The Idea

Cleverly was born from Bruce Merrill’s vision to simplify and automate the lead generation process for B2B (business-to-business) companies on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a goldmine for B2B connections, but manual prospecting and outreach can be time-consuming and inconsistent. Merrill saw an opportunity to create a platform that automates personalized messaging and list-building, allowing businesses to target and engage potential clients more effectively at scale.

Challenges

Like any startup, Cleverly faced initial hurdles:

• Balancing automation with personalization: Automation often lacks a human touch. Cleverly had to find ways to automate LinkedIn outreach without losing the personal element essential to engaging potential clients.
• Proving ROI (return on investment): Businesses needed proof that Cleverly’s AI-driven campaigns could outperform traditional manual methods in lead generation. Success stories from clients helped build credibility over time.
• Pricing: Some smaller businesses found Cleverly’s pricing high for their needs, making it important to demonstrate significant ROI for mid-size companies that could benefit most

The main challenge Cleverly faced was navigating the increasingly competitive world of LinkedIn marketing, where automation is often seen as impersonal and ineffective. Many businesses have adopted automated systems, but without the right personalization and strategy, these campaigns often yield poor results. Cleverly had to demonstrate that they could scale LinkedIn outreach without sacrificing the personal touch critical for success.

Industry Context

Demand for effective B2B lead generation has grown dramatically, particularly as companies turn to digital channels for business development. LinkedIn represents an invaluable tool for this purpose. It is the largest professional network, with over 700 million members and more than 61 million senior-level influencers active on the platform. Cleverly capitalizes on this by using advanced features like Sales Navigator to refine their targeting.

Founders

Bruce Merrill, the founder of Cleverly, had a vision for transforming the way businesses generate leads on LinkedIn. By focusing on a data-driven approach and a personalized outreach strategy, he positioned Cleverly as a leader in the niche of LinkedIn lead generation. The company prides itself on its U.S.-based team, providing hands-on client support.

Product

Cleverly offers a full-service LinkedIn lead generation solution. This includes crafting personalized outreach messages, building targeted prospect lists using LinkedIn’s advanced filters, and running automated campaigns that scale messaging without losing the personalized touch. The service is designed to help businesses book more meetings with qualified leads by engaging prospects through multiple follow-ups and social proof.

Cleverly’s product is built around four key features:

• Prospect list building: AI-driven prospecting helps businesses create targeted lists of potential clients based on LinkedIn data.
• Automated outreach: Personalized messages are automatically sent to leads with follow-up sequences, improving engagement rates without manual effort.
• A/B testing: Cleverly allows businesses to test multiple messages to optimize outreach performance.
• Profile optimization: The platform helps improve LinkedIn profiles, positioning users as experts and increasing inbound engagement

They also provide paid LinkedIn advertising and content management to boost engagement and lead conversion.

USP

Cleverly stands out for its ability to blend automation with personalization. Unlike many lead generation services that rely solely on volume, Cleverly focuses on quality by tailoring messages to specific industries, job titles, and pain points. This approach allows them to deliver high conversion rates and ensure prospects feel valued rather than spammed. Their U.S.-based account managers add trust and familiarity for U.S. businesses looking to grow their networks.

Competitors

Cleverly operates in a competitive lead generation market with alternatives such as:

• Snov.io: Focused on email prospecting but also includes LinkedIn automation, offering more affordable options for startups.
• Sales Navigator: LinkedIn’s premium tool for advanced lead generation, though it lacks Cleverly’s automation features.
• Castanet: A lower-cost alternative for automating LinkedIn outreach, but with fewer integrated tools.

Build

To compete, Merrill had to create something unique! Cleverly’s initial development involved creating an AI-powered prospect builder, that could analyze LinkedIn data to generate lists of potential leads. By using this data to automate personalized outreach campaigns, the platform would minimize the time and effort businesses spent on lead generation.

The platform was built to focus on automation and scalability, leveraging LinkedIn’s API to ensure smooth data integration and message distribution. Cleverly’s MVP (Minimum Viable Product) was released within a few months, allowing users to automate LinkedIn messages and follow-up sequences for the first time. The team then continued iterating, adding features like A/B testing, profile optimization, and client dashboards

Implementation

Merrill designed Clevelry to be seamless and effective from the start. Users were onboarded with the help of dedicated account managers who optimized their LinkedIn profiles for better engagement. The platform’s AI-powered list building identified ideal prospects and automated personalized messaging and follow-ups ensured consistent outreach. Additionally, A/B testing helped optimize campaigns by refining message strategies for better response rates. This approach allowed businesses to scale their LinkedIn lead generation with minimal manual effort while maximizing results.

Growth

Cleverly has driven significant results for its clients, generating over $51.2 million in revenue and handling $312 million in client pipelines. The agency serves over 5,000 businesses, from freelancers to major brands like Uber and PayPal. Their campaigns have shown impressive conversion rates, with clients consistently reporting new business opportunities and deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pricing

Cleverly offers a tiered pricing structure for their LinkedIn lead generation service, starting at a basic plan while the higher tiers provide more outreach capacity and support. There are offerings for businesses looking for LinkedIn Ads management and enterprise-level campaigns.

Key Takeaways

• Personalization is key: Cleverly’s success stems from its ability to craft personalized outreach at scale, making it easier for businesses to connect with decision-makers on LinkedIn.
• LinkedIn is a powerful tool: By leveraging LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator, Cleverly helps businesses target the right audience more effectively than generic cold emailing.
• Sustainable growth: With a focus on consistent follow-ups and engagement, Cleverly ensures that prospects are nurtured until they are ready to convert.

Cleverly’s data-driven approach and deep understanding of LinkedIn make it a formidable player in the B2B lead generation space. It has successfully positioned itself as a leader in LinkedIn-based lead generation by providing a streamlined, AI-driven approach to prospecting and outreach.

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Cleverly continues to help businesses close more deals by automating the most time-consuming parts of LinkedIn sales efforts. With a strong focus on personalization at scale, Cleverly remains a go-to tool for B2B companies aiming to boost their LinkedIn presence and generate high-quality leads.