SYTE puts smarter lead generation in the picture on LinkedIn

• Meet aggressive revenue targets on a limited budget
• Generate several dozen leads per week
• Build a strong pipeline of sales opportunities
• Raise awareness of SYTE’s visual search technology among relevant retail executives

SYTE’s visual AI technology doesn’t just deliver a more satisfying experience for online shoppers. By helping users connect the images that inspire them to the products they can buy, it dramatically improves site navigation, engagement and conversion rates for retailers. On LinkedIn, SYTE was able to target retail executives in visually driven verticals like fashion, home décor and consumer goods – and use Skills targeting to reach all of those with a stake in better eCommerce experiences. “We were able to use Skills targeting as a base and then refine as we went, using ‘excludes’, ‘markets’ and ‘keywords’ filters to find the perfect sweet spot,” explains SYTE’s Co-Founder and CRO, Lihi Pinto-Fryman.

Lihi and her team knew that the key to effective lead generation is to reach decision-makers who are already aware of your brand and interested in what you do. That’s why SYTE made a point of targeting the same LinkedIn audiences with awareness-building ads and Video for Sponsored Content that showcased SYTE’s technology and the brands it was already making a difference for. “This was a crucial part of our strategy,” says Lihi. “When you have high awareness, people are much more likely to download your content and you get more meaningful leads that travel down the funnel and convert faster.”

SYTE recognised the quality of LinkedIn’s metrics as a key advantage of the platform – and developed a creative process that used its potential for A/B testing to full advantage. “With a tight budget and aggressive revenue targets, it’s important for us to figure out what works best,” explains Lihi. “From the start of our lead generation campaign, we split our marketing team into three groups, each with one designer and one copywriter. The teams were not allowed to exchange ideas or to criticise each other’s work, to ensure that every creative idea is different and encourage risk taking.”

This process enabled SYTE to activate six different Sponsored Content campaigns for each lead generation white paper. “After a month, we checked which ads performed the best, deactivated the rest, and gave the winning creative team a small token of $50 for attracting the highest number of leads,” says Lihi.

This testing-led approach surfaced actionable insights for the campaign such as the effectiveness of incorporating arrows pointing to download links, referencing recognisable retail brands in ad copy, and leading with imagery over text in creative. And continual optimisation is driving spectacular results for SYTE. Over its first five months, the campaign has generated over 800 leads, converting to 680 MQLs with two closed opportunities. The campaign continues to generate MQLs at a rate of over 35 per week. “Our sales pipeline gets a fresh new batch of leads every day,” says Lihi. “And the white papers themselves are acting as valuable sales enablers and helping us to establish a better connection with clients.”

• Over 800 leads in five months, converting to 680 MQLs
• Two LinkedIn-sourced opportunities closed in the first five months
• LinkedIn generates an average of over 35 MQLs per week
• Engagement rate of 1.2% for lead generation campaigns
  

Syte provides retailers with visual AI technology, powering features such as visual search, automated textual tags and product recommendations. All of Syte’s solutions use their proprietary deep learning technology to increase product discovery, accuracy of site search and user experience.