13 Lead Generation Techniques For Manufacturing Business

Do you want to reach the right manufacturing leads while saving your precious time? Then, we are here to help you with that. But let’s first see what’s stopping you from reaching your potential leads. You may be the victim of: 

• A limited online presence of your brand
• Incapability to target the right audience
• Increased B2B competition
• Complex sales cycles
• Outdated marketing strategies.  

But worry not because we’ll help you find the proper game-changing manufacturing lead generation techniques.

So, let us begin our guide to the best lead generation techniques.

Top 13 Lead Generation Techniques For Your Manufacturing Business

Here is our curated list of manufacturing lead generation strategies you can apply to gain leads for your manufacturing business. 

1. Generate A Target List Of Business Contacts

It's the base step of your lead generation efforts. In fact, your target list of business contacts will be helpful for your marketing, sales, and networking approaches. 

So, let us share some tips to do it effectively:

• Identify Your Ideal Customer or Contact:

Create a detailed persona of your ideal business contact. Consider factors like:

• Industry
• Company size
• Job title
• Location
• Specific needs or pain points

• Explore Your Existing Contacts:

Reviewing your existing contact list can reduce the extra struggle of finding business contacts. You can search for ideal contacts through your:

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
• Social media connections

-They might even lead to new contacts or referrals.

• Leverage Online Tools and Databases:

Several online platforms and databases can help you find business contacts:

• LinkedIn: Search for people and companies that fit your ideal business listing criteria.
• Lead Generation Software: Use tools like ZoomInfo, Clearbit, or Hunter. It can help you find email addresses and contact information.
• Business Directories: You must explore your industry-specific directories. Additionally, Chambers Of Commerce websites can also be helpful for you.

• Networking Events and Conferences:

Don't skip to attend your industry-related events, conferences, and seminars. These are excellent opportunities to meet your potential contacts in person. Thus, you can add them to your business contact list.

• Use Boolean Search Operators:

When searching online, use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine your search queries. Basically, you can combine and manipulate keywords to specify exactly what you're looking for. Let us tell you about its elements:

• AND: When you use "AND" between two keywords, it tells the search engine to retrieve results that contain both of those keywords. 

For example, if you search for "cats AND dogs," you will get results that include both "cats" and "dogs."

• OR: "OR" broadens your search. When you use "OR" between two keywords, the search engine will return results that contain either of the keywords. 

For example, if you search for "cats OR dogs," you will get results that include either "cats" or "dogs" or both.

• NOT: "NOT" excludes specific keywords from your search results. When you use "NOT" before a keyword, the search engine will return results that do not contain that keyword. 

For example, if you search for "cats NOT dogs," you will get results that include "cats" but exclude any results that also mention "dogs."

Tip1. You should keep your list organized and managed. Thus, use a spreadsheet or a CRM system to organize your list. Besides details, also add relevant notes.

Tip 2. Divide your list into segments based on industry, location, or job role criteria. It will allow you to tailor your outreach messages more effectively.

2. Send Cold Emails To Target Contacts

With cold emails, you can directly reach your prospects instead of waiting around for them to discover your brand. But let us tell you that you must run cold email campaigns only after proper planning. 

Let’s take a quick look at cold emailing tips that can make it a great medium to drive leads:

• Write Compelling Subject Lines:

How can you make recipients who don’t even know your business open your email? Writing appealing subject lines is the answer. In fact, your subject line is the first thing your recipient sees in your cold email. Thus, make it attention-grabbing but also relevant to your message. 

• Personalize Your Message: 

Begin your email by addressing the recipient by their first name. Then, briefly explain why you're reaching out to them specifically. Mention something relevant to their company or industry to show that you've done your homework.

In fact, Thomas Philip, Head of Sales, Mailmodo, gives us a sneak peek into how he leverages personalization in his cold email efforts. Here’s what he says-

“Gone are the days of impersonal mass cold emails; we have embraced the power of personalized outreach. By leveraging prospects' LinkedIn profiles or extracting relevant information from their company website, we craft personalized messages that resonate with their unique needs. 

This personal touch can be as simple as incorporating a p.s. statement, elevating the effectiveness of our outreach efforts. With personalized outreach, we see a demo booking rate of >5%  compared to <1% in mass outreach."

• Offer Value Upfront: 

You must clearly state what's in it for prospects in the opening lines. Mention how your product or service can benefit their business. Remember to be concise and to the point.

• Keep Your Content Short and Sweet: 

Remember that people are busy, so you must get to the point quickly. We recommend you to:

• Write a few short paragraphs
• Add crisp bullet points 

• Write a Clear Call to Action (CTA): 

Your CTA should give recipients a clear direction on the next actions you want them to take. For example, you may want them to:

• Schedule a call - Call Us, Let’s Connect On Call etc.
• Download a resource - Tap To Get Resource, Download Here etc. 
• Reply to your email - Let’s Us Know Your Thoughts etc. 

Basically, make your CTA clear and easy to follow.

• Use an Email Signature: 

You must add your professional email signature to your cold email content. It makes your email more credible. Add it with your contact details. 

We recommend you embed your Digital Open Badge into your email signature. It gives you an opportunity to share your updated verified credentials and skills gained at any of your business phases.

Thus, recipients receiving your cold emails can check out your live credentials, further building trust.

• Proofread And Test: 

You must avoid typos or grammatical mistakes in your cold email content. So, before hitting send, proofread your email for errors. 

Also, send a test email to yourself or a colleague to check formatting and ensure everything looks good.

• Follow Up At Least 6 Times:

Don't be discouraged if you don't get an immediate response. Follow up politely after a few days or weeks, depending on your timeline. Following up to 6 times can appeal to leads to finally converting. 

3. Make Warm Calls

By warm calls, we mean you contact your potential clients via calls. But only those who have already shown interest or engagement with your company or its offerings. So, before making the call, you must make some preparations:

• You must define what you want to achieve with each call. For example: 

• Schedule a demo
• Gather more information
• Address specific pain points

• Research the prospect’s company, industry, pain points, and any recent news or developments. 
• Segment your prospects as per their level of engagement and interest. 
• Prepare a script or talking points to stay on track. It ensures you cover all the essential information during the call.
• Send warm-up emails before you call your prospects. They will appreciate it if you mention the call timing and briefly outline the purpose of the call. 

Now, let us share the outline for your warm call script. However, you can also check out our samples on phone scripts for lead follow up here. 

The Warm Call Script Outline

• Start by introducing yourself and your company. Mention the warm-up email you sent so your prospect recognizes your name.
• Talk about the prospect's previous interactions with your company. 
  For example, "I noticed you attended our webinar on [topic] last month."
• Next, encourage the prospect to share their challenges and goals to make the call more interactive.
• Pay close attention to what the prospect is saying. Active listening helps you understand their needs and tailor your pitch accordingly.
• Based on their pain points and needs, explain how your product or service can provide a solution. Be specific and highlight the benefits they will receive.
• Don’t forget to prepare for objections and have responses ready. 

For example, they may have budget constraints or need more time to make a decision.

• If the conversation is going well, suggest a specific next step. It may include:

• Scheduling a follow-up call
• Sending additional information
• Arranging a product demo

• Lastly, you must thank the prospect for their time. Also, express your interest in further discussions.

Tip 1. Once you end the call, promptly send a follow-up email. It should summarize the key points discussed and any agreed-upon next steps.

Tip 2. Use a CRM system to track all interactions of your prospects. Plus, schedule follow-up tasks. 

4. Get As Many Referrals As Possible

When another company vouches for your service, it's like a ringing endorsement! And it often shows that your company has delivered real value to its customers. In fact, referred clients are 4 times more likely to refer more clients to your brand. 

But it’s not very simple to get your customers to refer to you. In fact, you need to put in a strategic referral program to make it work. 

Let us share the best referral tips with you: 

• Deliver Exceptional Service:

First, start providing outstanding products or services to your existing customers. Why? Because your satisfied customers are likely to recommend you to others.

Next, politely ask them to refer your services to their contacts who can benefit from your offering. You can convey your request:

• In-person
• Via email
• Through a follow-up survey

• Offer Incentives/Rewards to Your Referrers:

90% of clients share their contact information with a business for small incentives, such as free samples and discounts. Plus, they are likely to share your business ahead for referral rewards. 

Thus, you must offer reasonable incentives to your referees. It could be in discounts, freebies, or even monetary rewards. Ensure the incentive is valuable enough to motivate people to refer others.

• Leverage Social Media:

Your B2B social media handles can supercharge your referral program. Use them to encourage your followers to tag or refer contacts who might benefit from your offerings.

• Partner with Complementary Businesses:

You must seek partnerships with businesses that complement your own. Thus, they can cross-promote leads to referrals from their customer base.

Tip- You must attend industry events, conferences, and local business meetups. It allows you to build peer relationships and ask for referrals when appropriate.

5. Answer Related Questions On FAQ Sections

Your website or marketing material's Frequently Asked Questions (FQA) section is crucial to lead generation. In fact, FAQs not only provide valuable information to your potential leads but also push them forward in your sales funnel.

Here's how you can effectively create an FAQ section:

• List Down Your Manufacturing Leads' Needs:

You must learn your target audience's:

• Pain points
• Needs
• Preferences

It'll help optimize your FAQs.

• Search For The Common Questions:

You need to collect common questions from different sources, such as 

• Google the niche of product/service that you serve. In the People Also Ask (PAA) section, you can easily find the top queries that your target audience asks. 
• Take out the questions list from your customer support inquiries. 
• Integrate a chatbot on your website. It can directly record what product/service-related questions your visitors ask.

Further, pick the most common questions to add to your FAQ section. 

• Add Cross-Link Questions:

You may identify that some of your questions’ answers refer to other questions in your FAQ. In such a case, you must include a link between the related questions. Thus, your visitors can explore more of your FAQs. 

• Update Your FAQ Section Regularly:

FAQs can become outdated as your product or service evolves. Therefore, you must review and update your FAQ section regularly. 

• Offer Your Contact Information:

Don't forget your aim to generate leads. Thus, while ending each answer, provide a clear CTA or a link to your contact page. It'll encourage your potential leads to reach out for more information.

• Optimize Your FAQs for SEO:

Use keywords related to your industry and products/services in your answers. It'll improve your FAQ's search engine visibility. Thus, you can attract more organic traffic to your site.

Tip 1. Keep your answers brief and to the point. Avoid jargon or technical language that may confuse your audience.

Tip 2. Write in a conversational and approachable tone. Make potential leads feel comfortable reaching out to you.

Tip 3. Whenever possible, highlight the benefits of your product or service in your answers. 

6. List Your Company In B2B Marketplaces

It's another valuable strategy to generate leads for your manufacturing business. All you have to do is to find B2B manufacturing marketplaces.  

Use the below tips to find ideal B2B marketplaces for your business: 

• Research Your Niche B2B Marketplaces:

Start by researching B2B marketplaces that exclusively or indirectly serve manufacturing businesses like yours. You can simply do a Google search with your niche industrial keywords. Some of the popular marketplaces include: 

• Thomasnet
• Global Sources
• eWorldTrade

• Analyze Competitor Presence:

You can use references from your competitors. Check which marketplaces they list their products or services. Hence, you'll easily get insights into popular marketplaces in your industry.

Once you find the ideal marketplaces, carefully create your accounts and profiles on these platforms.

Now, let's see how you can make your business stand out in these marketplaces: 

Tips to Optimize Your Marketplace Profile

Now, let us share some tips on how you can optimize your profile: 

• Optimize Your Business Listings:

You must write compelling product or service descriptions. They should highlight your offering's unique selling points and benefits.

Additionally, you can use high-quality images or visuals to showcase your offerings.

• Add Relevant Keywords:

The right keywords can help your business shine among its competitors. Thus, use reputed keyword search tools and identify the best keywords to add to your listing. It will dramatically improve your business's search rankings within the marketplaces. 

• Show Your Legitimacy:

You must ensure your business looks legitimate to all your potential customers. Thus, provide all necessary documentation promptly to the marketplace while creating your profile. 
Furthermore, you can use your happy customers' reviews and ratings on your profile. It'll further improve your reputation.

• Set Competitive Pricing:

Another way to look more attractive to the target audience is to have a competitive edge. You can achieve this by setting better pricing offers than others:

• First, research what your rivals are offering for products and services of your niche. 
• Then, provide some add-ons, discounts, rewards, etc., besides a competitive price. 

Tip. Some B2B marketplaces offer paid advertising options to boost your visibility. Consider using these features if they align with your marketing budget and goals.

7. Apply The Bandwagon Effect

Imagine this scenario: You walk past a busy restaurant with a line out the door. What's your immediate reaction? You probably think, "Wow, this place must be amazing if so many people are dining here." That is what we call the Bandwagon Effect in action.

So, how can you use it in your lead generation?

The Bandwagon Effect is a cognitive bias where people tend to follow the actions or behaviors of a larger group. You can use marketing to create a sense of popularity and social proof around your product. It'll encourage potential customers to join the crowd. 

Basically, it's all about making them feel like they'd be missing out if they don't hop on board.
How to apply the Bandwagon Effect for lead generation? Let us show you: 

• Display Off Your Numbers: 

Show how many people have already purchased, downloaded, or signed up for your product or service. 

For example, "Join the 10,000+ happy customers who have already transformed their lives with our product!"

Further, displaying numbers also lets you leverage limited-time offers or countdown timers. 

For example, you can create FOMO among your target audience by displaying messages like- “1,000 have already joined our limited service offers, and only 10 spots are left.” 

• Share Your User Testimonials and Customer Reviews:

When people hear about others' positive experiences, your business gains a reputation automatically. Thus, you must always share authentic testimonials and success stories from your happy customers.

Additionally, encourage your customers to leave reviews on the following:

• Your website 
• Google
• Yelp

• Highlight Your Social Media Engagement: 

How can we forget social media when it comes to influencing our audience?
So, showcase the number of likes, shares, or followers of your brand on social media networks.

8. Leverage Newsjacking

If the term “Newsjacking” is new to you in the context of lead generation, then you skipped an amazing tactic. It’s basically capitalizing on current news or trending topics to generate attention and leads for your brand. 

Using newjacking, you can align your offers with what's hot in your industry!

This way, you can attract potential customers who are already interested in the topic. 
Let us tell you how to leverage newsjacking for lead generation:

• Stay Informed with the latest news: 

You must stay current with current events, trends, and news within your industry. You can do this by:

• Setting up news alerts
• Following relevant blogs
• Subscribing to industry newsletters 

-to ensure you're always in the know.

• Identify Relevant Trends: 

Firstly, not every news story or trend will be relevant to your business. Thus, you must only focus on trends directly related to your products, services, or target audience. 

• Be Quick To Respond: 

Timing is crucial in newsjacking. Respond quickly as soon as you identify a relevant trend or news story. You can: 

• Write a blog post
• Create a social media post
• Prepare a press release 

-that ties your offering to the current topic.

• Offer Value Over Hype: 

Though newsjacking closely relates to using the hype for your benefit, your content must provide real value. So, we advise you to offer the following:

• Insights
• Solutions
• Information 

-that can help them better understand or navigate the topic. Though you must add trending keywords, remember not to sound purely promotional.

• Distribute Your Hot Content:

Now, you need to share your newsjacking content through different channels. You can use:

• Social media platforms with relevant hashtags and mentions. Also, you can engage in social media groups where people are talking about the same topic. 
• Email marketing (If you have an email list) to send out newsletters or updates related to the newsjacked content. 

• Direct Visitors to Your Landing Pages via CTAs: 

Ensure your newsjacking content links to dedicated landing pages on your website. These pages should have compelling CTAs that encourage visitors to take the next step, such as signing up for a newsletter or requesting more information.

9. Apply Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

ABM in the Manufacturing sector allows you to lead highly focused lead generation. Thus, it enhances the likelihood of converting your captured leads into valuable customers. However, you must apply account based marketing strategy carefully. We recommend you follow these tips: 

• Start by identifying high-value target accounts. 
• Create personalized marketing campaigns tailored to each account's needs and pain points. 
• Use multiple channels like email, social media, and content marketing to engage decision-makers within these accounts. 
• Measure success by tracking account-specific metrics, such as engagement and conversion rates.

10. Use High-Value Offer Formats

Believe us when we say high-value offers bring high-value clients. So, let’s see some ways to use high-value offer formats to generate leads:

• Create Ebooks and Whitepapers:

Get your content writing team on board and ask them to create in-depth guides, ebooks, or whitepapers. Ensure this content provides valuable insights or solutions for your industry or niche. 

But many people still judge the book by its cover! So, ensure to use compelling headlines and cover designs. It'll grab your target audience's attention quickly. 

Further, promote these resources through your website, blog, social media, and email marketing.

• Design Informative Webinars:

We just can not avoid the importance of webinars in lead generation. A recent study indicated that incorporating informative webinars into your lead strategy can enhance customer conversions by 35-45%. 

So, you must share your expertise through webinars on relevant industrial topics. However, take your time to choose the perfect webinar topic for your B2B service. We advise you to create content that's:

• High-quality
• Actionable
• Engaging

But, only creating a great webinar won’t help, you’ll also need to promote it the right way. Thus, ensure to check our guide on the best strategies to increase your webinar attendance rate. 

This format gives a simple and engaging way to showcase your thought leadership to your audience. 

• Promote Your Products' Free Trials and Demos:

It's such an enticing offer that most of your potential customers would like it. After all, they get to experience your product/service demos free of cost. Plus, it gives them more clarity on whether they want to invest or not. 

Another amazing benefit of giving free demos is you get to collect prospects' contact data when they sign up. 

Tip. Make the trial period long enough for users to experience the value. But short enough to encourage them to convert to paying customers.

• Offer Free Templates and Tools:

This strategy aims to establish your business as a thought leader. It will make it easier for you to attract the right leads. 

Here are a few of our tips:

• You can offer your website visitors free:

• Downloadable templates
• Tools
• Resources that solve common problems in your industry.

Then, ensure only visitors who share their contact information can access these materials. A few examples of what you can offer are:

• Budgeting spreadsheets
• Design templates
• Checklists

• Give Lucrative Discounts and Coupons:

Offer exclusive discounts or coupons to new subscribers or leads.

• Highlight the potential savings or benefits to encourage sign-ups.
• Use urgency and expiration dates to drive action.

• Provide Free Consultations or Strategy Sessions:

Like free demos, you can offer free consultations or strategy sessions. Your potential customers can discuss their needs and challenges with your experts.
Thus, you can tailor your offerings more accurately. 

• Produce Gated Industry Resources: 

It’s a great tip to boost leads for your manufacturing business. You can create effectively gated content. Such content gives your potential customers something valuable in exchange for their contact information. Remember, it's all about gathering leads, not charging for your content.

Besides Ebooks and whitepapers, try these gated content ideas for your manufacturing businesses:

• Research and Annual Performance Reports: 

Offer your audience deeper insights into your field. You can share:

• Research findings
• Industry statistics
• Performance reports 

-to establish your authority.

What could be better than you helping your prospects tackle their everyday work challenges? So, create step-by-step guides or manuals that offer practical solutions to common problems.

• Case Studies: 

You must showcase your success stories. It works as a trustable social proof of your expertise. Here’s what you need to highlight:

• Critical problems you've solved for your clients
• Real-world examples to demonstrate your expertise and the value you bring.

11. Set Up A Live Chat On Your Website 

You can set up a live chat on your website. It’s an effective way to engage with your website’s visitors in real time. Hence, you can quickly answer their questions and ultimately generate leads. 

Here's how you should set up a live chat for lead generation:

• Choose a Live Chat Platform:

You can choose from both free and paid live chat software options available. Some popular choices include:

• Intercom
• LiveChat
• Drift
• Zendesk Chat

-Select one that fits your budget and requirements and create your account. 

• Install and Customize Live Chat Widget:

Next, you need to install a widget or plugin on your website. It’ll let you enable the live chat functionality. Once done, you can customize it, such as:

• Customizing its appearance to match your website's branding and style. For example, you can adjust colors, fonts, and the placement of the chat icon.
• Add a signature greeting message or welcome message. It’ll display when your website visitors open the chat window.

• Integrate with CRM and Email Marketing Tools:

This integration allows you to capture and store the following automatically:

• Leads’ contact information
• Chat transcripts
• Interactions for follow-up

• Set up Lead Generation Forms:

You must set a chat feature to begin interaction with your website visitors, who can be your potential customers. 

For example, you can trigger a chat window for visitors who have spent time on your site or visited specific pages.

During the chat, ask for the visitor's contact information if they express interest in your offerings.

Additionally, keep the form short and request only essential details, such as:

• Name
• Email address or phone number

Tip 1. Be ready with your canned responses or templates for common questions or scenarios to streamline your chat interactions. It saves you time when responding to inquiries.

Tip 2. Train your team members who will be responsible for live chat interactions. Ensure they know about your products or services and how to handle lead-generation inquiries.

Tip 3. Ensure your live chat works smoothly on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets. Test the chat experience to ensure it's user-friendly.

12. Attend Events And Trade Shows

Don’t skip attending industrial events and trade shows. These types of events are a great place to meet your potential customers. But, how should you start? Let’s see what the Founder & CEO of Mavens & Moguls, Paige Arnof-Fenn, has to say-

“For me, I started speaking at local events and then submitted proposals to speak at industry conferences and trade shows nationally and eventually global events too.” 

Now, here are our tips on how you can get the best opportunities by attending these events: 

• Create an engaging booth or presence that showcases your product or service's value. 
• Offer incentives like demos or exclusive content to collect attendee information. 
• Network actively by initiating conversations and collecting business cards. 

Don’t stop just there; ensure to follow up with the potential customers you met post-event.

13. Use Remarketing To Rearrange The Audience

Do you want to re-engage with website visitors and convert them into leads? Then, re-targeting can be very helpful. But, it needs well-planned strategies. Let us tell you what they are:

• Set Up Remarketing Pixels or Tags:

Begin by setting up remarketing pixels or tags from advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads. Place these tags on key pages of your website, such as product pages or lead generation forms.

• Segment Your Audience:

Divide your website visitors into different segments based on their behavior and interactions. Common segments include:

• All Visitors: This includes everyone who visits your site.
• Product Page Visitors: Those who viewed specific product or service pages.
• Cart Abandoners: Visitors who added items to their cart but didn't complete the purchase.
• Lead Form Abandoners: People who started filling out a lead form but didn't submit it.
• Engaged Users: Those who spend a significant amount of time on your site.
• Loyalty Segments: Customers who have previously purchased or taken desired actions on your site.

• Create Custom Audiences:

Use the segmented data to create custom audiences within your advertising platform. These audiences will be the subject of your remarketing campaigns.

Set the duration for how long you want to target each audience. 

For example, you might target cart abandoners for 30 days after their last interaction with your site.

• Design Tailored Remarketing Campaigns:

Finally, create ad campaigns specifically designed to re-engage each segmented audience. Basically, you’ll need to tailor your messaging to address their specific needs and behaviors.

• Create Landing Pages:

Design landing pages that align with your remarketing ads. These pages should seamlessly transition from the ad to the landing page, reinforcing the message. Hence, you can provide a clear path for lead generation.

Tip 1. Extend your remarketing efforts to other channels, such as email or social media.  
Tip 2. Prevent ad fatigue and annoyance by setting frequency caps on your remarketing ads. 
Tip 3. Use ad extensions to provide additional information or incentives to click. 
For example, you can add a "10% Off" extension or a "Free Consultation" extension to your ads.
Tip 4. Continuously A/B test different ad creatives, messaging, and landing pages. 

Get The Best Leads For Your Manufacturing Business

Mastering lead generation for manufacturers is your ticket to success. We've explored some of the most potent strategies, from leveraging digital marketing and content creation to attending trade shows and nurturing client relationships. 

But remember, the key lies in adapting these techniques to your unique business needs. 
This is where Revnew, a renowned manufacturing lead generation agency, can be your companion. Our experts know the ins and outs of what businesses like yours need to reach their potential clients. 

So, why not give this partnership a chance? 

To learn what we can achieve together, contact our experts here.