Blog Post
Social Media
Céline
Otto
published on:
Lead Generation - Case Study heyData
Table of Contents
The strategy, execution, and the pros and cons of lead generation via LinkedIn forms—illustrated through a case study with internetwarriors client heyData.
Introducing heyData (and our mission)
About heyData
heyData provides data protection as Software-as-a-Service and consults businesses as a certified Data Protection Officer on all matters of data privacy and security. heyData takes a B2B approach, serving companies on its journey to becoming a one-stop shop. The legal-tech company serves hundreds of clients in the DACH market. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, spurred rapid growth for heyData in both revenue and team size.
The mission for internetwarriors
The target audience for heyData—and therefore internetwarriors—includes SMEs, startups, tax advisors, and more.
Goals: Relevant contact inquiries, leads
KPIs: Cost per (qualified) lead (with minimal waste)
Case Study: Lead Gen Challenge
The goal of the "Lead Gen Challenge" for heyData is to generate leads with a high conversion rate. To achieve this, the first step is identifying the right channel: LinkedIn Ads effectively reach the desired audience, and detailed targeting options for paid ads help minimize wasted spend.
The actual rollout is driven by engaging, relevant content: offers for whitepapers and webinars from heyData. The underlying mechanism is powered by LinkedIn Lead Gen forms.
Success Factor: Campaigns Aligned with the Customer Journey
The campaigns for heyData were developed along the customer journey, following the stages of "Awareness," "Interest," and "Consideration."
To illustrate these three phases, imagine a potential customer at the start of their "virtual journey." Through specific touchpoints, they first come into contact with heyData's offering and learn about it for the first time (Information Phase). In the second phase, they look into the offer more closely and are introduced to its benefits through trust-building measures (Explanation Phase). Finally, in the third phase, they weigh the advantages and solutions the offering brings to them and their business (Persuasion Phase).
Of course, a campaign is only truly successful when it leads to a conversion—in this case, subscribing to a data privacy service from heyData.
Top-Funnel Campaigns: Adding Value
Initially, the campaign for heyData focused on the top of the funnel, which engages audiences in the Information Phase. The primary goal here was to make first contact with the target group. An example is the "startups" audience—specifically startup employees, and particularly the decision-makers or those handling data privacy at the company. Broadly, a tech-savvy target group was defined. LinkedIn's targeting capabilities allow for strategic combinations like "Skills: Startups" plus "Seniority: Executive" to zero in on this exact group.
For the individual target audiences, we developed customized ads addressing real-world topics and challenges from "the startup world," to stick with our example. Specifically, one ad posed the question, "Is your startup GDPR-compliant?" while offering a whitepaper packed with practical tips and solutions. Copy, visuals, and naturally the whitepaper itself were tailored to the target audience to speak to them directly.
The promise of a top-funnel campaign that delivers real value was fulfilled via the "Request free whitepaper" button. The main goal of the whitepaper is to inform, allowing heyData to demonstrate expertise, win over potential clients, and build trust. Only secondarily, toward the end of the whitepaper, are heyData's services actively promoted.
Low-Funnel Campaigns: Driving Transactions
Unlike a top-funnel campaign that focuses on initial contact, a low-funnel campaign targets potential clients who are already much closer to making a decision based on what they know. That means they already know what heyData is, understand what the company offers in data privacy, and are already in the Persuasion Phase.
The "Remarketing Audience" refers to users whom tracking shows have already engaged with heyData. Thanks to the installed LinkedIn Insight Tag, the tracking picks up whether a user has visited the heyData website, opened a Lead Gen form, or checked out heyData's LinkedIn page.
The "Remarketing Audience" sees different ad creatives than the "First Contact Audience." These banners don't lead to a whitepaper; instead, they take users straight to the heyData website, invite them to get in touch, and offer options like a free consultation.
Success Factor: The Lead Funnel
a) Website Funnel
So, how are leads captured, and how is the lead funnel structured? On one hand, the classic route of a conversion-optimized landing page on heyData's website gives visitors the chance to get in touch via a contact form. The advantage here is that landing pages can feature rich content like images, videos, and more. This way, users immediately see the most important details about the offer or product.
The lead funnel can also be customized. This makes it easy to test where users might encounter hurdles in the journey toward becoming a qualified lead. Finally, a double opt-in process is possible here—for instance, confirming an order or inquiry by clicking on the site and verifying via email. This allows users to be added directly to the company newsletter list for lead nurturing.
b) LinkedIn Lead Forms
LinkedIn Lead Gen forms pop up right after a user clicks on a LinkedIn ad. The user stays on LinkedIn instead of being redirected to an external website. When setting up lead forms, you can define which details—such as first name, last name, email address, or phone number—are required to access the resource, like a whitepaper. You can request up to twelve fields, though you'll always want to keep an eye on your drop-off rate.
These forms can be customized with your company's logo and header to maintain your brand look and feel. You can also include a link to your company's privacy policy. Once the form is submitted, the user is directed straight to the download URL for the whitepaper.
All leads are tracked in LinkedIn Campaign Manager, showing when and through which campaign the lead came in, along with their lead details. Important: These leads should be downloaded regularly and followed up on as quickly as possible.
In summary, the key benefits of LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms:
No need to drive traffic to an external website
No need to build a conversion-optimized landing page from scratch
Users can submit their info directly without clicking through to a site
Higher conversion rates
Lower cost per lead
Forms are often pre-filled with users' LinkedIn profile data
Best Practices
What did we test and optimize throughout this campaign setup? On one hand, we tested different variations of the LinkedIn ads and Lead Gen forms; on the other, we refined various target audiences and their parameters. To optimize the overall strategy, we ran a comparison: introducing users directly to heyData's offering via a "Low-funnel only" approach versus a combined top- and low-funnel strategy that took the "detour" of offering added value through a whitepaper to showcase heyData's expertise first. The latter clearly delivered better results.
Conclusion & Key Takeaways
Overall, LinkedIn Lead Gen forms generated significantly more leads at a lower cost than capturing leads through the website. Lead quality was tracked closely as well. In general, it’s vital to maintain close alignment between marketing and sales to continually review campaign performance and fine-tune your strategy as needed.
Lead forms without a phone number field achieve a lower cost per lead because users have to share less information. However, leads with a phone number boast a significantly higher conversion rate and close much more frequently.
The value-first strategy works wonders and serves as a crucial stepping stone for building trust and establishing authority as an industry expert.
Want to learn more? Interested in testing a lead gen campaign for your business? Get in touch with us.
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AUTHOR
Céline
Otto
Céline Otto has been part of the SEA team at internetwarriors since April 2022. She is highly knowledgeable in Social Media Marketing and Search Engine Advertising, and she always stays updated with the latest trends (not just in online marketing). Whether it's about increasing your company's reach and visibility or generating new leads, Céline is fully committed!
