Campaign Experimentation - metadata.io https://metadata.io/resources/category/campaign-experimentation/ The First Marketing Operating System for B2B Fri, 03 Nov 2023 18:39:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://metadata.io/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cropped-favicon512x512-32x32.png Campaign Experimentation - metadata.io https://metadata.io/resources/category/campaign-experimentation/ 32 32 Unpacking the Rise of ABM and Ungated Content for B2B Marketers https://metadata.io/resources/blog/unpacking-the-rise-of-abm-and-ungated-content-for-b2b-marketers/ Thu, 21 Sep 2023 06:44:40 +0000 https://metadata.io/?p=61416 Paid social advertising has changed a lot since Facebook (now Meta) introduced ads at an event

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Paid social advertising has changed a lot since Facebook (now Meta) introduced ads at an event in 2007 featuring executives from Blockbuster, CBS, and The Coca-Cola Company.

Most of the changes have been positive. Audience targeting has advanced by leaps and bounds. Mobile optimization allows marketers to reach people on the go, and interactive ad formats allow them to captivate people in today’s fast-moving world. 

But this evolution hasn’t come without its challenges. The Cambridge Analytica data scandal rocked social media’s foundation, and more recently, Apple’s iOS 14 threw a wrench in targeting across Apple devices—a wrench that cost Meta $10b.

Marketers are also navigating the recent rise of ungated content and account-based marketing (ABM)—two shifts making them rethink much of what they know about lead generation and paid advertising. 

If you’re nodding your head, keep reading. This article explores the growth of these tactics and, more importantly, how you can adapt quickly. 

Why are ABM and ungated content in the spotlight right now? 

Most of my peers say the rise of ABM and the death of gated content is happening independently. And for the most part, I agree. But I’d also argue there are common threads between them: One is math, and the other is audiences.

I’ll explain what I mean, but to do that, we need to walk down memory lane with the graphic below.

The top row of this graphic represents the old-school B2B marketing strategy: Generate as many leads as possible. For better or worse, this was standard practice for B2B marketers for decades, and for most of that time, people accepted forms as the price they had to pay for something valuable, like an ebook, demo, or another offer type

Here’s where the math comes into play and the big reason why B2B marketers are ditching gated content—I’ll use this HubSpot ad to paint the picture.

Let’s say HubSpot’s Marketing team runs this ad on LinkedIn. It gets 100,000 impressions but only generates a click-through rate (CTR) of 0.5%. That means from 100,000, only 500 people clicked the ad.

Now, let’s assume there’s a gate on the landing page, and 10% of those 500 people fill out the form. That means just 50 people actually got their hands on HubSpot’s Instagram cheat sheet—50 out of the 100,000 who saw the ad.

See the problem? Gates limit reach, keeping people from consuming your content and, in many cases, learning about your product.

Marketers are waking up to the new reality of a post-gated word.

  1. Gate your content, and reduce the people who digest your message
  2. Ungate your content, and reach more people with your message

Winning B2B marketing teams choose option #2, and stop at nothing to get their message out there. They only capture leads when it’s worthwhile. Others will be left behind.

Where does ABM fit into all of this?

Here’s where the audience angle comes into play. Some B2B marketers say tearing down gates will strip their ability to get constant feedback on the quality of their audience. Limiting their control of optimizing who’s receiving their ads.

And to that, I say this: Build an audience with 100% relevance from the start and stop worrying. 

Enter account-based marketing (ABM). You target your ads at specific accounts and personas. Unlike old-school marketing, which is like fishing with a giant net in the middle of the ocean, ABM is like spearfishing from the dock.

Getting your ABM strategy off the ground isn’t a huge lift, either. You just need two lists: 

  1. Your target accounts (pre-qualified companies) 
  2. Your target personas (pre-qualified job titles)

Combine these lists, throw them into the native ad channels (or a tool like Metadata), and you have an audience that’s 100% relevant. What you won’t have is endless worry about wasting your demand generation budget on people with no business buying your product or service. This allows you to focus on telling a great story. 

How to get started with ABM and ungated content

Ungated content and ABM strategies are at the heart of the next generation of demand generation. But, like anything new, they may come with a learning curve. 

Luckily, it’s not too steep, and you can scale it heroically: 

  1. Make your audience aware they have a problem (Inform) 
  2. Show them the consequences of that problem (Educate)
  3. Create a reason why they should solve their problem with your solution (Hook)  

How to use the Hero’s Journey to create awesome ads

It doesn’t matter what you sell; your success with ungated content and ABM hinges on your belief that someone out there has a problem you can solve.

I made up a company, SafeSync, to show you what this could look like:

  • Problem: Do you ever forget to update your software and worry you’re putting your business at risk? 
  • Solution: SafeSync keeps your apps, devices, and systems current with the latest security updates with just a click. 
  • Benefit: You can rest assured that your software is up to date, remove some stress from your life, and reinvest your time in higher-value work.

Once you understand your Hero’s Journey, you can launch campaigns destined to resonate with people who have their wallets open. 

The last tidbit to consider is your hook, i.e., the carrot at the end of the stick. 

Why should your audience choose to solve their problems with you?

Spoiler alert: A free ebook won’t do jack sh%t. 

Today’s B2B buyers want so much more; they want genuine value, like a gift card, ad credits, consultation, or a lunch and learn. Steal the ideas below if you’re trying to cut through the noise.

How to know if ABM and ungated content is working

There are few things in life I hate more than gated content: wet socks, getting a terrible song stuck in my head, and people who use reply-all for every email. 

That said, I have no problem admitting that gated content offers solid insights into campaign performance. You capture emails, and you can track emails in your ecosystem. The problem is, the performance tracked from gated content is usually very bad.

This begs the question: How do you measure ABM and ungated content

In a few ways:

  1. The quality of website visits 

Google Analytics, as intimidating as it can seem, is your BFF. Start by looking at clicks, but take it a step further by diving into bounce rates, time on site, and scroll depth. If someone likes your ad and is genuinely interested in what you’re selling, they’ll hang out on the landing page, scroll around, and maybe even visit other pages. Quality website visits are a great primary success metric for your ungated content campaigns.

  1. The volume of demos, meetings, etc.  

An ungated approach doesn’t mean you can’t drive meetings and demos with a form. It just means your primary storytelling method can’t be, “Let’s gate tons of ebooks and blogs.” 

If you tell your story well with ungated content, it makes it easy to follow up with demo ads. When you’re getting meetings with people who’ve been consuming your ungated content, that’s a vital secondary success metric to track. Then, figure out what percentage of leads taking demos match your target account list, and monitor that ABM success.

  1. Ad engagement 

The way people engage with your ads is a tell, so look at quantitative metrics like CTR and cost per click (CPC).

You can also look at the comments people leave and the personas (job titles and companies) of people who interact with your ads. The latter especially gives you a solid idea if your campaigns are on the right track.  

Say you need metrics closer to pipeline and revenue. Turn your attention to marketing-sourced pipeline, opportunities and win rates. Ungated content is a supporting effort for your demand capture campaigns, and you can easily track the success of those. Everything comes back to pipeline.

What does the future look like for B2B marketers?

ABM and ungated content are both #trending right now and on the fast track to mainstream status. I’d argue ABM is already there. 

So what’s next? User-generated content (UGC), in-feed optimization, and shiny stuff. 

  1. UGC: UGC has been all the rage in B2C for years, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, due to consumers’ inherent trust in their peers. B2B marketers have started to embrace UGC for the same reason. They’ll continue to do so as they answer the call for more honesty, vulnerability, and transparency, especially from younger generations.
  1. In-feed optimization: New-age audiences (read: young people) don’t respond to gated content and cold emails, which is why in-feed optimization continues to gain steam. Not only does that mean no gates, but it means no landing pages, either. Just deliver the total package when and where buyers spend their time. 
  1. Something shiny: There’s always something shiny out there that marketers have their eyes on. Right now, I’d argue that object is TikTok, with 61% of B2B marketers using the platform for work. I don’t expect TikTok to fade anytime soon, but other innovations will come to the forefront—like a true advertising application of virtual reality. When these new socials show up, be ready to act. Boring ads, campaigns, and brands will be left in the dust. 

Famed scientist Stephen Hawking once said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” 
Today, I say, “The measure of the best B2B marketers is their ability to change.”

The rise of ungated content and ABM are forcing marketers to change, and that’s good.  Combining ungated content with an ABM mindset is the perfect one-two punch.

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The Framework You Need for Successful Marketing Experimentation https://metadata.io/resources/blog/marketing-experimentation-framework/ Sun, 08 Jan 2023 02:04:00 +0000 https://metadata.io/?p=25994 If you’re a marketer, you need to be experimenting.  There’s no way around it. When a

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If you’re a marketer, you need to be experimenting. 

There’s no way around it.

When a company discourages (or doesn’t actively encourage) experimentation it leaves marketing vulnerable. 

I’ve seen it happen a few times in my career. 

Marketing is afraid to test new ideas or ask for more budget, so they repeat once-successful campaigns that have long reached the point of diminishing returns. 

And here’s what happens:

  • KPIs get watered down
  • Leads are weak
  • Marketing slowly loses credibility within the organization

Does that sound familiar?

I’ve written recently about experimentation as a key way to inspire new ideas, prove marketing ROI and generally avoid being a mediocre company.

A lack of experimentation within an organization usually goes hand-in-hand with a fear of failure. Company cultures that don’t view failure as an opportunity to learn will frown upon experimentation or even forbid it.

If this sounds like your company, my advice is to run like hell. Because if there’s one trait innovative companies share —including Google, Facebook, and Amazon—it’s that they embrace experimentation

No marketer I know wants to work in this type of environment. 

Animated GIF - shaking head in disgust
Nobody wants to work for a company that doesn’t innovate.

Get an experimentation framework that works

Even if you work in a culture of experimentation, you still need to find the time and creativity to test new ideas. 

But most importantly, you need a systematic plan to run effective experiments and learn from them.

With a plan you can confidently and effectively:

  • Test new creative ideas.
  • Find new demand.
  • Verify that new audiences are receptive.
  • Maximize the value you get from every campaign.

You can finally bring a method to the madness.

Here’s how we do it.

Prefer to watch the video?

Develop your own framework

At Metadata, we’ve been leveraging a framework (originally built by Guillaume Cabane) for a few months to create and prioritize experiments and measure the results. One downside is that it’s, admittedly, fairly sophisticated. 

So, if you’re just formulating an experimentation plan, walk before you run.

screenshot of a simple experimentation framework spreadsheet
Your first framework can be basic. Start with a basic spreadsheet and get more advanced as you go.

Create a spreadsheet where the only inputs are: 

  1. Impact
  2. Effort
  3. Confidence

With the categories:

  1. High
  2. Medium
  3. Low

If you want to expand your experimentation framework further, here’s an Airtable framework template to get you started.

And each section below will give you tips and strategies for creating each part successfully.

1. Focus on your budget

Before you’re off to the races with experimentation ideas, you should understand the budget you have to experiment with and the demand and performance gaps you need to fill.

Your experimentation budget will depend on: 

  1. Your total working budget.
  2. The percent of your goals your working budget will deliver.

Let’s say you know you can deliver a lead for $100 from your current channels and tactics. Last month your goal was 100 leads, and your budget was $10,000. You had enough budget to meet your goals using tried-and-true tactics. 

However, this month your goals have changed to 120 leads, but your budget only went up by $1,000 to $11,000. 

Now there’s a gap of 10 leads to make up.

You no longer can meet your goals using past tactics and performance. In this case, you would only spend, say, $9,000 on the traditional tactic to drive 90 leads, leaving a gap of 30 leads and $2,000. This is where experimentation comes in—you need to try new things to get your CPL down to $67 for those last 30 leads.

However, even if you have enough budget to meet your goals using tried-and-true tactics, you should still be experimenting. Because at any moment those tried-and-true tactics could bomb. 

Try and optimize your current campaigns and use the dollars saved to do additional experimentation. 

If you’re in this situation, try and reserve at least 10% of your budget for new experiments.

Graphic saying "Reserve at least 10% of your budget for new experiments"

2. Gather your experimentation ideas 

Start by brainstorming ideas and then consistently add new ideas to your list as they come up. You should also give others within your organization access to the list so they can add their own ideas.

If you’re looking for a few ideas to get started, try these out:

  1. Test new landing page headlines.
  2. Try out a brand new marketing channel (TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn).
  3. Run a new set of Facebook Ads.
  4. Throw a digital event for your users/prospects.
  5. Sponsor a newsletter or podcast.

Ideas can be big as running a user event. Or as small as testing some ad copy and creative. The goal is to get in the mode of experimentation. After you have enough solid ideas down on paper, add data to help prioritize the experiments. 

Animated GIF - I think we have a pretty good idea

After you have your ideas, start to include data points such as: 

  • Effort – The difficulty level to build the experiment. 
  • Time – How long it will take to build and run.
  • Impact – What the potential impact will be (in terms of dollars or primary KPIs).
  • Confidence – Your confidence level of the experiment working.
  • Revenue possibility – The revenue estimate for the experiment.
  • Surface area – What part of the lifecycle it will affect: Acquisition? Pipeline? Retention?

When you do the math properly, the ideas that have the best mix of effort, impact, and confidence will float to the top— i.e. your “low-hanging fruit”. 

From these data points, you’ll be able to create an ordered list of the experiments you should run.

3. Set up experiment timelines and KPIs

Next, assign the top priority experiments to sprints and begin building. When you build, build the most basic MVP (minimum viable product) possible so you can test and iterate the experiment without wasting time. 

One of the biggest mistakes in experimentation is to try and build the perfect version the first time out. 

Animated GIF - Nothing is going to be perfect.

Here’s the reality: a large percentage of your experiments may fail.

So it’s important to reach the right balance of quality and speed. Use your MVP to learn and decide if it’s an idea you want to formally expand.

Provide the budget and timeline so you know from the start how long you want the experiment to run before you have enough data to be satisfied. 

You should also assign success and failure KPIs so you know if the experiment is beating or missing expectations. For instance, metrics to watch for an MVP would be CTR, CPL, and lead conversion. 

While these are not the normal metrics for measuring marketing success, they’re a good indication that the experiment is resonating and should be rolled out more formally. 

4. Assess the impact and what’s next

After an experiment has run its course, do a complete analysis of its impact and make a decision, usually one of the following: 

  • It performed great and should be an evergreen campaign that we build out even further and continue to optimize.
  • It needs some tweaks and a retest. 
  • It just didn’t work…let’s get rid of it.

Make sure to absorb and track these learnings so you can build on what you learned and not repeat the same experiment twice. And keep a running list of insights you’ve learned through experimentation. 

Start experimenting

Take the ideas with low effort and high impact and confidence and run them as your first experiments. 

As you generate more ideas (and you will), add inputs such as the metrics it will affect and how long it will take to build and run. Keep building on it.

Sooner than you think, you’ll have enough data and ideas to run a well-oiled experimentation engine that’ll keep you a step ahead of your always-evolving audience. 

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Moving from A/B Testing to Consistent Experimentation https://metadata.io/resources/demand/consistent-experimentation/ Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:05:14 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=demands&p=43071 Many marketers think website testing is just A/B testing headlines and CTAs. It’s hard to know

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Many marketers think website testing is just A/B testing headlines and CTAs. It’s hard to know where to expand once you’ve tested the usual suspects.

Sara Pion, Head of Marketing Strategy at Dandy and a seasoned CRO expert shares her approach to website testing, and how she created an offer that converted better than demo requests through consistent experimentation.

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How to Build the Highest Performing Ad Creative https://metadata.io/resources/demand/build-the-highest-performing-ad-creative/ Mon, 26 Sep 2022 15:25:13 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=demands&p=43072 The average human sees 5,000 to 10,000 ads per day. That means that your brand needs

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The average human sees 5,000 to 10,000 ads per day. That means that your brand needs to make a memorable impression on the person you are targeting enough so that they remember you, visit your website, consume your content, and ultimately convert.

Jonathan Bland, Co-Founder of Omni Lab shares actionable tips based on real data from real ad creative to help you understand how to build high-performing creative, how to optimize for in-channel consumption, and how to create ads that don’t look like ads.

Check out the Demand Gen “Pinkprints” from Omni Lab.

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Adam Goyette Explains Why The B2B Playbook is Broken https://metadata.io/resources/podcasts/b2b-playbook-broken-adam-goyette/ Mon, 19 Sep 2022 20:38:21 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=podcasts&p=42706 Is old-school B2B marketing broken beyond repair? With every brand out there reading from the same

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Is old-school B2B marketing broken beyond repair? With every brand out there reading from the same playbook, it’s harder than ever to stand out and grab your audience’s attention.

So, what can marketers do instead?

In this special episode of Demand Gen U, Mark Huber, Head of Brand & Product Marketing at Metadata, speaks with Adam Goyette, Founder of Curdis, about why the standard B2B playbook should be tossed out. They explore some overlooked areas of marketing, common trends in online advertising, and how to do things differently.

To avoid relying on the same playbook as everyone else, tune in to hear Adam and Mark’s tips for B2B marketing success, or keep reading for our top takeaways.

Three top takeaways:

Takeaway 1: Small experiments = less painful misses

Experimentation is a crucial part of any type of marketing. But there’s just one problem…what if you get it wrong?

Wasted time, wasted money, poor results, a frustrated audience, unhappy CEOs…all of these things can happen if you experiment and it goes wrong. So, it’s understandable to be hesitant.

But what if it goes right? You could unlock the key to exponential growth.

It’s hard to guess which way your experimental campaign will swing, so Adam has a suggestion.

Start small. Try out small experiments before throwing your entire advertising budget at the wall. That way, if you lose, the misses are less painful. If you win, you can scale it up and apply your new-found successes across your entire marketing strategy.

This also helps to create a culture of experimentation in your team. By showing that the misses aren’t so painful, you can encourage your team to try new things without fear of them going wrong. Without that openness to try new things, you could end up with a stagnating strategy, so taking risks can pay dividends.

Takeaway 2: Think you know your audience? Think again.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in marketing is assuming you know your audience. Vague assumptions are not something you should ever base your marketing strategy on because you could be barking up the entirely wrong tree.

Adam and Mark make a simple suggestion – go out and actually speak to your customers. Listen in to sales calls, ask them how your product is solving their issues and what they need from you.

By having real conversations with real customers, you could uncover a new marketing angle that you’ve never thought of before. You can also start to build a strategy that delivers on their expectations rather than your assumptions.

Another thing you can take from these conversations is how to speak to your audience in a way that resonates with them. Sometimes, you need to ditch the SaaS-speak and use the vocabulary your audience uses to get your message across without all the head-scratching.

Takeaway 3: Rethink common design and copy mistakes

What’s the first goal that an advert needs to achieve, whether on social media, emails, or website banners? It needs to grab attention enough for people to stop scrolling.

Marketing teams tend to focus on making ultra-polished videos or banners that they think will get results. But Adam and Mark have found the opposite to be true. It’s usually the unpolished stuff that gets noticed and performs the best.

One reason for this is that the modern consumer has become an expert in spotting ads. And let’s face it, no one likes ads, so they keep scrolling. Anything you can do to make an ad that doesn’t look like an ad is worth trying out. Go for more authentic content over polished content.

Another common marketing mistake is making ad copy an afterthought. Marketing teams can spend hours perfecting the design, researching when and where to post, what hashtags to use, and everything in between, but leave the copy until the last minute.

The common result, especially in the B2B space, is jargon-filled, vague copy that doesn’t really speak to the audience. Instead, make copy a priority. Remember, it needs to be interesting, fun, easy to read, and something that cuts through the noise. But most of all, it needs to speak to your audience.

For more tips on how to stand out and avoid doing the same thing every other marketer does, tune in to the full session.

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The Experimentation Framework Every Marketer Should Know https://metadata.io/resources/podcasts/demand-gen-u/experimentation-framework/ Tue, 10 May 2022 09:31:08 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=podcasts&p=34184 Everyone talks about marketing experimentation. But very few know how to do it. And since everyone

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Everyone talks about marketing experimentation. But very few know how to do it. And since everyone assumes everyone else is doing it, they claim they’re doing it too.

We’re going to hopefully put an end to that today. We’re going to walk you through (and give away) the experimentation framework we use at Metadata.

Hear about the value of experimentation, and if you’re into acronyms, a full breakdown of their I.C.E framework.

Catch the full episode to arm yourself with all the information you need to build a solid experimentation framework or check out the top three takeaways from this episode.

Watch the full episode

Three top takeaways:

Takeaway 1: Understand the value of experimentation

Nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to marketing. Sometimes you hear a ‘garbage’ idea that you’re sure won’t land, and then guess what? That garbage idea works like a charm.

Bottom line, you don’t have it all figured out. But if you don’t experiment, you’re basically doing the same thing and expecting better results every time.

Sure, you’re probably optimizing your processes and tweaking them now and then. But it won’t make much of a difference unless you’re experimenting and testing new things out as well.

Takeaway 2: Create a safe space to brainstorm

One vital part of building an experimentation framework is getting into the habit of throwing around ideas. They could be good ones, bad ones, or ideas you’re on the fence about. The main thing is that you need to create a safe space for people to speak their minds freely.

The last thing you want is for people to think they only need to provide sensible ideas.

Here’s the thing, you never know where that winning spark of insight may come from. So, make it a fun process, gear up for successes and failures alike, and keep at it.

Takeaway 3: Remember to do a recap and learn from each experiment

Often, you’ll have more than one experiment running simultaneously. If you’re not taking your findings and using them to streamline further experiments down the line, then you’re creating a complicated loop.

In essence, you end up doing the same thing repeatedly, which puts you in the same position you were in when you didn’t have an experimentation framework.

So, capture that data, filter out the things that didn’t work, and keep optimizing as you go.

For more, read our blog post on The Framework You Need for Successful Marketing Experimentation.

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Start Experimenting with Paid Ads Today https://metadata.io/resources/podcasts/demand-gen-u/paid-ad-experiments/ Tue, 29 Mar 2022 11:00:25 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=podcasts&p=30803 Testing your ads is necessary. But testing for the sake of testing isn’t getting you very

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Testing your ads is necessary. But testing for the sake of testing isn’t getting you very far.

And unfortunately, this is where a ton of B2B marketers end up. They fall into the trap where they’re testing for the sake of testing, and they’re not necessarily testing for the sake of learning. And they’re not prioritizing the elements that are going to drive them the greatest lift.

And that’s what we delve into on this episode of Demand Gen U.

Mark Huber, Head of Brand & Product Marketing is joined by Silvio Perez, Head of Performance Marketing at Metadata to explore the ins and outs of experimenting with paid ads.

We explore the common mistakes people make with experimentation, how to start testing ads, different outcomes to look out for, and some insights into ads testing well with Metadata customers.

Watch the full episode to learn how to make the most of your paid ad experiments.

Watch the full episode

Or keep reading for three main takeaways from the episode.

Three top takeaways:

Takeaway 1: Always start by defining your outcome

There’s something about having a clear picture of your endgame. It brings the clarity and direction you need for a process as layered as testing out your paid ads. We’re not just talking about a vague idea of what your results should be. But a result tied to a specific outcome.

To give more clarity, Silvio has identified five core outcomes people seek to achieve when experimenting with paid ads:

  1. Creating demand
  2. Capturing demand
  3. Reviving demand
  4. Accelerating demand
  5. Expanding demand

These five outcomes form the basis of any successful paid ad campaign.

Takeaway 2: Isolate your variables

When it comes to experimentation, everything boils down to isolating the variables that are working for you. It’s all about being able to pinpoint the actions driving your results. Silvio likes to think of variables in terms of three A’s — audiences, ads, and assets.

Regardless of the platform, it’s vital not to solely hone in on engaging the audience. There are also the areas of ad testing to consider, as well as the quality of the content in the ad itself. Once these bases are covered, you’re unlikely to head into the experimentation blindly.

Takeaway 3: Don’t spread yourself too thin

How many variations are considered too much when you’re testing ads? While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, Silvio recommends a minimum of two.

However, a good rule of thumb is to avoid spreading your budget across too many variations. It’s better to stick to a set daily budget per variation and let it run long enough for you to understand if, and why, it works.

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Getting to Revenue Faster With Experimentation https://metadata.io/resources/demand/revenue-faster-experimentation/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:06:11 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=demands&p=26382 How do you get real results with your demand generation campaigns? It all starts with a

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How do you get real results with your demand generation campaigns? It all starts with a little smart experimentation.

Silvio Perez, Head of Ad Operations at Metadata, shares practical tips on how to get the most out of your paid campaigns and find what works. He explains that while experimenting can be messy, there are some simple ways to experiment, stay on track, and hit those revenue targets you’re looking for.

Tune in to hear Silvio explain the four key steps to experimenting, testing, and scaling your paid social ads to maximize your growth.

⚡ Four top takeaways:

Takeaway 1: Focus on the 3 As

The first step to getting smart with your ad campaigns is to start with the three As:

  • Audience
  • Ads
  • Assets

This should be your order of focus. Start by testing your audience and figure out who is converting and driving the highest quality leads. Once you’ve nailed that, test different types of ads to find what resonates the most.

Lastly, test your assets. This is where you understand what messaging resonates best with your audience. You can then start to add more into the mix to see what works.

Takeaway 2: Experiment with setup

When experimenting with different ads, you’ll want to use a solid naming convention for each campaign to keep track of them. That’ll help you identify them at a glance so you can quickly rotate them and test them out equally.

Silvio suggests that you avoid any form of ‘expansion’ unless intentional, so keep that box unchecked for now.

Takeaway 3: Protect your budget through automation

No one wants to see their ad budget spiral out of control. So, put some safeguards in place. Thanks to the wonders of automation, you can set limits on your ads on most platforms.

It’s easy enough to pause your ads automatically that way. You can set them up to pause if they don’t result in any leads or if the cost per lead is higher than X amount.

Silvio recommends setting a CPL goal and then pausing at 2 or 3x that so you’re not overspending too much.

Takeaway 4: Scale and experiment with new opportunities

Once you’ve got a tried-and-tested ad campaign, don’t leave it at that. The trick to revenue growth is to scale what works.

Silvio likes to use the 80/20 rule, which is 80% of your outputs come from 20% of your input. So, identify what that 20% and do more of it.

Eventually, you’ll hit a scaling wall, but that’s why you should always be on the lookout for new opportunities. Try out different ad types, content types, or objectives of the campaign. If you’ve only ever run campaigns to drive sales, try focusing on website visits instead. Try out different platforms and even audiences to see where you can push it further.

Paid advertising is a constant game. It’s always changing, and so experimentation on different tactics is your best friend here.

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Making Revenue Focused Bets Like a VC https://metadata.io/resources/demand/revenue-focused-bets/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 18:27:38 +0000 https://metadata.io/?post_type=demands&p=26373 What’s the best way to run experimental campaigns in your company? With campaign experiments. anything is

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What’s the best way to run experimental campaigns in your company? With campaign experiments. anything is possible, but that’s partly why many companies are so risk-averse.

Guillaume Cabane, Co-Founder of HyperGrowth Partners, and Ben Labay, CEO of Speero by CXL, joined this session to discuss experimentation and why you should get more comfortable placing your bets. Guillaume’s an expert in helping B2B companies build winning campaign strategies. He lets us in on some of his success secrets in this video.

Learn how to deal with your experimental campaigns the right way, what metrics to track, and how to get comfortable with risk.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

⚡ Key takeaways

Takeaway 1: The three types of experimentation

As Ben explains, there are three “flavors of experimentation” to familiarize yourself with. They are:

  • Iterative optimization – This is a focus on margins. When you do crazy volumes, small changes can cumulate, and you can stack margins on top of each other.
  • Net new functionality – This is when you’re moving to more of a ‘react’ framework. It’s a big part of experimentation where you don’t know what’s going to happen.
  • Disruptive experimentation – This is all about where to place risk and what the cost is of doing so.

Takeaway 2: Tackling risk aversion

If a team is experiencing campaign failure after campaign failure, where does it lead? Naturally, the company becomes risk-averse. It makes sense. No one wants to launch Experiment Number 4 after three big failures.

But risk aversion comes with its own problems. Guillaume’s solution is to have a separate team that is naturally risk-prone, where failing is part of the job. By failing, you can learn valuable lessons on what will work next, which brings you closer to growth in the long run.

Takeaway 3: Democratizing experimentation

While revenue is a key part of experimentation, there’s also a cultural side to it. It’s about the people as well, after all. One thing that Guillaume does is help to democratize experimentation across the board.

One way he does this is through a simple form that anyone in the company can enter ideas and projects into. The growth team can then clean those ideas up, sort through any duplicates, discuss, and prioritize them.

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