The IT services and software industry is continuing to prosper. According to Gartner, the industry grew 4.8 percent between 2013, with global revenue pegged at $407.3 billion. This comes as small and medium enterprises have entered the market with independently developed B2B solutions. Aside from that, steady growth within the sector is facing rising demands for software tailored for games development and office management. In this tide of positivity, IT businesses are beginning to put focus on marketing activities, particularly B2B lead generation.

Generating B2B leads is indeed a priority for software companies at this point. Intensified competition among important industry players has each business vying to get a huge share of the software market. As one step in getting ahead of rivals, efficient strategies are needed to secure a place within the sentiments of decision makers.

Many IT businesses however tend to forget that B2B lead generation is a complex process. First of all, you are spending money to advertise and promote your products. You are also compelled to look for marketing solutions that can support your goals. Without such facilities, you will fail to increase your lead volume, entailing a huge waste of investments.

Apparently, proficiency is needed when generating IT leads. Numerous factors need to be taken into account, such as:

Website traffic. With competition within the industry getting tighter, it is important to calculate your gains based on site traffic. Analytics tools can track your campaign’s progress within a certain time frame, identify strong audience touch points, and gain data needed for strategy adjustments.

Lead scoring. IT leads that enter your pipeline need to be segregated and scored according to levels of interest and engagement. For this, efficient lead management infrastructures are a necessity to gauge prospect preferences and identify personalities that express a willingness to purchase your solutions.

Lead nurturing. As prospects journey through the sales funnel, marketers need to focus on nurturing their interests to buy at a time when they are not yet ready. Email and social media campaigns are vital in this respect as they provide prospects with a constant flow of information.

These activities comprise the most prominent challenges IT and software services companies face with regards their lead generation. Fortunately, marketing operations can be streamlined by B2B outsourcing firms that know the industry inside and out and have the needed experience to boot.