We did this with Schumacher Homes. They struggled to build brand awareness on Google, so we invested in a TOFU Meta video campaign. This led to increased brand awareness, more qualified leads, and a decreased CPL.

Still, many brands make the mistake of measuring their success with new followers and social media engagements. Here’s why attention and revenue don’t always align and what to do instead.

Key Highlights

• Going viral doesn’t always lead to more buyers.
• Marketers must approach “going viral” and “increased sales” as two separate goals.
• Single Grain Marketing’s CEO, Eric Siu, posted videos that gained millions of views but didn’t increase revenue.
• This also leads to companies using bad marketing practices, such as parasite SEO and parasitic partnerships.
• Other practices, such as linkable assets, may lead to more backlinks and better domain authority but don’t impact your revenue.
• The key to increasing sales from SEO is to balance visibility with conversion-boosting CTAs.
• Building a brand also takes time, so companies must be consistent when creating content.
• An effective way for brands to build attention that converts to revenue is by focusing on the global economy.
• Businesses can use AI to communicate with customers in another language and target content to individual regions.
• There are still issues to consider, such as international logistics and distribution.
• Since Eric’s viral video content wasn’t leading to sales, he targeted a niche audience that was likely to convert.
• In addition to increasing visibility with content marketing, brands must also optimize for conversions and track sales metrics.

The Misconception: More Views = More Sales

Many entrepreneurs and marketers believe that going viral or amassing a large following will lead to more buyers and increased sales. As data shows, this is often not the case. A study in Ad Age found that while attention can boost brand awareness, it does not guarantee conversions or sales.

Many businesses also make this mistake with their SEO campaigns. Some companies release extensive reports and gather thousands of backlinks, skyrocketing their website traffic. While this increases visibility, it does not necessarily lead to increased revenue.

Why Going Viral Doesn’t Equal Conversions

Many content creators lump “going viral” and “more conversions and sales” together. The truth is that marketers approach both differently. There’s one main reason: no one knows why some posts go viral and others don’t. However, there are measurable tactics to increase sales and conversions; therefore, brands have more control over the latter.

Here are other reasons a viral post doesn’t always result in more sales.

• Unqualified audience: Many viral videos attract a broad audience that is not necessarily interested in your product or service.
• Lack of CTAs: If your viral content doesn’t guide viewers toward a purchasing decision, they won’t take action.
• Mismatched content: Even if a video gets millions of views, it won’t drive sales if it’s not related to your core business offering.
• Engagements are not conversions: Likes, shares, and comments are great for visibility but don’t equate to revenue. The audience may enjoy the content but not be in the market to purchase anything.

Real-Life Cases of Viral Video Content With No Revenue Impact

Single Grain Marketing’s CEO, Eric Siu, posted several videos that hit millions of views. Despite these impressive figures, none of them resulted in direct revenue.

For example, Eric and Neil Patel posted a video about Shake Shack’s free chicken sandwich on Sunday promotion, where they competed with Chick-fil-A. The video gained millions of views but did not contribute to business growth or financial gain.

The Problems When Using SEO to Boost Revenue

To increase traffic and revenue, many businesses make the mistake of using parasite SEO. This strategy leverages high-authority websites to rank content quickly.

Companies partner with authoritative domains to publish content that ranks well on search engines. For example, Forbes has partnered with businesses to create affiliate content that ranks for high-value keywords like “best credit cards” and “top insurance plans.”

A variation of this, known as parasite partnerships, takes this concept a step further. Instead of waiting for organic partnerships, businesses actively seek collaborations with high-domain authority sites to publish their content on subdomains or dedicated pages.

While this can be an effective short-term strategy, search engines often crack down on such tactics, such as when Google penalized Forbes for its affiliate-heavy content.

The Role of Linkable Assets in SEO Growth

Another powerful SEO strategy involves creating linkable assets like statistics-based articles and trend reports.

Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko, successfully implemented this approach with his platform, Exploding Topics. Both companies created content-rich pages with statistics and other valuable insights that naturally attracted backlinks from reputable sources. This established both companies as authoritative in the eyes of Google since

For instance, “AI statistics” generated over 760 referring domains, while “gen Z statistics” amassed over 220. These statistics-driven articles established Exploding Topics as a trusted authority, ultimately leading to its acquisition with SEMrush.

While increasing website traffic through linkable assets is beneficial, it doesn’t always translate to higher revenue. Businesses should focus on targeting keywords that drive conversions rather than just boosting page views. Metrics like engagement, lead generation, and conversion rates are more valuable than raw traffic numbers.

Understanding the Long-Term Value of SEO Strategies

While tactics like parasite SEO and linkable assets can drive short-term traffic, sustainable growth requires a well-rounded SEO approach. The key is to balance brand visibility with revenue-driving strategies.

For example, while statistics-based articles bring in backlinks, they may not convert readers into paying customers. Instead, companies should optimize their main product pages and core service offerings to rank higher for money keywords—terms directly related to their products and services.

Moreover, improving your domain authority can boost rankings for high-intent keywords, further strengthening a brand’s digital presence.

The best way to do this is by using tried-and-true SEO tactics: creating high-quality content that’s interesting and helpful to your audience. This dual brand-building approach and direct conversion optimization can create a robust SEO strategy to establish your brand as authoritative for the long term.

The Importance of Consistency and Niche Content

Neil emphasized that building a brand takes time. He and Eric compared content marketing to exercising: if you stop, you lose progress. Neil advises marketers to post content consistently, focusing on their target audience’s needs rather than chasing viral trends.

Why is this important? Consistently posting and appealing to your niche establishes authority. You’re seen as more knowledgeable in your industry and become a reliable information source. This results in higher engagement rates; since two-thirds of a brand’s profits come from effective consumer engagement, this boosts sales and customer loyalty.

The takeaway? Staying within your niche and creating valuable, targeted content is more effective than seeking viral fame.

Increasing Revenue in a Global Economy

Source: Statista

There are other ways that brands can use online attention to benefit their bottom line. One is using content to expand your consumer base outside your home country.

A crucial shift in modern marketing is the move from local to global outreach. Businesses today are not confined to their immediate geographic area. With advancements in digital marketing, companies can scale internationally from day one.

Still, brands must promote their products and services when appealing to a worldwide audience. Fortunately, that’s easier than you think. Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr have shown how talent and services can be sourced worldwide. Likewise, businesses can now acquire customers from any country, provided they optimize their marketing and sales strategies accordingly.

How can you promote your products and services in another country when you may not speak the language? AI is helping brands overcome this obstacle.

Breaking Language Barriers with AI Translation

Expanding a business into international markets requires more than a great product–it demands an understanding of language and culture.

While SEO is critical for global expansion, traditional SEO strategies may not work similarly in different regions. Some tactics are still important, such as ranking for local keywords, localizing content, and building regional links. However, businesses must adapt their approach to local search behaviors, keywords, and domain authority.

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT have revolutionized how businesses communicate across borders. These tools are revolutionary for multilingual communication and breaking down language barriers.

For example, AI-powered tools can help translate and transcribe content for different regions. Neil also recommends applying an hreflang to your website to target audiences in specific countries.

It’s important to note that while AI can provide a good foundation, human oversight is essential to ensure cultural relevance and accuracy. AI-generated translations can sometimes miss nuances, so it’s crucial to have a native speaker refine the text to fit the local audience. This hybrid approach enhances engagement and trust in new markets.

Eric was also able to use AI translation in Japan. He took ChatGPT and used it to translate between English and Japanese for real-time voice translation. While the translations weren’t instant, they were fast enough to facilitate a meaningful conversation, proving AI’s capabilities to break language barriers.

Navigating International Logistics: Manufacturing and Distribution

Source: Sumisho Global Logistics

Beyond language, businesses must consider where to manufacture their products when expanding globally.

Global business is nothing new, especially regarding manufacturing and distribution. However, a common mistake is producing everything in one country and shipping internationally, which can lead to excessive costs. Instead, businesses should explore local production options to reduce shipping expenses and comply with regional regulations.

Neil discussed Legion Athletics, a company his friend owns that sells protein powder. This company faced challenges when expanding into Australia and Japan. Shipping protein powder internationally can be prohibitively expensive, and a more cost-effective approach would be to manufacture the product locally. This cuts down expenses and ensures compliance with local food safety standards.

Similarly, businesses must account for currency exchange rates, which can impact profitability. Understanding local economic conditions can significantly affect pricing strategies and overall revenue.

Pivoting to a Revenue-Driven Strategy

After realizing his viral video content wasn’t giving him a return, Eric adjusted his strategy. Instead of focusing on general-interest topics, he shifted his content toward business and marketing insights.

Eric no longer interviews celebrities or influencers unrelated to his industry. He now prioritizes discussions with entrepreneurs and marketers who can add direct value to his audience. This benefitted Eric and his brands in different ways. He strengthened his relationships with these industry figures and converted more viewers.

Although this change led to fewer views, it attracted the right audience—potential clients and partners. Engagement shifted from vanity metrics (likes and shares) to meaningful interactions that led to business opportunities. Since these clients enjoy his content, they have a greater chance of being loyal customers.

Actionable Steps for Marketers

Increasing brand visibility is the first step in the revenue-boosting roadmap. However, brands must also implement these marketing best practices to remain competitive.

• Define your target audience: Understand who you are trying to reach and create content that resonates with them.
• Optimize your content for conversions: Include CTAs that guide viewers toward purchasing decisions.
• Focus on long-term growth: Avoid chasing viral status. Build consistent, valuable content that attracts the right audience.
• Leverage global markets: Target international customers and optimize your digital presence in other regions.
• Track metrics that matter: Instead of just looking at views, measure engagement, lead generation, and conversion rates.

Build Attention That Leads to Revenue

An agency can only increase revenue by building brand awareness and visibility. But going viral doesn’t always lead to increased sales. Instead, brands should focus on marketing and SEO strategies that boost conversions.

What if your content gets millions of views, but you’re still not seeing a revenue boost? This is where we can help. With our conversion rate optimization service, we can implement an AI-driven campaign that will boost your ROI while improving your ROAS.

Click here to learn more.

If you’re ready to level up your marketing with AI workflows, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

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The post How Does Attention Affect Revenue? Real Data Findings appeared first on Single Grain.

But more companies are pushing employees to return to the office, which has sparked heated debates about productivity, work-life balance, and employee satisfaction.

Our CEO, Eric Siu, took to LinkedIn with another take. He wrote a post explaining that remote jobs diminish a company’s mission and business success is declining.

The response was polarizing; his post generated 600,000 impressions and sparked controversy. While some agreed with his claims, others criticized it, claiming that return to office (RTO) mandates were about power and control.

However, accountability and productivity are the core issues that run much deeper than organizations think.

Key Highlights

• While some professionals may think agencies are implementing RTO mandates to control their staff, Eric Siu argues that business leaders only want to create high-quality products and services. Office work inspires the productivity to boost innovation.
• Office settings are more collaborative and can inspire more ideas and creativity.
• High performers can thrive anywhere, while inexperienced workers can benefit from the connections made in office settings.
• Some employees are more productive and engaged in the office, while others can better balance their work and personal lives in a remote environment.
• Many job seekers prefer a remote work arrangement, making hiring and retaining talent challenging.
• To stay competitive and profitable, agencies should have a flexible work environment, allowing for remote and office work when possible.

The Reality of Office Productivity

One of the most powerful insights Eric found in the LinkedIn discussion was that business leaders do not start companies for power or control. Eric responded to a commenter, saying people start businesses to provide valuable products or services and to work with high-performing teams.

The assumption that forcing employees back into the office is solely about control misses the core reality—businesses thrive on productivity, which often flourishes in collaborative, in-person environments.

Eric also explained that he asked his LA-based staff to start working out of a WeWork office. With this test, he focused on taking a small team (only four people) to see how they would perform in an office versus a remote environment.

Initially hesitant about working in an office location, the team quickly discovered that working there significantly increased productivity. Spontaneous conversations, rapid decision-making, and real-time collaboration led to faster results.

There’s also a counterargument to this. A common misconception is that working longer hours in the office leads to more productivity and a higher work output. However, putting this pressure on employees—exacerbated by RTO mandates—may increase stress.

Forbes reports that job burnout is at 66%. This figure is at an all-time high, and RTO mandates may trigger this issue.

The Pace of Innovation in the Office

Source: Semos Cloud

One key productivity benefit of returning to the office is the speed at which ideas and decisions materialize. A simple decision can take days or weeks to implement in a remote work setting due to scheduled meetings and delayed responses. However, in an office setting, decision-making happens in real-time.

Going back to Eric’s RTO test, he had an idea and shared it instantly with the CTO. Within minutes, they implemented it. In a remote setting, the Single Grain team may have scheduled a call or a meeting and held off on that idea for days or even a week.

Furthermore, spontaneous discussions often lead to unexpected breakthroughs. An idea discussed casually over lunch could evolve into a game-changing business strategy. Remote work lacks these moments of serendipity, slowing down innovation.

The Accountability Factor

Another crucial aspect driving the return to the office is accountability, which Yale University claims is the key to success. While high performers can thrive in remote settings, most employees are not high performers. The lack of structure and mentorship in remote work can significantly stunt career growth for recent graduates or individuals early in their careers.

Several team members admitted they would not have learned essential skills or developed the necessary work ethic to succeed without the office environment. Working alongside experienced professionals fosters skill development, accountability, and a culture of excellence.

What Employees Are Saying

Interestingly, employees have begun recognizing the value of returning to the office. In Eric’s example, his mid-20s team members preferred working in the office, stating they were more productive and engaged in person.

This perspective highlights a critical aspect of the remote work debate — it’s not always about personal comfort but maximizing output and career growth. Employees who desire rapid career advancement may benefit significantly from in-person collaboration and mentorship.

The counterargument to this is remote work offers numerous benefits to employees. These include:

• Ability to balance work and home/personal/family life.
• Less time spent commuting.
• Ability to work when productive.
• Healthier eating habits, such as consuming homecooked meals rather than going to restaurants.
• Opportunity to live in low-cost areas.
• Fewer distractions in the home.

The Economic Reality of Remote Work

The economy is also influencing the return to the office. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work decreased business expenses and increased wages. As economic conditions shift, companies must optimize productivity to remain profitable.

While agencies return to the office, this shift hasn’t extended to employees. Due to wage inflation and remote work preferences, businesses still struggle to hire and retain top talent. Companies must balance offering flexibility and ensuring productivity.

Striking the Balance: Remote vs. In-Office Work

While returning to the office offers substantial productivity and accountability benefits, it’s essential to acknowledge that remote work has advantages.

Independent workers with self-discipline often excel in remote environments. However, returning to the office may yield higher productivity for individuals early in their careers and those requiring collaboration. That’s why agencies must stay flexible in their work arrangements.

For many companies, a hybrid model that combines the flexibility of remote work with the productivity of in-office collaboration may offer the best of both worlds. However, leaders must assess the nature of their business and team to determine the ideal work model. For many agencies, this means remote work still prevails.

If this sounds like your agency, outline a remote work policy and communicate these requirements to your staff.

Is This the End of Remote Work? There’s No Easy Answer

Every agency handles remote work differently. Single Grain Marketing has a remote-first strategy, but other agencies may feel more productive in an office setting. RTO mandates aren’t about power and control but adhering to a company’s mission statement. While office work encourages in-person collaboration, RTO mandates aren’t always necessary for high output.

Whether remote or office work is the best move for your business, one fact is clear: productivity and accountability matter most. Company accountability is integral for success, and agencies should have flexible work arrangements for their staff at peak productivity.

Some employees see the value of office work, and others still prefer a remote setting. That’s why the future of the workplace may not be entirely remote or in the office. Instead, it’s a balanced and high-performance environment that drives results.

Are you still struggling to balance the fine line between a flexible working arrangement and fostering innovation? Eric Siu is the CEO of Single Grain Marketing, hosts the Marketing School podcast with Neil Patel, and created Leveling Up. Eric is also a Fortune 500 consultant and advisor to many firms. Let Eric join you on your entrepreneurial journey and unlock your hidden potential.

If you’re ready to level up your marketing with AI workflows, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

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Fortunately, Bolt.new has emerged as one of the most ground-breaking new tools in web and mobile app creation. But how can Bolt.new revolutionize AI marketing? Single Grain Marketing CEO’s Eric Siu and Neil Patel discuss Bolt.new, and this guide will cover everything you need to know.

Key Highlights on Bolt.new for Marketers

• Bolt.new is a tool that uses generative AI to develop and prototype apps.
• Users enter a query into the text box and Bolt.new will generate the code immediately.
• Bolt.new also offers fast content generation and comes with a free plan.
• Marketers can also use Bolt.new in their video platforms and blogging strategies.
• Bolt.new can also benefit the sales process, lead generation, and SEO.

What Is Bolt.new?

Bolt.new is an AI-powered tool that helps users rapidly prototype and develop applications without any coding knowledge. This app uses generative AI to write code that builds fully fledged web and mobile apps.

All marketers need to do is enter their query in the text box. An example query can be: “Make me an app where readers can buy marketing e-books.” Bolt.new will generate the code to set up your app.

Unlike other AI coding tools, Bolt.new is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to non-developers. This makes it a game-changer for marketers, entrepreneurs, and content creators who want to build and test ideas quickly without requiring extensive coding knowledge. Bolt.new has a free plan, but marketers can subscribe to their paid service to complete more projects.

This tool has experienced impressive growth. As of early 2025, Bolt.new hit an annual recurring revenue of $20 million,

Real-World Application: Creating a YouTube Packaging Tool

One of the most exciting aspects of Bolt.new is its ability to generate functional applications with minimal input. Eric Siu shared his experience using Bolt.new, where he created an app that:

• Generated five viral headlines and five thumbnail options for YouTube videos.
• Allowed users to upload a video or audio file for analysis.
• Provided the ability to post a link to YouTube and receive optimized content suggestions.

Not only did Bolt.new create the user interface, but it also identified errors in the code, streamlining the development process. When Siu showed the tool to his developers, they found it helpful as a product requirements document (PRD)—a valuable tool for structuring and refining product ideas before development begins.

Why Marketers Should Pay Attention to Bolt.new

Bolt.new can expedite the app development process. But what benefits can Bolt.new offer marketers? Here are the many capabilities that Bolt.new offers.

Faster Concept Development

Traditionally, developing an idea required extensive brainstorming, wireframing, and development cycles.

Other tools were used for wireframing, but Bolt.new accelerates the process by generating a near-complete prototype instantly and easily creating a minimum viable product (MVP). This allows marketers to test and validate ideas much faster than before, so you can start generating leads from your app.

Accessibility for Non-Developers

Bolt.new lowers entry barriers for web and app development. All marketers need to do is enter their query, and Bolt.new will use natural language processing (NLP) to create the full-stack app and communicate errors.

Unlike developer-focused tools, Bolt.new provides a more intuitive experience. Those without coding expertise can create and test marketing tools without relying on an engineering team.

Free and Easy to Use

One of the most appealing aspects of Bolt.new is that it is free to use. This makes it an ideal tool for all marketers, regardless of agency or business model, who may not have the budget for expensive development resources.

Plus, Bolt.new is very user-friendly and intuitive. Marketers can provide different prompts by writing text and uploading images and is flexible enough to optimize your add for various business goals. As a result, Bolt.new generates an entire codebase with its directories and files. Since it’s powered by generative AI, Bolt.new handles all the work of writing code and developing the app.

The Shift Toward Video in Personal Branding

Video content is popular among agencies since it effectively shows your business and attracts more accounts. But why should agencies use video to improve branding? And how can agencies use generative AI tools like Bolt.new to integrate video into their branding strategy?

Blogging vs. Video Content

Source: Databox

Blogging was once the dominant method for building a personal brand, but video content is now taking center stage. More American adults are watching social media video content, which is constantly increasing. This is why 47% of marketers say short-form videos will likely go viral.

Leading marketers and entrepreneurs have observed a noticeable change in how audiences engage with content:

• Older audiences tend to prefer text-based content like blogs and written articles.
• Younger audiences gravitate toward video, especially on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

But how can marketers create high-quality videos while saving time and money on filming and editing?

The Power of YouTube

For personal branding, YouTube is becoming the most powerful platform. Since YouTube boasts 96% brand awareness, it’s excellent at building a large audience and credibility.

Here’s why:

• Increased engagement: Audiences spend more time watching videos than reading articles.
• Algorithmic advantage: YouTube’s recommendation system drives organic discovery better than most social platforms.
• Longevity: Unlike social media posts that fade quickly, YouTube videos remain discoverable for years.

Eric Siu and Neil Patel noticed that more users recognize them from their YouTube content than blogs. This shift indicates that video marketing will continue to dominate personal branding for the next decade.

The Enduring Power of Blogging

Despite the rise of video, blogging remains a highly effective channel for lead generation, particularly in the B2B space. Blogging still influences consumer behavior and is a powerful branding tool. Content marketing is still the most effective inbound marketing tactic, and SEO-driven blog traffic generates significant revenue.

Here’s why blogging is still relevant:

• SEO value: Well-written blog content continues to rank on search engines and drive consistent organic traffic.
• Lead generation: Businesses still rely on written content to convert visitors into leads and customers.
• Depth and authority: Written content allows more in-depth analysis and thought leadership than short-form videos.

Your marketing team can also implement AI tools, like Bolt.new, to generate content, optimize blogs for SEO, expedite personalization, and generate thumbnails.

The Future: A Hybrid Approach

While video content rises, a strategy leveraging blogging and video will yield the best results. Businesses and personal brands should focus on:

• Creating video content for awareness (e.g., YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels).
• Using written content for conversion and authority (e.g., blogs, whitepapers, email marketing).
• Leveraging AI-powered tools like Bolt.new to streamline content ideation and development.

Bolt.new for Marketers Offers Many Benefits

Bolt.new represents a significant leap forward in app development. It is a tool that uses generative AI to produce a full-stack app. Its accessibility and speed make it invaluable for those who want to create an app without hiring a team of professional developers.

Marketers can also use Bolt.new in their video and blogging strategies. In addition to expediting app development, Bolt.new can streamline content ideation and development for videos and blogs.

While Bolt.new is ground-breaking for marketers, many agencies may still struggle with their content marketing strategy. Single Grain can combine a blogging and video strategy to boost your ROI and revenue.

If you’re ready to level up your marketing with AI workflows, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

Transform With AI

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For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Bolt.new for Marketers: Why It’s Changing the Game appeared first on Single Grain.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can use lead magnets to revolutionize your marketing efforts, providing you with the knowledge and tools to scale effectively.

Key Highlights on AI Lead Magnets

• AI lead magnets offer many benefits, including automated lead generation, personalization, cost savings, efficiency, increased conversions, and better targeting of quality leads.
• AI can automate lead magnets such as quizzes, chatbots, personalized reports, webinars, written content, videos, calculators, free trials, coupons, pop-ups, free consultations, and newsletter sign-ups.
• Create lead magnets based on your audience’s pain points. Choose the right AI lead magnet generator. Create and edit your lead magnet. Measure your performance.
• Lead magnets are expected to become more conversational, use more AI video content, apply predictive analytics, and be optimized for voice.

Benefits of Using Lead Magnets

Everyone likes free and helpful stuff, whether an industry report or an e-book. Plus, lead magnets can help businesses. Lead magnets can increase conversions by 785%, making them one of the most valuable lead generation tools. But are there other advantages of adding AI to this strategy?

Automated Lead Generation

Source: Zapier

Traditional lead magnets require manual follow-ups, content creation, and lead nurturing. AI eliminates much of this workload by automating interactions, analyzing user data, and segmenting leads based on behavior.

Once a lead shows promise, your AI tool will send the lead’s information to your CRM. AI can show you where this lead came from and what their position is in the sales funnel. This way, you can target these leads better, increasing the chances that they will become customers.

Personalization at Scale

Since lead magnets collect a lot of data, your tech stack can separate these leads by individual qualities. This enables you to create highly personalized experiences. For example, AI-driven quizzes and assessments can adapt their questions based on user responses, providing tailored recommendations that boost engagement and conversion rates.

Cost and Time Efficiency

All businesses want to generate leads with the least time and effort. Fortunately, lead magnets boost efficiency in the lead gen process, automating targeting and follow-ups.

Creating high-quality lead magnets manually is time-consuming. AI-powered tools can generate reports, assessments, and personalized content in seconds, reducing the time and effort needed to attract leads.

In addition, lead magnets are cost-effective. When businesses invest in the best AI tools and resources, they reduce wasted time and put more time and effort into converting high-quality leads.

Improved Conversion Rates

AI-powered lead magnets create a more engaging and interactive experience, increasing the likelihood that users will provide their contact details and move down your sales funnel. Plus, AI can create various lead magnets, like infographics and educational documents, to attract and convert more leads.

Enhanced MQL Targeting

Lead generation isn’t about attracting every prospect who visits your website. You won’t achieve conversions unless you nurture qualified leads.

AI tools can analyze user interactions and segment leads based on intent, engagement, and behavior, allowing your sales team to focus on high-value prospects. Data-driven lead magnets accelerate the lead generation process and better target buyer intent to help businesses manage the sales pipeline.

Examples of AI Lead Magnets

There are many types of lead magnets, and AI makes it easier to generate them. These include:

• AI-powered quizzes and assessments: Interactive tools that provide instant insights tailored to the user’s needs.
• Chatbots and AI assistants: Automated conversations that qualify leads and answer questions in real-time.
• Personalized AI reports: AI-generated reports based on user input, delivering customized insights.
• Automated webinars and video content: AI-assisted presentations that engage users without manual effort.
• AI-generated content and tools: Custom templates, marketing plans, or industry reports personalized through AI.
• Calculator: Calculators help your audience save time and money, whether in their professional or personal lives. You can use AI-generated calculators for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, retirement plans, business loans, and more.
• Product or service trial: This is a free sample or demo that usually lasts a limited number of days.
• Coupons and discount codes: Reward your leads with a percentage off their purchase or subscription.
• Spin-the-wheel pop-up: Website visitors see a “spin-the-wheel” offering where they can win different perks. Winning prizes may include an e-book, free trial, or webinar.
• Free consultation: A free consultation pop-up or calendar offers prospects a no-strings-attached call to learn more about your offerings and meet with your company.
• Newsletter: A newsletter pop-up makes it easy for your leads to enter their email and access special offers from your brand.

How to Implement Lead Magnets in Your Agency

Source: dot.vu

Setting up lead magnets is simpler than you think. Follow these steps to get started.

Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience’s Pain Points

Before creating an AI lead magnet, understand your ideal client’s biggest challenges. Conduct market research, analyze competitor strategies, and gather feedback from existing clients to pinpoint the most valuable information or tools you can offer.

Step 2: Choose the Right AI-Powered Lead Magnet

AI-powered tools offer lead magnet templates and more, making it easier to create them. Based on your audience’s needs, select the best AI-driven tool to attract them:

• If your clients struggle with their marketing strategy, an AI-generated marketing plan might work best.
• If they need personalized insights, an AI-powered quiz or assessment could engage them effectively.
• If they require industry reports, an AI-generated content tool could provide unique value.

Step 3: Create and Optimize Your AI Lead Magnet

Once you’ve chosen a format, use AI-powered tools to generate and refine your lead magnet. Numerous AI lead magnet generators offer beautiful, user-friendly templates for quickly building and customizing your content.

Some useful AI tools include:

• ChatGPT and Jasper: AI-generated content and reports.
• Outgrow and Typeform: Interactive AI quizzes and assessments.
• ManyChat and Drift: AI-driven chatbots.
• Descript and Synthesia: AI-enhanced video content and automated webinars.

Step 4: Set Up Automated Distribution

Integrate your AI lead magnet into your website and marketing channels to better target potential customers. You can do this in several ways:

• Pop-ups: Automated offerings that load when a user visits your website.
• Landing pages: Create high-converting pages with clear CTAs.
• Social media ads: Run targeted campaigns to drive traffic.
• Email marketing: Use AI email automation to nurture leads.
• Chatbots: Deploy chat-based lead magnets on your website.

Step 5: Nurture and Convert Leads

After creating and posting your compelling lead magnets, use AI-driven automation to nurture your leads. Your sales and marketing team can apply more lead generation tactics, tools, and the proper channels to increase conversions. Here are some ways to do this with AI:

• AI email sequences: Personalized follow-ups based on user interactions.
• Behavior-based content recommendations: Suggest relevant blogs, videos, or services.
• AI sales assistants: Use AI to schedule calls, answer questions, and qualify leads further.

Step 6: Measure and Optimize Performance

Source: Zapier

AI tools provide in-depth analytics to track the effectiveness of your lead magnets. Monitor key metrics such as:

• Conversion rates (visitors to leads)
• Engagement levels (time spent on quizzes, assessments, or reports)
• Lead quality and sales conversions

Use these insights to refine your AI lead magnets for even better results.

Future Trends in AI-Powered Lead Magnets

The future of AI in lead generation is promising, with advancements in:

• Conversational AI: AI chatbots will become even more human-like and effective.
• AI-generated video content: Personalized video messages for lead engagement.
• Predictive analytics: AI will predict user intent and tailor lead magnets dynamically.
• Voice AI and virtual assistants: AI-powered voice interactions to capture leads on smart devices.

Use AI Lead Magnets to Boost Conversions

Organizations can use automation to increase efficiency in their lead generation strategy, and AI lead magnets are transforming how businesses attract and convert leads. Many examples of effective lead magnets include AI-powered quizzes, chatbots, personalized reports, and automation.

When you replace traditional lead magnets with AI-powered ones, you can scale your agency efficiently, reduce manual effort, and boost conversions.

AI lead generation still collects a lot of data and still requires human effort. Would you prefer professionals handle your lead generation strategy? Single Grain uses conversion rate optimization to attract better leads and skyrocket your revenue.

If you’re ready to level up your offer with AI Lead Magnets, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

Scale My Leads

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post How to Scale Your Agency with AI Lead Magnets appeared first on Single Grain.

Key Highlights for YouTube Lead Generation

• Agencies find it challenging to attract potential customers with YouTube ads. Advertising relies on capturing user intent, but YouTube ads interrupt videos, and many viewers skip advertisements.
• The decision to outsource YouTube advertising to an agency or hire in-house depends on many factors, like access to training or preference to work with experts.
• Creative assets, specifically high-quality visuals and cinematography, will better engage your audience.
• To generate leads from YouTube ads, businesses must understand their audience and target user intent.
• YouTube lead generation is recommended for all businesses since it offers an excellent branding opportunity and deepens connections with viewers.

The Challenge: Transitioning from Search to YouTube Ads

Search advertising relies on user intent—potential customers who watch videos and are actively looking for a service or product. YouTube, on the other hand, is an interruption-based platform where ads must capture attention within seconds. This fundamental difference makes it difficult to replicate the performance of search ads.

Several key challenges arise when attempting to scale lead generation on YouTube:

• Targeting differences: While search advertising thrives on keyword targeting, YouTube requires audience-based targeting strategies.
• Creative execution: Effective video ads need engaging, persuasive, and visually appealing content.
• Tracking and attribution: Measuring conversions and tracking performance on YouTube is more complex than with search ads.

Still, investing in YouTube ads is worth it. Viewers watch 5 billion YouTube videos daily, maximizing your reach and increasing your brand awareness. That’s why 88% of marketers say they get a positive ROI on YouTube ads.

Here are additional best practices to remember when creating YouTube video ads:

• Leverage captions to convey your message.
• Your video ads should be between 15 and 60 seconds long.
• Have a clear and compelling call to action (CTA).

Should You Outsource or Build In-House Expertise?

Source: Aloa

When exploring YouTube ads, agencies first ask whether to hire experts or develop in-house capabilities. Outsourcing or hiring a YouTube marketing company can generate better results than in-house work for some businesses, but sometimes, hiring internally makes more sense for your YouTube channel.

Hiring an Agency or Contractor

Many agencies choose to contract YouTube ad specialists. Working with a professional is easier, and they have the expertise to drive more leads for your business. Even though agencies and experts come with a cost, it’s typically cheaper in the long run compared to hiring staff members.

There are other reasons why some businesses may consider hiring a YouTube agency or contractor:

• YouTube Ads require a different skill set than search ads.
• Experienced contractors can fast-track the learning curve.
• Specialists bring insights from working across multiple industries and campaigns.

However, the downside is that YouTube lead generation marketers are rare, making it challenging to find the right fit.

Training Your Existing Team

Some marketers argue that since YouTube is part of the Google ecosystem, an in-house Google Ads team can transition into video ads with the proper training. Advantages of this approach include:

• Cost efficiency: Avoiding high contractor fees.
• Long-term control: Having full ownership of YouTube campaigns.
• Internal knowledge development: Training your team builds internal expertise for future projects.

The key is recognizing that while ad buying might be transferable, creative strategy and audience targeting require additional skills.

The Role of Creatives in YouTube Ad Success

A significant factor differentiating successful YouTube lead generation campaigns is the quality of the creative assets. Unlike search ads, which rely primarily on text, YouTube ads must be visually engaging and emotionally compelling. Brands focusing on storytelling and stylish visuals can foster deeper connections with their audience and drive more results.

Some insights from marketers include:

• Successful YouTube ads require a studio-level production setup to produce high-quality visuals and engaging storytelling.
• Not all industries translate well to video—while influencers and e-commerce brands thrive on YouTube, service-based businesses may struggle.
• Long-form video content (e.g., 30-minute educational videos) often performs better for influencers than traditional lead generation.

Audience Targeting and Campaign Optimization

Unlike search ads, where the intent is clear, YouTube ads require a strong understanding of audience behaviors and interests. Some effective strategies include:

• Remarketing campaigns: Target users who have visited your site but haven’t converted.
• Custom intent audiences: Leverage Google’s audience tools to reach users based on their online activity.
• Competitive analysis: Use tools like SEMrush, SimilarWeb, and AdClarity to reverse-engineer successful competitor strategies.

Overcoming the YouTube Lead Generation Barrier

Source: TubeRanker

YouTube lead generation allows brands to express their unique brand, products, and services while deepening their connection to customers. But many still struggle to make YouTube Ads work. If the latter sounds like you, consider these strategies:

• Refine your creative approach: Invest in high-quality production and test multiple ad variations.
• Use data-driven insights: Monitor analytics based on performance metrics.
• Test and learn: Start with remarketing campaigns before scaling to broader audiences.
• Leverage expert knowledge: Learn from those who have successfully cracked YouTube ads through contractors or peer groups.

YouTube Lead Generation Is Possible With the Right Ad Strategy

YouTube lead generation isn’t as straightforward as other strategies, primarily when investing in video ads. The key to creating a solid YouTube ad strategy is understanding user intent, targeting the right audience, having compelling visuals, and measuring your success.

You can build expertise in-house or hire external specialists as long as your strategy follows these best practices. With persistence and the right approach, YouTube Ads can become your business’s core lead generation driver.

If working with an agency is more appealing, Single Grain uses a search everywhere optimization technique that optimizes your brand for Google, YouTube, social media, AI, and more. Contact us today to learn more.

If you’re ready to level up your agency’s profitability on YouTube, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!

You can also check out the Agency Owner’s Association for insights on how to grow your agency. 👇

Scale My Agency

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Proven YouTube Lead Generation Tactics From Agency Leaders appeared first on Single Grain.

We’ve worked hard to make Single Grain one of the most prominent marketing, advertising, and SEO firms out there. However, our processes at Single Grain didn’t always achieve the success it has today.

Instead of relying on advertising and subscriptions, CEO Eric Siu used SEO and his popular podcasts, Marketing School and Leveling Up, to attract leads.

If these leads needed services that Single Grain couldn’t fulfill, they would refer the leads to other agencies and would take recurring affiliate commissions on those referrals. As Single Grain grew, it acquired more agencies and expanded its skillset.

Is your entire agency not as profitable as it should be? Agency profitability can be challenging to measure. Here’s a guide to improving your agency’s financial health and scaling back operations.

Key Highlights

• Several factors, such as overhead, finances, sales, and delivery, are connected in an agency.
• Poor delivery margin is one of the most common reasons agencies struggle financially.
• Even if an agency is growing revenue, their profits will dwindle if they don’t make their operations more efficient.
• Agencies also rely on human capital, making measuring metrics like cost-to-sales ratio difficult.
• Great pricing strategies can maximize an agency’s return. There’s no one-size-fits-all pricing model, so agencies must stick to pricing that balances risk with value.
• The best financial metrics to measure include agency gross income (AGI), delivery margin, utilization rate, overhead and payroll costs, average cost per hour, average billable rate (ABR), and cost-to-sales ratio.
• To improve delivery margins, reduce average cost per hour, increase billable utilization, and increase average billable hour (ABR).
• Use long-term financial planning and budgeting to forecast future growth.

Understanding the Interconnected Nature of Agency Operations

The relationship between finance, operations, delivery, and sales is at the core of an agency’s success. Every aspect of the business is interconnected, and a change in one area impacts the others. Common questions agency owners face include:

• Are we making money on the projects we deliver?
• When do we need to hire new employees, and can we afford them?
• Are our team members utilized efficiently?
• What should our margins be to maintain profitability?
• Are we investing the right amount in overhead, delivery, sales, and marketing?

These questions are crucial in assessing the health of an agency and require accurate data-driven insights to answer effectively.

The Importance of Delivery Margin

The delivery margin is the most critical metric for an agency’s profitability. It represents the percentage of AGI left after delivery expenses. Plus, delivery margins safeguard both agencies and clients. Both parties are financially obligated to honor the contract and reduce the default risk.

Agencies should keep delivery costs under 50% of AGI, ensuring a 50%+ delivery margin.

If an agency’s delivery margin is healthy, everything else in the business becomes more effortless. However, when delivery margins are too low, profitability suffers, and the agency struggles to grow sustainably.

Overhead Costs and Their Impact

Many agency owners believe their financial struggles stem from excessive overhead costs. However, in over 90% of cases, the issue is poor delivery margin—not overhead.

Overhead expenses typically include:

• Sales and Marketing (8-14%): Costs associated with acquiring new clients.
• Admin (8-14%): Back-office expenses such as finance, HR, and IT.
• Facilities (0-6%): Office-related costs (rent, utilities, software, etc.).

Most agency owners naturally keep overhead lean. A few exceptions occur when an agency hires excessive senior-level management without adjusting for revenue fluctuations. In most cases, if the delivery margin is corrected, overhead ceases to be a problem.

This means agencies must bill with overhead costs in mind. If you bill for skill and labor, all your profits will go toward your tools, data, facilities, and more.

It’s also important to remember that there’s no overhead cost standard since this varies between agencies. Agencies must calculate their overhead costs and include this rate in their billable hours. We will cover how to calculate this metric later.

The Baseline: Where Most Agencies Stand

Imagine an agency where team members collectively work 100,000 hours per year. However, only 50% of that time is dedicated to billable client work, meaning 50,000 billable hours at an average rate of $100 per hour. This results in:

• Revenue: $5 million (50,000 hours x $100/hour)
• Delivery Costs: $3 million (the cost of salaries and expenses for those delivering the work)
• Delivery Margin: $2 million (40%)
• Overhead Costs: $1.5 million (admin, marketing, software, legal, etc.)
• Net Profit: $500,000 (10%)

A 10% profit margin is standard in the agency world, but this isn’t ideal for the effort required to build a business. So, how can agencies improve their financial performance?

The Cycle of Insolvency in Agency Growth

Many agency owners find themselves in a frustrating loop:

1. Winning new business – Excitement builds as new clients sign on.
2. Overwhelmed team – Staff becomes overworked, leading to inefficiencies.
3. Founder intervention – The agency owner steps in, taking on tasks instead of focusing on growth.
4. Hiring more staff – New employees are onboarded, increasing payroll costs.
5. Profitability drops – With higher expenses and a lack of new sales, margins shrink.
6. Desperate need for more work – The agency rushes to secure more clients to sustain payroll.
7. Repeat the cycle – Without addressing underlying issues, the cycle continues indefinitely.

Some agencies grow significantly in revenue but find their profits dwindling because they haven’t optimized operational efficiencies.

Breaking the Cycle and Scaling Profitability

To escape the cycle of insolvency and scale profitably, agencies must:

• Track AGI and delivery margins: Ensure service pricing accounts for costs and provides sustainable profits.
• Improve operational efficiency: Optimize team utilization and reduce unnecessary expenses.
• Forecast hiring accurately: Hire proactively based on data-driven projections.
• Implement value-based pricing: Avoid underpricing services and incorporate risk-adjusted pricing models.
• Use simple yet effective metrics: Focus on accuracy over unnecessary precision to gain insights into financial health.

Simplifying Data for Actionable Insights

Many agencies fall into the trap of overcomplicating data collection. Instead of aiming for extreme precision, focus on accuracy—getting a clear, actionable picture of financial health without excessive complexity.

Here are ways to scale your data collection:

• Identify the data that aligns with your goals.
• Assign data collection and analysis to key team members.
• Evaluate all data sources to ensure they’re trustworthy.
• Identify the technology (CRMs, etc.) you will use to collect and analyze data.

For example, tracking billable hours shouldn’t involve excessive subcategories that overwhelm employees. Instead, keep it simple and ensure the data collected is reliable and easy to interpret.

The Power of an Effective Pricing Strategy

Source: Pallavi Sehgal

Great pricing strategies can deliver a 2%-7% return. However, many agencies struggle with pricing, often underestimating their worth or failing to structure pricing models strategically. The key is to aim for a direct delivery margin of at least 70% on every project before accounting for overhead. This ensures the agency maintains a healthy net profit, even with indirect expenses.

Strategic Pricing for Profitability

One of the biggest challenges agencies face is pricing their services correctly. Poor pricing strategies often lead to razor-thin margins and financial instability. At the same time, agencies must price their services to attract more clients. To ensure profitability:

• Charge based on value, not just costs: Factor in the actual cost of delivering the service, including direct labor, overhead, and a profit margin.
• Implement risk-adjusted pricing: If scope creep is typical, adjust pricing models to accommodate unpredictable workloads.
• Set a minimum profit threshold: Ensure every project meets a minimum profitability margin before taking it on.

Choosing the Right Pricing Model

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to pricing. Instead, agencies should select models that balance project risk and client value. Some pricing strategy examples include:

• Abstracted time and materials: Common in engineering and development firms; selling work in blocks of time (e.g., sprints) instead of individual hours.
• Flat fees: Works well for predictable, low-risk work where the agency can confidently estimate effort.
• Value-based pricing: Anchoring pricing to the client’s expected outcome rather than effort (e.g., charging a percentage of projected revenue growth).

Measuring What It Costs to Earn Revenue

Source: Competera

We’ll cover the cost-to-sales ratio later in this post. In short, revenue is not earned without cost. Unlike a product-based business like Apple, which knows the fixed cost of manufacturing an iPhone, agencies primarily rely on human capital. Even though agencies must know how much the direct costs are associated with generating sales, the cost of earning revenue is often unclear and fluctuates.

To ensure profitability, agency owners must isolate their payroll costs allocated to service delivery. Key roles like SEO specialists, designers, copywriters, and project managers typically fall into delivery costs. For founders still heavily involved in client work, a percentage of their salary should also be allocated to delivery.

Additionally, agencies should account for shared delivery expenses, such as for software tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, UberSuggest). These costs usually amount to 4-6% of AGI and should be included in delivery expenses.

Accounting vs. Management Metrics

One common frustration for agency owners is the disconnect between their P&L statements from accountants and the financial reality of their business. This disconnect occurs because:

• Tax accountants optimize for lower taxable income: Their goal is to reduce taxes, which can obscure actual profitability.
• Management metrics focus on decision-making: Business owners need clarity on margins, team efficiency, and pricing.

Using internal management metrics, in addition to standard accounting, provides a more accurate view of financial performance. We’ll cover some metrics in the next section, but agencies will want to compare their quarterly and annual sales to date to their budget and costs (such as G&A expenses, etc.).

Core Financial Metrics for Agency Profitability

The cycle of insolvency affects your agency’s income and your bottom line. To break free from this cycle, agency owners must track key financial metrics that accurately represent profitability and efficiency. Here are the most important ones to track.

Agency Gross Income (AGI)

AGI is the amount of revenue that belongs to your business. You calculate gross margin by subtracting pass-through expenses—money paid to third-party vendors that the agency is not responsible for—from total revenue (Revenue – Pass-Through Expenses = AGI).

Pass-through expenses refer to money collected from clients but not retained by the agency. This can include ad spend, costs for freelancers/contractors, equipment and tools, and travel costs.

AGI is an important metric because it underlines your efficiency. It highlights the revenue you earn and determines whether or not you have healthy spending ratios. Without this clear separation, an agency may believe it is much larger than it truly is.

Delivery Margin

Delivery margin measures how efficiently services are delivered: (AGI – Delivery Costs) / AGI = Delivery Margin.

Delivery costs include direct labor and any outsourced work directly tied to client service delivery. A healthy delivery margin typically falls between 50-60%.

Utilization Rate

Utilization rate measures how much of your team’s available capacity is used for revenue-generating and productive client work.

The utilization rate formula is:

Utilization rate = (Delivery hours worked / Total available capacity)

Unlike billable hours, which focus on what’s charged to the client, delivery hours include all time spent working on projects, even if extra hours were put in that weren’t billed.

Many agency owners make the mistake of telling their teams to “increase utilization.” However, more hours worked does not necessarily mean higher profits. If you only increase hours worked without optimizing efficiency, your ABR decreases, and profitability remains unchanged.

Instead, utilization rate should be used as a management metric to help owners balance available team capacity with incoming work.

Here are some recommended utilization rate ratios:

• Pure producers (designers, developers, etc.) should have a utilization rate of 75% or higher (30+ hours per week of delivery work).
• Delivery managers (project managers, account managers) typically have a lower utilization rate (around 50%) since they spend significant time coordinating and overseeing projects.
• Overall agency utilization should be 65% or higher weekly and 50% or higher annually (accounting for time off, holidays, and sick leave).

The key takeaway? Your goal isn’t just to work more hours—it’s to work smarter. Tracking utilization helps ensure team members work efficiently and that labor costs align with revenue.

Overhead and Payroll Costs

Source: Napkin Finance

Overhead costs are divided into two categories:

• Professional services
• Fixed overhead expenses

This of fixed overhead expenses (office rent, software, administrative salaries) and professional services (staff, freelancers, contractors) as the cost of serving your agency. That’s why all agencies should consider these expenses when billing clients.

In addition, payroll should be included in this budget and monitored closely. Payroll should ideally stay within 40-50% of AGI for sustainable profitability.

Agencies can balance overhead and payroll costs by using this formula:

Overhead rate = Overhead costs / Professional services cost

Remember that overhead and payroll vary by agency and industry. Some agencies invest more in technology and data, while others may invest more in creative work. Since there’s no overhead and payroll standard, all agencies must calculate their costs and balance them with their revenue.

Average Cost Per Hour (ACPH)

One of your agency’s most crucial financial indicators is the average cost per hour (ACPH). This metric measures how much it costs your agency, on average, to deliver one hour of work.

With ACPH, you can identify ways to lower delivery expenses and increase your margins. If you hire cheaper freelancers or optimize internal resources, you can immediately see the impact. The goal is to ensure your revenue grows faster than your delivery costs.

A lower ACPH means you’re spending less money to generate the same amount of revenue, which leads to increased profitability as you scale.

Average Billable Rate (ABR)

Many agency owners dismiss the average billable rate (ABR) metric because they assume it only applies to agencies that bill hourly. That’s a mistake. ABR is a universal metric that any profitable agency should measure. It applies to all billing models, whether you charge hourly, fixed fees, retainers, or a percentage of ad spend.

ABR measures how much revenue you earn in an hour. It breaks down your earnings, looking at your revenue and how well you hit budgets.

You can measure ABR with this formula:

Average billable rate = Adjusted gross income (AGI) / Delivery hours

For example, if you analyze three projects—one worth $70,000, another at $50,000, and a third at $10,000—you might assume the highest-priced project is the most profitable. However, once you factor in delivery hours, you might find that a smaller project with fewer hours worked has a higher ABR.

Higher ABR means you’re earning more revenue for the same time worked. To improve this metric, you can either:

• Increase prices (though not always easy in competitive markets)
• Improve efficiency, delivering the same work in fewer hours

Increasing prices isn’t always wise, especially in a competitive market. Improving efficiency means delivering the same amount of work in fewer hours and earning more revenue in one hour. This way, you can increase revenue without changing your cost structure, leading to significant profitability gains.

Cost-to-Sales Ratio

The cost-to-sales ratio measures the relationship between the cost of goods sold (COGS) and total sales revenue.

The formula for the cost-to-sales ratio is: (COGS / Sales) × 100%.

This shows the percentage of sales spent on production. A low ratio indicates higher profitability, while a high ratio suggests lower margins and potential inefficiencies.

Businesses use this metric to assess pricing strategies, cost control, operating expenses, and financial health. Industry benchmarks vary, so companies compare their ratio to competitors to gauge performance. Reducing costs or increasing prices can improve the ratio, but careful management is required to maintain competitiveness and customer demand.

How to Improve Delivery Margin

To boost delivery margin, agencies must focus on three best practices: reduce ACPH, increase billable utilization, and increase ABR.

Reduce Average Cost Per Hour (ACPH)

Reducing ACPH is a simple way for agencies to improve profitability. This can be done by:

• Delegating low-value tasks to lower-cost employees.
• Outsourcing repetitive work to offshore or junior talent.
• Optimizing workflows to eliminate inefficiencies.

Increase Billable Utilization

Source: Act! CRM

Utilization measures the percentage of total available time spent on revenue-generating work. If an agency’s team is only 50% billable, half of their time is spent on non-revenue activities. Increasing billable utilization directly boosts delivery margin. An agency can push utilization from 50% to 60% by improving forecasting, project management, and resource allocation. This simple shift means:

• Revenue: $6 million (60,000 billable hours x $100/hour)
• Delivery margin: $3 million (50%)
• Net profit: $1.5 million (25%)

This way, the agency is significantly more profitable without increasing prices.

Ways to increase utilization include:

• Separating billable and non-billable work.
• Improving time tracking to identify inefficiencies.
• Reducing time spent on internal meetings and administrative tasks.
• Setting clear billable targets for team members.
• Use AI and automation to cut down on mundane tasks.

Increase Average Billable Rate (ABR)

ABR measures how much revenue an agency generates per billable hour. A higher ABR means the agency charges more for its work, leading to better margins. But ABR isn’t all about maximizing profitability–it’s about optimizing your pricing strategy.

Agencies can improve ABR by:

• Raising prices for existing services.
• Moving upmarket to work with higher-value clients.
• Offering services as a package to shift away from hourly pricing.

For example, increasing the average billable rate from $100 to $125 per hour while maintaining the 60,000 billable hours, we now get:

• Revenue: $7.5 million (60,000 hours x $125/hour)
• Delivery margin: $4.5 million (60%)
• Net profit: $3 million (40%)

At this stage, the agency has quadrupled its profitability. And the best part? These changes were made without reducing team size, cutting overhead, or adding more stress.

Forecasting for Sustainable Growth

Forecasting, such as long-term financial planning, scenario planning, and budgeting, helps agencies plan for future growth and avoid financial pitfalls. Key forecasting principles include:

• Revenue forecasting – Predict upcoming income based on client contracts and sales pipelines.
• Capacity planning – Assess team workload and determine hiring needs based on upcoming demand.
• Cash flow projections – Ensure enough cash reserves to cover payroll and operational costs during slower periods.

Once an agency improves its delivery margin, it gains financial flexibility. With a substantial margin, agency owners can:

• Invest in growth – Allocate more of the budget to marketing and sales.
• Hire top talent – Attract high-performing team members.
• Increase profitability – Generate higher take-home earnings.

Some agencies even achieve 60-80% delivery margins, allowing them to scale efficiently. The key is to optimize delivery expenses and pricing to maximize the value of every billable hour.

Agency Profitability Is All About Strategy

Single Grain knows all about agency profitability. Our CEO, Eric Siu, relied on organic marketing and made significant revenue from referrals. However, all agencies operate differently, and some organizations have varying operation and payroll costs.

Agency profitability boils down to two best practices: calculating overhead costs and maintaining good delivery margins. This way, agencies will deal with fewer financial struggles and increase revenue YOY.

Working with digital marketing agencies is one of the best ways to reduce sales and marketing overhead expenses. Even though a marketing company is an investment, agencies can still cut down on payroll, salaries, and benefits.

Contact us at Single Grain, and we can maximize your profitability while keeping organic marketing and ad costs down.

If you’re ready to level up your agency’s profitability, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!

You can also check out the Agency Owner’s Association for insights on how to grow your agency. 👇

Scale My Agency

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Agency Profitability: Key Strategies for Sustainable Growth appeared first on Single Grain.

We can help. After all, we helped a client generate $47k from a single email campaign.

Key Highlights of Cold Outreach for Agencies

• Define your Ideal Client Profile (ICP): Identify your target audience based on industry, company size, challenges, and decision-makers to improve outreach precision.
• Build a high-quality target list: Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo.io, and Hunter.io to source and qualify leads effectively.
• Craft personalized messaging: Generic outreach fails—tailor emails and calls to address specific pain points, goals, and company activity.
• Leverage multiple outreach channels: Combine cold email, social media, and cold calling to maximize engagement and response rates.
• Use automation and outreach tools: Platforms like SalesLoft, Outreach.io, and HubSpot streamline prospecting, follow-ups, and campaign tracking.
• Measure success with key metrics: Track open rates, response rates, conversions, and booked meetings to refine your strategy.
• Follow up consistently but strategically: Send 3-5 follow-ups over a few weeks, focusing on relationship-building rather than aggressive selling.

Preparing for Cold Outreach

Before diving into outreach, preparation is key. Follow these steps to set the stage for success.

Define Your Ideal Client Profile (ICP)

Contact list building should always occur in the beginning stages of your outreach campaign. To better identify and qualify leads, create an ideal client profile (ICP). Understanding your perfect client helps you focus your efforts. But your ICP should be data-driven and contain more information than just the industry or business size.

Define your ICP by considering factors like:

• Industry or niche
• Company size
• Location
• Challenges they face
• Decision-makers roles

The best way to get this information is from a data collection platform such as a CRM.

This data is essential to target and personalize your outreach efforts effectively. When creating outreach content, ask yourself these questions:

• Which pain points are you trying to solve?
• How can you form a connection with this lead or company?
• Which goals are your lead trying to accomplish? How can you help them achieve their objectives?
• What are the three main concerns you hear during the sales process?
• Was there ever a time when your products or services weren’t a good fit for a client?

After you have this information, you can start building your target list, which takes us to the next section.

Build a Target List

Source: Slide Team

You can build a target list once you have an ICP and establish criteria to distinguish qualified leads. Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Apollo.io, or Hunter.io to create a list of prospects that match your ICP. Ensure your list is clean and up-to-date.

Develop a Value Proposition

What makes your agency unique? What do you offer that sets you apart from competitors? Clearly articulate your value proposition to potential clients by answering these questions:

• What specific problems do you solve?
• What benefits can clients expect?
• Why should they choose you over competitors?

Craft Personalized Messaging

Generic messages don’t work. That’s because all sales outreach professionals must move past these hurdles:

• Your emails may feel like a sales pitch
• Most professionals have their guard up when they receive an unsolicited sales email

Gone are the days of sending mass unsolicited emails. Before getting to the subject matter, all sales professionals must use personalization in their outreach. Personalization can give you 10%-15% revenue growth since you develop a connection with your leads immediately after contacting them.

Start by researching your prospects and tailoring your outreach to reflect their needs, pain points, and goals. Convey this immediately by drafting a strong and persuasive email opening.

Another way to personalize your emails is by paying attention to a company’s activity and finding essential information, such as the pain points they’re trying to solve. Communicate this in your emails.

Some examples of internet activity you can track include:

• Blog posts
• Podcast
• Forum discussions
• Twitter or LinkedIn posts

Cold Outreach Channels for Agencies

Another part of client research is knowing the channels they use. Let’s explore the most effective channels for cold outreach. Segment your leads by these channels to better target these prospects.

Cold Email

Cold email campaigns are among the most popular outreach methods (especially for SaaS brands). After all, B2B emails have 3.18% click rates because these buyers prefer email communications.

But there’s an email method that sales professionals should follow. Start by creating an email list and include this recipient information:

• Name
• Company name
• Job title
• Contact information

Use the personalization mentioned previously to craft the sales message. Here are other ways to use cold email effectively:

Best practices for cold email

• Use a catchy subject line that grabs attention.
• Personalize the first sentence to show you’ve done your homework.
• Keep your email short and to the point (under 150 words).
• Include a clear call-to-action (CTA).
• A/B test your emails to find what resonates.

Example template

Subject: Ideas to improve [Specific Metric] at [Company Name]

Hi [First Name],

I noticed that [specific observation about the company]. At [Your Agency Name], we specialize in helping companies like [Prospect’s Company] achieve [specific result].

For example, we recently helped [similar company] increase [specific metric] by [percentage].

Would you be open to a quick call next week to discuss how we can help [Prospect’s Company] achieve similar results?

I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best regards,
[Your Name] [Your Position] [Contact Info]

Social Media Outreach

Marketers use platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to increase brand reputation and post content, but social media also provides excellent opportunities for direct engagement.

Social media best practices

• Personalize your connection request.
• Avoid being overly salesy in your initial messages.
• Engage with prospects’ posts to build rapport.

Social media outreach example

Hi [First Name],

I came across your profile and was impressed by your work in [specific field]. I’d love to connect and share some insights about how we’ve helped companies in [industry/niche] achieve [specific results].

Looking forward to connecting!
[Your Name]

Cold Calling

Source: Investopedia

Even though “cold calling” can refer to any sales solicitation, this section will strictly focus on sales calls. Cold calling is often seen as daunting; that’s because it takes an average of eight phone calls to reach a prospect. But cold calling can be highly effective when executed correctly.

Tips for cold calling

• Start with a strong opening line.
• Focus on the prospect’s challenges rather than your services.
• Handle objections confidently and professionally.
• Keep the call brief and to the point.

Example opening

“Hi [First Name], this is [Your Name] from [Your Agency]. I noticed [specific observation about their company], and I wanted to quickly share how we’ve helped companies like yours solve [specific challenge]. Is this a good time to chat?”

Sales Outreach Tools for Agencies

There are numerous platforms and software that can streamline the sales outreach process. Here are some of our favorite examples.

All-in-One Sales Platforms

SalesLoft

• A robust platform for building and scaling sales cadences.
• Tracks activity across email, phone, and LinkedIn.
• Provides analytics for improving engagement, revenue, and conversion rates.

Outreach.io

• Streamlines multi-channel outreach campaigns (email, calls, social).
• Offers team collaboration features and AI-powered insights.
• Includes tools to increase metrics like engagement rates.
• Tracks and optimizes outreach performance in real-time.

Mailshake

• Ideal for cold email, phone, and social.
• Follow-up automation.
• Includes A/B testing and templates.
• Integrates with CRM systems like HubSpot and Salesforce to find your ideal customers.

Mixmax

• Automate your meetings, follow-ups, and communications.
• Provides detailed insights into email engagement.
• Includes scheduling tools and email templates.
• Features integrations with Gmail and Salesforce.

RingCentral

• Offers phone, SMS, event, meetings, and video conferencing.
• Ideal for remote teams needing seamless communication tools.
• Includes call monitoring and reporting features.

Email Outreach Tools

Lemlist

• Custom emails with a targeted approach.
• Features advanced automation for follow-ups.
• Tracks email opens, clicks, and replies.
• Helps you build an email list.

Yesware

• Tracks email outreach directly in your inbox.
• Provides templates and insights into prospect behavior.
• Works seamlessly with Gmail and Outlook.
• Includes A/B testing so you can see which messages engage your prospects.

Hunter.io

• Finds and verifies email addresses from websites.
• Includes email tracking and integration with outreach platforms.
• Great for building clean and accurate email lists.

Woodpecker

• Send highly tailored cold emails by using placeholders like names, companies, or job titles.
• Verify email addresses for free.
• Schedule and automate follow-up emails based on triggers, such as no reply, email opened, or link clicked.
• Test subject lines, content, or CTAs to determine which versions get better results.

• Works with CRM platforms like HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, and others to streamline lead management.

CRM and Lead Management Tools

HubSpot

• Software to track sales and marketing efforts.
• Free-to-use CRM with sales pipelines and tracking features.
• Helps manage contacts, track interactions, and schedule follow-ups.
• Integrates with email tools and marketing platforms.

Pipedrive

• A sales-focused CRM designed to close deals.
• Manage deals with AI and automated activity reminders.
• Features customizable pipelines and AI-powered sales insights.
• Includes automation options for repetitive tasks.

Close

• Designed for small teams and SMBs.
• Combines CRM functionality with email and call tracking.
• Enables easy task management and follow-ups.

Social Media Outreach Tools

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

• Sales tool powered by LinkedIn to find prospects.
• Advanced filters to find your target audience.
• Features lead recommendations.
• Relationship-building features such as InMail for LinkedIn messages.
• Integrates with many CRMs for streamlined tracking.

Hootsuite

• Social media management tool that offers social listening and analytics.
• Schedules and monitors social media posts.
• Tracks prospect engagement across social platforms.
• Provides sales analytics to refine social outreach strategies.

Prospecting and Lead Generation Tools

Apollo.io

• AI-powered tool that helps sales professionals find warm leads and close deals.
• Combines prospecting and outreach automation.
• Offers verified contact data and email sequences.
• Features a Chrome extension for on-the-go research.

Reply.io

• Automates sales outreach.
• Find qualified leads and book meetings.
• Tracks the performance of multi-channel campaigns.
• Analyzes email and call outcomes to improve outreach.
• Features a Chrome extension for LinkedIn automation.

Cold Calling Tools

Aircall

• Cloud-based phone system tailored for sales teams.
• Integrates with CRMs and help desk software for tracking and logging calls.
• Features call analytics and voicemail automation.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Cold Outreach

Since 55% of sales professionals fail to hit their targets, it’s easy to make bad decisions in an outreach campaign. Here are common challenges that sales professionals face and how you can use them to create a successful cold outreach campaign.

Low Response Rates

Are you not getting any responses to your cold email strategy? This is one of the most common problems since cold calling has an average success rate of 4.8%. However, there are ways to increase open and response rates, even with cold outreach.

Solution: Personalization.

A problem that many sales professionals have is they use a generic template for every lead. While it’s more time-consuming to personalize your sales pitch for all contacts, personalization can increase response rates by 135%.

How can you personalize sales outreach while scaling your strategy? First, focus your content on the client and cut right to the pitch. If you’re introducing your brand, keep it brief and boast about your successes after your pitch.

Over time, test different subject lines and your value proposition.

Deliverability Issues

Source: lemwarm

If you’re struggling with no open or response rates, ensure that your emails are being delivered in the first place. 45% of the emails we send every day are considered spam. Safeguarding your cold outreach emails from spam filters is integral to your strategy.

Solution: Invest in tools.

In the previous section, we recommended several different sales outreach tools. Platforms such as Lemlist offer tools that track your email deliverability, ensuring your sales emails always reach the primary inbox. Some other best practices include using an email domain and avoiding spammy language, such as “Act now” and “Limited time offer.”

Rejections

How many cold emails do you need to send before getting a response from key decision-makers? You probably heard statistics like, “Customers say yes after four rejections.” But why wait for four rejections when you can get a “yes” the first time?

The key is to know why customers say no.

Solution: Be specific.

The main focus of a cold outreach strategy is to be specific. A vague sales pitch is a significant reason prospects will decline a meeting. For example, general subject lines such as “Book a Five-Minute Call” or a CTA like “Want to discuss how we can work together” won’t entice a prospect to continue down the sales funnel.

Instead, be specific in your pitch. Address their needs and pain points with data-driven reasons why your product is the solution. Continue with the following steps or ask questions to keep the conversation going.

Measuring Cold Outreach Success

Track the performance of your campaigns using metrics that matter to your campaign, such as:

• Open rate: The number of recipients who opened your email compared to how many contacts you sent them to.
• Click-through rate: Recipients who clicked on your CTA link compared to the ones who didn’t.
• Response rate: The number of leads who responded to your email.
• Conversion rate: Tracks how many responses turn into leads or paying customers.
• Number of meetings booked: Pending sales meetings in a certain period.
• Bounce rate: Shows the percentage of undeliverable emails.
• Win rate: How effective you are at closing sales.
• Lead to close rate: How many sales you have versus your number of pending leads.

While all these metrics are helpful, focus on the ones that align with your goals and the outcome that matters most to you.

The Importance of Follow-Ups

Source: Reve Chat

Follow-ups are crucial in cold outreach. If your prospects don’t respond to your first message, send them a reminder.

Consistency is also key, but don’t be spammy. Aim to send three to five follow-ups over two or three weeks. Your follow-ups should also focus on building a relationship with your leads, not trying to force them into a sale. The last thing you want is your email to get deleted once it’s in your prospect’s inbox.

Here’s an example of a follow-up:

Subject: Following up on my previous message

Hi [First Name],

I wanted to follow up on my previous email about [specific topic]. I understand you’re busy, but I’d love to discuss how we can help [Prospect’s Company] achieve [specific result].

Let me know if you’d like to schedule a quick call.

Best,
[Your Name]

Cold Outreach for Agencies Can Be Effective

Cold outreach has always been one of the key ways to attract new B2B clients, generate leads, and grow your business. And with the right strategy, cold outreach for agencies can help you build client relationships.

However, cold outreach can also fail without the right strategy. Follow these steps, use the right tools, and try these templates. Qualify leads, personalize your outreach, and offer your product to solve your prospect’s pain points.

If you don’t think a sales strategy is right for you, marketing is an exceptional alternative. You can use the same channels, such as social media and email marketing, to improve brand awareness and nurture leads down the sales funnel. Digital marketing agencies, such as Single Grain, can help with that.

If you’re ready to level up your cold outreach strategy, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

Let’s Do Cold Outreach Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Cold Outreach for Agencies: Strategies That Deliver Results appeared first on Single Grain.

But what does it take to go viral on LinkedIn? There are a few simple steps that all businesses should follow.

Key Highlights

• LinkedIn has a complex algorithm, so understanding how LinkedIn ranks posts will help you go viral.
• Some post topics perform better on LinkedIn. The best viral post topics include motivational stories, business insights, “aha” moments, workplace culture, trends, and industry issues.
• LinkedIn’s algorithms favor consistent posting, so aim to post five to seven times daily.
• Users find businesses, jobs, and accounts using LinkedIn’s search engine, so optimize your posts for SEO by including keywords in the content and hashtags at the bottom.
• Engage with other accounts by commenting on posts.
• A successful post has persuasive writing. Your posts should be well-written and concise, with a compelling CTA.
• Ask questions to get more engagement from your followers.
• Stay authentic to yourself and your business. Try not to lose your identity by going viral.
• Don’t be afraid to be controversial and have a unique point of view.
• Create content that evokes emotion but remains professional.
• Repurpose your content for LinkedIn and other social media platforms.
• Join LinkedIn groups in your niche to connect with other professionals in your industry and grow your following.
• Going viral doesn’t happen overnight, so stay persistent.
• Monitor LinkedIn metrics, such as engagement rates and impressions, to ensure your posts are successful.

Understand LinkedIn’s Algorithm

Creating viral posts means you must understand the complexities of LinkedIn’s algorithm. While it may seem daunting, this is the best way to know how LinkedIn ranks posts and how your audience engages on the platform. As with many social media platforms, LinkedIn recommends posts based on activity. You’ll see the most success by tapping into those interests and demands.

Here are ways to work with LinkedIn’s algorithm:

• Create content that engages your audience
• Avoid linking to an external source (such as your website)
• Monitor how users interact with your posts

Choose the Right Topics

Not all content performs well on LinkedIn. The best-performing topics tend to resonate with a broad audience while staying relevant to your niche. Here are the top content categories that tend to generate high engagement:

• Motivational stories: Personal success stories, overcoming challenges, and career wins inspire and engage users.
• Business insights: Valuable content that offers unique perspectives on industry trends, entrepreneurship, and business growth strategies.
• Aha moments: Sharing knowledge, lessons learned, valuable insights, and epiphanies related to business and professional life.
• Workplace culture: Topics about remote work, leadership, HR policies, and company culture resonate widely since they apply to professionals across various industries.
• Trends: Keeping up with your competitors and others in your niche. This can also include popular content types on LinkedIn (such as videos over written content).
• Industry issues: Discuss the challenges in your niche and what your audience can do to overcome them.

Why do these topics perform well? Because they appeal to a total addressable market (TAM), anyone in the workforce can relate, comment, and engage.

If increased reach and engagement are your goals, broad topics work well. However, if you’re focused on business-driven outcomes, consider aligning your content more closely with your industry expertise to attract the right audience that translates into sales and business growth.

Post Frequently (Five to Seven Times Per Week)

Consistency is key when aiming for a strong LinkedIn presence. Posting five to seven times a week signals to LinkedIn’s algorithm that you are an active and reliable content creator. If your posts also appear regularly on your followers’ feeds, it shows you’re a credible and trustworthy professional.

Here’s why this matters:

• Like other social media platforms, LinkedIn rewards frequent content creators with increased reach.
• Engaging regularly builds familiarity and trust with your target audience.
• Frequent posting allows for experimentation, helping you refine your content strategy based on performance.

However, it’s essential to maintain quality over quantity. If your posts lack engagement or don’t provide value, they may hurt your visibility in the long run.

What if you’re unsure what to post? Engaging with your community has the same effect, which brings us to our next point.

Optimize for Search Engines

LinkedIn is one of the most powerful search engines. Sixty-five million people search for jobs on LinkedIn every week, and more use LinkedIn to search for connections, MQLs, industry trends, and more.

Your posts can gain more visibility when you optimize them for LinkedIn’s search engine. Include popular keywords in your posts and LinkedIn hashtags at the bottom.

Format your content to enhance readability. Use bullet points to separate key sections and include emojis when necessary.

Engage With Others (10-30 Comments Per Day)

Source: Aware

Posting every day is not enough. Engagement plays a crucial role in growing your brand on LinkedIn.

Here’s an effective engagement strategy:

• Reply to comments on your posts: As soon as people comment on your content, respond to them promptly. This encourages more interactions and extends the post’s lifespan.
• Comment on other people’s posts: Find 10 to 30 relevant posts daily and leave meaningful comments. This expands your reach to a new audience and builds relationships with key influencers.
• Be strategic: Engage with posts from people in your industry, potential clients, and thought leaders. Over time, this increases your visibility among the right people.

What if you’re not getting a lot of comments on your posts? Try using a more persuasive CTA. Commenting on other posts will also expand your reach.

Master the Art of Copywriting

One of the biggest game-changers for viral success is persuasive writing. Crafting compelling LinkedIn posts requires:

• Clarity and simplicity: Avoid jargon and write in a conversational tone.
• Storytelling: People connect with stories more than facts and figures.
• Strong hooks: The first line of your post should grab attention and encourage users to click “See More.”
• Conciseness: Keep paragraphs short and easy to skim.
• CTAs: Encourage users to comment, share, or engage with your post.

Ask Questions

If your goal is to encourage engagement from your followers, start asking more questions. Whether users comment on their answers or share your post with their connections, this is a simple way to boost engagement and visibility.

Which questions should you ask? This varies by industry and profession, but any “who, what, when, where, why” question can increase interest and responses.

Stay Authentic

Many content creators fall into the trap of chasing engagement and lose their true identity. Going viral on LinkedIn is as simple as letting your guard down and being yourself. The reason is simple: if you come off as a regular person, you’re more approachable and relatable.

The most successful LinkedIn influencers stay true to their unique voice and message while staying professional. Here’s how to balance the two:

• Write how you speak: Natural, conversational writing resonates better than overly polished, robotic text.
• Avoid clickbait: While strong hooks are essential, misleading your audience for engagement can hurt credibility in the long run.
• Ignore negative comments and trolls: Not every comment deserves a response. Focus on meaningful interactions.
• Quality over quantity: Prioritize content that provides value.

If you stay authentic and provide real value, your audience will recognize and appreciate your content.

Have a Unique Point of View

Even though LinkedIn is a professional platform, don’t be afraid to be controversial and post your opinions. Users aren’t interested in consuming the same regurgitated information; people are keen on reading new and different takes on various topics in their industry.

After posting your unique take, invite your followers to comment and share their thoughts. This increases engagement rates and builds deeper connections with your followers.

Harness Emotions

Even in professional settings, humans are still emotional. If your content evokes emotion, your followers are likelier to interact with your post.

That said, LinkedIn is still a professional platform. Choose your emotional content wisely to ensure you still have a trustworthy and reputable image.

Here are some best practices to remember:

• Have a positive view
• Handle strong emotions, like sadness and anger, carefully
• Use the “hero’s journey” when possible
• Incorporate a personal story

Don’t think you can only express yourself emotionally through writing. Content creators can evoke emotions with visuals, too. Use all of LinkedIn’s content types, such as carousels, GIFs, and videos. Even adding emojis can make your posts more appealing. Polls are also an easy way to enhance engagements without being too vulnerable.

Repurpose Content

Source: Nonprofit Marketing Guide

Your business will likely post on other social media platforms besides LinkedIn. Repurpose content for LinkedIn and across all channels. This increases your chances of going viral on LinkedIn and other platforms.

Remember that all platforms have complex algorithms, and some post types are more successful on one platform than another. All social platforms also have trends, and marketers must create platform-specific content that coincides with these trends.

What are some content repurposing examples? You can repost a blog as a LinkedIn article and then repurpose that into a short-form video or an image carousel.

Join LinkedIn Groups

There are over two million LinkedIn Groups. Chances are, there are quite a few in your niche that you can join.

There are many reasons why LinkedIn Groups can improve your chances of going viral. These groups are an excellent networking opportunity. You’ll also learn about industry trends, new insights, and other developments that will put you ahead of the curve.

Your posts also have a likelier chance of gaining traction in small groups. If the group followers engage with your posts and connect with you, your profile and posts will be more visible to a broader network.

If you can, join multiple LinkedIn groups–about five or six–to reap the benefits.

Bonus Tip: Patience and Persistence Pay Off

Viral success doesn’t happen overnight. Even top creators face low engagement rates before creating viral content. Consistency is key. If your content isn’t taking off immediately, keep experimenting, refining, and engaging. That persistence separates successful content creators from those who give up too soon.

If you’d like help with getting your LinkedIn presence going, we have a team of LinkedIn experts at-the-ready to assist you!

How to Analyze Your LinkedIn Marketing and Posts

Source: AgencyAnalytics

While certain factors make it likelier that a post will go viral, LinkedIn marketing is still personal. In other words, LinkedIn’s marketing success will look different for all companies based on audience, industry, and goals.

Since there is no one-size-fits-all formula for LinkedIn marketing, brands can monitor core metrics to ensure their posts gain traction. Fortunately, LinkedIn analytics offers a glimpse into various KPIs. These metrics include:

• Engagement rates (in the form of shares, likes, and comments)
• Post impressions
• Followers
• Clicks
• Audience demographics
• Video views and watch time
• Page views

What if you’re tracking these LinkedIn metrics and aren’t generating the results you need? Experiment with your posts. Find the posts that perform best and see what’s different about them. This can include writing about various topics or using another tone. You can also include stronger CTAs and create posts that drive more engagements, such as questions or polls.

Going Viral on LinkedIn Is Possible

Going viral on LinkedIn isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy. Not all content performs well on LinkedIn, so knowing what engages your audience is key.

Try these strategies to increase your chances of reaching a larger audience, building meaningful connections, and driving impact.

If organic LinkedIn marketing isn’t working, advertising is always an option.

If you’re ready to build your brand LinkedIn, Single Grain’s LinkedIn experts can help!👇

Optimize for SearchGPT

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post Going Viral on LinkedIn: Strategies That Any Business Can Use appeared first on Single Grain.

There’s a secret to YouTube marketing, and that will result in creating better video content and a stronger strategy. Here’s your YouTube for agencies guide and when YouTube marketing services are a better option.

Key Highlights of YouTube for Agencies

• Agencies run into similar challenges when marketing on YouTube, such as measuring direct attribution, struggling to increase customer acquisition, long sales cycles, and reliance on other marketing platforms.
• YouTube marketing is still beneficial for agencies because it can improve brand awareness, grow organic traffic, attract a global audience, and it’s easy to repurpose video content on multiple platforms.
• Some of the best YouTube marketing strategies for agencies include targeting companies that already value video content, optimizing for video SEO and SEvO, measuring referral traffic, optimizing for direct brand searches, leveraging case studies, addressing customer pain points in videos, maintaining branding, utilizing playlists, implementing lead magnets and CTAs, optimizing for the sales funnel, and repurposing video content.
• Don’t forget to optimize your YouTube strategy for a global audience by localizing content, repurposing videos for different countries, and using YouTube for global account-based marketing.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

The Challenges of Measuring ROI in YouTube Marketing

Many agencies struggle on YouTube because they encounter the same hurdles, such as intense competition and releasing new content. There are also more significant challenges that can prevent an agency from converting leads on YouTube.

Direct Attribution

Source: OptiMine

While there are reports in YouTube Studio that show vital metrics, such as viewers, subscribers, and impressions, it’s still challenging to measure the direct impact that these KPIs have on sales. Unlike pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, where clicks and conversions can be directly tracked, YouTube operates more like SEO.

Videos contribute to brand awareness and organic discovery over time, along with other platforms like TikTok and Facebook, rather than delivering immediate results. This makes proving the direct impact of video marketing on revenue more complex without a strategy like multi-touch attribution.

Resistance from B2B and SaaS Companies

Many B2B and SaaS companies remain hesitant about YouTube because they haven’t yet experienced measurable success with the platform. YouTube videos may not have much of an impact on customer acquisition. Plus, their marketing teams may be more comfortable with performance-driven channels such as LinkedIn ads, Google Ads, or content marketing through blogging rather than YouTube.

Long Sales Cycles

Leads take extensive time to convert for agencies, SaaS, and other enterprise niches. Sales cycles often extend over months or even years. YouTube videos may play a critical role in brand familiarity, trust-building, and nurturing leads, but their impact is difficult to isolate from other marketing and sales activities.

Comparison to Other Marketing Channels

Video marketing comes with high costs and constant ads bog the platform. Marketing teams accustomed to other channels may find it hard to justify the investment in YouTube, especially when other platforms are cheaper, and marketers have more control over them.

Unlike YouTube marketing, email, PPC, and SEO show more results with agencies. These businesses can track ROI more precisely, while YouTube requires a more holistic view of attribution and engagement.

Why YouTube Marketing Is Still Worth It for Agencies

Source: Review Zone

While proving direct ROI remains challenging, YouTube’s importance in marketing is undeniable. Businesses that invest in YouTube early stand to gain a significant competitive advantage, much like those that embraced SEO in the early 2000s.

The key is for agencies to focus on brand visibility, customer engagement, and long-term lead generation. This way, companies can unlock the true potential of YouTube marketing.

Here are other advantages of YouTube marketing for agencies:

• Improved brand awareness: Video marketing is better for a TOFU strategy since YouTube is an excellent way to boost brand awareness.
• Generates more traffic: YouTube has 2.94 million active users, offering impressive traffic potential.
• Attract a global audience: The USA doesn’t have the largest percentage of YouTube viewers. India takes the lead with 467 million viewers! This means that agencies can use YouTube to increase their global audience.
• Can combine with other marketing strategies: YouTube is a versatile platform. Agencies can upload on YouTube to boost SEO and SEvO performance. YouTube videos are also perfect for repurposing on various social media platforms.

Strategies to Prove and Measure ROI on YouTube

YouTube has downsides, but agencies can still measure an impressive ROI on the world’s largest video platform.

Focus on Attracting Leads That Already Value Video Content

All marketing agencies know they must collect data and research to understand their audience. This is necessary when creating a YouTube marketing strategy. Part of the process is understanding the businesses and niches that benefit most from YouTube marketing.

Rather than spending resources convincing skeptical clients, prioritize accounts that consume video content. Plus, businesses that value content marketing, particularly those using SEO and thought leadership strategies, are more likely to understand YouTube’s long-term benefits.

Show the Search Engine Impact

Videos can increase organic traffic from SERPs by 157%. That’s because YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, and Google often ranks YouTube videos in search results. Demonstrating how videos rank for competitive keywords can help businesses understand YouTube’s role in organic traffic growth.

Use YouTube Referral Traffic Data

Google Analytics can track how many website visitors come from YouTube. Go to Google Analytics and navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic Sources > Referrals. Google Analytics will display YouTube website referrals along with other sources.

For best results, set up UTM parameters and track referral traffic. This way, agencies can provide concrete data on how YouTube contributes to inbound marketing efforts.

Measure Direct Brand Searches

Source: Ahrefs

Branded searches are when users search a company’s name, proving that audiences are interested in your business. This also tells Google you’re a trustworthy business, further improving SERP performance and boosting brand awareness.

A strong YouTube presence leads to increased branded searches on Google and YouTube itself. Tracking search volume increases for a brand name before and after launching a YouTube strategy can provide evidence of its impact.

Leverage Case Studies from Successful Companies

Using case studies of Fortune 500 and SaaS giants that have leveraged YouTube successfully can help persuade decision-makers. For example, Snowflake, Salesforce, and HubSpot have used YouTube to build credibility and drive customer acquisition.

Address Customer Pain Points to Reduce Churn

Do your customers face recurring issues? YouTube content can be used not only for lead generation but also for customer retention. Educational and troubleshooting videos help customers maximize product usage, reducing churn and increasing lifetime value (LTV).

Have Consistent Branding

Your brand is something that clients and accounts will recognize, so apply all branding to your videos. Always have your logo on every video, and use consistent branding in your channel description, color scheme, title cards, thumbnails, and messaging. Your videos should also have consistent intros and CTAs.

Create Playlists

Once you start uploading more videos, organize similar content into different playlists. Playlists encourage viewers to watch more videos; YouTube has an autoplay feature on playlists, a great way to boost traffic and engagement rates. Playlists also allow your audience to deep dive into the topics you’re covering.

What are some good playlist suggestions for agencies? Success stories, testimonials, tutorials, and product demos are all effective playlist types relevant to agencies in all industries.

Implement Lead Magnets and Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

YouTube videos can drive direct conversions through strategically placed lead magnets, such as free trials, webinars, or gated content. Using unique tracking links in video descriptions allows for conversions from YouTube.

Adopt Sales Funnel Targeting

Source: Zendesk

The average sales funnel has four stages: awareness, interest, decision, and action. Marketers must tailor their messaging to each step to ensure their target audience continues down the funnel.

As a result, businesses should focus on more than just last-click attribution models when marketing on YouTube. To understand the different sales funnel stages and how to target the audiences in each step, use CRM tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, or Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Have multiple lead magnets that touch on different stages in the buying journey.

Repurpose YouTube Videos

Since other social media platforms favor video content, repurpose your YouTube videos on various platforms. Popular video types vary on each platform. Facebook favors carousel-type videos, while polished B2B videos with a compelling message dominate on LinkedIn.

Video repurposing on TikTok is more flexible since several video types dominate that platform. However, a simple way to go viral on TikTok is by following trends and creating videos aligning with trends.

In addition, all agencies should embed their YouTube videos into their blog and newsletters. Plus, don’t forget to take advantage of YouTube Shorts. YouTube Shorts have a 5.91% engagement rate, and all you need to do is trim down your existing videos.

Integrating YouTube Into a Global Marketing Strategy

For companies targeting international markets, YouTube offers a cost-effective way to scale brand awareness and engagement globally. Here’s how:

• Localized content strategy: Creating region-specific content in multiple languages can enhance engagement in key markets.
• Repurposing video content for various regions: Webinars, conference talks, and product demos can be repurposed by translating them, organizing countries and languages by playlists, and reposting them on region-specific platforms.
• Using YouTube for global ABM: Video content is engaging and persuasive, better for attracting more prospective international accounts.

YouTube for Agencies: We Can Unlock Your Potential

YouTube for agencies can be beneficial. However, proving ROI on YouTube marketing remains a challenge. Agencies struggle with hurdles when marketing on YouTube, but businesses that invest in the platform stand to gain significant long-term benefits.

Agencies can have a successful YouTube marketing strategy by focusing on search rankings, brand engagement, referral traffic, and lead generation strategies. Even agencies with a long sales cycle, such as SaaS businesses, will have a competitive advantage on YouTube.

Has your agency made YouTube content and invested in ads but didn’t gain the return you expected? Single Grain Marketing understands that YouTube is an important channel. As a YouTube marketing agency, we offer tailored services to agencies, such as SaaS, e-commerce, blockchain, and more.

If you’re ready to level up your YouTube marketing strategy, Single Grain’s video marketing experts can help!👇

Let’s Do Video Right

Related Video

For more insights and lessons about marketing, check out our Marketing School podcast on YouTube.

The post YouTube for Agencies: Secrets to Measure ROI and Referrals appeared first on Single Grain.

Which search everywhere optimization tactics will we be using? This guide will explore the best strategies that we can use to enhance brand presence across all platforms and ensure that our clients dominate where users search.

Key Highlights

• Search everywhere optimization (SEvO) goes beyond traditional search engines to rank your website and builds an audience on social media and other channels.
• The modern consumer gets their information and finds product recommendations on other channels besides Google. Optimizing your strategy for these platforms ensures you’re targeting your audience everywhere.
• All SEvO strategies include multi-keyword optimization, content written for AI, repurposing, and forum engagement.
• Single Grain’s SEvO services include tactics for social media, video content, e-commerce marketplaces, app stores, generative AI, voice search assistants, forums, local search, and a general content optimization strategy for multiple platforms. It’s an all-touch-point approach to SEO.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Understanding Search Everywhere Optimization

SEvO optimizes your website and socials beyond typical search engines. Search behaviors have changed over the last decade; consumers turn to video platforms, social media, and ChatGPT to find the information they want.

SEvO encompasses these platforms and strategies:

• Traditional SEO: Optimizing for Google, Bing, and other search engines.
• Social SEO: Enhancing visibility on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest.
• Marketplace optimization: Optimizing product listings for Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Walmart.
• App store optimization (ASO): Boosting discoverability in Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
• Voice search optimization: Ensuring content ranks for voice-activated searches via Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
• AI and chatbot optimization: Structuring content for AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

In a list of the top search engines outside of Google, ChatGPT ranks number 2. In addition, 24% of consumers use social media to search for information and to find answers to their questions.

Why Should You Switch to SEvO?

The way people search for information is changing. Your audience uses social media, video platforms, and other search engines to find products and ask questions. Google SEO alone is no longer enough—your brand must be discoverable wherever your audience searches.

Here are a few other reasons to switch to an SEvO strategy:

• 45% of Gen Zers use social searching instead of Google.
• Generative AI is replacing Google search results.
• Reddit is appearing at the top of SERPs.
• Ads aren’t getting as much traction due to competition and rising costs.
• Many of these platforms, such as LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit, are completely free.

Critical Parts of a Successful SEvO Strategy

To dominate search, you need a multi-platform approach that ensures visibility wherever your audience searches. While Google has always been the primary option, it’s far from the only one. LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, and AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT are more favored by audiences, so more businesses are switching to an SEvO campaign.

Here are the critical parts of a successful SEvO strategy:

• Multi-platform keyword optimization
• Natural language optimization for AI
• Captions and hashtags on social media platforms
• Content repurposing across all channels
• Forum engagement
• Zero-click and AI search optimization

Search Everywhere Optimization Tactics That We Will Use

An SEvO campaign is widespread and varied, depending on the platform. We won’t only be ranking keywords; we’re using voice optimization, multiple video platforms, researching the best-performing hashtags, and more. Here are the tactics that will rank your brand everywhere.

Social SEO

Source: Syndacast

Even though Google is still the go-to for search, social media is taking over. 46% of adults now use social media as their first platform for online search. You can optimize your social media presence for search engines by:

• Keyword-rich profiles: Use relevant hashtags and keywords in bios, descriptions, and hashtags.
• Hashtag strategy: Leverage trending and niche hashtags to expand visibility.
• Content optimization: Post visually appealing, engaging content with SEO-friendly captions.
• Video SEO: Optimize titles, descriptions, and tags on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels.
• Encourage engagement: Respond to comments, use interactive polls, and create shareable content.

Video Platforms

Video SEO is key for discovery on video platforms like YouTube. Since YouTube has the second-largest search engine, most brands should already have a YouTube SEO strategy for this platform. However, SEvO doesn’t only target YouTube; TikTok and Vimeo are also included here. Here are SEvO tactics to maximize visibility across video platforms:

• Keyword optimization: Use tools like TubeBuddy or VidIQ to find high-traffic, low-competition keywords for titles & descriptions.
• Titles and thumbnails: Write click-worthy titles (e.g., “🔥 How to Get More LinkedIn Reach”).
• Timestamps and chapters: Help Google & AI understand video sections to appear in featured snippets.
• AI-friendly transcripts and captions: Optimize for voice search & AI summaries by using descriptive captions.
• YouTube Shorts: Repurpose long videos into YouTube Shorts to reach mobile and social users.
• Have a hook: Structure your first 10 seconds with a hook or problem statement to increase watch time.

E-Commerce Marketplace Optimization

The modern consumer knows what they want and wants it immediately. That’s why 43% of customers go to the search bar when they visit an e-commerce shopping platform.

Visibility is crucial if you sell on Amazon, eBay, or Etsy. Optimize product listings with:

• Keyword research: Use tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, or eBay’s Terapeak to find the highest-ranking keywords in your niche.
• Compelling product titles: Include primary keywords and key benefits.
• Detailed descriptions: Optimize for readability, incorporating bullet points and FAQs.
• High-quality images and videos: Showcase products attractively with high-res visuals.
• Customer reviews and ratings: Encourage positive reviews and respond to feedback.

App Store Optimization (ASO)

Apps are booming in popularity. Consumers prefer them because they’re quicker and easier to use than mobile websites. And you’re missing a massive opportunity if you have an app but aren’t optimizing your SEO strategy for app stores.

If you have a mobile app, optimize for the app stores by:

• Keyword-rich titles and descriptions: Ensure relevance without keyword stuffing.
• Eye-catching app icons and screenshots: This helps increase downloads and improve conversion rates.
• Encouraging positive reviews: Higher-rated apps rank better.
• Regular updates: Demonstrate app maintenance and user value.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice assistants, like Alexa and Siri, answer 93.7% of search queries. That’s why voice search optimization has become essential to every SEvO strategy. Here’s how you can adapt your content to voice search optimization:

• Using conversational, question-based keywords: Optimize for “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “how” queries.
• Providing clear and concise answers: Aim for featured snippets.
• Optimizing for local search: Voice searches often involve “near me” queries.
• Ensuring mobile-friendly design: Many voice searches happen on mobile devices.

AI and Chatbot Optimization

ChatGPT has 300 million active users worldwide every week. Many users have turned to ChatGPT for search since it produces answers to nearly all search queries quickly. Optimize content for AI discovery by:

• Providing well-structured, detailed content: This way, AI models can extract the information.
• Optimizing FAQs: AI tools prioritize clear, direct answers.
• Focusing on authority: AI favors sources with high trust and expertise.
• Ensuring a consistent brand presence: AI-driven search surfaces reliable brands with widespread recognition.

Forums

Source: Search Engine Roundtable

Forums like Reddit, Quora, and industry-specific communities (Slack, Discord, Facebook Groups) are powerful for organic visibility. 63% of Americans say they use Reddit’s search engine regularly. Plus, these forums rank well on Google, influence buying decisions, and are now used by AI-driven search tools. Here’s how to optimize your presence across forums:

• Keyword-rich titles: Reddit posts rank high on Google, so use search-friendly titles (e.g., “Best LinkedIn Growth Strategies for B2B in 2025”).
• Engage in high-traffic subreddits in your niche: Focus on active subreddits in your industry with a high follower account and welcome new members and posts.
• Answer questions early: New posts get the most visibility, so set alerts for relevant keywords.
• Format for readability: Use bullet points, bold text, and concise paragraphs to increase engagement.
• Link naturally: Share insightful responses first, then link to your blog, video, or LinkedIn post if relevant.

SEvO Local Search Optimization

Local SEO hasn’t disappeared. In fact, there are 97 million local searches every month. Local search remains vital for brick-and-mortar businesses. Optimize your business for SEvO by:

• Claiming and updating Google Business Profile: Increases visibility on all Google products.
• Encourage customer reviews: Improves for local SEO rankings.
• Using local keywords: Optimizes your website content for local search.
• Building local citations: Builds trust among your local customers.

Content Optimization for a Multi-Platform Strategy

All of these platforms attract various users of different demographics and with varying preferences and behaviors. If your audience is active on several platforms, repurpose your content for widespread exposure. Here are some ways to do this:

• Blog to LinkedIn article: Transform long-form content into thought leadership posts.
• Blog to video: Convert blog insights into YouTube or TikTok content.
• Video to podcast: Repurpose video discussions into audio format.
• Social posts to email: Use social engagement insights to craft email campaigns.

Use These Search Everywhere Optimization Tactics

Traditional SEO is evolving. Since consumers don’t solely search on Google, search everywhere optimization (SEvO) ensures brands engage users while staying competitive. It’s why our team at Single Grain will use several search everywhere optimization tactics across social media, voice assistants, e-commerce, and generative AI platforms.

This way, we can expand our clients’ reach beyond typical search engines and develop an omnichannel approach to organic marketing.

If you’re ready to level up your search everywhere optimzation strategy, Single Grain’s marketing experts can help!👇

Let’s Do SEvO Right

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