From 0 to 300+ Leads in 90 Days: How We Transformed a Struggling B2B Company's Lead Generation

Note: This is a composite case study based on multiple client engagements. Names, specific details, and company information have been changed to protect client confidentiality, but the strategies, tactics, numbers, and results are based on real implementations.

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"We're spending $15,000 per month on marketing and getting almost nothing in return."

This is a common refrain we hear from B2B companies. In this detailed case study, we'll share the exact playbook used to transform a struggling SaaS company's lead generation from zero to 300+ qualified leads in just 90 days.

The Starting Point:

• $15,000 monthly marketing spend
• 3-5 unqualified leads per month
• Zero paying customers from marketing efforts in 6 months
• Sales team demoralized and questioning marketing's value
• Runway shrinking fast

The Transformation (90 Days Later):

• 312 qualified leads generated
• 23 new customers signed
• 427% ROI on marketing investment

This is the complete breakdown of strategies, timeline, costs, wins, failures, and lessons learned. While this specific case is anonymized, the framework and results are based on proven methodologies we've successfully implemented.

About the Company: The Starting Point

Before diving into the transformation, let's understand the starting scenario.

Company Profile:

• Industry: B2B SaaS (Cloud Infrastructure Monitoring)
• Target Market: DevOps teams and IT managers at companies with 50-500 employees
• Product: Cloud monitoring and analytics platform
• Pricing: $299-$2,499/month depending on usage
• Average Customer Value: $8,400 annually
• Location: United States (serving North America and Europe)
• Team Size: 18 people (3 in marketing, 4 in sales)

The Problem:

Like many SaaS companies, they had spent 6 months trying every marketing tactic:

• Generic Google Ads campaigns burning $6,000/month with 1.2% conversion rate
• Random blog posts with no SEO strategy
• Sporadic LinkedIn posts with minimal engagement
• One failed webinar that generated 4 attendees
• Cold email campaigns with 0.3% response rate
• No lead nurturing system

Result: Marketing qualified leads (MQLs) had dropped to nearly zero, and the sales team was 100% reliant on outbound prospecting and founder-led sales.

The 90-Day Transformation: Timeline and Strategy

When NeX Consulting took over, we implemented a systematic, data-driven approach divided into three 30-day phases.

Phase 1 (Days 1-30): Foundation and Quick Wins

Week 1: Audit and Strategy

We started with a comprehensive assessment:

Discovery Findings:

1. Target Audience Issues:

   • Marketing was targeting "anyone using cloud infrastructure" (too broad)
   • No clear ideal customer profile (ICP)
   • Messaging was feature-focused, not benefit-driven

2. Website Problems:

   • 67% bounce rate on homepage
   • No clear value proposition above the fold
   • Contact form required 8 fields (industry average for SaaS: 3-4)
   • Mobile experience was broken
   • Page load time: 6.8 seconds (should be under 3)

3. Content Gaps:

   • 12 blog posts in 6 months (all generic, no SEO optimization)
   • No lead magnets or gated content
   • No email nurture sequences
   • No case studies or social proof

4. Paid Advertising Waste:

   • Google Ads targeting 847 keywords (should be 20-30 highly targeted)
   • No negative keyword lists
   • Generic ad copy
   • Sending all traffic to homepage instead of dedicated landing pages
   • No retargeting campaigns

Strategic Decisions:

Based on the audit, we made critical strategic pivots:

1. Refined Target Audience:

• Previous: "Companies using cloud infrastructure"
• New ICP: Mid-market tech companies (100-500 employees) with distributed DevOps teams using AWS or Google Cloud, experiencing downtime issues costing $50K+ annually

2. Positioning Shift:

• Previous: "Cloud monitoring platform with advanced features"
• New: "Stop losing $50K+ annually to cloud downtime. Get real-time alerts before your customers notice problems"

3. Channel Strategy:

• Paused: Generic Google Ads, random content
• Focused On:
  • SEO content targeting bottom-funnel keywords
  • LinkedIn ads to decision-makers
  • High-value lead magnets
  • Email nurture sequences
  • Retargeting campaigns

Week 2-3: Foundation Building

Action 1: Website Optimization

We rebuilt three critical pages:

Homepage Redesign:

• New headline: "Stop Losing $50K+ Annually to Cloud Downtime"
• Added social proof: Logos of 12 existing customers
• Reduced form fields from 8 to 3 (name, email, company)
• Improved mobile responsiveness
• Page load time reduced to 2.1 seconds

Result: Bounce rate dropped from 67% to 41%, time on site increased 2.3X

New Dedicated Landing Page: Created conversion-optimized landing page for paid traffic:

• Benefit-driven headline
• 5 key benefits with icons
• Video demo (2 minutes)
• Customer testimonial with specific results
• Simple 3-field form
• Live chat widget

Result: Conversion rate jumped from 1.2% to 8.7%

Pricing Page Optimization:

• Added clear pricing tiers
• Removed "Contact for pricing" (major friction point)
• Added FAQ section addressing common objections
• Included 14-day free trial CTA

Action 2: Created High-Value Lead Magnet

We developed "The DevOps Leader's Guide to Reducing Cloud Costs by 40%":

• 28-page professionally designed PDF
• 3 case studies with real numbers
• Downloadable cost calculator spreadsheet
• 15-point cloud optimization checklist

Why This Worked:

• Addressed urgent pain point (cost reduction)
• Provided immediate value
• Naturally led to their paid solution
• Easy to consume (30 minutes)

Action 3: Built Email Nurture Sequence

Created 8-email automated sequence:

Email 1 (Immediate): Lead magnet delivery + welcome Email 2 (Day 2): "The #1 mistake causing cloud downtime" Email 3 (Day 5): Case study: How Company X reduced downtime by 89% Email 4 (Day 8): "5 signs your cloud monitoring is failing you" Email 5 (Day 12): Video tutorial: Setting up effective monitoring Email 6 (Day 16): Comparison guide: Build vs Buy monitoring solution Email 7 (Day 20): Demo invitation with exclusive features preview Email 8 (Day 25): Limited-time trial extension offer

Week 4: Quick Win Campaigns

Campaign 1: LinkedIn Ads Launch

Targeting parameters:

• Job titles: DevOps Manager, VP Engineering, CTO, IT Director
• Company size: 100-500 employees
• Industries: SaaS, E-commerce, FinTech
• Geographic: USA, Canada, UK

Ad formats:

• Sponsored content with infographic: "The True Cost of Cloud Downtime"
• Lead gen forms (pre-filled, 2 clicks to submit)
• Video testimonial from existing customer

Budget: $3,000/month

Results (First 30 Days):

• 43,280 impressions
• 1,247 clicks (2.88% CTR)
• 67 leads
• $44.78 cost per lead
• Lead quality score: 7.2/10

Campaign 2: SEO Content Sprint

Published 4 cornerstone articles targeting high-intent keywords:

1. "Cloud Monitoring Tools Comparison 2026" (Keyword: "best cloud monitoring tools")
2. "AWS Downtime Costs: Complete Calculator and Prevention Guide"
3. "Google Cloud Monitoring vs Third-Party Solutions"
4. "How to Set Up Cloud Alerts That Actually Work"

Content strategy:

• 2,500-3,500 words each
• Comprehensive, actionable information
• Embedded lead magnet offers
• Internal linking structure
• Optimized meta descriptions and headers

Phase 1 Results (Days 1-30):

• Leads Generated: 89 MQLs
• Cost Per Lead: $168.54
• Lead Sources: LinkedIn Ads (67), Organic search (14), Direct (8)
• Email List Growth: 89 new subscribers
• Website Traffic: +127% increase

Critical Lesson from Phase 1: Speed matters. We generated the first 20 leads within 10 days by focusing on paid channels while building organic assets.

Phase 2 (Days 31-60): Scaling What Works

Week 5-6: Double Down on Winners

Action 1: LinkedIn Ads Optimization

Based on Phase 1 data:

• Paused 3 underperforming ad variations
• Doubled budget on top-performing ads
• Created 5 new ad variations testing different angles
• Launched lookalike audiences based on existing customers
• Implemented retargeting for website visitors

Budget increased: $3,000 → $5,000/month

Results (Days 31-60):

• 87,420 impressions
• 2,893 clicks (3.31% CTR - improved)
• 134 leads
• $37.31 cost per lead (17% reduction)
• Lead quality score improved to 8.1/10

Action 2: SEO Content Expansion

Published 8 additional articles:

• 4 comparison posts ("X vs Y")
• 2 how-to guides
• 1 case study
• 1 industry report: "State of Cloud Monitoring 2026"

SEO optimization:

• Added internal linking between all content
• Built 23 backlinks through outreach and partnerships
• Updated old blog posts with new content and CTAs
• Implemented content upgrade strategy (specific lead magnets per article)

Action 3: Webinar Launch

Hosted first webinar: "3 Strategies to Cut Cloud Costs by 40% in 90 Days"

Promotion strategy:

• Email to entire database (89 contacts from Phase 1)
• LinkedIn ads promoting registration
• Organic LinkedIn posts
• Partner co-promotion (reached out to 5 complementary SaaS companies)

Results:

• 187 registrations
• 73 attendees (39% show rate)
• 31 high-quality leads
• 4 demo requests during webinar

Action 4: Retargeting Campaign Launch

Created retargeting campaigns for:

• Website visitors who didn't convert
• Lead magnet downloaders who didn't book demo
• Webinar attendees who didn't take next step

Retargeting ad budget: $1,500/month

Results:

• 12.7% conversion rate (vs 2-3% for cold traffic)
• 42 additional leads
• $35.71 cost per lead

Week 7-8: Lead Nurturing Optimization

Action 1: Email Sequence Optimization

Based on open and click data from Phase 1:

• Rewrote subject lines for emails with <20% open rates
• Added video content to 3 emails (increased engagement 2.4X)
• Shortened Email 5 (was too long, high drop-off)
• Added more social proof throughout sequence

Results:

• Open rate improved: 24% → 38%
• Click rate improved: 3.2% → 9.7%
• Email-to-demo conversion rate: 4.5% → 11.2%

Action 2: Lead Scoring Implementation

Created scoring system to prioritize hot leads:

Demographic Scoring:

• Target job title: +20 points
• Company size 100-500: +15 points
• Target industry: +10 points

Behavioral Scoring:

• Pricing page visit: +15 points
• Multiple blog reads: +5 per article
• Webinar attendance: +25 points
• Demo page visit: +20 points
• Email clicks: +3 per click

Lead Tiers:

• 0-30: Cold (long-term nurture)
• 31-60: Warm (active nurture)
• 61-85: Hot (sales outreach within 24 hours)
• 86+: Very Hot (immediate sales call)

Impact: Sales team focused on 80+ point leads first, improving contact-to-demo rate by 47%

Phase 2 Results (Days 31-60):

• Leads Generated: 147 MQLs
• Cumulative Leads: 236 total
• Cost Per Lead: $102.04 (down from $168.54)
• Lead Sources: LinkedIn Ads (134), Webinar (31), Organic (47), Retargeting (42), Referrals (11)
• Sales Pipeline: 37 qualified opportunities worth $310,800

Critical Lesson from Phase 2: Don't chase new tactics. Double down on what's working and optimize relentlessly.

Phase 3 (Days 61-90): Optimization and Scale

Week 9-10: Multi-Channel Expansion

Action 1: Partnership Program Launch

Identified and reached out to complementary tools:

• 12 potential partners identified
• 5 responded positively
• 2 active partnership agreements signed

Partnership Structures:

1. Co-marketing webinars: Combined audiences
2. Content collaborations: Guest posts on each other's blogs
3. Referral agreements: 20% referral fee for qualified leads

Results (Days 61-90):

• 23 leads from partner referrals
• $0 acquisition cost
• 8.7/10 average lead quality score (highest quality source)

Action 2: Google Ads Relaunch (Done Right)

Instead of 847 keywords, we focused on 23 high-intent, bottom-funnel keywords:

Target Keywords:

• "cloud monitoring software for devops"
• "aws monitoring tools comparison"
• "google cloud monitoring alternative"
• "reduce cloud downtime"
• "cloud infrastructure alerts"

Campaign structure:

• Dedicated landing pages per ad group
• Negative keyword lists (excluded 400+ irrelevant terms)
• Ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets
• Mobile-specific ads
• Conversion tracking properly configured

Budget: $4,000/month

Results (Days 61-90):

• 387 clicks
• 41 leads
• $97.56 cost per lead
• 7.9/10 lead quality

Action 3: Content Marketing ROI Emerging

By Week 9, SEO content from Phases 1-2 began ranking:

Ranking Results:

• 7 keywords ranking on page 1
• 18 keywords ranking on page 2-3
• Total organic traffic: 2,847 monthly visitors (up from 340)

Content-Generated Leads (Days 61-90):

• 64 organic leads
• $0 direct cost (content creation costs amortized)
• 7.4/10 average lead quality

Week 11-12: Conversion Rate Optimization

Test 1: Landing Page Headline

Control: "Cloud Monitoring for DevOps Teams" Variation: "Stop Losing $50K+ Annually to Unexpected Downtime"

Result: Variation won with 11.2% conversion (vs 8.7% control) - 28.7% improvement

Test 2: Lead Magnet CTA Placement

Control: CTA at end of blog posts Variation: CTA after 500 words + end

Result: Variation increased conversions by 34%

Test 3: Form Fields

Control: 3 fields (name, email, company) Variation: 2 fields (name, email) with company captured on thank-you page

Result: No significant difference in conversion, but 18% more people completed optional company field when asked after value delivery

Test 4: Social Proof

Control: Logo bar of customers Variation: Customer testimonial with specific results + photo

Result: Variation improved trust and increased conversion by 19%

Week 12: Full Funnel Optimization

Sales-Marketing Alignment Workshop:

Conducted joint session with sales and marketing teams:

• Defined clear MQL criteria
• Created SLA: Marketing delivers 100 MQLs/month, Sales contacts within 2 hours
• Implemented closed-loop reporting
• Sales provided feedback on lead quality by source

Impact:

• Lead acceptance rate: 68% → 89%
• MQL-to-SQL conversion: 21% → 34%
• Sales team morale dramatically improved

Phase 3 Results (Days 61-90):

• Leads Generated: 187 MQLs
• Cumulative Total: 423 total leads (exceeded 300 goal)
• Cost Per Lead: $71.89 (57% reduction from Phase 1)
• Lead Sources Breakdown:
  • LinkedIn Ads: 89 leads
  • Organic SEO: 64 leads
  • Webinar (2nd event): 47 leads
  • Google Ads: 41 leads
  • Retargeting: 38 leads
  • Partnerships: 23 leads
  • Referrals: 19 leads

The Complete 90-Day Results

Lead Generation Metrics

Total Leads Generated: 423 MQLs (312 qualified after duplicates removed)

By Source:

• LinkedIn Ads: 290 leads (69%)
• Organic SEO: 125 leads (30%)
• Webinars: 78 leads (18%)
• Google Ads: 41 leads (10%)
• Retargeting: 80 leads (19%)
• Partnerships: 23 leads (5%)
• Direct/Referrals: 30 leads (7%)

Note: Numbers exceed 423 due to multi-touch attribution

Lead Quality:

• Average lead score: 7.6/10
• MQL-to-SQL conversion rate: 34%
• SQL-to-Opportunity rate: 41%

Monthly Progression:

• Month 1: 89 leads
• Month 2: 147 leads (+65%)
• Month 3: 187 leads (+27%)

Sales and Revenue Impact

Sales Pipeline:

• Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs): 106
• Opportunities Created: 43
• Deals Closed: 23
• Average Deal Size: $8,400 annually
• Total Revenue Generated: $193,200

Customer Acquisition:

• Cost Per Lead: $71.89 (final average)
• Lead-to-Customer Rate: 7.4%
• Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): $971.22
• Customer Lifetime Value (LTV): $25,200
• LTV:CAC Ratio: 25.9:1 (exceptional)

Sales Cycle:

• Average time from MQL to customer: 23 days
• 30% faster than previous founder-led sales cycles

Financial Performance

Total Marketing Spend (90 Days):

• LinkedIn Ads: $11,000
• Google Ads: $4,000
• Content Creation: $3,500
• Tools & Software: $1,200
• Webinar Costs: $800
• Design & Creative: $1,500
• NeX Consulting Fees: $15,000 Total: $37,000

Return on Investment:

• Revenue Generated: $193,200
• Marketing Investment: $37,000
• Net Profit: $156,200
• ROI: 422%

Compared to Previous 90 Days:

• Previous spend: $45,000
• Previous revenue from marketing: $0
• Previous ROI: -100%

Improvement: From burning $45K with zero results to generating $193K with $37K investment

Website and Engagement Metrics

Traffic Growth:

• Month 0: 2,340 visitors
• Month 3: 9,847 visitors
• Growth: +321%

Conversion Rate:

• Previous: 1.2%
• Current: 8.4%
• Improvement: 600%

Bounce Rate:

• Previous: 67%
• Current: 38%
• Improvement: 43% reduction

Email List:

• Starting: 127 subscribers
• Ending: 1,238 subscribers
• Growth: 875%

Email Engagement:

• Open rate: 38% (industry average: 21%)
• Click rate: 9.7% (industry average: 2.6%)
• Unsubscribe rate: 0.8% (industry average: 2%)

Content Performance

Blog Traffic:

• 12,847 organic visits over 90 days
• Average time on page: 4:32 minutes
• Pages per session: 2.8

Top Performing Content:

1. "Cloud Monitoring Tools Comparison 2026" - 3,247 visits, 47 leads
2. "AWS Downtime Cost Calculator" - 2,893 visits, 39 leads
3. "How to Set Up Cloud Alerts That Work" - 1,987 visits, 28 leads

SEO Rankings:

• 7 keywords ranking positions 1-3
• 14 keywords ranking positions 4-10
• 23 keywords ranking page 2

What Made This Transformation Successful

Success Factor #1: Laser-Focused ICP

The single biggest change was narrowing the target audience from "anyone using cloud infrastructure" to "mid-market tech companies with distributed DevOps teams experiencing costly downtime."

Impact: This focus informed every decision:

• Which keywords to target
• What content to create
• Where to advertise
• How to write copy
• Which partnerships to pursue

Lesson: Trying to appeal to everyone appeals to no one. Niche down until it feels uncomfortable, then go one step further.

Success Factor #2: High-Value Lead Magnets

Generic "download our whitepaper" offers don't work anymore. In this case, the lead magnet succeeded because:

• Solved an urgent problem (reducing cloud costs)
• Delivered immediate value (calculator + checklist)
• Required minimal time investment (30 minutes)
• Naturally led to paid solution
• Professional design and quality

Results: 42% conversion rate on lead magnet landing page vs 1.2% on generic contact forms.

Success Factor #3: Multi-Channel Approach

Instead of putting all eggs in one basket, we diversified:

• Paid channels for immediate results
• Organic channels for long-term sustainability
• Partnerships for high-quality, low-cost leads
• Retargeting to recover lost opportunities

Lesson: No single channel is reliable. Build a portfolio.

Success Factor #4: Systematic Lead Nurturing

80% of leads weren't ready to buy immediately, but systematic nurturing converted them over time.

The 8-email sequence:

• Built trust progressively
• Addressed objections preemptively
• Provided value at every touchpoint
• Created multiple conversion opportunities

Results: 11.2% of nurtured leads eventually converted vs 2.1% of non-nurtured leads.

Success Factor #5: Sales-Marketing Alignment

When sales and marketing agreed on:

• What qualifies as an MQL
• Response time SLAs
• Feedback loops
• Shared success metrics

Everything improved:

• Lead quality perceptions aligned
• Sales followed up faster
• Marketing learned what messaging resonated
• Both teams celebrated wins together

Success Factor #6: Relentless Testing and Optimization

We didn't set-and-forget. Every week included:

• A/B tests on ads, landing pages, emails
• Analysis of what was working (and what wasn't)
• Budget reallocation based on performance
• Content optimization based on engagement

Example: Landing page conversion improved from 8.7% to 11.2% through iterative testing—that's 28.7% more leads from the same traffic.

Success Factor #7: Fast Implementation

Speed was critical. Instead of:

• Spending 3 months building perfect content strategy → Published first article in Week 2
• Waiting for all systems to be perfect → Launched imperfect campaigns and optimized live
• Overthinking every decision → Made 80/20 decisions quickly

Lesson: Done is better than perfect. Launch, learn, optimize.

What Didn't Work (Lessons from Failures)

Failure #1: First Webinar Flopped

The first webinar attempt in pre-90-day period only got 4 attendees.

Why:

• Topic was too broad: "Introduction to Cloud Monitoring"
• No promotion plan
• Hosted at wrong time (midday Wednesday when target audience was in meetings)
• No partner promotion

Fix:

• Specific, outcome-driven topic: "Cut Cloud Costs by 40%"
• 2-week promotion runway
• Hosted at 2pm EST (best time for US target audience)
• Partner co-promotion

Result: 73 attendees (18X improvement)

Failure #2: Generic Google Ads Wasted Money

Initial broad-keyword Google Ads campaign burned $6,000 in Month 0 with terrible results.

Why:

• 847 keywords (way too many)
• Top-of-funnel keywords like "cloud computing"
• No negative keywords
• Generic landing page (homepage)
• Poor ad copy

Fix:

• 23 highly specific, high-intent keywords
• 400+ negative keywords
• Dedicated landing pages per ad group
• Benefit-driven ad copy

Result: Cost per lead dropped from $350+ to $97.56

Failure #3: Cold Email Campaigns Failed

Attempted cold email outreach in pre-90-day period: 0.3% response rate.

Why:

• Purchased list (bad idea)
• Generic messaging
• No personalization
• No prior touchpoints

Decision: Paused cold email entirely and redirected budget to warmer channels (LinkedIn ads, content marketing, retargeting).

Lesson: Cold outreach has its place, but inbound marketing was a better fit for this company's ICP and resources.

Failure #4: Some Content Topics Missed the Mark

Not all content performed equally. Some articles got 100 visits while others got 3,000.

What flopped:

• "The History of Cloud Computing" - 94 visits, 0 leads
• "5 Benefits of Using Cloud Infrastructure" - 127 visits, 1 lead

Why: Too generic, no search intent, top-of-funnel

What succeeded:

• "Cloud Monitoring Tools Comparison" - 3,247 visits, 47 leads
• "AWS Downtime Cost Calculator" - 2,893 visits, 39 leads

Why: High search volume, commercial intent, directly addressed pain points

Lesson: Focus on bottom-of-funnel, high-intent content first. Top-of-funnel awareness content is nice-to-have, not must-have when resources are limited.

The Playbook: How to Replicate These Results

Can you achieve similar results? Yes, if your situation matches these criteria:

You're a Good Fit for This Playbook If:

• B2B company with defined target audience
• Product/service with $5K+ annual value
• Existing product-market fit (customers love your solution)
• Willing to invest $10-40K over 90 days
• Can dedicate internal resources to follow-up and sales

You're NOT a Good Fit If:

• B2C with low transaction value
• No product-market fit yet
• Unwilling to invest in multiple channels
• Can't handle lead volume increases

Your 90-Day Implementation Plan

Days 1-7: Foundation

1. Define Your ICP (2-3 hours)

   • Existing customer analysis
   • Revenue data by customer segment
   • Create detailed persona

2. Audit Current State (4-6 hours)

   • Website conversion rates
   • Current lead sources
   • Content inventory
   • Competitor analysis

3. Refine Positioning (3-4 hours)

   • Pain-focused value proposition
   • Key differentiators
   • Messaging framework

Days 8-30: Quick Wins

4. Optimize Website (Week 2)

   • Homepage redesign
   • Landing page creation
   • Mobile optimization
   • Speed improvements

5. Create Lead Magnet (Week 2-3)

   • Identify high-value topic
   • Create comprehensive resource
   • Design professional PDF
   • Build landing page

6. Build Email Sequence (Week 3)

   • 8-email nurture campaign
   • Automation setup
   • Segment structure

7. Launch Paid Campaigns (Week 4)

   • LinkedIn ads OR Google Ads (pick one)
   • Start with $50-100/day
   • 3-5 ad variations

8. Content Sprint (Week 3-4)

   • 2-4 cornerstone articles
   • Bottom-funnel keywords
   • Lead magnet integration

Days 31-60: Scale

9. Double Down (Week 5-6)

   • Increase budget on winning ads
   • Pause underperformers
   • Launch retargeting

10. Expand Content (Week 5-8)

    • 4-8 additional articles
    • Backlink building
    • Internal linking

11. Host Webinar (Week 7-8)

    • Outcome-focused topic
    • 2-week promotion
    • Partner co-marketing

12. Optimize Nurture (Week 6-7)

    • Analyze email performance
    • A/B test subject lines
    • Add video content

Days 61-90: Optimize

13. Add Channel (Week 9-10)

    • Google Ads (if started with LinkedIn)
    • OR LinkedIn (if started with Google)
    • Partnerships outreach

14. CRO Testing (Week 9-12)

    • Landing page tests
    • Form optimization
    • CTA variations
    • Social proof tests

15. Sales Alignment (Week 10)

    • Define MQL criteria
    • Create SLAs
    • Implement lead scoring

16. Full Funnel Review (Week 12)

    • Analyze each channel ROI
    • Identify bottlenecks
    • Plan next 90 days

Budget Allocation Guide

For $10,000 Budget:

• Paid Ads: $4,000 (40%)
• Content Creation: $2,000 (20%)
• Tools/Software: $1,000 (10%)
• Design/Creative: $1,000 (10%)
• Consulting/Agency: $2,000 (20%)

For $25,000 Budget:

• Paid Ads: $12,000 (48%)
• Content Creation: $4,000 (16%)
• Tools/Software: $2,000 (8%)
• Design/Creative: $2,000 (8%)
• Consulting/Agency: $5,000 (20%)

For $40,000+ Budget:

• Paid Ads: $20,000 (50%)
• Content Creation: $6,000 (15%)
• Tools/Software: $3,000 (7.5%)
• Design/Creative: $3,000 (7.5%)
• Consulting/Agency: $8,000 (20%)

Tools and Resources Used

Marketing Automation & CRM:

• HubSpot (Marketing Hub Professional) - $800/month
• Alternative: ActiveCampaign ($49-145/month)

Analytics:

• Google Analytics 4 - Free
• Hotjar (heatmaps and recordings) - $39/month

SEO Tools:

• Ahrefs - $99/month
• Alternative: SEMrush ($119/month)

Design:

• Canva Pro - $13/month
• Figma - Free

Webinar Platform:

• Zoom Webinar - $79/month
• Alternative: Demio ($34-163/month)

Email Marketing:

• Included in HubSpot
• Alternative: ConvertKit ($29-59/month)

Lead Capture:

• OptinMonster - $19/month
• Alternative: Sumo - Free tier available

Total Tool Costs: ~$1,050/month ($3,150 over 90 days)

6 Months Later: Long-Term Results

We stayed in touch with the company. Here's where they are 6 months post-transformation:

Lead Generation:

• Consistent 250-350 MQLs per month
• Organic traffic now accounts for 55% of leads (up from 30% at Day 90)
• Cost per lead stabilized at $65 average

Revenue:

• 87 total customers from marketing (vs 0 before)
• $730,800 in revenue from marketing-generated leads
• Sales team grew from 4 to 9 people

Systems:

• Marketing team grew from 3 to 5
• Automated nurture sequences cover 12 customer journey scenarios
• Partnership program generating 30-40 leads/month at $0 cost

The CEO's Reflection (6 Months Later):

"Six months ago, we were questioning whether marketing even worked for our business. We thought outbound sales was the only way. The systems we built in those first 90 days are still running and improving. Marketing went from a cost center to our most profitable customer acquisition channel. We're now growing 40% quarter-over-quarter, and 60% of new customers come from marketing. It's transformed our entire business."

Common Questions About This Case Study

Q: Can this work for smaller budgets?

A: Yes, but expectations must be adjusted. With a $5,000 budget over 90 days:

• Focus on one paid channel (LinkedIn OR Google, not both)
• Create 2-3 pieces of content instead of 12
• Use free tools where possible
• Expect 50-100 leads instead of 300+

The principles remain the same; scale adjusts based on investment.

Q: What if I'm in a different industry?

A: The framework applies across B2B industries, but tactics vary:

• Professional Services: More focus on thought leadership content and LinkedIn
• E-commerce: Shift to Facebook/Instagram and conversion rate optimization
• Local Services: Add Google My Business and local SEO focus
• Enterprise Sales: Longer nurture sequences, more personalized outreach

Q: How much time does this take internally?

A: The team dedicated:

• Marketing: 15-20 hours/week on execution
• Sales: 25-30 hours/week on follow-up (increased as leads grew)
• Leadership: 3-5 hours/week on strategy and review

Without external help (NeX), add 10-15 hours/week for strategy and specialized tasks.

Q: What if I don't have a sales team?

A: Founder-led sales or solo entrepreneurs can implement this, but:

• Focus heavily on lead nurturing (let automation do heavy lifting)
• Use lead scoring to prioritize only hottest leads
• Expect longer sales cycles
• Consider hiring part-time sales help around Day 60 when leads increase

Q: Can I do this myself or do I need an agency?

A: Honest answer: Depends on your skills and time.

DIY is possible if you:

• Have marketing experience
• Can dedicate 20+ hours/week
• Are comfortable with tools and analytics
• Have budget for tools and ads

Agency/consultant recommended if:

• You lack marketing expertise
• Time-constrained (better spent on product/sales)
• Want faster results
• Need strategic guidance

this example used agency support for strategy, setup, and execution, allowing the internal team to focus on sales and operations.

Key Takeaways

1. Focus Wins: Narrowing target audience from broad to specific 10X'd results

2. Multiple Touchpoints Matter: 80% of leads needed 5+ touchpoints before converting

3. Speed Beats Perfection: Launching imperfect campaigns and optimizing beat waiting for perfect

4. Content is a Multiplier: Early content investment paid dividends as organic traffic compounded

5. Lead Quality > Quantity: 300 good leads >> 3,000 poor leads

6. Systems Scale, Tactics Don't: Building sustainable systems created ongoing results beyond 90 days

7. Sales-Marketing Alignment is Non-Negotiable: When aligned, conversion rates improve 40-60%

Your Next Steps

If you're facing similar challenges—spending on marketing without results, unclear strategy, or plateaued lead generation—here's what to do:

Option 1: DIY Implementation

Use this case study as your playbook:

1. Download our Free Lead Generation Template with all the frameworks mentioned
2. Follow the 90-day plan step-by-step
3. Join our free Lead Gen Community for support

Option 2: Done-With-You Approach

Get guidance without full agency costs:

1. Book a Strategy Session ($500) - We audit your current state and create custom 90-day plan
2. Implement internally with our monthly check-ins
3. Avoid costly mistakes and accelerate results

Option 3: Done-For-You (Like the company)

Let NeX Consulting execute your transformation:

1. Schedule Free Consultation
2. We'll assess fit and outline expected results
3. Full execution, management, and optimization

At NeX Consulting, we've replicated these results across multiple industries and company sizes. This case study represents a composite of real client transformations—it's our proven playbook in action.

What makes our approach different:

• Realistic timelines: We promise 90-day results, not overnight miracles
• Transparent pricing: Know exactly what you're paying and what to expect
• Performance-based: We tie our success to your results
• Education-focused: We build your internal capability, not dependency

Get Your Free Lead Generation Assessment →

We'll analyze your business, identify your biggest opportunities, and show you exactly what a 90-day transformation could look like for you.

Conclusion: Your 90-Day Transformation Starts Now

This case study demonstrates a real transformation: from 0 to 300+ leads in 90 days. From burning cash on ineffective marketing to generating 422% ROI. From demoralized sales team to pipeline full of opportunities.

The strategies, tactics, and systems that created this transformation aren't complex or secret. They're proven, systematic, and replicable.

The question isn't whether lead generation can work for your business. The question is: When will you start?

Every day you delay implementing a systematic lead generation strategy is another day:

• Your competitors capture prospects you should be winning
• Your sales team struggles without enough pipeline
• Your growth potential remains untapped

The difference between failure and success wasn't luck, secret tactics, or magic. It was:

• Strategic focus
• Systematic execution
• Continuous optimization
• Patience to let compound effects work

You can start your 90-day transformation today.

What will your case study say 90 days from now?

External Resources:

• HubSpot: B2B Lead Generation Strategy
• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Case Studies
• Content Marketing Institute: Lead Gen Success Stories
• Close.com: 22 Lead Generation Ideas We Used to Get 300K+ Leads