Tiago Gil’s Post

B2B sales funnel! a clear pathway of promotion to conversion

Full-funnel B2B marketing (7 stages explained in detail + book announcement). 0. GTM STRATEGY - FUNDAMENTAL LAYER. - Goals and targets - Focus market segments & clusters - ICP and account segmentation - Customer research and buyer journey patterns - Core programs to influence buyer journey and drive revenue - Metrics, KPIs and Reports - Messaging - Team alignment 1. Brand Awareness. Develop brand awareness strategy through: - Detailed guides - Organic thought leadership - Boosting top-performing content through ads - Guest posts and podcast interviews - Sponsorship & collaborations with communities, influencers, and creators - Events 2. DEMAND GENERATION. Demand generation = making your target accounts believe your product is one of the best possible solutions for their needs. Demand (or buy-in) is generated through: - Detailed case studies and customer use cases divided by verticals or jobs-to-be-done - Practical overview of typical buyer challenges and ways to solve them with native integration of your product 3. DEMAND CAPTURING. Retargeting became a synonym for demand capturing, but this is just a piece of the puzzle. Here are 6 other ways to capture the demand. - High-intent website page visits - Product-related content hubs - Product-related webinars - Product-related free email courses - Progressive profiling - Buyer interviews 4. ACTIVATION. Activation = personalized offers for target accounts. The best ways to deliver personalized offers and generate sales opportunities that have been working for us and our clients are: * 1-1 consultations & strategy sessions * Personalized content hubs * Social selling based on engagement and intent insights * Direct mails with personalized solutions 5. CLIENT SUCCESS. After winning a deal, the real relationship only starts. Make sure to accelerate time to value, onboard core users, and get a positive case study asap. Whenever you see they get results, invite them for a debriefing call. You can create a case study and get insights about key initiatives + validate upsell hypotheses. 6. EXPANSION. Most B2B companies never do it and just passively wait until the client requests more licenses. While expansion is a new retention as Jacco van der Kooij nicely describes it. --- The buying process is not linear, and you can't push buyers. But you can ensure that you maximize the chances to: - Create awareness and grab attention of the accounts that are not in market now - Generate demand for those who research and learn about different solutions - Capture the demand and activate engaged accounts - Expand & Retain --- We started to popularize the concept of Full-Funnel B2B marketing with Vladimir Blagojević 7 years ago. It all has started from the image you see right now 😃 This summer we decided to accumulate our 19 years in B2B marketing and write a book. If you'd like to be among the first readers and provide us feedback, leave a comment, and I'll add you to beta readers list.

Eight pillars of Full-Funnel B2B marketing: 1. GTM STRATEGY - Goals - Focus market segments & clusters - ICP & qualification - Customer research and buyer journey patterns - Core programs to influence buyer journey and drive revenue - KPIs & metrics - Messaging - Team alignment 2. AWARENESS Awareness = buyers from ICP accounts know why you're worth considering as a solution to a specific problem they have. Develop awareness with: - Detailed guides - Expert content on social about top buyer challenges - Guest posts and podcast interviews on target niche media - Sponsorship & collabs with communities, influencers & creators - Educational events, webinars, round tables - Relationships on social 3. DEMAND GENERATION Demand generation = making your target buyers believe your product is one of the best possible solutions for their needs. Demand is generated through: - Clear messaging on how you're different and worth buying - Detailed case studies and customer use cases divided by verticals or jobs-to-be-done - Practical overview of solutions to typical challenges and use-cases (natively featuring your product) 4. DEMAND CAPTURE Buyers that are ready to buy will reach out to you. Work on making that process frictionless. Keep nurturing with relevant product marketing, social proof and relevant CTAs with - Ads on high-intent channels and retargeting - Product-related content hubs - Product-related webinars - Product-related free email courses and nurtures - Progressive profiling and personalized offers - Buyer interviews 5. ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT Here, we collect all the available information about the needs, goals, KPIs and challenges of the individual buyers, and map the value proposition and content to accounts and buyers. Based on these insights, we create and distribute personalized solutions, effectively creating 1:1 account-based marketing. 6. PIPELINE ACCELERATION Marketing works with sales to accelerate the buyer journey of the stale deals, and re-engage the target buyers. 7. CUSTOMER SUCCESS & ADVOCACY After winning a deal, the real relationship only starts. Make sure to accelerate time to value, onboard core users, and get a positive case study asap. Whenever you see they get results, invite them for a debriefing call. You can create a case study and get insights about key initiatives + validate upsell hypotheses. 8. EXPANSION AND RENEWALS Most B2B companies never do it and just passively wait until the client requests more licenses (or churn). But in a SaaS model, the vast majority of revenue growth comes from retention and expansion. That's why, after successful implementation, we can start working on expansion, and later renewals. --- Andrei and I've been talking about Full-Funnel B2B marketing for years. This summer we decided to accumulate our 2x19 years in B2B and write a book. If you'd like to be among the first readers and provide us feedback, let me know, and I'll add you to beta readers list.

Full-Funnel B2B Marketing explained. 0. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 = replicate your best deals. - Firmographics and technographics criteria - (Dis)qualification criteria that help you prioritize accounts with a need, and that you have a reasonable chance of winning and retaining over the long time  - Buying committee structure - Account segmentation criteria - Buyer journey: where and how they learn, discover and buy a solution like yours 1. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 = consistent stream of high-quality expert content aligned with the buying journey, created for places where your buyers hang out and learn + clear messaging on how you're different and worth buying. 2. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 on high-intent channels + retargeting. Buyers that are ready to buy will reach out to you. Work on making that process frictionless. Keep nurturing with relevant product marketing, social proof and relevant CTAs. In parallel, prioritize engaged, high value accounts for your ABM program. 3. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 for Account-Based Marketing, based on: - Revenue potential. In ABM, we want to focus on high revenue potential clients (Tier 1 & Tier 2) - Level of vendor awareness and engagement with your brand and demand generation campaigns  - Product-need evidence  - Relationships that we have with the buying committee 4. 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝟏:𝐅𝐞𝐰), where marketing and sales work together to nurture and develop relationships with multiple buyers, and qualify the need. 5. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝟏:𝟏). Here, we collect all the available information about the needs, goals, KPIs and challenges of the individual buyers, and map the value proposition and content to accounts and buyers. Based on these insights, we create and distribute personalized solutions, effectivelly creating 1:1 account-based marketing. 6. 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, where marketing works with sales to accelerate the buyer journey of the stale deals, and re-engage the target buyers. 7-10. 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐞𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹𝘀. If the deal is won, we'll move it to customer success, and after successful implementation, we can start working on expansion, and later renewals. 11. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Even if you select the right accounts, and you run a perfect campaign, not all accounts are going to convert into a deal right away. But this doesn’t mean that you should stop marketing to them, as the opportunity might appear in the coming quarters. That’s why we move these accounts to nurturing & demand generation programs, so that you stay top of their mind until they're ready to buy. --- The era of a lead generation and siloed marketing and sales teams passed many years ago. To win today, you need #fullfunnel #b2bmarketing, including brand awareness, #demandgeneration and #ABM programs. 

Full-Funnel B2B Marketing explained. 0. 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 = replicate your best deals. - Firmographics and technographics criteria - (Dis)qualification criteria that help you prioritize accounts with a need, and that you have a reasonable chance of winning and retaining over the long time - Buying committee structure - Account segmentation criteria - Buyer journey: where and how they learn, discover and buy a solution like yours 1. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 = consistent stream of high-quality expert content aligned with the buying journey, created for places where your buyers hang out and learn + clear messaging on how you're different and worth buying. 2. 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 on high-intent channels + retargeting. Buyers that are ready to buy will reach out to you. Work on making that process frictionless. Keep nurturing with relevant product marketing, social proof and relevant CTAs. In parallel, prioritize engaged, high value accounts for your ABM program. 3. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 for Account-Based Marketing, based on: - Revenue potential. In ABM, we want to focus on high revenue potential clients (Tier 1 & Tier 2) - Level of vendor awareness and engagement with your brand and demand generation campaigns - Product-need evidence - Relationships that we have with the buying committee 4. 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝟏:𝐅𝐞𝐰), where marketing and sales work together to nurture and develop relationships with multiple buyers, and qualify the need. 5. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝟏:𝟏). Here, we collect all the available information about the needs, goals, KPIs and challenges of the individual buyers, and map the value proposition and content to accounts and buyers. Based on these insights, we create and distribute personalized solutions, effectivelly creating 1:1 account-based marketing. 6. 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, where marketing works with sales to accelerate the buyer journey of the stale deals, and re-engage the target buyers. 7-10. 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐞𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹𝘀. If the deal is won, we'll move it to customer success, and after successful implementation, we can start working on expansion, and later renewals. 11. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗻𝘂𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Even if you select the right accounts, and you run a perfect campaign, not all accounts are going to convert into a deal right away. But this doesn’t mean that you should stop marketing to them, as the opportunity might appear in the coming quarters. That’s why we move these accounts to nurturing & demand generation programs, so that you stay top of their mind until they're ready to buy. --- The era of a lead generation and siloed marketing and sales teams passed many years ago. To win today, you need #fullfunnel #b2bmarketing, including brand awareness, #demandgeneration and #ABM programs.

Short-term gains 📊 vs. 🏆 long-term growth in B2B marketing. Lead gen vs. brand building One-off promotions vs. always-on advertising Immediate ROI vs. dark funnel …And the list goes on 📋 There are so many ways to do B2B marketing, but if I had to cut it down to one, I’d say people often try to balance between the following two: 📈 Short-term results 🌱 Long-term growth Both are of course necessary, but since the short-term metrics are where you can draw a direct line from marketing to sales (e.g. hand over of leads) many companies tend to favour campaigns that drive those short-term KPIs instead of the strategic ones like: Reach, SoV, and Frequency. At worst this can lead into a situation where you are hyper focused on the short-term campaigns and are only optimising their performance causing the upstream (long-term) potential to dry up. So only focusing on the short-term KPIs is the same as trying to take a shortcut to glory where one doesn’t exist. A “hot lead” 🔥 requires a few more interactions than a single lead magnet download, as based on studies a B2B decision maker consumes around 13-16 content pieces through their buyer’s journey. So even though 80% of your sales potential is generated by the short-term campaigns (20% is hard to attribute) ...still, 80% of your long-term growth lives in “the future” and is influenced by brand building, continuous value delivery, repetition, ungated content, etc. This changes the dynamic of the 80/20 principle so that… 📊 Short-term campaigns drive: 80% of FAST revenue ⏳ Long-term campaigns drive: 80% of FUTURE revenue So are both needed? ✅ Absolutely! It’s even paramount that the long-term growth (the upstream) gets an equal amount of love ❤️ as the short-term activities, as you can only “make an impression” and influence someone’s thinking over the long term, and finally… realise the built demand into leads, pipeline, and revenue once your crop is ready for the harvest. TLDR: Revenue is the manifestation of multiple marketing actions (not just lead gen), and by nurturing your audience upstream (delivering value, branding, etc.), you’ll come to nurture that future potential of yours where 80% of harvestable revenue lives.

Paid B2B marketing - the old ways vs the new ways... The old way: - Track anything and everything - Overkill 🤮 - Put assets behind a form - huge friction TOF - Selling instead of educating prospects ("Marry" before "dating" them) - Focusing on CPA and top-line metrics - Traditional ads and content that cause ad fatigue - they have their place though - Retargeting by excluding converters Unlearn this... And learn the new ways: - Use your team, exec and founders as spokespeople in your ads (huuuge brand awareness) - Sponsor personal and company page posts - beats ad fatigue because they don't look like ads! - Retarget your engagers over 30, 90 and 180 day segments - Give your audience something tangible and actionable. eg. Content and ads around "how we" "how I" and "how you" - Implement self-reporting to track the buyer journey - Show them a new piece of content at each stage of their journey tackling their pains We've learned that this way increases conversion rates and prospects convert faster because they have already built a relationship with your team. They are already engaged and educated about your solutions. That's how we're able to increase SQLs for B2B SaaS. Book a call and I'll show you how we do this: https://lnkd.in/ekYWJhgZ

If you haven't got a go-to-network strategy in your B2B marketing plan, you NEED to read this... The B2B sales and marketing landscape is evolving at lightning speed, and if you havent noticed yet - those that are getting ahead are taking a human led approach that focuses on ecosystems and partnerships! In one of my recent episodes of my Marketing in The Madness podcast, I interviewed two of my amazing clients who are leading the way with this and getting AMAZING lead generation results! David Nisbet from Stripe and Josie Klafkowska from VML shared with me that with only 5% of potential customers "in market" at any given time and the looming end of third-party cookies 🍪, the challenge to attract new business is real. But guess what? Partnerships are the answer! 🤝 David nailed it in this statement which I absolutely LOVE: “Inbound is hard, outbound is harder, that’s why you need NEARBOUND in your strategy” It's all about leveraging your network to build trust and turbo-charge sales 🚀 The concept of Nearbound is reshaping the B2B playbook for 2024. But how do you make it work for you? Here are some golden nuggets from the podcast that you can watch or READ in more detail in one of our latest articles on the Street Agency website: Stand Out in the Sea of Sameness 🌊 No more cold lists! It's about nurturing your network and building relationships. According to McKinsey, 82% of boards are investing more in partnerships. Why? Because collaboration and trust are the glue holding our fragmented marketplace together. Build a Better Network 🕸️ On average, 5.4 decision-makers are involved in tech purchases. Knowing who they are and influencing their networks is crucial. With third-party cookies on their way out, robust first-party data strategies are more important than ever. Events Boost Networks – and Leads: 🎉 Events are making a comeback! They provide a trusted environment to build relationships and gather insights. As I often say: “You’re building relationships with your potential prospects in the real world, in real-time” Keep Nurturing Networks 🌱 Once you've built your network, integrate it into your business ethos. Test, learn, and iterate. As we highlighted in the podcast, “Fail fast, iterate, and learn.” If you're looking to unlock the power of partnerships and ecosystems in your marketing strategy, this episode is a must-listen or READ! What strategies have you found most effective in building and nurturing your business partnerships? I would love to hear what's been working for you in the comments below 💬 #B2BMarketing #partnerships #ecosystems #marketingstrategy #podcast #businessgrowth #networkbuilding #nearbound https://lnkd.in/eiK-p9Jg

It seems like in B2B marketing right now.... Everyone's shouting. Few are heard. Here are 7 steps for cutting through the noise with Demand Generation 1) Niche Mastery - This isn't about skimming the surface. - It's about knowing your audience better than your competition - It's about understanding customer problems more than they do themselves 2) Connect Your POV to Customer Goals - Share how your POV moves your niche toward their ultimate outcome - Make this connection clear in every piece of content. 3) Serve the Buying Journey - Map out the buying process. - Not yours—theirs. - Every touchpoint is an opportunity to educate & inspire. 4) Content Pillars Are Your Foundation - Answer the question, 'What do you want to be known for?' - Identify 3-4 core topics - These are your content pillars - Everything you write should tie back to these 5) Craft Content That Stands Out - Good content isn’t enough. - Aim for remarkable. - Content that educates - Provide a plan forward 6) Promotion is Key - Creating content is half the battle. - The other half? - Getting it in front of prospects. - Leverage all channels where buyers go to learn - Repurpose and reformat - If you said it, write it - if you wrote it, say it - Leverage paid for guaranteed delivery 7) Your Website as a Conversion Machine - Turn your website into a buyer enablement resource. - It's not just about traffic - It's about answering all their questions - Stop gaiting everything - Prioritize conversion around true hand-raisers The promise of true demand generation? - Higher quality leads -Less competition - Shorter sales cycles Demand generation isn’t a one-and-done deal. 👉It’s a commitment to understanding and serving your market better—day in, day out. 👉It's about creating a need 👉not just capturing it. Good luck! Your future customers are waiting.

Understanding the customer journey from awareness to conversion is crucial in B2B marketing. Here's how we leverage LinkedIn Ads at every stage: Top of Funnel: We start with cold targeting and account-based marketing (ABM) lists to generate initial interest through main offers and brand awareness campaigns. Middle of Funnel: As prospects show interest, we use lead magnets tailored to different personas to nurture them further. Bottom of Funnel (High Intent): For leads showing high intent, options like booking a call, requesting a demo, or signing up for a free trial are offered to push towards conversion. Bottom of Funnel (Long-Term Nurture): For those not ready to convert immediately, a long-term nurturing strategy involving case studies, social proof, urgency, and scarcity tactics, along with thought leadership content and reviews/testimonials, keeps them engaged. This funnel strategy isn't just about pushing for sales, it's about building relationships, educating prospects, and guiding them through their buying journey with tailored content and interactions at each stage. Comparison to Real Estate: In real estate, this approach translates into initially attracting potential buyers or investors through market insights and property highlights (Top of Funnel). As they engage, offering virtual tours or detailed property brochures acts as lead magnets (Middle of Funnel). For those showing serious interest, arranging viewings or consultations moves them closer to purchase (Bottom of Funnel - High Intent). Finally, for those considering long-term investment, showcasing case studies of successful deals, client testimonials, and exclusive investment opportunities (Bottom of Funnel - Long-Term Nurture) helps in maintaining interest and trust until they are ready to invest. Photo source: Speedwork