Why you might actually want more expensive leads (Exit Five Newsletter #136)

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🏈 Steal these plays to increase your website conversions

When I hear “web optimization,” I typically think big project – something that requires a full redesign, an expensive agency, or months of A/B testing.

But actually – the best way to do it is with much smaller moves and consistent experimentation. Take something as simple as:

• Swapping a static hero image for a short product video
• Tweaking your CTA copy to match visitor intent
• Removing friction from a form so prospects convert faster

These kinds of changes can help increase conversions by 15%.
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The team at Webflow put together a playbook of the most effective website optimizations they’ve seen (and tested) across hundreds of B2B sites. It’s packed with practical examples of:

• Homepage elements that keep visitors engaged
• Landing page tweaks that improve sign-ups
• Product page experiments that drive sales
• A/B tests that actually move the needle

If your site could use a few high-impact improvements, this guide is worth a read.

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💸 B2B Paid Media: When paying $300 for a lead is better than paying $50

When you’re measuring paid performance, it’s easy to fall into the trap of obsessing over Cost Per Lead (CPL).

John Short (Founder at Compound Growth Marketing) manages over $50m in paid spend and sees it happen all the time. Teams get fixated on bringing CPL down to some arbitrary number (“We can’t pay more than $100 per lead!”), assuming it translates to better efficiency.

But if a $50 lead never converts, it’s not actually cheaper than a $300 lead that closes.

Instead of chasing a lower CPL, use John’s funnel-driven approach to determine your ideal cost per lead.

Step 1: Optimize for Revenue, Not Just Lead Volume

Instead of focusing on how to lower CPL, start by asking:

• Are we targeting the right people? If your paid strategy isn’t aligned with how your company sells, you’re throwing money away. Enterprise deals need an account-based approach. Lower-ticket SaaS might thrive on high-volume inbound. The strategy has to match the sales motion.
  
  
• Which channels drive conversions, not just clicks? A LinkedIn lead might cost more than a Google lead, but if LinkedIn leads convert at twice the rate, it’s a smarter investment. Instead of cutting costs at the top of the funnel, measure success based on what turns into pipeline.
  
  
• Is marketing and sales aligned on what a good lead looks like? If marketing optimizes for volume but sales only finds a fraction of leads viable, something is broken. Instead of debating CPL, build a shared definition of lead quality with sales.
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Step 2: Give Ad Platforms Better Data

One of the easiest ways to improve lead quality is to feed down-funnel data back into ad platforms. Most companies stop at optimizing for form fills. But you can push actual sales data (SQLs, pipeline, closed-won deals) back into Google, LinkedIn, and Meta so their algorithms prioritize the right kind of leads.
Here’s why this works:

• Today’s ad platforms rely on machine learning. If you only tell them to generate more leads, they’ll find the easiest, cheapest ones.
  
  
• But if you give them conversion data from your CRM, they can adjust in real time to prioritize leads that are more likely to close.

This doesn’t require a huge tech lift. Most CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce) can sync conversion data back into ad platforms. If that’s not an option, you can use a simple Google Sheet export to manually update campaign data on a regular basis. Even small adjustments here can make a huge difference.

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Step 3: Rethink How You Measure Success in 2025

The best marketing teams aren’t optimizing for the lowest CPL. They’re measuring cost per SQL, cost per opportunity, and ultimately, cost per customer.

If you shift your paid strategy to focus on lead quality over lead volume, you’ll not only drive better results—you’ll also make the case for a bigger budget. Because when marketing can show a direct impact on revenue, it’s a lot easier to get leadership buy-in.

So as you plan your paid spend this year, ask yourself: Are we optimizing for what’s easiest to measure, or for what actually drives business? P.S. Last year we had a whole session with John on this topic and it was a hit. Linking the recording for you here so you can check it out.

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📺 UPCOMING EVENTS

☠️ How To Measure Your Marketing Efforts (And Why Click Attribution Is Dead)

B2B marketing is getting harder to measure. Less click and cookie tracking means traditional attribution models are breaking down.

So how are the best teams adapting?

‍Join us on February 11, 2025 for an Exit Five Live session with Pranav Piyush (Co-Founder & CEO, Paramark) to learn:

• The gaps in the old way of doing attribution
• What the best B2B marketing teams are doing now for attribution
• The key questions CMOs face from boards and execs about measurement
• Three things you can do this quarter to improve your measurement

It’s like a live podcast – but with chat, Q&A, and real talk. Open to all, even if you're not an Exit Five member.Join Us Live!

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🏢 OPEN ROLES

Who's hiring right now?

🔥 HOT JOB OF THE WEEK: Great Question is hiring a Senior Demand Generation Specialist. The role is fully remote and open to people living in one of their hubs; Denver CO, Boulder CO, or the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Great Question tripled revenue last year, and is looking to do it again in 2025. You'll be their first Demand Gen specialist, owning paid advertising, SEO, and all things demand generation. It's a great opportunity to get in early.

Interested? Apply here.

Other open roles on the Exit Five job board this week:

• Ceros is hiring a Senior Product Marketing Manager
• Neuron7 is hiring a Content Marketing Director. Fully remote, US Only.
• Databox is hiring a Lifecycle Marketing Manager
• Mutiny is hiring a Content Lead
• Drivepoint is hiring a Content Marketing Manager
• Global Payments is hiring a Principal Content Strategist, SMB Professional Services
• Global Payments is hiring a Principal Content Strategist, Higher Education
• Opus Training is hiring a B2B Growth Marketing Manager

See all open roles

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