Connection: the key to success
We could all do with being a bit better connected.
Because when we connect better with each other, extraordinary things can happen.
These are the principles guiding Connectd. Their aim? To become the world’s most powerful startup ecosystem.
The Connectd platform is designed to build rewarding connections. Between founders of companies, investors in such companies, and advisors. Connectd wants to make access to funding and talent ‘more democratic’ and help unlock strategic capital.
It’s a captivating model.
And a captivating model with clear appeal, too. They “have facilitated over 10,000 connections through the platform”- transforming lots of businesses through meaningful connections. Since officially launching in February 2020 Connectd has gone from having no members to over 5,000.
Saving precious commodities
Yet scaling at such speed swallows resources.
Early on, the team at Connectd realised they needed a CRM that could cope with their meteoric rise - something that could help save valuable resources. They began using the HubSpot platform in the summer of 2021.
Why HubSpot?
“What drew us to HubSpot was the integration capabilities,” explains Connectd’s COO, Claudia Stankler. “You can bring together various marketing, sales and customer service tools into one single platform. This means we can streamline workflows, eliminate data silos, and facilitate a more cohesive approach to help run our business as smoothly as possible.”
Since implementing HubSpot, it’s helped slash the things that count at work: time, money and brainpower. Meaning these resources can all be directed where it matters most - growing Connectd.
In fact, Claudia says that up to 500 manual tasks per week are saved by using the HubSpot platform. “For sure the data integration has been really powerful and has helped us save countless hours. You don’t need to be exporting the data and then re-running it through BI tools or data visualisers like Google Data Studio. The data is live: which allows us to make quicker decisions around the effectiveness of new campaigns.”
HubSpot’s support system also shaves off valuable employee time: the academy, upskilling and live chat are all on hand to guide those unfamiliar with the platform. Meaning Connectd’s employees don’t have to be one-to-one trained to use it.
VP of Marketing, Oliver Tarpey, agrees that HubSpot is a huge time-saver. “Without HubSpot we would be looking at employing one extra person per year - at least. That’s how much time it saves us.”
Targeting tightly-defined personas
Claudia, Oliver and the rest of the team know precisely who they need to be speaking to.
First there are the founders. Although the Connectd team say they are “business agnostic” when it comes to which startups come aboard, there is - as expected, perhaps, a quarter of the way through the 21st Century - a preponderance of tech companies.
Next, are the portfolio professionals. C-Suite roles from experienced professionals transitioning to portfolio careers who can serve as NEDs (non-executive directors) and board advisors. “There are a whole host of people who want to do less of a full-time job and would rather use what they have learned over a 20 or 30-year career in a portfolio career,” illustrates Oliver.
Finally, there are the investors. These investors, say the Connectd team, are varied: from angel investors, through to family operations and venture capital firms.
Appealing to these three groups takes targeting, nuances of language, and specific messaging. This is where the HubSpot LinkedIn ads integration really shines.
“The goal for us when running campaigns is to generate first in class lead to sale data, so we can optimize for conversion as opposed to CPC or CPL metrics,” says Oliver.
The Connectd team can get real-time data on what messaging works with who - everything we do is A/B tested within an inch of its life,’‘ says Oliver - and track the customer conversion journey from beginning to end.
“As a business we have a growing network, which means driving customers across a range of sectors. The ability to do this on LinkedIn and forecast the CPA (cost per acquisition) costs across each industry is incredibly valuable.”
LinkedIn ads are crucial to scaling
They say that knowledge is power.
But that’s only half the story. Knowledge is potential. It’s in applying that knowledge where the power lies - that’s when knowledge becomes truly potent.
So, would Connectd say that implementing LinkedIn ads - and applying the insights they’ve gained from it - has been key to their growth? “One hundred percent,” says Oliver. “Without LinkedIn ads our growth would be nowhere near as big. It definitely accounts for the biggest single share of our business.”
As for deploying the LinkedIn ads integration, it was pretty much pain-free and the results came quickly. “The integration was fairly straightforward - using HubSpot guides and the dashboard,” says Oliver. “We started to see results around the two-month mark once we had initial data to analyse.”
An astronomical increase in ROAS
While the team agrees that CPL (cost per lead) and CPC (cost per click) have their merits, it’s the return on ad spend and the tracking of that that really engages them. For example, one specific campaign showed the CPC was in the top 15% of all the campaigns they ran.
At first glance, this sounds like a campaign to send to early retirement. But - well, there’s often a but.
“Due to the integration,” explains Oliver, “we were able to quickly see how this particular campaign truly performed. It provided an ROAS (return on ad spend) in the top 5% of all campaigns”
So, things are not always as they seem. Yes, the CPC was expensive. But a campaign providing a ROAS that outstrips 95% of other campaigns is worth its weight in gold. It’s insights like this that give real value to Connectd.
“The integration allows us to really focus on the campaigns that provide the highest ROAS and more effectively deploy our budget,” says Oliver.
Indeed, the Connectd team says that the LinkedIn ads integration saw the ROAS increase by 98% from 2022-2023.
Impressive stuff, so what does the future hold for Claudia, Oliver and the rest of Connectd?
Focussing on a better-connected future - worldwide
“We’re aiming to be the default operating system and network for global empowerment and innovation,” says Claudia.
A bold ambition - but one you feel will be realised.
The first step is to branch out into the US. To take what they have learned in the UK and replicate it. So, will HubSpot’s integration be a part of that future?
“Absolutely. Integrating HubSpot with LinkedIn ads enables us to empower the entrepreneurial ecosystem to make and manage meaningful connections in several ways,” explains Claudia.
“It allows for seamless data management, targeted advertising and improved lead generation. It will enable us to efficiently track and analyze LinkedIn ad performance within HubSpot - giving us data-driven decision-making. It helps us foster a cohesive approach. We can tailor our campaigns based on valuable insights and ultimately boost our global visibility and customer acquisition.”
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