- Personalized Email and Retargeting Combo Success
- Live Webinars on Resilience Exceed Expectations
- Holiday Social Media Challenge Boosts Engagement
- Targeted LinkedIn Campaign for SaaS Product
- Omnisend’s Brand Awareness Campaign Outperforms Goals
- Localized Coffee Campaign Drives Foot Traffic
- Collaborative Campaign with Dental Practices Succeeds
- Public Service Campaign Shifts Government Career Narrative
- Re-engagement Email Campaign Surpasses Expectations
- Video Campaign Showcases Student Success Stories
- LinkedIn Ad for HR Leaders Generates Leads
- Paid Ad Campaign for App Calculator Excels
12 Insights from Marketing Leaders
Personalized Email and Retargeting Combo Success
One advertising campaign that really stood out for me was a personalized email and retargeting combo we ran for a B2B client. The idea was to target decision-makers who had visited their site but didn’t convert. We used AI to personalize follow-up emails with product recommendations based on their browsing history and paired it with retargeting ads that highlighted similar offerings.
What made it successful was how well the personalization resonated. Instead of generic outreach, each email and ad felt customized based on the prospect’s needs, which drove a 40% increase in click-through rates and a 25% boost in conversions compared to previous efforts.
Timing was important. The follow-ups were sent within 48 hours of site visits, keeping the client’s brand fresh in the prospect’s mind. Combining speed, relevance, and consistent messaging across channels made the campaign feel seamless and effective, far exceeding what we originally projected.
V. Frank Sondors
Founder, Salesforge AI
Live Webinars on Resilience Exceed Expectations
One of the most effective campaigns I’ve ever been involved with was a series of live webinars centered on the theme of resilience. As someone who has spent over a decade working in substance abuse and mental health, and as someone in recovery myself since 2006, this campaign resonated deeply with me and exceeded every expectation we set. The webinars were designed to provide a safe space for education and encouragement, offering practical strategies to help individuals build resilience while navigating their recovery journey.
What truly set this campaign apart was the interactive Q&A sessions, which created a genuine connection between the speakers and participants. These sessions offered attendees the opportunity to share their struggles and ask questions in real-time, fostering a sense of community and support. For me, the most rewarding part was seeing how the personal experiences shared during these sessions inspired hope and action among participants. It reinforced the idea that recovery is not just a process, it’s a community effort.
The relatability of the content was another driving factor behind its success. We structured the webinars to address real-life challenges that many people in recovery face, from managing triggers to building a strong support system. Sharing my own journey alongside actionable advice helped participants see that recovery is possible, no matter where they are in their process.
The immediacy of the live format played a crucial role as well. There’s something uniquely powerful about real-time conversations; they encourage engagement, authenticity, and connection in a way that pre-recorded content simply can’t. This interactive approach made the sessions feel more personal and impactful, and it brought participants into a dialogue rather than leaving them as passive viewers.
The feedback we received was humbling. Many attendees shared that the webinars provided them with tools and perspectives they could immediately apply in their own lives. Others spoke about feeling inspired and supported, knowing they weren’t alone in their struggles. For me, this campaign was a reminder of the power of vulnerability, community, and actionable solutions in making a real difference in people’s lives. It wasn’t just an advertising campaign; it was a moment to foster resilience, break stigma, and create meaningful connections within the recovery community.
Garrett Diamantides
CEO, Southeast Addiction Center Tennessee
One campaign that exceeded my expectations was a social media challenge we ran during the holiday season. We encouraged customers to share photos of their party setups using our string lights, with a chance to win a free lighting bundle. The campaign blew up, and we saw a 40% increase in engagement and a noticeable spike in sales that month. What worked was our effort to tap into our customers’ creativity and give them a platform to showcase their style. People loved seeing how others used our lights uniquely, and the user-generated content gave us material for months of authentic marketing.
The key was creating something interactive and personal. Instead of simply advertising products, we built a sense of community far more powerful than expected. If you’re curious about how similar campaigns could apply to your business, I’d be happy to chat about it!
Matt Little
Founder & Managing Director, Festoon House
Targeted LinkedIn Campaign for SaaS Product
One advertising campaign that exceeded our expectations was a targeted LinkedIn campaign we ran for a SaaS product aimed at mid-sized healthcare companies. The goal was to drive qualified leads to a webinar.
Instead of a broad approach, we focused on hyper-specific audience segmentation. We targeted decision-makers in operations and IT roles at healthcare companies within a specific size range. The ad copy addressed a common pain point integrating data across systems rather than promoting the product directly.
What made the campaign successful was the combination of precise targeting and value-driven content. We offered a free downloadable guide within the ad to capture initial interest and followed up with personalized outreach to encourage webinar sign-ups.
The conversion rates exceeded our expectations, and the campaign generated higher engagement than any broader approach we’d tried before. It reinforced the importance of focusing on specific problems and personalizing the audience journey at every touchpoint. This strategy is now one of our go-to approaches for niche markets.
Vikrant Bhalodia
Head of Marketing & People Ops, WeblineIndia
Omnisend’s Brand Awareness Campaign Outperforms Goals
Our “So Good, It’s Boring” brand awareness push is one example of a campaign that outperformed goals. In a specific target market, it achieved a 19% increase in brand searches and a 17.11% year-over-year rise in new users. Its success can be attributed to several factors.
First of all, we targeted people that were already interested in our competitors, so the message felt highly relevant. We did performance analysis to help refine our approach, simplified the script, and improved the production quality, which led to higher engagement. We used YouTube Ads, Google Demand Gen, and Google Display, which were all instrumental in achieving extensive reach. Most importantly, we embraced a “better done than perfect” approach, where learning on the way allowed us to make adjustments that definitely paid off.
Domante Gerdauske
Digital Advertising Lead, Omnisend
Localized Coffee Campaign Drives Foot Traffic
One advertising campaign that exceeded expectations was a localized campaign we designed for a boutique coffee brand expanding into a new city. The objective was to drive foot traffic to their flagship store and establish the brand as a go-to destination for coffee enthusiasts. Instead of relying on traditional ads, we focused on creating a campaign called “Your First Coffee, On Us,” where residents in the city were offered a free coffee voucher redeemable at the store. The campaign was promoted through geo-targeted social media ads, partnered influencers in the local food scene, and a series of short videos showcasing the store’s ambiance and artisan brewing process.
The results were remarkable: foot traffic during the campaign period increased by 80%, and over 50% of customers who redeemed the free coffee made additional purchases. The key to its success lay in its hyper-local focus, leveraging local influencers who had genuine connections with the community and creating a sense of exclusivity. Additionally, the free coffee voucher acted as an effective icebreaker, allowing the brand to engage new customers without requiring an upfront commitment.
Slavko Kovacevic
Head of SEO, PR Link Engine
Collaborative Campaign with Dental Practices Succeeds
A campaign that exceeded expectations focused on collaborating with local dental and orthodontic practices to amplify its reach. By forming partnerships with these trusted professionals and community health organizations, the campaign was able to tap into established networks and build authentic connections with potential patients. Co-hosting educational events, such as seminars on oral health and Invisalign technology, allowed the campaign to engage directly with families and individuals seeking orthodontic solutions tailored to their needs.
This collaborative approach ensured that the campaign’s message was not only widely disseminated but also supported by credible voices within the dental community. Cross-promotion through partner practices and local organizations extended the campaign’s visibility, reaching a broader audience while maintaining trust and authenticity. By leveraging these relationships, the campaign demonstrated a commitment to community health and wellness, further solidifying its impact.
The campaign emphasized the importance of accessible education, offering valuable resources to families about the benefits of early orthodontic care. This focus on patient empowerment created a lasting impression, fostering both interest and confidence in the services offered. The shared goal of improving patient outcomes and promoting oral health transformed the campaign into a community-driven success, highlighting the power of collaboration in advancing orthodontic care.
Randy Kunik
CEO, Kunik Orthodontics
Public Service Campaign Shifts Government Career Narrative
We recently launched a campaign focused on highlighting the positive impact of public service. We moved beyond traditional job postings to create a series of short, engaging videos featuring current government employees sharing their personal stories and the positive impact their work has on their communities.
These videos were then distributed across a variety of digital channels, including social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as targeted online advertising campaigns. We also partnered with relevant government agencies and professional organizations to amplify the campaign’s reach.
The results exceeded our expectations. We saw a significant increase in website traffic, social media engagement, and job applications. More importantly, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both job seekers and government agencies. The campaign successfully shifted the narrative around government careers, showcasing them as fulfilling and impactful opportunities.
The key factors contributing to this success were:
- Authentic storytelling: The personal stories resonated with potential candidates, making the campaign more relatable and engaging.
- Multi-channel approach: Utilizing a variety of digital channels ensured maximum reach and visibility.
- Strong partnerships: Collaborating with government agencies and professional organizations amplified the campaign’s message and credibility.
- Data-driven approach: We closely monitored campaign performance and made adjustments in real-time to optimize results.
This campaign serves as a powerful example of how creative and data-driven digital marketing can transform government recruitment efforts.
Michael Hurwitz
President/Co-Founder, Careers in Government
Re-engagement Email Campaign Surpasses Expectations
One advertising campaign that exceeded our expectations was an email campaign designed to re-engage past customers who weren’t currently doing business with us. The campaign highlighted our new offerings and recent changes to our platform. While we didn’t expect a significant response, it turned out to be our most successful email campaign of the year, generating impressive open rates and click-through rates, and resulting in the most new business from any campaign.
Looking back, several factors contributed to its success. First, the timing was ideal—we reached out when our updates were highly relevant and our offers were most attractive. Second, the audience we targeted already knew and liked us, making them more receptive to hearing from us again. Finally, the campaign took advantage of the untapped potential within our existing customer base, allowing us to spark renewed interest. This experience highlighted the value of nurturing existing relationships and has reshaped how we prioritize our marketing efforts going forward.
Rob Deming
COO, Rate Retriever
Video Campaign Showcases Student Success Stories
A video-based campaign utilized powerful visuals to narrate personal transformation journeys, showcasing how students overcame challenges and achieved their educational goals. The campaign highlighted the individualized guidance provided to students, focusing on their unique paths to success. By telling these stories authentically, the campaign resonated deeply with the audience, inspiring prospective students and families to take action.
Emotive storytelling was at the heart of the campaign’s success. Each video featured real students who had identified their core competencies and passions, thanks to a tailored educational philosophy. These stories illustrated how the right guidance and support enabled them to reach their full potential. The campaign leveraged high-quality production, including professional editing, compelling visuals, and carefully selected music, to amplify the emotional impact and make the narratives relatable and engaging.
Social media played a key role in the campaign’s reach. Short, dynamic video segments were tailored for platforms like Instagram and TikTok, capturing attention quickly, while longer-form content was used on YouTube and Facebook to provide a more detailed look at the students’ journeys. This multi-platform strategy ensured maximum visibility and engagement across diverse audiences.
The campaign also incorporated calls to action that aligned with its narrative, encouraging viewers to learn more about how individualized educational guidance could help them or their children achieve their dreams. These calls to action felt natural, inviting the audience to explore resources without being overly promotional.
The campaign exceeded expectations by significantly increasing inquiries and engagement, demonstrating the power of visual storytelling to inspire action. It reinforced the importance of individualized education and helped solidify a connection between the organization and its audience. By focusing on real stories of growth and achievement, the campaign effectively showcased the transformative impact of personalized guidance.
Joel Butterly
CEO, Ingeniusprep
LinkedIn Ad for HR Leaders Generates Leads
We ran a LinkedIn ad targeting HR leaders with a simple, text-based creative listing “5 Mistakes Companies Make When Hiring Globally,” paired with a download link for a whitepaper. While we expected moderate engagement, the ad far exceeded expectations, generating hundreds of leads within a week. The straightforward, no-frills approach resonated because it directly addressed a common pain point and offered actionable value.
The success came from knowing the audience’s priorities—busy professionals seeking quick insights—and delivering clear, relevant content. The key takeaway: flashy design isn’t always necessary; focusing on relevance and practical value can drive engagement even with minimalistic creatives.
Nick Esquivel
CEO, Globaltize
Paid Ad Campaign for App Calculator Excels
For the longest time, I’ve been running a paid ad campaign that brings traffic and conversion to our App cost calculator and it exceeded our expectations by consistently giving us a conversion rate above 20% month after month (and some days close to 40% too) at a very good conversion cost (lower than the industry average).
Following should be the factors contributing to such success:
- Sync between keywords, landing page offering, and post-form filling workflow is absolutely good. There is no discrepancy between the search query and what they see on the page and that increases the total quality score of your landing page (resulting in more leads for less $$).
- Used only phrase matches.
- Use conversion maximization strategy manually, and we collect all the data for future campaigns too.
- Intelligent use of negative keywords list (and regular updating of the same) to keep only the relevant traffic coming in.
- Scheduling for the most productive hours.
- Precise geo-targeting.
- Knowing your audience and then defining that on Google Ads.
- Proper CTA and ad extensions (For example, showing phone number along with the landing page since many clients like to call instead of filling out a form).
- Integration with the CRM for long-term optimization.
So lead generation on a limited budget still works in 2025, but you have to work on your strategy, landing page, and do continuous optimization for the best results.
Sudeep Bhatnagar
CEO, Agicent Technologies
