How to Improve Conversion Rates with Demand Generation

We spend $5.5M/mo on Google Ads. Here's our Demand Gen checklist: 1. Consolidate for Data Density, Segment by Audience. Do not split Ad Groups by placement (YouTube vs. Discover). Demand Gen is designed to be cross-channel; forcing a placement "chokes" the AI’s ability to find the cheapest conversion across the ecosystem. Instead, use Ad Groups to segment by Audience Theme (e.g., Top 25 Search Terms vs. 2% Lookalikes). This keeps your data signals concentrated in one place while allowing you to see which buyer persona is actually biting. 2. Check image AND video asset quantity. Ads & assets > Assets. You need variety in both formats. We've seen 20% more conversions running image and video together vs video only. 3. Check headline and description variety. Campaigns > Demand Gen > Ads > Headlines and descriptions. Demand Gen serves across YouTube, Gmail, and Discover. Each placement renders differently. You need variety. 4. Check view-through conversion tracking. Demand Gen drives view-throughs that Search doesn't. We value them at ~30% of click-through. If you're not tracking them, you're undervaluing the entire campaign. 5. Segment device performance. Campaigns > Demand Gen > Segment > Device. Demand Gen skews mobile because of Gmail and Discover. I've seen mobile CPA run 3x worse than desktop. And other times where mobile significantly outperforms. 6. Review your bid strategy. Settings > Campaign settings > Columns > Bid strategy. For Demand Gen, start target CPA at 2x your Search CPA. CPCs are cheap ($0.09 vs $7+ on Search) but conversion rates are lower. Give the algorithm room to learn. 7. If running product ads, check feed health. Google Merchant Center > Products > Diagnostics. Disapproved products mean your ads don't serve for those items. 8. Set your budget for a "Conversion Floor." While the "15x tCPA" rule is great for rapid scaling, it’s often unrealistic for high-CPA accounts. At a minimum, aim for a daily budget that supports 1–2 conversions per day. If your Target CPA is $200, a $300–$400 daily budget is your "efficiency floor." It will take longer to exit the "Learning Phase" than a $3,000/day budget, but it prevents the algorithm from overspending on low-quality placements while it searches for a baseline. 9. Build custom segments from your top 25 converting Search terms. Audiences > Audience manager > Segments. You're reaching people before they search. That's the whole point of Demand Gen. 10. Confirm auto-tagging is on. Settings > Account settings > Auto-tagging. Without it you lose conversion and view-through data between Ads and Analytics. 11. Retract bad leads within 24 hours. This matters more on Demand Gen because the audience pool is broader. This is 11 out of 31 items we check on every Demand Gen launch. One wrong setting can burn thousands before you catch it. Want a high res copy? Comment ‘Sheet’, send me a connect and Ill DM it to you.

A simple test just added $52,723 in projected monthly revenue for a supplement brand. The change? Replacing a low-engagement video section with symptom-organized text reviews. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞: Mid-page UGC video block showing customers talking about the product 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫: Curated text reviews organized by symptom tabs (sleep issues, energy, focus, etc.) Results after full statistical significance: • Conversion Rate: +2.74% • Average Order Value: +3.09% • Revenue Per Visitor: +5.92% • Profit Per Visitor: +5.87% Projected impact: $52,723 in new monthly revenue, $47,754 in monthly profit. Here's why this worked. The video testimonials looked great but analytics showed drop-off when users hit that section. People weren't engaging with the videos. They were scrolling past them. We replaced the video block with text reviews grouped by symptom. Now when someone with sleep issues lands on the page, they immediately see results from people with the same problem. Someone struggling with energy sees energy testimonials front and center. The psychology shift is massive: from scrolling past generic video testimonials to finding targeted validation in seconds. No hunting through content hoping to find someone like them. The proof they need appears instantly based on their specific motivation for being there. And the numbers prove it. Both conversion rate AND average order value increased simultaneously. That's rare. Most conversion optimizations improve one at the expense of the other. This lifted both because it increased purchase confidence across the board. New users saw the strongest impact, which makes sense. They need more validation than returning customers. We've already deployed this winner via Intelligems and are rolling it across all product pages. The lesson here is MATCH your social proof format to how users actually consume content on your PDPs. Videos might look premium, but if people scroll past them, they're converting zero visitors. Text reviews organized by symptom get read because they deliver relevant validation instantly.

"Our funnel is completely clogged, and our CEO and investors are starting to panic," shared a CMO from a $375MM SaaS firm. The other Huddlers sympathized, noting they were facing similar challenges. Sound familiar? The old playbook of flooding the funnel, scoring MQLs, and handing off to sales isn't just broken; it's toxic. Here's why your funnel is clogged and what actually works now: 1. Your data is a disaster. The average customer contact database health score? A pathetic 47%, according to research from BoomerangAI. More than half of B2B companies haven't updated their database in six months—or ever. Bad data isn't just an operational issue. It erodes every layer of your funnel. Fix this first. Assign database ownership cross-functionally. Tie enrichment to your GTM motions. And please activate alumni contact programs. Only 12% of companies have formal programs for contacts who left employers, yet they're gold mines. 2. You're still pitching tours when buyers want tools. Recent TrustRadius research shows that 52% of buyers say prior experience is their #1 decision input. Only 13% say a demo "blew them away." 3. Stop the demo obsession. Launch website-based product exploration tools. Add pricing guidance. Create modular content for AI summarization since 90% of buyers who see AI-generated summaries click through to cited sources. 4. The MQL addiction is killing you. As one CMO put it: "MQLs are problematic... we’re trying to figure out how to get fewer, better leads." Track conversion quality at each funnel stage. Hold weekly demand gen and sales alignment meetings. Ditch vanity metrics for outcome-based KPIs. 5. You're pitching spend instead of displacement. Few CFOs are greenlighting net-new spending, but they will approve reallocation when the ROI is crystal clear. Reframe your pitch: "Invest in this → reduce spend on that." Connect to CFO logic, not just user pain. 6. You're making promises instead of proving value. Buyers want proof in 120 days or less. The "trust us, it'll pay off eventually" era is dead. If you have the data, create 120-day value realization case studies. Use prospect data to build "speed-to-value" narratives. Lead with time-to-value, not feature lists. The companies unclogging their funnels aren't working harder—they're working smarter. They've ditched the old playbook for data-driven precision. Your move. PS - For a longer look at this issue, please check out my May 2025 #HuddleUp newsletter.

Most B2B marketers make the same mistake: They treat Google, LinkedIn, and Meta as separate campaigns instead of a connected system. Here’s the thing → one channel alone can’t carry your whole demand engine. Google gives you intent. LinkedIn gives you qualification. Meta gives you scale. When you connect them, you don’t just generate leads — you build a profitable, self-reinforcing flywheel. Step 1: Capture demand with Google Ads Google is still the undisputed king of intent. Someone searching “enterprise CRM for SaaS” is already in-market. That’s gold. But here’s the reality: Only 2–5% of visitors convert on the first touch. High-intent clicks cost $8–$12+. Most of that traffic bounces and disappears. If you’re just measuring Google by “conversions today,” you’ll either cap out quickly or burn budget. The smarter move? Pay for that in-market traffic, then pipe it into a system that qualifies and retargets. Step 2: Qualify and nurture with LinkedIn This is where most companies fall short. Drop the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your site and suddenly you can segment Google visitors by industry, company size, and seniority. Now you’re not treating every click equally — you’re focusing spend on the ones that match your ICP. And instead of spamming brand ads, run Thought Leader Ads. These are organic-style posts from your CEO or SME, sponsored into the feeds of your best-fit prospects. It builds trust, positions your team as experts, and warms the accounts you actually care about. Bonus: LinkedIn Company Hub shows you exactly which accounts are leaning in. Served 30+ impressions? 3+ ad clicks? That’s your intent list. Step 3: Enrich and scale with Meta At this stage, you’ve captured intent and qualified fit. Now it’s time to scale. Export your engaged LinkedIn accounts, enrich them with decision-maker contact data, and upload that list into Meta. Why? CPMs are 3–4x cheaper than LinkedIn. Enriched data improves match rates. Facebook + Instagram give you unmatched reach. Now you’re retargeting with testimonial videos, case study carousels, or founder explainers — not to cold strangers, but to warm, qualified accounts. The result? Lower CPC overall Warmer leads Higher conversion rates Cleaner attribution More efficient ad spend That’s the power of building a B2B Ad Trifecta instead of siloed channels. If I were starting from zero today, this is exactly where I’d begin: ✅ Capture demand with Google ✅ Qualify and nurture with LinkedIn ✅ Enrich and scale with Meta Control what you can control: your system. Not the algorithm. Worth testing if your funnel is stuck on one channel.

₹1 Crore spent on ads, yet 50% of seats remain empty. What's going wrong? Every year, colleges invest crores into digital advertising, hoping to fill their seats. Yet, many institutions find themselves struggling with enrollments even after spending massive budgets. The root problem isn’t a lack of leads—it’s a broken marketing funnel. Most colleges focus on generating inquiries but overlook what truly matters: ● How many of those leads actually convert into enrollments? ● Where are students dropping off in the application journey? ● Are leads being nurtured effectively, or are they slipping through the cracks? The Harsh Reality ● 70% of leads generated by colleges never make it past the inquiry stage. ● 80% of students prefer personalized communication, yet most colleges still rely on generic email blasts. ● Students today expect instant responses, but many institutions take days or even weeks to follow up. ● This disconnect between marketing and admissions results in low conversion rates and wasted ad spend. How This Can Be Fixed Instead of focusing solely on lead generation, shifting attention to conversion strategies can make all the difference. A few key steps include: ▶️ Identifying where leads drop off in the journey, from ad clicks to inquiry forms to actual enrollments. ▶️ Optimizing landing pages and CTAs to improve conversions, ensuring the application process is seamless and engaging. ▶️ Running targeted campaigns rather than broad, generic marketing efforts. ▶️ Personalization and precise audience segmentation can significantly boost effectiveness. ▶️ Leveraging WhatsApp and AI chatbots to provide instant engagement, as real-time responses can increase the likelihood of application by three times. ▶️ Implementing retargeting and nurturing strategies, ensuring students stay engaged throughout the decision-making process rather than losing interest. The ImpactWhen done right, this approach can lead to: ▶️A significant increase in high-quality leads—not just random inquiries. ▶️ A 30% reduction in acquisition costs through smarter targeting. ▶️ Higher enrollment rates without increasing the marketing budget. Colleges don’t have a lead generation problem—they have a lead conversion problem. Are you tracking where your leads drop off? Let’s discuss in the comments!

Proven Strategies to Supercharge B2B Outbound Lead Generation Let’s be clear: outbound isn’t dead—it just needs to be smarter. In a world where buyers are more selective and inboxes are more crowded, effective outbound lead generation is about precision, personalization, and partnership with sales. Here are 7 strategies I’ve seen drive real results: 1. Laser-Focus Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Before you start reaching out, refine your ICP. Go beyond firmographics—consider buying triggers, tech stack, growth signals, and key pain points. Use intent data and predictive analytics to prioritize accounts most likely to convert. A highly defined ICP ensures your efforts are efficient and relevant. 2. Multi-Threaded Outreach Modern B2B decisions are made by committees, not individuals. Build relationships across multiple stakeholders within a target account. Tailor messages to specific roles—finance, marketing, operations—and connect them to how your solution supports their objectives. 3. Hyper-Personalized Messaging at Scale Generic emails are dead. Use dynamic personalization tools to tailor messaging based on job title, company news, shared connections, or industry trends. AI can help scale personalization while keeping your messaging authentic and relevant. 4. Leverage Warm Channels First Outbound doesn’t have to mean “cold.” Use mutual connections, recent webinar attendees, or social media engagement as warm entry points. Pair outbound efforts with LinkedIn nurturing, retargeted ads, or personalized video messages to increase response rates. 5. Sequence with Strategy Use automated sequences (email, phone, social touches) designed around your buyer’s journey. Ensure every touchpoint adds value—share relevant case studies, industry insights, or pain-point specific content. A well-structured sequence improves both response and conversion rates. 6. Align with Sales for Speed and Feedback Marketing and sales alignment is critical. Share real-time feedback loops so messaging can be optimized based on what's resonating. SDRs should be armed with the right content, timing cues, and conversation starters to accelerate qualified conversations. 7. Test, Learn, and Optimize Relentlessly Outbound is not set-it-and-forget-it. Track metrics like open rates, response rates, and meeting conversion. A/B test subject lines, messaging, and timing. Leverage attribution insights to refine outreach and double down on what works. 💡 Outbound done right isn’t about volume—it’s about velocity and value. When marketers shift from “spray and pray” to precise, personalized, and data-driven outreach, outbound becomes a true catalyst for sustainable B2B growth. #B2BMarketing #OutboundLeadGen #GrowthStrategy #MarketingLeadership #RevenueMarketing #ABM #CMO #DemandGeneration

A client came to us frustrated. They had thousands of website visitors per day, yet their sales were flat. No matter how much they spent on ads or SEO, the revenue just wasn’t growing. The problem? Traffic isn’t the goal - conversions are. After diving into their analytics, we found several hidden conversion killers: A complicated checkout process – Too many steps and unnecessary fields were causing visitors to abandon their carts. Lack of trust signals – Customer reviews missing on cart page, unclear shipping and return policies, and missing security badges made potential buyers hesitate. Slow site speeds – A few-second delay was enough to make mobile users bounce before even seeing a product page. Weak calls to action – Generic "Buy Now" buttons weren’t compelling enough to drive action. Instead of just driving more traffic, we optimized their Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) strategy: ✔ Simplified the checkout process - fewer clicks, faster transactions. ✔ Improved customer testimonials and trust badges for credibility. ✔ Improved page load speeds, cutting bounce rates by 30%. ✔ Revamped CTAs with urgency and clear value propositions. The result? A 28% increase in sales - without spending a dollar more on traffic. More visitors don’t mean more revenue. Better user experience and conversion-focused strategies do. Does your ecommerce site have a traffic problem - or a conversion problem? #EcommerceGrowth #CRO #DigitalMarketing #ConversionOptimization #WebsiteOptimization #AbsoluteWeb

One of the key pillars of a successful demand generation strategy is a diversified marketing mix. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with a client who initially relied heavily on just two channels—SEO and Paid Ads. Within 6 months, we transformed their approach from a two-legged strategy into a well-rounded marketing mix that now drives revenues from multiple sources. And we’re just getting started! How did we achieve this? ➡ Holistic Data-Driven Analysis: We began with a comprehensive audit of their current marketing efforts, identifying gaps and opportunities across various channels. A significant part of this was convincing the C-suite why relying on just two channels is a dangerous strategy. ➡ Targeted Channel Expansion: Instead of relying solely on SEO and Paid Ads, we expanded into Email Marketing, Social Media, and Referral Programs. Each channel was carefully selected based on the client’s audience and business goals. For email marketing, we created custom flows for both current customers and prospects, building an engaged audience through just-in-time, educational, and transactional emails. ➡ Consistent Messaging & Cross-Channel Synergies: I'm a firm believer in Ogilvy's "The medium is the message," so we ensured the brand message remained consistent across all channels. This created a seamless experience for the audience and strengthened the brand’s presence. We also ensured that channels like email and social media reinforced one another, driving stronger brand presence and conversions. ➡ Data-Driven Adjustments: Linear attribution by channel is outdated, so we had to first "sell" the idea of assisted attribution to the client. In our omni-channel world, it was crucial to analyze data and make campaign adjustments based on those insights. By closely monitoring performance metrics, we quickly optimized our strategies for the best ROI across all channels. ➡ Collaboration and Buy-In: As marketers, our real "selling" begins after onboarding a client, as we're constantly pitching new ways to drive demand. Achieving this transformation required strong collaboration with the client’s internal team and stakeholders. Together, we aligned on goals, brand positioning, and data insights to drive initiatives forward. Looking back, we could’ve taken the safer route of only managing the client’s paid media and organic search efforts, but that would’ve been short-sighted. Instead, we took a slightly riskier approach by launching new demand generation initiatives that might have got us fired, but it was in the best interest of the business. This strategy not only diversified their revenue streams but also made their marketing efforts more resilient and adaptable to changing market conditions. Would love to hear your thoughts....what are your greatest challenges with demand generation marketing?

Last week I had dinner with the CEO of an agency who does Demand Gen for $1B+ tech brands. We agreed MQLs are broken. Here are 3 reasons why we think MQL conversions rates are dropping (and how to fix them): BACKGROUND B2B Sales and Marketing is obsessed with MQLs. Makes sense! We all love measurable outcomes, especially from a sometimes-fuzzy discipline like marketing. A clear MQL - a lead we can nurture and eventually engage - is the fuel we need for our pipeline. Or so it seems. There is a problem. Too often, MQLs are a sugar rush, not a real meal. Empty calories. Why? Because they don't convert. Too often, conversion rates on MQLs hover at .5-1%. And they are dropping further in our oversaturated markets. Here's why: 1. The MQLs are from the wrong people It's an instant tension. We want someone to respond, so we cast a very wide net. We rely on surface-level attributes - like a giant list of industries fit. On average, only 18% of the “leads" that come in will have even a single one of the key selling attributes you need. No wonder they don't convert! The solve: Invest in building a better audience / list. Understand the key attributes of your very best buyers. Are they early adopters? Visionaries? Tech or people centric? Figure out your ICP drivers - aka, where you win. Then build an audience of ONLY companies with those winning attributes. With AI, this doesn't need to be expensive or time consuming! This is where you're way more likely to find your NEXT best customers. 2. The MQLs are anonymous Once you get a lead - hopefully one that is actually in your ICP, you get to the 2nd problem: We know very little about the companies. We rely on the job title or industry to determine who follows up, which product to pitch, which nurture flow to use, and more. We can do better. With more refined list you should also be capturing key attributes of the prospect. How? Ask them! Or, use AI to fill in the most critical details to pick the right content and flow. We've seen 50-200% increase in performance by combining Point 1 (better audience) and this one (attribute enrichment). 3. We don't use what we know This one is often on Sales; We treat all MQLs the same. After all, experience has shown many are "meh" so who can spend the extra effort to carefully study each one? But then we'll miss signals that could be key to the sale! Rev Ops and/or Marketing can help. Distill the most important 2-3 attributes into clear green/yellow/red flags for your team. Train the team to use them. Suddenly, our interactions go from generic to specific.  We meet customers where they are. And that just converts better. CONCLUSION: Companies need leads like people need air to breathe. But the old spray and pray model no longer works. Good news - it's fixable, especially with AI infused into your Demand Creation process. Enough empty calories. We work so hard for MQLs Let's make them worth it. Let's feast!

ABM? Demand Gen? Call it whatever you want. I don’t care what you name it. What I do care about: ✅ Deeply understanding who your ideal customers are (and aren't) This means going beyond basic firmographic data. It means understanding the complex web of decision-makers, influencers, and gatekeepers within your target accounts. It means knowing their industry challenges, their personal career motivations, and the internal barriers they face when trying to drive change. Without this foundation, even the most sophisticated marketing strategy will fail. ✅ Meeting them where they already spend time and attention Your perfect message is worthless if it never reaches your target audience. This requires genuine insight into your prospects' information-seeking behaviors. Which communities do they trust? Which publications do they read? Which events do they attend? Which social channels do they actually engage with (not just scroll past)? Success comes from becoming a valuable presence in these existing spaces, not trying to force your audience into your preferred channels. ✅ Creating valuable touchpoints that build genuine trust Every interaction with your brand should deliver real value. This means moving beyond the surface-level "thought leadership" that floods LinkedIn feeds. Instead, focus on creating content and experiences that help your prospects succeed in their roles, whether or not they ever buy from you. Trust is earned through consistent demonstration of expertise and genuine commitment to your audience's success. ✅ Equipping your sales team with context for meaningful first conversations. Marketing's job isn't done when we generate a lead or book a meeting. We need to ensure our sales colleagues are equipped with the context and insights they need to continue the value-driven conversation we've started. This means sharing not just basic contact information, but deep insights about the prospect's engagement journey, the specific challenges they've shown interest in, and the contextual factors affecting their buying decision. Whether you call it ABM, demand gen, or just good marketing, the goal is the same: 📈 Get in front of the right buyers, 🤝 Earn their trust, 💰 Drive revenue. Too many teams waste time debating terminology when they should be focused on execution. The best marketing leaders don’t get caught up in labels—they build systems that generate demand and convert it into pipeline. I've been using Clay recently to understand deeper information about prospects who come into our database, and automate: 📰 Pulling news about the companies they work 📧 Building a waterfall to translate personal emails into business emails 🔎 Leveraging Capterra to get their pricing and competitor information ✍ Write a draft of an outreach email to them