Our client, a newly independent, London-based investment house that specialises in a variety of financial opportunities, operating as an intermediary between investors and institutions. By the summer of 2015, they were ready to shrug off the outbound lead generation model already in place, and implement inbound strategies that would perform better and survive looming EU data protection legislation.
Naturally, we were delighted to help. Six & Flow began working with the client in the summer of 2015, and by the New Year the company had grown its revenue by over 500%, enjoying over 3000% ROI. Not bad for six month’s work, we think!
The problem
Last year, they client struck out on its own from a parent company that relied heavily on an outbound model to drive lead generation. While the client had an experienced and high calibre sales team on board, frustrations were constantly arising over the low quality and low volume of leads fed over from the parent company.
The sales team were regularly chasing false starts due to poor lead qualification, and a laborious paper-based process was taking up even more of their valuable time. The client wanted bigger results from its sales team, but this was proving impossible without the right input.
The law
Not only was the clients lead generation strategy failing them, it was also on the chopping block. New EU Data Regulations are set to come into force, and will force change on the sales and marketing strategy of many businesses, the client included.
Purchased lists of leads, cold calling and extensive direct marketing campaigns have long been outdated strategies. Under new legislation, it will also become illegal. Companies will have to request explicit consent before storing data about anyone, and any breach may lead to a hefty fine. In turn, consumers will be able to object to any data being held about them and opt out of communications more easily.
The solution
From summer 2015, Six & Flow worked in partnership with the client to create a multi-channel online acquisition strategy, incorporating content, PPC, paid social and native advertising to improve lead quality and volume. This was the first foray into online lead generation for the client, and virgin territory for all the in-house sales team.
The new strategy would be supported by the implementation of Hubspot’s online marketing platform, which would streamline current marketing processes and optimise efficiency.
The client needed an agency that could guide them through the implementation process and provide ongoing support, to ensure that the sales team could get on with what they do best.
The method
The first step was to profile the target audience to really understand them. By collecting a granular level of demographic and psychographic information, The client’s sales team was immediately able to focus on a tight niche of low- hanging, fast-converting fruit.
Next, Six & Flow established channels and crafted messaging for its online acquisition campaigns. Messaging and designs were created to fit the audience and drive the right traffic. Based on audience profiling, PPC, Paid Social, and Native Advertising was identified as the ideal approaches for lead generation. Regular blog content would also be produced for use on social channels.
At the heart of all of this was Hubspot, with a simple but effective lead nurturing workflow put in place. Highly adaptive, dynamic landing pages would capture contact details, prompting Hubspot to send ‘soft’ email follow up, and allow additional relevant content to be offered depending on a lead’s response.
By gathering details and nurturing leads through a series of communications, sales calls become easier to convert as individuals were more informed and ready to commit to a purchase. Hubspot automation and tracking also provided a range of in-depth information on email delivery open and click rates, helping to inform personalised lead nurturing.
The results
By January 2016, the client had transitioned its entire lead nurturing cycle to HubSpot, and Six & Flow’s multi-channel acquisition strategy was helping them to achieve record results. In just six short months, the company had transformed its customer acquisition strategy and future-proofed its business.
Now it’s time for the numbers! Within six months, the client generated 2,500 leads. This meant the company grew its revenue by 578%, and achieved an ROI of 3276%. Pretty impressive, right?
HubSpot’s marketing platform underpins Six & Flow's entire marketing and sales process, and this alignment is key to the company’s success. From online web lead to CRM, HubSpot records and reports on every move, click and action taken by prospective customers online. This powerful data then feeds into next-step communications, which are entirely automated.
The sales team saw clear benefits – in fact, the increased revenue and lead volume saw staff numbers triple. The team grew from two to four salespeople by the end of month one, and at month six they added another two members. This is particularly impressive, bearing in mind that Hubspot’s automation also increased the sales team’s productivity by nearly 60%!
And the cherry on top – The client met the EU Data Regulations a whole 12 months ahead of time, so nothing stands in the way of its inbound lead generation strategy’s continued success.
High net worth leads are as active – possibly even more-so – than your average internet user. Especially younger, millennial success stories; they communicate through social media and use search engines to discover new opportunities, too. So, if you want to attract these leads, read our blog'3 secrets to high net worth lead generation.'
