The key components of B2B demand generation programs include the audience/list, creative, messages and offer.  While all of these are important, offers are the most critical element in driving response rates and conversions. For B2B audiences, educational content is king. Focus on delivering relevant information that helps the recipient address a business need. Here are some ideas to consider when selecting B2B offers for lead generation and nurture programs.

1. Tie the offer to your prospects’ buying cycle. A simple buying cycle continuum is: awareness, interest, consideration, decision.  Think about the content that is being delivered and the time commitment required by the prospect. A brand new prospect may be willing to watch a 3 minute video but not yet ready to invest an hour attending a webinar.  Marketing automation tools can help you determine what stage your prospect is in and deploy an appropriate offer, such as:
   * Awareness: best practices guides, research reports, books, white papers, short videos
   * Interest: introductory webinars, case studies
   * Consideration: feature comparison charts,  web demos, ROI calculators, data sheets
   * Decision: trials, introductory pricing
2. Create relevant content based on buyer roles.  Technical buyers, user buyers and financial buyers have different needs and perspectives.  A data sheet or white paper works well for technical buyers, case studies for user buyers, and ROI calculators for financial buyers.
3. Use personalized landing pages.  According to Caslon & Co.,  PURLs (personalized URLs) can boost response rates by 100%-130%. Keep the landing page short (above the fold) with pre-filled form data, if possible. Reiterate the offer and key benefits on the landing page to drive conversions.
4. Leverage the “thank you” page. Guide your prospects to another relevant offer by including the next call to action on the thank you page, or in a confirmation email.
5. Re-purpose content. Get the most out of the content you generate. For example, you can conduct a survey and offer the published report of findings to participants (generating new leads). Use the report as an offer on your website or in ads. Post key findings in your corporate blog and create a webinar to showcase the results.
6. Test, test, test. Test the offers along with the other key program components (audience, messages and creative) to continually optimize your marketing mix elements and boost your response and conversion rates.

As with any marketing program, focus on building a long-term relationship with your prospects and customers. By delivering relevant and timely educational content, your organization will become a resource buyers can turn to for information and solutions to their business needs.