Impact of our partnership: 72 appointments and the first deals within 3 months
The agency had never run outbound before this engagement. We assigned a four-person team to the campaign: an account manager, an SDR, a copywriter, and a lead researcher.
Over 10 months, Belkins booked 72 appointments with marketing and communications leaders and closed almost $60K in deals. The first closed-won appeared within the first 3 months, and several more proposals were in progress when this case was written.
- 72 appointments in 10 months, 6–8 per month
- Almost $60K in closed deals, with the first deals closing within 3 months
- 16,071 leads researched: 13,960 in the primary ICP and 2,111 in an additional ICP
- 26% average open rate and 4% average reply rate
The first two messaging approaches underperformed, and engagement only rose about six weeks after the team switched to animated visual content. For a company starting outbound from zero, we treated that testing period as part of the timeline.
Challenges: Starting outbound with no playbook
Before Belkins, the agency had no outbound experience: no tested messaging, no target lists, and no process for reaching decision-makers directly. Building that from scratch in-house would have meant learning by trial and error.
Why they chose Belkins? The agency wanted a partner with deep market expertise who could guide its first outbound strategy and deliver a predictable number of meetings with the right people. Our goal was to build a steady, predictable flow of appointments with marketing decision-makers at mid-size and large companies.
Solutions
ICP identification and fine-tuning
Our team focused on companies with 200+ employees in the USA, Canada, and Europe to maximize the potential for meaningful engagement.
In collaboration with the client, we meticulously identified ICPs, focusing on key decision-makers such as:
- Directors of product marketing,
- Content marketing managers
- Marketing directors
- VPs of marketing
- Chief marketing officers
- Communications managers
- Communications directors
- CEOs
We tailored our outreach efforts to multiple industries, including:
- Software development
- IT services
- Technology
- Information and internet
- Pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Financial services
- Human resources services
- Hospitals and healthcare
- Insurance
- Medical practice
- Telecommunications
- Computer and network security
- Data security
- Data infrastructure and analytics
- Environmental services
- Consumer services
All-round cold email outreach
We adopted a multifaceted approach to this campaign, employing 3 distinct strategies. The framework of our outreach was structured as follows:
- Initially, we applied a referral-based approach and an industry-specific targeting method. While these approaches provided valuable insights, they did not yield the desired results in terms of engagement and conversion rates.
- Recognizing the need for a more engaging and visually appealing outreach strategy, we experimented with a concise two-link animated content approach. By focusing on eye-catching visuals with clickable links, we aimed to grab attention and encourage interaction.
Approximately 1.5 months later, we saw promising results. Engagement and response rates were on the rise, proving this approach worked. Moving forward, our primary focus remains on further refining and optimization to get the most out of this campaign. - We also implemented a mini-campaign incorporating an account-based approach. Within its framework, we conducted personalized outreach targeting specific accounts we spotted top prospects. Since this campaign hasn’t brought significant outcomes, we’re still elaborating on it to boost its impact.
Example of the animated content approach:
This setup works for agencies starting outbound for the first time that can commit to several months of testing. A company that needs closed deals within the first month should expect early approaches to underperform while the right message is found.
Challenges Belkins encountered
Alignment of outreach vision and templates. At first, it was tough to agree on which templates to use and how to approach outreach. The client brought their perspective to the table, which, combined with our team’s expertise, led to some mismatch of expectations. Nevertheless, after some teamwork and tweaking, we found the solution. It paid off big time with better campaign results all around.
