15 B2B Lead Generation Ideas and Examples to Try in 2025

Back in the day (even just 15 years ago), cold calling prospects was the only way to generate the b2b sales leads you needed to grow your business. Luckily, we no longer live in the dark ages. Today, there are a plethora of ways to generate leads for your business to whom you can then sell your products and services.

This practice is known as lead generation (lead gen for short). Designed to raise brand awareness and more attention to your brand, lead generation has become vital to your B2B marketing strategy.

Lead gen can take place online and of course on social media sites like LinkedIn. It can take the form of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that ranks your site on the first page of search results so prospects can find your business from a quick Google search. There’s also the increasingly popular lead generation strategy of starting a podcast or seeking out guest podcast appearances. Or you can just go old school and ask your network and current customers for referrals. You can also just stick with the tried and true cold calling (which is the original form of lead gen).

12 Lead Generation Examples

Want to know how to generate leads? This article will teach you just that. Here are 12 lead gen examples that you can explore as a way to grow your business. We suggest trying out different lead generation strategies until you find the one or combination that works for you and your business.

1. LinkedIn Lead Generation

LinkedIn offers multiple ways to build your sales funnel since it is the world’s largest professional database and a core platform for many B2B lead generation services. A consistent content strategy can help grow both your personal brand and company presence. Posting valuable insights and engaging with others in your space builds credibility over time.

Growing your network in a meaningful way is just as important. Focus on connecting with the right people, including potential clients, partners, and industry peers. Have a plan for how you will interact with new connections, using comments, personal messages, or invites to webinars and events. Structured outreach strategies are becoming more common as a way to consistently engage the right prospects without losing the personal touch.

LinkedIn organic posting and outreach was actually the original business Impactable was founded on before being acquired and pivoting into the LinkedIn Ads agency we are now.

We still recognize the strength of this approach so much that our agency has recently acquired Respect.Studio, a 30-person LinkedIn outreach agency specializing in building a sustainable pipeline for B2B teams.

If you prefer a paid approach, LinkedIn Ads are one of the most effective ways to reach decision-makers. The ability to target specific industries, job titles, and seniority levels makes LinkedIn a smart place to build a pipeline of high-quality leads.

2. PPC (Pay Per Click)

Paid advertising on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Google can be an extremely powerful sales tool, but you have to use it right. You need to have a great sales page to lead your prospects to. Your sales page must clearly convey the benefits of your product or service.

When building campaigns on Google, focus on keywords that signal strong intent. Targeting search terms like “LinkedIn Ads Agency” or “B2B LinkedIn Marketing Company” places your business in front of prospects who are actively looking for a solution.

Your sales copy should be persuasive in enticing prospects with an irresistible offer. On Google, ads are built around specific keywords that potential customers are searching for. The goal is to step in front of traffic that shows a high degree of implied intent.

In addition to intent-based targeting, audience segmentation has become more important. Testing different offers, adjusting bids based on performance, and refining your targeting over time helps stretch your ad spend further. LinkedIn Ads, in particular, allow for precise targeting by company size, industry, and even job function, helping you reach the right decision-makers more efficiently.

3. Retargeting PPC Campaigns

Retargeting ads are an important second step in any PPC campaign. They are not a backup plan or a “maybe.” They are a must for bringing prospects back to your site after their first visit. A strong retargeting strategy targets visitors who showed interest but did not convert, by booking a call, signing up for a demo, or making a purchase.

Today, smart retargeting campaigns are built in sequences. Instead of showing the same ad again and again, you can create a series of ads that gradually move prospects closer to action. Start by reminding them of your offer. Follow up with social proof or a limited-time incentive. This approach builds familiarity and gives prospects a reason to return.

Check out this masterful 6-month LinkedIn Retargeting Framework we have built and rolled out for hundreds of B2B organizations.

4. Create a Referral Program

Developing a successful referral program will help you boost sales leads by tapping into your customer base as a way to spark word of mouth advertising. This is a great lead generation strategy since it turns your customers into your company’s spokesperson. Offering either a financial incentive or free work in exchange for a referral can help get your referral program started.

5. Write Guest Blog Posts

Guest blogging is a proven way to bring new traffic to your site and raise your brand profile. Writing for trusted sites in your industry puts your expertise in front of new audiences who might not have heard of you otherwise.

A well-placed guest post does more than drive traffic. It helps build authority for your brand and can also earn you valuable backlinks, which strengthen your SEO over time. Focus on websites that align with your audience and look for opportunities where you can deliver real value to their readers.

When done right, guest blogging builds brand recognition and improves your search visibility. Both are important drivers of steady lead generation.

6. Start a Podcast

Starting a podcast can be a powerful way to build trust and authority with your audience. Hosting or appearing on podcasts gives you a platform to share your expertise and reach potential customers in a personal, engaging way.

If starting your own podcast feels like too much of a commitment, guest appearances are a great alternative. By tapping into someone else’s audience, you can introduce your brand to listeners who already trust the host.

Podcasts today offer more than just audio value. Many companies now repurpose podcast episodes into short-form video clips for platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts. These clips are perfect for reaching audiences who prefer quick, digestible content and help extend the reach of each episode.

Whether you host or guest, podcasts remain a steady way to generate high-quality leads over time.

7. Hold Live Events With Your Community

Hosting a live event is a great way to get the word out about your brand and to fill your pipeline with personable and qualified leads. The sales leads you get out of live events are higher quality leads than can be found through your other lead generation strategies. Why? Because you are building real relationships at live events. When you call on them in the future, they will already know you and have your number saved. It’s also a way to meet like-minded people in your industry that can connect you to future clients.

8. Free Lead Generation Magnets

These are things like free eBooks, whitepapers, and anything else that is offered in exchange for contact information. You can offer these free items in exchange for email sign-ups or social media followings. Pretty simple and straightforward way to generate leads. 

9. Dive Deep Into Your Current Network

Tapping into your current network, customers or otherwise, is a useful way to generate leads. If you are dedicated to this lead generation strategy, you will be able to generate lasting business relationships with people you already know.

10. Email Marketing

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with potential customers and drive consistent lead generation. A strong email list gives you direct access to an audience that has already shown interest in your product or service.

Today, successful email marketing is not about sending the same message to everyone. Smart marketers and B2B lead generation agencies segment their lists based on behavior, interests, and past interactions. Tailored drip campaigns that match where a contact is in the buyer’s journey are far more likely to get engagement and conversions.

Focus on providing value in each email, whether that is through helpful content, exclusive offers, or useful updates. Consistent communication builds trust and keeps your brand top of mind when prospects are ready to take action.

11. Direct Engagement

Knowing how to generate leads through multiple different avenues, both online and in-person is invaluable to the success of your business. But sometimes direct engagement through cold calling prospects and knocking on doors is simply the best way to generate b2b sales leads. If you’re feeling determined and you have your online lead gen boxes checked, then get on the phone or on the street. 

12. Account-Based Marketing

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) flips the traditional lead generation model. Instead of casting a wide net, ABM focuses on identifying a specific list of high-value companies and building personalized campaigns to reach them.

With ABM, you can tailor your messaging and outreach to the specific needs and goals of each target account. This approach helps build stronger relationships from the start and often leads to higher conversion rates compared to broader campaigns.

Many B2B companies combine tactics like targeted LinkedIn Ads, personalized email outreach, and strategic content offers to support their ABM efforts. If you are looking for ideas on how to get started, check out our guide to Account-Based Marketing on LinkedIn or see how to scale your ABM strategy with LinkedIn Ads. The key is focusing on quality over quantity, putting more energy into a smaller set of high-potential leads.

13. Social Selling

Social selling is all about building genuine connections with prospects through platforms like LinkedIn. Instead of pushing a sale right away, social selling focuses on building trust by sharing valuable content, engaging in meaningful conversations, and staying active in your industry community.

The goal is to position yourself as a helpful resource. By consistently showing up with relevant insights and participating in discussions, you stay top of mind with your network. Over time, these relationships often lead to business opportunities without the need for a hard sell.

For a deeper look at how social selling compares to other lead generation approaches, visit our breakdown of Lead Gen vs. Social Selling vs. ABM. You can also explore our B2B Social Selling Guide for a full strategy.

Social selling works best when combined with a steady content strategy and personalized outreach, creating a natural path from connection to conversation.

14. Automated Messaging

Automated messaging helps businesses stay consistent with their outreach efforts without losing the personal touch. With the right setup, you can create a series of personalized messages on LinkedIn or email that are sent over time, helping to build relationships while saving hours each week.

The best automated campaigns feel natural and are based on genuine interest. They usually start with a personalized introduction and follow up with helpful resources or invitations to connect further.

Automated messaging can be especially powerful for scaling outreach across a large number of prospects. When done right, it keeps conversations moving without overwhelming your team.

15. Ask experts for help

When it comes to generating sales leads on LinkedIn, let’s just say we are more than qualified to assist. In fact, our clients use our LinkedIn lead generation strategies everyday to book meetings with Fortune 300 companies like Nike, Visa, and Google. Book an intro call with our team today to learn how we can help you do the same.