Tips For Running Effective Lead Generation Campaigns

We've onboarded hundreds of PLG companies on Default, and honestly, most of them are routing signups like it's 2018. They're sending every signup straight to sales and wondering why their reps are burned out.   After analyzing 104,101 product signups across 20 of our fastest-growing customers, I've distilled these 5 tactical tips you can implement today to increase your PQL conversion rates:   1. Stop overloading sales with unqualified signups    It goes both ways: your reps don't want to talk to prospects who aren't ready to buy, and not every signup wants to talk to sales.   If someone signs up for your product instead of requesting a demo, that's a signal. They want to try before they buy.   Instead of scheduling calls for every signup, push unqualified leads into automated flows based on marketing automation and some light automated sales touches.   2. Alert reps in real-time with context    Most PQL notifications are useless. "John Smith signed up" tells your rep nothing.   Send your reps notifications that include relevant product data and key actions accomplished so they have all the context they need when doing outreach.    One approach we've seen work is to automate outbound for lower ACV customers, while reps personalize certain emails, especially when multiple users from the same company sign up.   3. Assign support to high-ACV target accounts    Customers have seen success from letting high-fit prospects experience their support quality before they even sign a contract – it's a massive competitive advantage.   By enriching every signup, you can identify which prospects should get a dedicated CS resource. Let them experience your support quality before they sign a contract.   It's a small move that builds massive trust. And trust accelerates deals.   4. Track signup vs. no-signup deal performance    Send product signups as activities or campaigns in your CRM. Compare PQL attribution against non-PQL deals to prove ROI to other teams. If PQLs are driving revenue, make sure everyone knows.   5. Capture attribution at signup    If one channel drives signups but zero pipeline, deprioritize it. If another channel drives PQLs that generate revenue, that data should inform your reporting.   Push attribution data into your CRM as prospects sign up. Product-led growth is an efficient revenue stream, but without proper routing, you'll drown in unqualified signups with no conversion path.   -- Everyone talks about product-market fit. But PLG companies need routing-market fit too. Your product might be perfect, but if qualified buyers never reach sales, none of it matters.   If you’d like more information on how you could set up successful PQL routing, let me know. Happy to help. 

Your homepage traffic is healthy, but the leads you get are worthless. Here are 7 things you can do about it: 1. Make your hero ruthlessly clear. If visitors have to scroll to understand what you do and for who, bad leads will pile up. "Outbound prospecting for growth-stage B2B startups" is 10x clearer than "Revolutionizing sales engagement." 2. Ditch mystery and ‘custom’ pricing. The first one creates too much friction, and the second one makes bad leads assume it’s for them too. Be explicit: "Starting at $2,500/month" or "For teams with 5+ reps." 3. Make demo/call expectations crystal-clear. Tell them what will be covered exactly, how they will benefit from it, and inject testimonial snippets of similar customers who worked with you. Pre-qualify visitors before they take action. 4. Add friction strategically to filter out tire-kickers. E.g. Next to your "Book a strategy call", add microcopy: "For B2B teams doing $10M+ ARR who want to shorten sales cycles." 5. Tell them who your product is NOT for (either in a dedicated section or through microcopy next to strategic areas). E.g. "Not for early-stage startups without a dedicated sales team." 6. Kill vague testimonials. "Great product, amazing team!" says nothing. Instead, showcase before-after scenarios where clients highlight the transformation they went through. E.g. "We cut churn by 42% in 3 months." 7. Tighten up lead capture forms. If every lead gets through, you’re probably not filtering well enough. Try adding more qualitative questions, a multiple-choice "biggest challenge" question, or a dropdown for revenue (or budget) range. Great homepages don’t just help your ideal customers feel like what you sell is exactly for them. They repel those who are not a fit.

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

Digital product sellers on LinkedIn are leaving $40,000 on the table every month. It's a bit sad. Here's the exact fix for that with no steps left out. 1. Target High-Intent Keywords Skip broad, competitive terms. Focus on niche, long-tail keywords that solve specific problems. How to Find Them: Use Ahrefs/SEMRush to filter for low-difficulty keywords with purchase intent. Look for problem-solution based search terms your target audience uses. Examples: Instead of "photo editing app" (too broad), target "photo editing app for food bloggers" or "batch photo editor for real estate listings" Instead of "project management software" (too competitive), target "freelance project management software with client portal" or "personal task management app with calendar sync" Why? These terms show clear intent and bring in visitors actively looking for specific solutions to their problems. 2. Build High-Converting Product Pages Your product pages should connect features to real user needs. Write benefit-focused copy that addresses specific use cases: "Edit 100 photos in 5 minutes" or "Never miss a deadline with smart project alerts" Add social proof: Real user reviews and results-focused case studies Use contextual CTAs: "Start Free Trial" or "Try Free Version" Optimize metadata with clear value propositions: "Photo Batch Editor for Real Estate Pros | [Your Brand]" 3. Publish Educational Content Create how-to guides, beginner resources, and problem-solving posts that bring in the right audience. Interlink content to build authority and include actionable steps. 4. Create Comparison Content Compare your tool to major competitors. Include feature and pricing breakdowns, plus user reviews. 5. Capture Leads with Free Resources Offer templates, guides, or quick tools that solve immediate problems. Use dedicated landing pages to convert visitors into leads. 6. Leverage Seasonal SEO Align content with upcoming trends or holidays. Use Google Trends and publish 4-6 weeks before peak demand. 7. Use Video Content Make quick tutorials, feature demos, and success stories to boost rankings and engagement. 8. Fix Technical SEO Fast Add schema markup, improve mobile speed, and fix broken links. 9. Build Backlinks Strategically Focus on earning links to product and helpful content pages. Aim for “best of” lists and blogger mentions. 10. Retarget Lost Visitors Show targeted offers based on pages viewed. Use email sequences and exit-intent popups. 90-Day Execution Plan Days 1–30: Optimize existing rankings, fix technical issues, start content around key features. Days 31–60: Create comparison pieces, add lead magnets, launch email sequences. Days 61–90: Scale what works, incorporate video, and improve conversion paths. Avoid Common Mistakes Don’t target keywords with no clear intent. Don’t post generic content. Don’t ignore mobile experience or email capture.

We turned a $200 gift box into a $20,000/mo client… Here's how in 5 steps: 1. Pick a city, then curate your list We picked 10 Seattle-based companies in our ICP because we want to expand our footprint in that region. Limiting the physical area you're working with is key for focus and execution – you'll see why if you keep reading. 2. Put together a gift box We included a: - Bottle of Macallan 12 - Personalized, printed, and signed letter - Video box that opens to me delivering a customized pitch - Handout on our services and how the company could benefit from them We spent $200 on each box, but the key here isn't just investing money in the pitch – it's investing time. Make sure you're delivering personalized, relevant messages, not high-end spray-and-pray. You want style *and* substance. 3. Send someone important to deliver them in person Our President, Allen Wu, hand-delivered these packages to CMOs, Chief Growth Officers, and COOs. He spent a full rainy day walking around and making those deliveries. Maybe there's a stronger way to say, "We REALLY want to work with you," but I don't know what it is. 4. Follow up Your dream clients are *busy* – there's a good chance reaching out about a gift box is low on their to-do list, no matter how much they appreciate it. If you haven't heard back for about a week, send a quick email: "Hey, did you get the box?" 9 times out of 10, that's when you're going to book a call. 5. Prep to make a great impression Don't kick your feet up once you've got the first meeting on the books – this is your chance to push it over the line and show them how great it will be to work with you. I spent 45 minutes preparing a complimentary audit for our first call with the CMO of one of our dream 20.  Literally 15 slides with campaign ideas and value. I found: - Their FB ad history didn’t indicate a lot of testing - Their creative looked a bit stale - something we knew we can fix - Their Facebook page had a broken link (with 1M+ followers, they want to fix that) So I spent the first 15 minutes of the call: - Sharing my mini-audit findings - Giving him a few A/B test ideas - Telling him 10+ things I'd recommend for overall growth I told them that if they paid for an audit, they’ll get a ton more value.  So, they booked a second call and asked us to send him an audit proposal. We signed a contract and are already producing results. Anyone ever tried gifting with this level of effort?  It’s a lot of work - but the ROI can make it well worth your while…

I’ve helped 100+ CEOs and entrepreneurs turn LinkedIn into a lead-gen machine. Most struggle with low engagement & zero conversions. To avoid this trap, here's my 5-step roadmap on how to network effectively and turn LinkedIn into a revenue machine: 📌𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: Stop Scattering Your Energy Most people think: “I need to connect with everyone to grow.” That’s a mistake. To achieve real networking success: • Define your ideal connection – Who do you need to know? Who needs your expertise? • Prioritize decision-makers – Don’t just connect with peers; go after buyers. • Engage with top voices in your industry – This gets you seen by their audience. 🔹 Start here and avoid wasting time on random connections. 📌𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: Don’t Stop at 50 Requests—It’s a Numbers Game Now you have two options: • Send a few requests and wait for magic to happen • Go big, track responses, and refine your outreach There’s no wrong answer, but if you’re serious about growing, you need volume + strategy. ✔ 100+ connection requests per week ✔ 30%+ acceptance rate = you’re on the right track ✔ Keep tweaking your message for better results Networking is a game of persistence. 📌𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: Connect, But Go Beyond 'Thanks for Connecting' Focus on two core pillars: 1. Your First Message Matters • Skip generic intros—lead with value • Ask an engaging question to spark a real convo • Find common ground fast (industry, mutual interests) Once you master this, focus on: 2. The Follow-Up Formula • 80% of deals come AFTER the 3rd+ follow-up • Keep it casual but intentional (not salesy) • Offer useful insights, not just “Hey, checking in” Most people stop at one message. You shouldn’t. 📌𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: Build Social Proof While You Network Mistake: Talking about yourself too much. Easy fix: Use content to back up your credibility while you network. Here’s how: • Post insights from your conversations (without naming names) • Share behind-the-scenes of working with clients • Showcase what you’re learning + how it helps others Your profile should do the selling for you. 📌𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: Make LinkedIn Work for You 24/7 This final step is how you: • Turn cold outreach into warm inbound leads • Position yourself as an authority • Build relationships that lead to high-value opportunities 🔹 Want more deep-dive insights on LinkedIn networking & lead-gen? I’m sharing exclusive strategies in my newsletter today. Get it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCuasuC9 🚀

A client recently told me, “We’ve been doing the same thing for years, but something feels off now.” And they were right. When your profile doesn’t evolve with the market, everything slows down. Engagement. Leads. Conversions. We made a few key changes to their LinkedIn presence. Rewrote the headline to speak directly to their audience, turned the About section into a story, and added one powerful testimonial. The result? Engagement up 35 percent, leads doubled, and they closed their biggest deal yet. It’s a strategy I’ve developed to turn genuine relationships into real results. I call this the Connection-to-Conversion Method. Here’s what we did, and what you can try too: 🔸 Use Your Headline Like a Hook, Not a Job Title • People scroll fast. Your headline should tell them exactly how you help, not what your position is. • A strong headline speaks directly to your ideal client’s pain or aspiration. Why This Helps: Your profile becomes searchable, clickable, and instantly relevant. 🔸 Ditch the Bio. Write a Story Instead. • A punchy “About” section that walks people through your journey builds instant trust. • Use it to share how you solve problems, not just your background. Why This Helps: You become memorable—not just another LinkedIn consultant. 🔸 Pin a Client Testimonial or Case Study • Social proof builds instant credibility. People trust results more than promises. • Bonus tip: Don’t just name-drop clients, showcase the transformation they experienced to make it memorable. Why This Helps: Future clients can imagine themselves getting the same results. 🔸 Optimize for SEO Without Sounding Robotic • Sprinkle in keywords your ideal clients are actually searching for, but make it sound natural, not forced. • Think phrases like “lead generation for coaches” or “sales funnel strategist for B2B” that speak directly to what they need. Why This Helps: You show up in the right searches without killing your voice. 🔸 Use Your Banner Space Like a Billboard • Visuals sell fast. Use them to reinforce your offer, method, or results. • Add a short tagline, strong CTA, or a simple 3-step process so people know exactly what to do next. Why This Helps: First impressions stick—make yours work for you. 🔸 Make Your CTA Clear and Clickable • Add something actionable like your Calendly link, a freebie, or “DM me for a free audit” to drive engagement. • Skip passive closes like “Let’s connect. Make it clear what the next step is. Why This Helps: People need direction. Make it easy for them to take the next step. B2B should feel personal. With the right profile, you’re not just getting seen, you’re starting conversations that lead to clients. That’s the power of the Connection-to-Conversion Method. ⸻ ♻️ REPOST if this resonated with you! ➡️ FOLLOW Rheanne Razo for more B2B growth strategies, client success, and real-world business insights.