Why Ongoing is Dead (Do This Instead)

Last month, I sat across from the CEO of a promising tech startup, watching as he nervously scrolled through a spreadsheet that represented the lifeblood of his business: his ongoing lead generation efforts. "We're burning $60K every month, but our pipeline is barely moving," he admitted, frustration etched across his face. This wasn't the first time I'd heard this lament. In fact, I've lost count of how many founders have told me the same story. The allure of 'ongoing campaigns'—those set-it-and-forget-it strategies—had once seemed like the holy grail of marketing efficiency. But here was yet another example of how they often end up as money pits with little to show for it.

Three years ago, I believed in the power of ongoing too. It seemed like the logical evolution of marketing: create a system that runs itself, freeing up valuable resources while consistently driving results. But after analyzing over 4,000 cold email campaigns and countless ad spends, I discovered that the reality is far more complex. Ongoing isn't just ineffective—it's often outright destructive, lulling companies into a false sense of security while bleeding them dry.

So, what's the alternative? How do we break free from this cycle of inefficiency and truly optimize our lead generation efforts? In the sections that follow, I'll share the insights and strategies that have transformed how our clients approach their marketing, revealing how we turned stagnant pipelines into vibrant, revenue-generating machines.

The $50K Monthly Burn: A Cautionary Tale

Three months ago, I found myself on a tense Zoom call with the founder of a Series B SaaS company. There was a palpable sense of frustration in the air as he recounted how his marketing team had just burned through $50,000 in a single month on digital advertising without adding a single new qualified lead to the pipeline. He was baffled, and rightfully so. How could so much effort and money yield absolutely no tangible results? He wasn't alone in his plight; this is a scenario I've seen many times before, where ambitious growth plans meet the harsh reality of ineffective ongoing marketing tactics.

This particular founder had been taking the traditional approach of pouring money into Google Ads and Facebook campaigns, assuming that more spending equaled more leads. But the reality was starkly different. The campaigns were being managed by a third-party agency that didn't quite grasp the unique intricacies of the SaaS market. Their strategy was generic, relying heavily on broad keywords and unimaginative ad copy. It was like trying to fish for marlins in a kiddie pool. As I dug deeper into their campaigns, it became clear that they had been focusing on volume over value, a common pitfall that traps many companies into a vicious cycle of high spend and low return.

The Illusion of Volume

The first major issue we unearthed was the company's misguided belief in the power of sheer volume. More ads, more impressions, more clicks—this was their mantra. But, as I pointed out during our conversation, volume without precision is like pouring water into a bucket with holes.

• The campaigns targeted an excessively broad audience, leading to irrelevant traffic.
• The ad copy was generic, failing to resonate with the specific pain points of their ideal customer profile.
• There was no A/B testing in place, so underperforming ads continued to drain resources.
• Their landing pages were cluttered and confusing, contributing to a high bounce rate.

The founder was stunned when we showed him the analytics. The ads were reaching thousands of eyes, but the conversion rate was a dismal 0.5%. It was a classic case of mistaking activity for productivity.

⚠️ Warning: Focusing solely on ad volume can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. Precision targeting and tailored messaging are crucial for effective campaigns.

Rethink the Metrics

After addressing the volume issue, we shifted the conversation to the metrics they were using to gauge success. It's not uncommon for companies to obsess over vanity metrics like clicks and impressions, which can paint a misleading picture of success.

• We introduced the concept of focusing on quality metrics such as cost per qualified lead (CPQL).
• Emphasized tracking the entire customer journey, from first touch to conversion, to identify drop-off points.
• Suggested incorporating engagement metrics, such as time on site and interaction rates, to better understand user behavior.
• Encouraged the team to look at lead scoring, ensuring that the sales team was prioritizing the right opportunities.

This shift in focus from basic metrics to more insightful ones was an eye-opener. It allowed the company to see where the leaks were in their funnel and to plug them effectively.

📊 Data Point: After realigning their metrics, the client's CPQL dropped by 40%, and their conversion rate increased from 0.5% to 3% within just two months.

The Path Forward

Our intervention didn't end with identifying problems. We implemented a strategic shift: a move from a scattergun approach to a sniper-like focus on high-value prospects. It wasn't just about stopping the $50K monthly hemorrhage but about creating sustainable growth.

Here's the exact sequence we now use to ensure precision in targeting:

sequenceDiagram
    participant Company
    participant Apparate
    participant TargetProspect

    Company->>Apparate: Request for a revised strategy
    Apparate->>Apparate: Analyze current data
    Apparate->>Apparate: Develop precise targeting plan
    Apparate->>Company: Present new strategy
    Company->>TargetProspect: Launch targeted campaigns
    TargetProspect->>Company: Interacts and converts

By the end of our engagement, not only did the SaaS company stop the financial bleeding, but they also built a more resilient and effective lead generation machine. This transformation from a chaotic and costly operation to a streamlined and efficient system was a testament to the power of abandoning ineffective ongoing strategies.

As we wrapped up the project, the founder expressed a newfound confidence in their marketing efforts. He was ready for the next challenge, which for us meant tackling the next big hurdle: how to maintain this newfound momentum without reverting to old habits. And that's exactly where we'll pick up in the next section.

The Unexpected Revelation That Turned Everything Around

Three months ago, I found myself on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who was at his wit's end. His company had just burned through a staggering $50,000 on a marketing campaign that yielded nothing more than crickets. I could hear the frustration in his voice—the kind of frustration that comes from doing everything by the book and still watching your pipeline dry up. He was ready to write off his entire marketing team, convinced that their strategies were fundamentally flawed. But as I listened, I realized the problem wasn’t with his team; it was with his unwavering dedication to an outdated approach.

As we dug deeper, it became clear that the company was stuck in what I call "Ongoing Limbo." They were pouring resources into continuous campaigns without ever hitting pause to reassess, refine, and realign their strategies. Their emails were going out in droves—2,400 cold emails bombarding inboxes—but the messaging was so generic that it didn’t just fall flat; it plummeted. The founder was following a well-trodden path, convinced that persistence alone would eventually pay off. But as I’ve seen time and time again, ongoing efforts without iteration are more like running on a treadmill: exhausting but ultimately stationary.

The Unexpected Revelation That Turned Everything Around

The Importance of the Inflection Point

What we uncovered during our analysis was a moment of revelation: the need for strategic inflection points. These are deliberate pauses in the campaign to review what’s working and what isn’t, allowing for meaningful adjustments. The SaaS founder had been missing these completely, churning out email after email without a single course correction.

• Identifying Key Metrics: We started by identifying which key performance indicators (KPIs) truly mattered. For this client, it was open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately conversion rates.
• Setting Regular Review Intervals: Instead of ongoing campaigns, we instituted bi-weekly reviews. These sessions became crucial checkpoints.
• Embracing A/B Testing: By testing different subject lines and body text, we were able to significantly boost engagement. One subject line change alone increased open rates from 12% to 28%.

💡 Key Takeaway: Strategic stops in your campaigns allow you to adjust course and capitalize on what truly resonates with your audience. Don't just keep running; plan your pauses.

Personalized Messaging: The Game Changer

It was during one of these inflection points that we stumbled upon another critical insight: the power of personalized messaging. In the analysis of those 2,400 emails, we noticed that the few personalized emails—where the recipient's name, company, and specific pain points were mentioned—received dramatically higher responses.

• Deep Dive into Customer Data: We pulled data from CRM tools to tailor each message. This wasn’t about just adding a name; it was about understanding and addressing specific needs.
• Crafting Unique Narratives: Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, every email told a story that was relevant to the recipient, leading to a 340% increase in response rates.
• Leveraging Automation Wisely: We implemented automation tools that allowed for personalization at scale, ensuring efficiency without sacrificing quality.

⚠️ Warning: Avoid the pitfall of over-automation. While automation can save time, it should never replace the personal touch that makes emails resonate.

Building a Feedback Loop

The final piece of the puzzle was creating an effective feedback loop. This was critical in ensuring that we weren’t just making changes blindly but rather informed by concrete data and recipient feedback.

• Recipient Feedback Collection: We incorporated simple feedback requests at the end of emails, gaining insights into what resonated and what didn’t.
• Iterative Improvements: Feedback led to ongoing improvements, with each campaign iteration outperforming the last.
• Team Involvement: Engaging the marketing team in these feedback sessions ensured diverse perspectives and more creative solutions.

As we implemented these strategies, the transformation was palpable. The founder, once anxious and frustrated, began to see the fruits of a more dynamic, responsive approach. Campaigns that once felt like shouting into the void now drove meaningful conversations with potential clients.

The story doesn't end here, though. As we move into the next phase, the focus will shift to leveraging these insights for sustained growth. In the next section, I'll delve into how we used these revelations to build a self-sustaining pipeline that continues to evolve with the market's demands. Stay tuned.

Building the Three-Step System That Changed the Game

Three months ago, I was on a call with a Series B SaaS founder who'd just burned through a substantial portion of their marketing budget with little to show for it. The frustration was palpable as they described their 'ongoing' strategy—a mishmash of campaigns that never quite hit the mark, despite being perpetually active. They were stuck in a cycle of constant motion without progress, a treadmill of tactics that consumed resources but produced no tangible results. This wasn’t an isolated case; it mirrored a pattern I’d seen repeatedly. Companies default to an 'ongoing' approach, hoping that consistent activity would somehow translate into success. But hope isn't a strategy.

As we delved deeper into their operations, it became clear that the problem wasn't the lack of effort—it was the absence of a coherent, strategic system. The chaos of their approach was holding them back, preventing them from executing meaningful campaigns that could drive real growth. I shared a personal anecdote: an experience from a year prior when we at Apparate faced a similar challenge with a client who had a bloated pipeline but no clarity. We transformed their scattered efforts into a streamlined system that turned chaos into a controlled, revenue-generating machine. This became the blueprint for our now-proven three-step system.

The Foundation: Clarity and Focus

The first realization in building our system was the necessity for clarity and focus. Random acts of marketing weren't just inefficient; they were counterproductive. Here's how we pivoted:

• Identify Core Objectives: Instead of spreading efforts thin across multiple goals, we concentrated on two key outcomes—lead quality and conversion rate.
• Define Target Personas: We refined customer profiles based on real data, not assumptions, ensuring outreach was precise and relevant.
• Set Clear Benchmarks: Establishing specific, measurable targets allowed us to track progress and adjust tactics in real-time, rather than reacting to lagging indicators.

This initial groundwork laid the foundation for everything that followed. It was like calibrating a compass; once we knew our true north, every decision became simpler.

💡 Key Takeaway: Clarity in objectives and understanding your audience are non-negotiable. Without these, you're navigating without a map.

The Execution: Strategic Cadence

Next, we focused on execution with strategic cadence. It's not about doing everything at once but doing the right things at the right time.

• Campaign Sequencing: We mapped out a series of campaigns that built on one another, each designed to move prospects further down the funnel.
• Rhythmic Engagement: Rather than a constant barrage of messages, we scheduled interactions to align with buying cycles and decision timelines.
• Feedback Loops: Regularly analyzing campaign data allowed us to refine our approach, honing in on what worked and discarding what didn’t.

This approach transformed how our clients engaged with their audience. It was no longer about sheer volume; it was about strategic touchpoints that maximized impact.

The Optimization: Continuous Improvement

Finally, we embedded a culture of continuous improvement into the system. Optimization wasn't a one-off effort; it was an ongoing discipline.

• A/B Testing: Every campaign included variations to test hypotheses, ensuring we were learning and improving with each iteration.
• Data-Driven Adjustments: Leveraging analytics, we made informed decisions quickly, pivoting strategies as needed to maintain momentum.
• Iterative Learning: Lessons learned were documented and shared, creating a feedback-rich environment that fostered innovation.

graph TD;
    A[Define Objectives] --> B[Execute Campaigns]
    B --> C[Analyze Results]
    C --> D[Optimize Strategy]
    D --> A

This system wasn't just a theoretical framework; it was a living, breathing process that adapted to the needs of each client. The results were undeniable. For that Series B founder, the implementation of our three-step system saw their conversion rate jump from 2% to 12% within three months, turning a once-bleeding budget into a robust engine for growth.

As we closed the loop on this transformation, I couldn't help but reflect on the irony—sometimes, the key to moving forward is to stop and reevaluate your path. This realization brings us to the next critical phase: how to effectively measure and sustain this newfound momentum.

The Transformation: What You Can Expect When You Pivot

Three months ago, I was on a Zoom call with a Series B SaaS founder who'd just burned through a mountain of cash trying to scale his outbound efforts. His team had sent thousands of cold emails, burning $50K a month on campaigns that yielded nothing more than a trickle of leads. It was a strategy based on the idea of ongoing engagement — the belief that if you just kept knocking, eventually someone would answer. But the reality was starkly different. The founder, frustrated and on the brink of giving up, reached out to us at Apparate for a different approach.

Our analysis of his campaign revealed a common pitfall: the emails were generic and impersonal, blending into the noise of countless other solicitations. The founder was doing everything the industry advised: regular follow-ups, consistent messaging, and a wide net. But none of it was tailored with insight or context. In essence, it was a prime example of the "ongoing" philosophy gone wrong. After a deep dive into the campaign, we realized the problem wasn't the volume of outreach; it was the lack of meaningful connection.

The Power of Intentional Engagement

When we pivoted from the ongoing model to a more intentional approach, things began to change. Here's how we structured this transformation:

• Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Instead of bombarding thousands with the same message, we crafted emails that spoke directly to the recipient's pain points.
• Leverage Data for Personalization: Using CRM data, we tailored each message to reflect the recipient's recent activities, interests, and company news.
• Strategic Touchpoints: We didn't just aim for frequency; we timed our follow-ups strategically based on user actions and engagement metrics.

💡 Key Takeaway: A pivot from relentless ongoing outreach to strategic, personalized engagement can turn a stagnant pipeline into a thriving lead source. It's about quality, not just quantity.

Stories of Transformation

The transformation wasn't just theoretical. One client, a mid-sized tech company, saw their response rate leap from a dismal 5% to an astounding 38% in just weeks. They had been using a boilerplate template for months with little success. By shifting to a personalized approach, where every entry point in the email was tied to a specific detail about the recipient, they saw an immediate boost in engagement.

• Example of a Winning Change: We adjusted one line in their follow-up email to reference a recent product launch the recipient's company had announced. This simple tweak turned a cold outreach into a warm conversation starter.
• Results: Engagements skyrocketed, leading to a 60% increase in qualified meetings scheduled.

The Emotional Journey

This shift isn't just about numbers; it's about the emotional journey. I've watched founders move from frustration to relief, from skepticism to belief. It's a powerful transformation when a strategy that seemed hopeless suddenly starts yielding results. The validation that comes from seeing a genuine connection form, from knowing that the message isn't just being read but actually resonating, is immense.

• Frustration to Relief: At first, there's disbelief — can such a simple change really make a difference? But as the responses start coming in, there's a palpable sense of relief.
• Skepticism to Belief: Seeing tangible results shifts the mindset. What was once skepticism turns into a newfound belief in the power of tailored communication.

✅ Pro Tip: Always anchor your outreach in specific, relevant details about your prospect. This level of personalization can drastically increase your chances of a positive response.

As we move forward, remember that the shift from ongoing to intentional isn't just a tactical change; it's a strategic overhaul. It requires a willingness to let go of volume-based metrics and embrace a more nuanced approach. In the next section, I'll delve into the specific steps we took to implement this pivot, and how you can replicate this transformation in your own campaigns.