What is Demand Generation?

Demand generation may be the means by which marketers help their prospects identify a challenge they're having. Consequently, it suggests that a company or individual can help them solve it. Like, someone with a trickle under their sink might Google for a remedy, and finding the likely problem through a bit of demand-gen focused content (such as a YouTube video, blog, or Infographic) is then introduced to the possible solution (the licensed plumber who posted the content).

Demand generation activities may take place across multiple channels like social media marketing posts, videos, blogs, infographics, PPC ads, and other social media marketing activities. The defining characteristic of demand generation is that this content is free to take (not gated or paywalled). Demand generation is aimed toward building awareness for both the pain point of the reader, and the information provider as a solution.
Samples of Demand Generation Tactics
B2B prospects, just like B2C prospects, tend to get information and socialize on a variety of platforms. Therefore, it's important that your demand generation efforts not be limited by one or two channels. Building a robust mix of channels ensures that wherever your ideal customer has a tendency to gravitate, you will soon be seen there (either directly, through publishing content, or indirectly through retargeting, etc.)
SEO-based Content

Building a powerful on-page and off-page SEO strategy into your demand generation efforts can boost your search rankings, bringing in more traffic, and creating authority with top-of-funnel prospects just beginning the buyer's journey. Maintaining first-page rankings in search for your highest-value keywords takes time and effort, but can establish trust before a prospect even visits your website. All content should be built around your central keyword strategy to keep high search rankings.
Guest Posts

For marketers looking to enhance their search rankings while simultaneously building authority, a program of guest posting across social networking channels can give you more opportunities to have facing viable prospects, while also demonstrating your expertise inside their section of interest. Building contacts with high-authority sites and posting content to these outlets is effective for link-building to construct organic traffic, and will help readers in the awareness stage of the journey begin to learn and trust your work more, moving them closer to being a lead and later a customer.
Trends Articles with Subject Matter Expert Interviews

For many businesses, trend-spotting and analysis is another important facet of demand generation. Trend-focused pieces operate on several different fronts. First, they are a fantastic way of building authority in an area of expertise. They demonstrate both your knowledge of the industry and foresight into its potential upcoming changes. Second, much like guest posting, this type of content most often operates by sharing knowledge from other industry experts. This widens the net of potential readers organically, as each contributor shares the information using their respective audiences. That reach can similarly drive organic site traffic.

To draw from our previous example, a plumber might feature a tendency article about improvements in fixtures or materials found in the trade, bringing in outside experts to discuss specific materials or installation techniques. Those experts will share the finished product, which may subsequently attract the eye of local clients seeking an installer.

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