It could be as simple as including the recipient’s name in the subject line. Or you could send out recommendations and updates personalized according to the recipient’s behavior and interests."

The latest AudienceSCAN study showed 13% of Email Newsletter Subscribers intend to purchase office equipment, furniture or supplies this year, so B2B office suppliers should take note of personalization preferences in their email campaigns.

2. Social Video

"70% of researchers and buyers in the B2B industry watch videos throughout their purchase journey, according to Google. And 48% of them spend at least 30 minutes watching B2B videos for their research. Consider social media, which, according to DemandGen, is where 53% of B2B buyers conduct their research before making a purchase decision."

B2B marketers can incorporate short videos in their email blasts. They can encourage Email Newsletter Subscribers to follow them on social media through eye-​catching videos as well. The most recent AudienceSCAN study showed 62% of email readers are active on YouTube and 84% on Facebook.

3. Social Media Live Streaming

"More and more companies are streaming webinars and webcasts to generate leads and engage existing customers. In fact, a study by the Content Marketing Institute found that live video content is a part of 58% of B2B marketers’ content marketing strategy. You could prepare for this by planning live Q&A sessions, interviews, and webinars, or even behind-​the-​scenes live stream of your company."

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. Media companies and agencies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.