CDP Strategy Success: How We Grew Leads By 475%
Executive Summary
Our CDP marketing strategy focused on partnering with Company X to increase qualified demo requests for their Customer Data Platform (CDP) and Email Service Provider (ESP) products. Through a strategic multi-channel approach combining LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google Search, we achieved significant growth in lead generation while maintaining cost efficiency.
Pre-Test Period
May-July 2024
Test Period
August-September 2024
Post-Test Period
October 2024
Key Results
Drove a 205% increase in qualified website traffic from paid channels.
Achieved 475% growth in qualified leads compared to control period.
No change in cost per qualified lead.
Background
Company Overview
Company X is an international marketing technology company specializing in customer engagement and retention. Two of their flagship solutions include:
- Customer Data Platform (CDP)
- Unified database system
- Integrates customer data from various sources (Website, CRM, Social Media)
- Enables cross-platform data leveraging
- Email Service Provider (ESP)
- Enterprise-level email marketing platform
- Comprehensive campaign management capabilities
- Integration with CDP for enhanced targeting
Market Context
The CDP and ESP markets are highly competitive, with 161 defined CDP vendors as of 2022. Company X differentiates itself through:
- Data graph with 240+ million customer profiles
- Integrated CDP-ESP solution
- Enterprise-scale capabilities
Sales Process
Enterprise software purchases typically follow a structured Request for Proposal (RFP) process:
- Initial research phase by decision-makers
- Vendor evaluation and comparison
- Product demonstrations
- Final selection and implementation
Our strategy targeted decision-makers in their initial research phase to raise awareness and bring company X into consideration.
Average sales cycle ranges from 6-12+ months, with significant stakeholder involvement throughout the process.
Audience
An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) was developed to reach Company X’s target audience including:
- Marketing Leaders
- VPs & Directors
- Managers
- Consultants
- Business Leaders
- Executives
- Founders
- Owners
Measurement
We expanded on Company X’s lead scoring system with analysis of secondary KPIs:
- Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Site Visitors
- Engaged Sessions
- Video Watch Time
- Frequency
Challenge
Prior to working with us, Company X faced several key challenges:
Search Marketing
- Non-branded keywords costs ranged from $30-100 per click
- Unsustainable model competing against advertisers with larger budgets
- Limited ability to compete effectively in search auctions
Brand Awareness
- Low consideration during RFP processes
- Limited brand recognition among target audience
- Need for increased marketing visibility
Complex Sales Environment
- Low consideration during RFP processes
- Limited brand recognition among target audience
- Need for increased marketing visibility
Approach
We developed a comprehensive multi-channel strategy targeting three key objectives:
Channel Strategy
Appealing to an audience of business decision makers required precision targeting and long-form content.
YouTube
Audience
- ICP profile-based lookalike modeling
- Reached 200,000 unique users
- Average monthly frequency: 3 impressions per user
Content Strategy
- Customer Testimonials
- Product demonstrations
- Live educational sessions
Target Audience
- Proprietary ICP audience of 50,000 users
- Average monthly frequency: 10+ impressions per user
Content Strategy
- Educational blog articles
- Industry trend analysis
- Best practice guides
- Integration benefits
- RFP process guidance
Google Search
Campaign Structure
- Solution-specific ad groups
- Branded search terms
- Custom landing pages
Optimization Strategy
- Target CPA bid model
- Focused on high-intent traffic
- Minimized competition with Organic Search
Results
LinkedIn Impact
Engaged Sessions
- Significant increase in engaged users indicating quality.
ICP Site Visitors
- Majority of sessions from users within target ICP audience
YouTube Impact
Engaged Sessions
- Increased engaged sessions
- Watch time of video ads ranging from 20s-80s
ICP Site Visitors
- Strong ICP alignment
- Growth in line with engaged sessions
Lead Generation Results
Qualified Leads
- 475% increase in qualified leads
Cost per Qualified Lead
- Consistent cost per acquisition
Conclusion
The multi-channel strategy demonstrated clear success in:
- Expanding market presence
2. Engaging qualified decision-makers
3. Driving meaningful business outcomes
Our CDP marketing strategy success hinged on:
- Strategic audience targeting
- High-quality content development
- Integrated channel approach
- Robust measurement framework
Future Recommendations
Immediate Actions
Implement always-on CDP Marketing Strategy:
Rotate seasonal content
Stay up-to-date on emerging trends
Sustain brand lift
Short-term Initiatives
Launch matched market test:
Test Youtube & LinkedIn in separate markets
Compare to a control market
Determine optimal media mix
