Omni Lab

We just released our first single. The messy middle. And the story goes... Behind the stage, the marketers play, Cooking up funnels in their usual way. “Quick, they hit MOFU, send BOFU their way!” But the buyer’s not dancing, they just walk away. We think they move from top to low, Like dominoes falling in a perfect show. But the truth is wild, it’s not so clean, They’re jumping around in the spaces between. Oh, it’s the messy middle, no straight line, Different content at a different time. They’re not a funnel; they’re a wave in the sea, Searching for answers, where they wanna be. Give ’em assurance, build that trust, Be the first name when the problem’s enough. “BOFU away!” the marketer cries, “Hit them with G2 and testimonial skies!” “Wait, TOFU again? Bring MOFU back in!” This juggling act, it’s a marketing spin. But when I’m in the buyer’s shoes, I don’t wait for cues, I make my moves. Straight to the pricing page, my first play, But looking’s not buying, it’s just foreplay. Oh, it’s the messy middle, no straight line, Different content at a different time. They’re not a funnel; they’re a wave in the sea, Searching for answers, where they wanna be. Give ’em assurance, build that trust, Be the first name when the problem’s enough. Google told us what’s real inside, No perfect journeys, no linear guides. A mix of questions, thoughts collide, It’s about reassurance, not the marketer’s pride. On LinkedIn streets, founders share, POVs, frameworks, wisdom laid bare. Case studies, lessons, all at once, That’s how we win, not with a BOFU punch. Oh, it’s the messy middle, no straight line, Different content at a different time. They’re not a funnel; they’re a wave in the sea, Searching for answers, where they wanna be. Give ’em assurance, build that trust, Be the first name when the problem’s enough. So build your strategy, but keep it real, Don’t overcomplicate how they should feel. Be there when the moment’s ripe, Answer their questions, give them the light. Oh, the messy middle, let it flow, Just stay consistent, and they’ll know. You’re the one they’ll turn to when, The problem’s big, and they need a friend. 🎶

When you give sales the good leads.

Not all leads are created equal. And there's a delicate balance between going broad and maximizing for reach vs. staying focused on your best-fit clients today. When you go broad: - Your sales team wastes time working leads that aren't a good fit - Your retargeting campaigns are filled with junk traffic. - Your lead-to-opportunity rate tanks. When you go too narrow: - Your cost per conversion goes up - You reach fewer people that could come in-market - You increase the risk of the campaign failing to meet it's goal So as with everything, it's a balance. 1.) We need to refine the broadest definition of our ICP today by reviewing historical data in our CRM to isolate the most profitable segments and the markets where we have the biggest competitive advantage. 2.) We must optimize sales activation campaigns toward quality indicators like SQLs and opportunities. 3.) We need to work closely with sales to clarify "why" leads are not a fit. We also need to clearly separate direct-response campaigns from broader brand-building campaigns. They must have their own metrics and indicators for success; otherwise, we set the wrong expectations for the campaign. TL;DR When you only have 12-18 months of runway, focus on driving quality conversions.

Google Ads does NOT work the same as LinkedIn Ads. Just the other day, I was discussing this with a CEO who asked, “Why aren’t we getting the same results on LinkedIn as we are on Google?” Aka the same amount of demos. The question itself highlights a common misconception that LinkedIn and Google are interchangeable platforms. But the reality is the intent behind why someone goes to Google is completely different from how someone uses LinkedIn. On Google, you express your intent by using keywords to answer questions or research solutions to a current problem you have. On LinkedIn, you come to engage with friends, look for a job, learn something new, or maybe just burn time between meetings looking at memes. You are NOT going to LinkedIn to evaluate the software as your primary objective. So, while it’s tempting to replicate what’s working on Google on LinkedIn, don't. You will be disappointed because the intent level is different. Instead, focus on using the channels that align with what buyers expectations are: - Google = Focus on high-Intent keywords when buyers are looking for your product category and/or a specific job they are looking to perform with a product like yours. - LinkedIn = Focus on communicating your narrative, POV, and aligning your product with key buyer triggers to as many people in your ICP as possible. (think about the needs/problems/situations that buyers have right before they come looking for you) TL;DR Don't expect the same results on Google as on LinkedIn. It's like comparing apples and oranges. Focus on understanding the intent behind search vs. social and then align your strategy accordingly.

Gotta say...this is still one of the creepiest campaigns. In 2017, Burger King launched a creative and cheeky Halloween campaign called “Come as a clown, eat like a king.” The campaign aimed to poke fun at their longtime rival, McDonald’s, whose mascot, as everyone knows, is Ronald McDonald. The promotion encouraged customers to dress up as clowns and visit participating Burger King locations on Halloween to receive a free Whopper. One of the better campaigns we've seen. Any other good ads you've seen?

Product marketing is the linchpin in your paid social strategy. It's the layer that makes it clear what your product does and the problem it solves. When you are an early stage SaaS brand (A-C), you have no choice, but to be clear. Many people in your ICP still don't know what you do. They don't relate your brand name with the problem you solve. So to better clarify the problem and capability to your ICP, here are 4 templates with examples: 1.) Before / After - show them how their current situation will change with your product. Lokalise demonstrates the issue with direct translation software for localized campaigns with a before/after. 2.) Capability - show them the job they can do with your product Dovetail focuses on the core capability of their product "a research repository for your team". I'd argue they should replace "with a Dovetail expert" with "Turn calls, docs, and user feedback into insights, like magic." 3.) Question - present a question that's top of mind, then answer it with your product reMarkable starts off with problem buyers have and poses it as a question. Then they show them a visual of what their notes could look like. 4.) Problem - reveal a problem they aren't aware of and then tell them how you solve it CHEQ drills into the main problem that advertises face, bot clicks. And then they follow it with how they can help block this type of traffic. Even if people aren't in-market for what you do today, they'll start to form associations in their mind that you are someone that solves xyz problem and/or can provide xyz solution. Remember, clear and specific BEFORE vague and clever.

When marketing delivers leads that "want" to talk to sales. Sales be like....😮🏃 When marketing delivers e-book/webinar/white paper/guide leads for sales follow-up. Sales be like....😕 The simplest way to improve trust with sales is to pass them leads that have given their intent to start a sales conversation. It doesn't mean signals aren't important or that there can't be some type of follow-up with people who engage with content, but these are not sales-ready leads.

We just audited an account yesterday spending 27% of the budget on people NOT in their ICP. You wonder why "the channel" isn't working. It's not the channel; you are targeting the WRONG people. The downstream impact of targeting people outside your ICP: - Poor website conversion rate - Huge technical debt - Missed quotas Most of the time, this happens because: - Poor execution in-channel - Misalignment on who is the ICP - Listening to audience size recommendations - Wanting your dream accounts today vs. working towards them. You can have a subpar paid media strategy as long as you get your message in front of the right audience. And it typically isn't as simple as defining titles, company size, and industry, although that's a good starting point. It starts by: 1️⃣ Defining your success criteria: target ACV, strong cross-sell potential, target conversion rate, churn under x%, etc. 2️⃣ Analyze the Past: Look at the last 6-12 months. What types of companies hit those marks? 3️⃣ Spot Patterns: Look for common traits that go beyond basic firmographics. Look at technologies used, triggers for why they bought today, growth rate, hiring vs. not, etc. 4️⃣ Create Your ICP: Use these insights from your CRM + conversations with sales/customer success to define your ideal client profile. Now there may be some situations when you are moving upmarket for various reasons. In those cases, make sure you split your budget across those different segments. As you get wins in the new segment you can start directing more budget there vs. leaving behind the segment that got you to your first $10M in ARR. We are not saying it's easy as doing these "4 steps", it requires getting multiple groups together and agreeing on the path forward, but this is a critical step before you "blame the channel". TL;DR Accurate targeting leads to strong lagging indicators (pipeline/revenue). #demandgeneration #b2bmarketing #saas

How do you know how marketing is working? When buyers know so much about you, they lick their lips at the opportunity to talk to you. Don't make it so complicated... #demandgeneration #b2bmarketing #saas

"Channels" don't drive the pipeline by themselves; they drive qualified traffic to your website (directly or via zero-click). There are a myriad of things that have to happen after they get to your website. If you aren't getting the traction you'd like from a given channel, consider some of these questions Dave Gerhardt put together: • 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: How long does it take to respond to inbound leads? • 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How are those leads getting prioritized by sales reps? • 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: Are they the right leads? • 𝗡𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲: How can you re-engage no shows? • 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄: What about your demo request flow? Can it be improved? • 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗳𝗳: How can the handoff between Website --> Sales be improved? • 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽: What feedback are you getting from Sales about the quality of leads? • 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: How close are you working with Marketing Ops? Most people logically get this, yet too often, you hear... - "Google didn't work" - "LinkedIn didn't work" - "Podcast didn't work" Is it possible that it's not a good channel sure: - Audience isn't that active on the channel - CPM/CPCs may be too expensive to reach the audience efficiently - Native targeting might not be ideal But there aren't that many channels to reach your audience, so before you call another "dead," take a hard look at some of the questions above as it's more likely a down stream issue that could completly shift your perspective on the channels you are currently investing in. #demandgeneration #b2bmarketing #saas