I think that to generate new leads efficiently, the best way is to combine the lead generation channels and see what works best. Especially if you ate just starting your business. It depends on your industry and your goals - if you want just more leads or more quality leads.
You can use unconventional channels:
A webinar is a great way to get to know your customers, to build trustful relationship with them, and to give them valuable information about your products. They will be happy to come back.
You can also collect and share success secrets from experts and thought leaders. By setting up interviews with experts in your industry to share their stories and techniques, you prove to potential clients that you have a serious intention to deliver the best advice out there.
In digital age, outbound marketing techniques can efficiently work along with the inbound ones. For example, getting out of the building, taking part in exhibitions, and business lunches can help activate current clients and find the new ones.
Don't forget about the traditional channels that have gained trust and respect through the years. They are the foundation for lead generation:
The website is one of the main places to convert potential buyers into the real ones with the help of engaging content, design, forms, and CTA buttons.
In social media, people can learn about you when reading influencers, themed communities, or just going through their newsfeed. Social media has become an integral part of content and search marketing. How successful will your blogging or researching be if no one's following your company's updates on social media?
Email marketing helps you to stay in touch with your customers and find and activate potential clients and prospects.
SEO includes everything from the keywords and phrases from your website to the types of links in your content and whether your website is tailored for mobile devices.
Content marketing is one of the newest channels but it has already become one of the traditional ones. Because the content, be it landing pages, blogging, research reports, or infographics, is a great base for all marketing channels. And, if you want your most important and successful content to be even more efficient and work for a larger audience then you can turn it into an ebook.
And there are also ebooks. If we look at the 2016 Content Preferences Surveyand the type of content used in 2016 to make B2B purchasing decisions, we'll find ebooks there with 67% (accompanied with white papers (82%) and webinars (78%)). At my company's blog, we've also researched the theme of lead generation channels and especially ebooks