Guide · Strategy
B2B lead generation strategies for software companies, and which to start with.
By Nouman, founder · 18 October 2026
The B2B lead generation strategies that work for software companies fall into two groups: fast ones you start, like targeted cold email, LinkedIn outreach and founder-led selling, and slow ones that compound, like search, content, partnerships and referrals. Most young companies should run one of each: a fast channel to learn which buyers reply and why, and a slow one built on what that teaches them.
Nine strategies, and when each fits
1. Targeted cold email
Reach named people at companies you chose, with a reason to talk that is specific to them.
Fast to test: weeks to learn whether a segment replies. Needs a clear list, separate sending domains and someone to follow up. B2B cold email, done properly
2. LinkedIn outreach
Connection requests and messages to the same people, often alongside email.
Works well for senior buyers who ignore email; limited volume per account.
3. Founder-led selling
The founder talks to every early prospect personally.
The best way to learn who buys and why. Doesn't scale past the founder's calendar. When to hand it off
4. Referrals and introductions
Asking customers, investors and advisers to introduce you to people like them.
Highest trust, lowest volume. Needs a few happy customers first.
5. Partnerships
Companies that already sell to your buyers: agencies, consultants, complementary software.
Slow to set up, then compounds. Each partner needs a clear reason to recommend you. How we approach partner outreach
6. Search and content
Pages that answer the questions your buyers type into search and AI assistants.
Months to start working, then brings buyers who are already looking. Write about what your outbound replies tell you buyers care about. Inbound vs outbound
7. Comparison and pricing pages
Honest pages for "X vs Y", "X alternative" and "how much does X cost".
Catch buyers late in their decision. Quick to write once you know your market. An example
8. Tools and benchmarks
Calculators, checklists and benchmarks people bookmark and link to.
Earns links and attention over time. Must be genuinely useful, not a gated brochure. An example
9. Events and communities
Being present, and useful, where your buyers already gather.
Good for relationships; hard to measure; expensive in time.
How to choose your first two or three
- Can you name your buyers? If your market is a list of companies, start with outbound. If it's too broad to list, start with search and content.
- How soon do you need conversations? This quarter means outbound or referrals; next year leaves room for content and partnerships.
- What do you already have? Happy customers make referrals cheap; an audience makes content fast; a strong network makes introductions easy.
- Who will follow up? Every strategy fails if replies wait a week. Choose what your team can actually keep up with.
How to build a sales pipeline from scratch · How to get the first 10 customers
Questions people ask
What is the best B2B lead generation strategy for a software company?
There isn't one best strategy, but there is a best first one: for most young B2B software companies it is targeted outbound, usually cold email plus LinkedIn, because it shows within weeks which buyers reply and why. Search, content and partnerships then build on what outbound teaches you.
How many lead generation strategies should we run at once?
Two or three, done properly, beat eight done halfway. Pick one fast channel to learn from (usually outbound) and one slow channel that compounds (usually search and content), then add a third once both are working.
What is the difference between B2B and B2C lead generation?
B2B lead generation targets businesses, usually a small number of named companies with several people involved in each decision, so outreach is personal and the sales cycle is longer. B2C reaches large numbers of individual consumers, mostly through advertising and inbound channels.