Generating Leads from your B2B Community Part 1

Picture 3.png Originally uploaded by dimitre.

Just after the turn of the century, I did some work for TriKinetic Technologies (purchased by Xview), a company that sold computers to stock traders. Despite a raft of articles, print ads, and massive tradeshow placements, the most effective lead generator we had was the Active Trader Analysis available on the Web site. It routinely generated 5 to 15 leads a day, and each lead provided extensive details about their trading style, the software they prefer, and their primary care abouts. The offer was to receive a quote from a sales rep. The promise was to tell you what kind of computer you should have based on your trading style. What TriKinetic was doing was using the knowledge of the organization to generate leads. There are lots of good reasons to build a B2B customer community. The golden question is: How can I turn members of a customer community into leads and prospects. The first answer is to be the primary advertiser on your community site. The assessment approach is a powerful one because it (should) provide real value to the visitor and give you information the aid you in your sale. Here is an example provided by ReturnPath, an email marketing company. What information would you offer your community in exchange for completion of a detailed survey?