Today, there are 2.2 million apps on iOS and 2.8 million on Google Play. As the app stores become oversaturated, this presents a significant challenge for app marketers: relying purely on organic installs and app store or search engine optimisation, is simply no longer enough to compete. In 2021 the key to growth, scale, and profit is building a solid user acquisition strategy to acquire users who go on to generate more revenue than they were brought in for.

With a specific focus on non-gaming apps such as travel, music, shopping, and news, mobile marketing leaders Adjust and app monetisation experts ironSource have teamed up to create a report that highlights app industry user acquisition trends and strategies for staying ahead of the curve. The “Growth Strategies for Mobile App User Acquisition” ebook gives you the tips and tools required to grow your app through user acquisition.

Exploring everything from the media sources that non-gaming apps currently rely on to best practices for designing creatives that convert, the latest ebook from Adjust and ironSource is a complete guide to help you navigate every step — whether you’re just starting out and building your strategy from the ground up, or looking to optimise and improve your current strategy.

Powered by data from Adjust and ironSource, the report also includes useful case studies and benchmarks for KPIs such as CTR (Click Through Rate) and CVR (Conversion Rate), so you can see how your performance currently fares against the rest.

As the pandemic accelerates us towards a more app-focused world, 2021 will likely see businesses everywhere investing in their apps and using them as a primary channel to interact with their users. Make sure you’re one step ahead when it comes to growing your business and proactively reaching out to valuable potential users — download the Growth Strategies for Mobile App User Acquisition ebook to learn more.

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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by 
Adjust

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You know its a great week when one of your contributors returns after nine months and three new contributors join the bandwagon.

Well, this week they are discussing the future of AI, cultural transformation and policy making in the digital world.

Happy reading! And if you have counter perspectives to share, earn a byline by submitting a post.

The world of AI

The social dilemma: How Feed Flow AI is shaping the future of app engagement by Peng T. Ong, Managing Partner at Monk’s Hill Ventures

“The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma highlighted the fact that a number of Silicon Valley tech companies are using Feed Flow AIs to monetise attention with many users being unaware.

For some companies, it is for the sake of corporate interests. Take a look at the social media platforms from the US, which tend to optimise for engagement to drive ad revenues. Meanwhile, platforms in China tend to drive direct revenues through methods like virtual gifting.

Indeed, the Feed Flow AI is a powerful lever for user engagement but this brings up the question of transparency. Are companies respecting users’ attention, privacy, and most of all, their free will?”

The dawn of creative AI: How this BLOCK71 startup is revolutionising the creative industry by Deon Tan, outreach executive at Block71 Singapore

“Despite the diversity, one thing remains the same: humans are the sole source of creative work – or so we arrogantly believe. What if I told you that AI can also play a part in the creative world?

Data scientists and researchers have grappled with the problem of natural language processing (NLP) for the longest time. With the continuous development of machine learning algorithms, AI has become smarter and sharper at understanding and reproducing human language. However, is AI smart enough to write original pieces that reflect a brand’s persona? Is there a limit to its linguistic creativity?

To learn more about the relationship between AI and creative copywriting, I had a chat with Joshua Wong, co-founder and CEO of Hypotenuse AI – an AI startup that employs machine learning to generate written content for e-commerce companies. Read on to find out how Wong plans to harness the power of AI to revolutionise the creative industry.”

Policy matters

ASEAN policies and developments that encourage blockchain investments by Kay Banzon, fintech and security enthusiast

“Investor interest is an important factor, but it is not going to be enough without counterpart actions from governments or regulatory bodies. In the absence of legislation or regulations that clarify the treatment of digital assets and blockchain-based transactions, tech startups that pursue blockchain applications in their business models cannot attract investors.

Investors will likely find it too risky to extend financial backing to companies that operate in markets where their businesses can face legal challenges.

ASEAN as a whole does not have specific policies related to blockchain and digital asset adoption. However, some member countries have introduced legislation or changes in their policies over the years in support of blockchain-based business models and innovations.”

How important is regulation for digital banks in India? by Elizabeth Barry, Finders global fintech editor

“Data from Finder shows that one in five Indians (roughly 184 million people) hold a digital bank account. A further 12 per cent of Indians plan to open a digital bank account in the next year, which will bring the total up to nearly 296 million people.

But while the growth in markets such as Asia, the UK, Europe and Australia have been bolstered by regulatory efforts of their respective governments, India’s digital bank market has largely grown without government help. It’s still not possible to get a digital bank licence in India, but there are 17 neobanks gathering funding and customers.

So, is the Indian market unique? Or will it need regulatory assistance to properly establish its digital bank market?”

All about growth

What metrics to monitor as a B2B SaaS company? by Minh Vu Hong, Investor @ Qualgro

“What are the key metrics you should be tracking to ensure right understanding of your business and sustained longevity of your company?

The following are definitions of the main B2B SaaS metrics you should be monitoring for your company in the context given above. Note that all these metrics can, and should, be tracked across various different levels: company level, product level, cohort level, customer group level, etc.

The purpose of this short article is to provide a common ground of notions and knowledge on SaaS metrics, based on the hundreds of SaaS companies we see and evaluate on a yearly basis at Qualgro.”

How can companies drive growth in a recession? by Mike Flache, entrepreneur and angel investor

“The fact is, real growth is simply impossible in some industries during a recession. Demand is almost at zero and global sales markets have collapsed. And what is made even more difficult during this pandemic and completely independent of the sales market: the procurement market and supply chains were/are completely interrupted in some cases.

In view of these extremes and looking back on my conversations, the question asked at the beginning of this article should first be answered by another question: How can companies drive growth in a recession? And only then to ask whether digital transformation can actually enable growth in times of crisis and beyond.”

Cultural transformation and digital transformation go hand-in-hand. Here’s how to get it right by Crystal Faith Neri, Marketing Manager, 10X Innovation Lab

“We live in a world where we are constantly meeting new people and exchanging ideas. With this comes the necessity of accepting others’ cultures and opinions.

It is important because to maximise the value we bring to a community, we must recognise our piece as a part of the bigger pie. Cultural transformation is an essential tool for all businesses to move forward in the working world.

Recently, 10X Innovation Lab had the pleasure of sitting down with Max Shkud, Head of Learning at Microsoft Silicon Valley. He walked us through understanding the basics of cultural transformation within a workplace, how to set yourself up for success in HR, as well as some thoughts about the coronavirus and opportunities for people working towards creating cultural change in the workplace.

In this article, we share with you his tips and tricks and that will get you to think critically about your role in your organisation.”

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Can companies actually enable digital growth in times of crisis and beyond? My interlocutors have asked me this question again and again in countless phone calls and video conferences over the past months. One thing is clear: there is certainly no general answer to this question.

Because as diverse as the perspective on this topic is, as diverse were the people I spoke to. From sole proprietorships to startup founders to experienced entrepreneurs in medium-sized companies as well as board members of listed branded goods companies – across all industries.

To get one step closer to a substantive answer, we first need to dig a little deeper.

The fact is, real growth is simply impossible in some industries during a recession. Demand is almost at zero and global sales markets have collapsed. And what is made even more difficult during this pandemic and completely independent of the sales market: the procurement market and supply chains were/are completely interrupted in some cases.

One man’s suffering is another’s joy…

While many retailers and automotive suppliers are struggling to survive, on the other hand we are experiencing a boom in technology companies. For example at Zoom Video Communications. Over the past twelve months, the share price has increased 4.3 timesfrom around US$88.00 (early February 2020) to around US$382.00 (early February 2021).

In view of these extremes and looking back on my conversations, the question asked at the beginning of this article should first be answered by another question: How can companies drive growth in a recession? And only then to ask whether digital transformation can actually enable growth in times of crisis and beyond.

Also Read: How startups can tap community networks to pivot for growth amidst the pandemic

The example of Zoom Video Communications underpins one fact very clearly: growth in a recession is possible, but only if companies can solve the immediate problems of their customers.

And of course, technology as well as digital transformation can help to get a decisive step closer to this goal.

We have all experienced first-hand how technology can help fight the unexpected effects of COVID-19. Technology has not only helped us monitor the spread of the corona virus but has also enabled us to work productively from home. Technology has also ensured that our children can keep learning. And last but not least, that we can stay in touch with friends and family despite social distancing.

But back to the business area…

The pandemic has hit numerous businesses hard. So do numerous small and medium-sized companies. For many of them, the rapid transition from the analog to the digital world was of crucial importance. Offering and selling services and products directly online to their customers has not only ensured their survival but has even made some of them flourish.

And although there is no tried and tested playbook for our special crisis situation today, the above examples are more than illuminating. The ability to quickly adapt existing products, offers and services to new consumer needs is essential. Adaptability is the key!

Another key aspect is to prioritise the right customers and create an investment plan for the move to digital. See the crisis as an opportunity and sensitise your entire team to the “new normal”.

A look back at 2008 also makes it clear how much potential there is in the current situation. Back then, the financial crisis was the hour of birth for many technology companies worldwide that are successful today. This includes Slack or Cloudera, for example.

Also Read: Survival vs growth: ShopBack co-founder shares 3 golden rules to withstand the pandemic

TechCrunch’s comparison between Asia, North America, and Europe underlines that especially in Q3 2020 with 24 billion raised venture capital dollars in Asia is one of the most successful in recent years.

The future will belong to the prepared…

Lessons from the last two recessions suggest that companies that have balanced growth and cost management have outperformed their competitors in the aftermath.

According to McKinsey’s analysis, B2B companies embarking on digital transformation tend to generate 8 per cent more shareholder returns. And on top of that a five times higher sales growth than its competitors.

Another example is the e-Conomy SEA 2020 report “At full velocity: Resilient and racing ahead” published by Singapore-based investment company Temasek in collaboration with Google and Bain & Company. The report shows that Southeast Asia’s internet economy is on track to hit over US$300 billion by 2025.

Back to our initial question …

Companies can enable digital growth in times of crisis, even beyond. The prerequisite for this is to harmonise the framework conditions of the crisis, the needs of customers and the relevant levers for value creation. It is important to understand that there is a great opportunity in every crisis – for you and for your business.

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In an era where technology dominates the workplace, you either culturally adapt to changing times or get left behind. Cultural transformation and digital transformation go hand-in-hand when developing a framework for advancing the productivity and reach of your business.

Too often, business leaders will push for digital growth without understanding the importance of backing it with cultural transformation. This can lead to frustration, lack of communication, and overall negative performance. Having a strong corporate culture helps retain employees, boost productivity, and attract top-tier talent.

The new digital revolution must first be led by cultural transformation with HR as a key facilitator.

The importance of cultural transformation

We live in a world where we are constantly meeting new people and exchanging ideas. With this comes the necessity of accepting others’ cultures and opinions.

It is important because to maximise the value we bring to a community, we must recognise our piece as a part of the bigger pie. Cultural transformation is an essential tool for all businesses to move forward in the working world.

Recently, 10X Innovation Lab had the pleasure of sitting down with Max Shkud, Head of Learning at Microsoft Silicon Valley. He walked us through understanding the basics of cultural transformation within a workplace, how to set yourself up for success in HR, as well as some thoughts about the coronavirus and opportunities for people working towards creating cultural change in the workplace.

In this article, we share with you his tips and tricks and that will get you to think critically about your role in your organisation.

The digital movement revolution

With the changing times, the majority of the emerging world is pushing to become more technologically literate. Technology is a tool that can be used to set up your business, making it adaptable, easier to communicate within, and even easier to participate in international exchanges.

The move to digital infrastructure is necessary to do business in the modern world. This need is rooted in human resources and stems up through the rest of the business.

Also Read: Values need to go beyond the company handbook, but should be embodied by everyone in the organisation

Understanding the bigger picture

One of the key components in working towards a better corporate culture is to understand the overall objective and mission of the company. When you can put the company’s needs above yours, you become a better team player. You and your peers can set aside personal objectives and focus on the bigger goal.

Max talks about how for years the “business side” and “HR side” of a company have been seen as two different sides. To move forward and be truly transformed, all aspects of a business must come together and understand their position in the bigger picture.

Examples of cultural shifts

Culture is dictated by a set strategic direction established by leadership within an organisation. This is why it is so important that every single tier of the corporate structure can understand their role within the business, as well as what the objectives or goals of the business at large are.

Max references the example of leadership at Microsoft where initially under Bill Gates and then later Steve Balmer, the culture of the company was completely different. He emphasises the importance of social awareness—what might have worked for businesses ten or even five years ago may no longer be relevant. It is important to stay informed about cultural norms and find ways to implement them into your organisation.

Strategies for transformation

The best way to integrate processes for cultural transformation within a workplace is by designing a specific strategy that is tailored to your business. Digital transformation and cultural transformation are by no means a “one size fits all.” Each company, and even divisions within an organisation, must develop its strategy for digital integration.

Sit down with your team and discuss what their priorities and objectives are

Follow this up by asking why these priorities mean so much to them. Are you able to find common ground between employees? Use this to structure how you want developmental digital change to be executed within your organisation.

Send out a survey

Include questions about the company, questions about what employees think their role within the company is, and potential places where employees think there can be an improvement. In the analysis of the survey, you will most likely find common trends or patterns due to miscommunication.

This can be a useful tool to refer to when assigning tasks. It can also help determine what values and culture the people within an organisation seek. Use this to evaluate strengths and weaknesses in your corporate culture.

Also Read: Digital Economy Forum 2020: Accelerating digital transformation for genuine innovation

Having a small focus group can be another way to evaluate the same metrics

Create a cross-functional task force that is assigned to facilitate cultural transformation. Include representatives from HR, leadership, and all parts of the organisation. Having a diverse group of people will help break out from the “one size fits all” model.

Cultural transformation occurs both in and outside the office. To effectively transform you not only have to re-educate your employees but also your partners and other stakeholders. While creating structures and processes is crucial, so is the people’s side. Get to know your organisation’s stakeholders, including employees and partners, on a deeper level. Getting their buy-in is an important step in reaching your cultural and digital transformation goals.

Get better insights into your organisation’s culture through the eyes of your customer

Customers want to buy from companies who they believe are innovators. Customers often will be able to provide an unbiased viewpoint on how your innovation efforts or lack thereof. The customer’s perception will help you not only improve your innovation and transformation processes but will help you better understand how to communicate your progress publicly.

In resolving cultural conflict 

Reconciling cultural differences is often about “ego” as Max puts it. Often, when there is a cultural conflict it has very little to do with the actual culture itself but rather a clash of people who want to be right.

In addressing how to move forward from situations like this, remember the bigger picture and the strategic direction of the company. When we learn to put our egos behind us, we face a more productive and reasonable conversation, which is beneficial to all parties involved.

To wrap it all up, whether an organisation is as large as Microsoft or as small as just a startup with a few people, cultural and digital transformation play an important role in achieving success.

Using strategies to digitise and culturally adapt to your business will help you move forward and outplay competitors. It all starts with being aware and understanding your core purpose within an organisation.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.

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Singapore-based OrderEZ, which provides a business management platform for F&B suppliers and venues, announced today it has raised over US$374,731 (S$500,000) in a seed funding round from undisclosed investors.

The fresh funds will be used to consolidate its operations locally as well as expand its solution to Australia and New Zealand.

“With our recent funding, our immediate goal is to expand our presence in Singapore and grow into Australia, helping more suppliers and venues minimise human error, grow their revenue, and use data to add value to whoever, wherever they are in the supply chain,” said co-founder Jeffrey Meese.

Founded in 2019, OrderEZ enables suppliers and outlets to centralise critical business processes related to their F&B business.

Also Read: Food Market Hub lands US$4M Series A to grow its cloud-based F&B management biz beyond Malaysia

Its key services include tracking of sales, deal pipelines and ROI, along with bookkeeping, inventory management, automated order tracking and a driver app to capture delivery data.

The company runs on a cloud-based system to keep track of sourcing, food procurement, costs, inventory and operational tasks.

OrderEZ has different pricing for both suppliers and outlets.

Suppliers can avail the lite service for US$150 while the premium service stands at US$224. While outlets can use the service for free , they need to pay US$74 for the premium version, according to the company’s website.

It claims to have onboarded over 500 F&B suppliers and venues in Singapore alone and aims to grow its user base 10x by year-end.

“As the adoption of digital-only solutions grows, there is a strong case to be made for holistic solutions in the F&B sector. Our platform is robust enough to be a standalone solution and yet flexible enough to complement existing ERP systems, allowing users of all sizes access to tools that are catered specifically to their industry,” said co-founder Andrew Creswick.

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Over the past two decades, firms across many industries have gone through digital transformation. This level of digitalisation has paved the way for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to be able to utilise innovative solutions to gain a competitive edge in a cutthroat business world.

Now, technology-driven innovations have lowered the barriers to entry in the finance sector, one that has been long regarded as a traditional industry. These disruptive solutions have the capability to reshape the face of financing in a once-conservative sector, be it for traditional banks or fintech companies.

The love-hate relationship with fintech and traditional banks

With the entry of fintech firms into the market, retail banks are faced with a new and direct competition. Both function as a financing option for businesses. However, there is also a seemingly ideal allyship in this scenario. Retail banks have the capital and know-how to develop in-house operations to power their digitised processes.

Also, they have the resources and foundation that fintech companies can benefit from in a partnership between the two. Typically, digital banks can choose to outsource aspects of their business to fintechs, resulting in a dual-situation of competition and partnership.

As practical as it seems, it may not always be that easy. Traditional banks have access to multiple partners, potentially harbouring fierce competition among fintech companies. As banks start to embrace technology, these established ‘big fish’ can leverage cutting-edge solutions from fintechs of their choosing without the same level of reciprocity.

Discovering new models to combine their strengths

It goes without saying that in an era of digitisation, it is impractical to work solely on the traditional business model. Banks need help. Fintech companies have a narrower focus, which translates into expertise, on certain aspects that can power the processes of traditional-style banking.

Also Read: The SEA startup ecosystem kicks off the new year with a flood of fintech investment

A prime example is through open banking platforms. The integration of third-party services into digital banking platforms has given financial services a whole facelift, from improved customer experience to round-the-clock accessibility, among others.

Collaboration between fintechs and digital banks allows for a more flexible and holistic experience for the end-consumer. The use of technology can also accelerate financial decisions. To put it into perspective, this coexistence can be seen in origination and lending platforms, omnichannel merchant platforms, and cloud services with cybersecurity and IT infrastructure requirements.

Digital banks and fintech can collaborate to benefit each other

One obstacle that comes with this high-tech upgrade is an almost directly proportionate increase in regulation. The need for digitalisation is almost a necessity in current times, but in doing so can bring in its own host of challenges. Since traditional banks have built a rapport for secure and safe banking, the market may be wary of this shift to an all-online model. To gather the same amount of trust that traditional banks have fostered over its history may be a gruelling process for new market players.

As the Neobanking phenomenon continues to take over the world, these virtual-only banks move users from physical branches online, and in turn, raise the prominence of the issues.

To combat issues such as security risks and fraud in the acceleration of digital banking, governments have been pushed to develop new regulations. These legislation frameworks are put out to reassure and protect customers.

At the same time, smaller companies may be vulnerable to new regulations. For instance, digital banking licenses can put a dent in the financial plan for startups. Traditional banks looking to tap into digital banking will need to provide proof of expertise in several industries for an operating license.

These requirements also include a need for “further financial inclusion, technological innovation, customer analytics, and a solid understanding of banking risk management and compliance.”

Fintechs, however, are currently not grappled by the same rules and regulations that digital banks may face as they start to pivot. This gives them an edge since their growth is not constrained by the same decree.

Also Read: From professor to fintech entrepreneur: why David Chen of Atome decided to make the switch

Now is the time to break tradition and shape to future of banking

Fintech startup Jenfi, provides financing options in the same market share as many online banking providers. This, however, does not eradicate the possibility of a complementary partnership with digital banking services. The said partnership between Jenfi and digital banks could set a precedent for improved digital banking services – underwriting in specific market segments such as eCommerce and analysis of ROI of productive spending and investments.

Around the world, internet penetration rates is at an all-time high. In conjunction with digital transformation in organisations, this rise in online consumption from tech-savvy individuals drives the demand and need for innovative and digitised financial solutions. When it comes to the latest innovations in fintech, the generally positive media buzz and the fresh image seem to appeal to consumers.

Increasingly, consumers are realising that financial management and embracing technology is the way forward – a public sentiment that has evolved over the years. Technology-driven solutions, including digital banking apps and eWallets, are dominating the market right now, as a result of convenience.

In the last decade, the interaction between financial institutions and the market has evolved drastically as banking goes through transformations. Today, people demand control. Enter the partnership model for fintech and digital banking; they work together hand-in-hand to leverage on new technologies, in a win-win solution. With continuous disruptions and higher adoption, the alliance between banks and fintech will only grow to shape the future of banking in the years to come.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post.

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How people do business has changed over the last 30 years, and the internet has been an incredible catalyst for such change. Learn from Greg Zen, an entrepreneur and futurist exactly the why, how and what that’s changed.

We discuss:

• Introduction of the internet
• Dot-com bust
• Recovery and 9/11 mini-crash
• The rise of social media and accelerators
• What the future might look like
• And more!

If you don’t see the Apple player above, click on a link below to listen directly!

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This article was first published on We Live To Build.

Image Credit: Michal Czyz on Unsplash

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Cold emails, cold calls, and cold messaging are dead. How many times have you heard it? If you believe these channels are indeed dead, then all marketing channels are. The real problem is how cold outreach works today. Scrape the contacts. Set up automation. Spam them all. Pray that somebody will reply. Rinse and repeat.

Let’s be clear: this is not an outreach; it’s spam. And this approach is dead. To have success with cold outreach, you should:

• Be very clear who your ideal customer profile (ICP) is, the buying committee structure, and how they typically buy products like yours
• Warm-up and engage the entire buying committee
• Leverage intent data to seize the moment and reach out at the right time to the right people
• Master social selling
• Personalise your outreach

In this article, I’ll skip the ICP part assuming you have it, and share with you practical examples of warming-up programmes, social selling and personalised outreach.

Start with warming up a buying committee before the outreach

People buy from people they know, like, and trust. When I discuss this inevitable law of marketing with my clients’ marketers or SDRs, they always nod their heads in agreement. My next question usually makes them numb:

If you know and accept this, why don’t you warm up and build a relationship with your target accounts before reaching out to them?

Here is a step by step guide:

Connect on LinkedIn with the entire buying committee (or on another channel they hang out), engage with their content, and start conversations

First, connect with the champion, and give a “value-add,” not just a generic connection. Try to set up a call to learn more and see how you can help them. Help deliver more value and build a real relationship, don’t just sell them.

When the relationship is built, connect with the decision-maker. Here is an example. Now the key persons inside your target organisation are aware of you and your product. You built trust and relationship, and once there is a need, you’ll be the first company they look to. Of course, like any relationship, this one needs to be nurtured.

Also Read: 5 email outreach tips to aid your startup marketing efforts

Invite your prospects for an interview (podcast, YouTube, or use their quotes in a blog post)

On this step you kill two birds with one stone. Here’s why:

You deliver value up front by giving a PR to your target account.
You build a relationship and learn more about the goals and needs of your target job role.

You analyse if there is a match between your product and their needs. You introduce your product and ask your prospect if they know anybody in their network who might be interested so you can get priceless intros. I learned the process from James Carbary.

Warm up your target accounts with targeted ads on Facebook and LinkedIn

If you have a spare budget, add your target accounts to one of your custom audiences on LinkedIn and Facebook, and retarget them with your best top-of-funnel (TOFU) content and bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content

Involve target accounts into discussions on social media.

If you regularly post content on LinkedIn, tag your accounts in the posts that might be relevant to them or dm them with a link to the post asking for their opinion.

Host a warm up virtual event

Before making an outreach, try to run an event where you can introduce (not pitch) your product and make your audience aware of the way you solve their challenges. You can manually invite your target accounts. Here is how.

Leverage intent data to reach out at the right moment

To significantly improve your outreach campaigns’ positive reply rate, you need to leverage intent data and set up outreach triggers.

Here are the three most efficient ways to use the intent data:

IP-identification

IP-identification software (like Albacross or Leadfeeder) demonstrates to you what web pages your target accounts viewed, how much time they spent on your website and on what stage of the buying journey they are.

By knowing this, you can adopt outreach strategy with the right CTA:

• Share case studies or articles for those that are at the awareness stage, and ask if that is helpful. Try to establish a relationship, and ask: why were you searching for this article or product?
• Share comparison reports, webinars, market research, or case studies for those who are considering alternatives.
• Share case studies and suggest a free consultation to those on the decision-making stage. Usually, these are the people who visited your product/service page several times and spent some decent time on it.

Here’s an example of an outreach trigger you can set up:

If a company visited your product page several times and spent 30 minutes on your website, it is a good signal they are doing research and might be interested in chatting with you.

Also Read: How to increase at least 15 per cent ROI by running a successful email outreach campaign

When the criteria are met, you can connect with a target job role on LinkedIn or another channel, and follow-up by email. Here is a practical example.

Manual research

Intent data is not limited to just website visitors. Multiple vendors (like Bombora) can help you identify what topics your target accounts are looking for. You can also perform manual research.

To do this, analyse your target account’s product roadmap, check their press releases, or read/listen to their executives’ interviews about strategic goals and initiatives.

Once you see the match between their goals and your product, it’s an excellent time to reach out with a personalized proposal.

Engagement with your team’s or company’s updates

This last one is my favourite.

When the buying committee members of your target accounts engage with your updates on LinkedIn or other social media, this is a perfect trigger to open a conversation, define the challenges, current state, and find a match.

The good news is you don’t need a big network, hundreds of likes and comments, or thousands of views of your posts to generate leads. All you need is creating a simple document and map out all the questions your target accounts have at different stages of the customer journey.

Also Read: These 6 actionable lead management tips can accelerate your ROI

The next steps are straightforward:

• Connect with the entire buying committee
• Engage with their updates by commenting and sending private messages
• Post answers to their questions as posts, tag them in the comments, and share your posts via private messages asking their opinion

When they engage with your content, you have endless opportunities to start the conversation.

Here is a typical process we use with our clients:

One caveat: don’t focus on the vanity metrics such as likes, views, or comments. Your key metrics are:
# of sales conversations your teams started
# of inbound inquiries

The outreach based on intent data shouldn’t be a straightforward pitch. Your goal is to open a conversation. Otherwise, your outreach continues to be a “game of numbers.”

In conclusion

Cold outreach is not dead. What is dead is how many B2B companies are doing it: spamming or cold calling anyone who could be interested in your product.

To get maximum results from the outreach campaigns, you need to:

• Create your ideal customer profile, understand their buying journey from the research to team consideration, figure out the questions, concerns, and doubts they have at different stages
• Warm up your target accounts before the outreach
• Leverage intent data to do a timely and highly personalised outreach. Your call to action should be aligned with the buyer’s journey stage of your prospect.

Your goal is starting the conversation and learning more about your target account needs, and if there’s a match, suggest a call to talk about possible collaboration.

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It has been a whirlwind week for those in Myanmar.

After weeks of worsening political tensions, the Burmese military staged a coup on Monday with the detention of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and key government officials from the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) in an early morning raid.

Soldiers occupied roads in the capital Nay Pyi Taw and economic centre Yangon. International and domestic broadcasting channels, including the state broadcaster, went off air as the military tightened its rein on any potential fallout from the coup.

For a moment, the Burmese population was disconnected from the world as internet and phone lines were cut off. The military moved swiftly to “shuffle the cabinet” by Monday night, announcing the removal of 24 ministers and deputies across portfolios including finance, health and foreign affairs.

Despite the sensational nature of the takeover, there has been no major violence reported.

“This coup brought back old memories of the same situation that happened in 1988 where there was a lot of riots, violence and bloodshed. One good thing this time is that people on the ground are adopting a more peaceful approach to the situation,” Nay Min Thu, Managing Director of property portal iMyanmar, told e27.

Also Read: How did emerging markets in Southeast Asia fare in 2020?

Thu shared businesses have been affected and many, including iMyanmar, had to temporarily close their offices. For companies who have continued to adopt remote working practises, the impact on their businesses was less severe.

Justin Sway, CEO of digital classifieds platform ShweProperty (run by MMOne Group), shared his businesses have not experienced an impact to operations thus far as they have remained under COVID-19 business continuity plans.

Hoping for the best

Despite the varying impact on Myanmarnese businesses, one thing remains clear. A peaceful transition of power (either to a military or the NLD-led government) would represent the best solution.

“The business community is hoping that the military will maintain power for one year, hold another election and return the power to the elected civilian government,” Thu said.

“We hope this does not hinder the continued successful growth and GDP that Myanmar has been experiencing in recent years,” added Sway.

Financial data firm Fitch Solutions told BBC Asia that prior to the coup, strong economic growth of six per cent was expected for the next financial year. However, it now expects the growth to be cut in half due to impending economic sanctions resulting from the coup.

Also Read: How understanding culture can drive the digitalisation of payments in Myanmar

The country cannot afford an economic slowdown. With poverty rates at an all-time high of 27 per cent, economic sanctions could wreak havoc and bring about unnecessary social unrest.

iMyanmar’s Thu further said the coup could set off a domino effect, with those residing in the low-income tier suffering the most. “The economy has already suffered because of the pandemic, and we are hoping that the current situation is not adding fuel to the fire.”

With the political certainty of Myanmar shrouded in uncertainty and the situation remains volatile, it is anyone’s guess on how the situation will pan out.

Optimistic

However, startups e27 spoke to remain optimistic about their business. Thu opined that iMyanmar remained profitable and cash flow positive despite the lockdown last year and had experienced strong sales in January 2021.

“The real estate sector remains one of the fastest-growing sectors here. Hence, I strongly believe we will emerge stronger for the current situation as well,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Sway is going ahead with his business continuity plans set during the pandemic. He added MMOne is looking to invest in new products and services to better serve customers and gain an advantage over their competitors. This would allow the group to better position itself to rebound stronger post-coup, he noted.

Despite reports that foreign investment into Myanmar has slowed, Foodpanda recently announced it was moving ahead with its Myanmar expansion, as per a Reuters report. However, the food delivery giant noted that it was monitoring the situation and would assess that before committing to a number of stores.

Zero-sum game

Nonetheless, we should not be deceived by the seemingly positive outlook shared. It is likely startups in Myanmar would be negatively affected by the impending sanctions and decreased foreign investment into the country.

Also Read: Ascent Capital closes its debut Myanmar-focused fund at US$88M

The effect of decreased foreign investment would have a greater impact on startups than traditional corporations, given the increased reliance on the venture capital by these early-stage companies.

It is certainly a pity the military had to resort to such ways to express its disdain at the elections. Myanmar was just beginning to see a beacon of hope with the economy growing at over seven per cent y-o-y since the country’s opening in 2011. In the same time, poverty almost halved to 25 per cent in 2017, as per the World Bank data.

All we can do now is hold our breath and hope the situation would play out peacefully, with the military returning control of the government to the civilian leaders after a year – as what Nay had hoped.

Until then, it seems the military is playing a zero-sum game with the economy and livelihoods of 54 million at stake.

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The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) announced today it has awarded MYR6.2 million (US$1.5 million) worth of grants to 66 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and service sector companies.

The grants were awarded under the government’s Pelan Jana Semula Ekonomi Negara 2020 Smart Automation Grant (SAG) initiative, as per a Digital News Asia report.

The 66 local recipients hailed from a wide range of sectors, including wholesale and retail trade, tourism and education.

Released in July 2020, the SAG was launched to encourage companies in the service sector to adopt digitalisation processes and automate their business.

The grant is part of the larger Penjana initiative aiming to encourage the implementation of digital tools in SMEs. The initiative is key to MDEC’s mission to assist SMEs and mid-tier companies to digitalise and thrive in the fourth industrial revolution, where digital processes are set to be the norm.

Also Read: MDEC joins hands with 11 ECF platforms to provide funding to Malaysia’s micro companies with cash-flow problems

“The outcome-based matching grant will assist these companies to accelerate automation and achieve productive results, such as increased revenues; savings in business costs; reduction of the process time cycle and man-hours spent; and creating new sources of growth,” said Raymond Siva, CMO and Head of Digital Investments and Brand at MDEC.

Covering a 4-month duration, successful applicants are allocated up to half of their total project cost, subject to a limit of MYR200,000 (US$49,300). The remaining amount will be distributed based on the fulfilment of agreed key deliverables.

“The socio-economic impact of the global pandemic had forced businesses to put on their digital thinking hat and bring forward their digitalisation plans. To support them, the government, through MDEC, developed this specific matching grant for SMEs and mid-tier companies to provide them with the ability to build their digital capabilities and capacities,” said Surina Shukri, CEO, MDEC.

“The goal is to ensure they are ready to make that leap into the digital era, as this is part of MDEC’s efforts to realise the vision of Malaysia 5.0 and open up the digital economy for the many,” she added.

Collectively, the Malaysian government had allocated a total of MYR10 million (US$2.45 million) for MDEC under the Penjana initiative to spur the digitalisation efforts of local SMEs.

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