ModumUp - Social Selling for B2B

ModumUp - Social Selling for B2B Social Selling for B2B Lead Generation

How do you build trust in strategic accounts before the first sales conversation?Irina Chernova, Demand Marketing Manage...
07/16/2026

How do you build trust in strategic accounts before the first sales conversation?

Irina Chernova, Demand Marketing Manager EMEA & LATAM at NetApp, and Olga Bondareva, Founder of ModumUp, walked through a year-long case study at our online event on July 8.

Below is a recap of the session.

NetApp sells into enterprise accounts with long sales cycles and large buying committees. New roles keep showing up on those committees too: AI, DevOps, and cloud leaders. For NetApp, ABM came down to figuring out who actually influences a deal and connecting with them through people already inside the company. They treated it as customer experience and sales alignment, not a standalone marketing program. The pilot ran across 10 strategic accounts in finance, oil and gas, services, and telco.

Olga walked through how Social Selling fit into that. The team already had a target account list, so the next steps were finding buying committee members on LinkedIn, picking the right internal profiles to represent the company, and using content and events as a natural excuse to open a private conversation. The rollout started with Irina's own profile, then moved to exclusive content, an executive profile, and eventually BDRs.

They tested the approach around NetApp Insight, warming people up before, during, and after the event. Irina then shared gated research where people had to comment or message to get it. That soft mechanic, paired with an already-warmed audience, brought in people from target companies who could be handed to sales as SQLs. Seeing that human layer between marketing and sales work is what convinced the team to scale it. From there they added an executive profile for peer-to-peer outreach with decision-makers, and a lot of C-level prospects went straight to DMs. BDRs joined last. One of them said social media gave him access to people he never could have cold-called, because they already recognized his profile.

The result: around $20M in deals tied to large AI deployments, and roughly 3x growth in leads.

Watch the full session: https://youtu.be/AX51HlQ5c3E
Read the detailed recap: https://modumup.com/blog/netapps-approach-to-social-selling-and-abm

Recently, our team reviewed LinkedIn outreach messages and discussed the copy mistakes that lower conversion into leads....
06/25/2026

Recently, our team reviewed LinkedIn outreach messages and discussed the copy mistakes that lower conversion into leads.

LinkedIn outreach rarely fails because of one major mistake. More often, small copy decisions make a message feel generic, pushy, or too demanding.

Here are the patterns we discussed - and what we are changing.

1. The first message explains instead of creating curiosity

Some messages try to answer every possible question before the recipient has shown interest. The result is a small product brochure in the inbox.

A better approach: give enough context to show why the message is relevant, but leave room for a question. A reply such as “Can you tell me more?” means the conversation has started.

2. The message sounds judgmental

Questions such as “Are you still doing this manually?” can make the recipient feel criticized or behind the market.

A better approach: ask neutral questions such as “What do you use for this today?” or “How much time does your team spend on this step?” You get the same information without putting the person on the defensive.

3. Follow-ups make the person feel guilty

“In case you missed my last message” may sound harmless, but it can feel like blame.

A better approach: make each follow-up useful on its own. Add one relevant detail, a short example, or a new reason to reply.

4. The copy relies on mass-outreach phrases

“Quick question,” “Just following up,” and overly polished paragraphs are easy to recognize. Once recipients spot the pattern, they are less likely to consider the offer.

A better approach: write like a person in a real conversation. Keep the message short, specific, and natural.

5. The next step asks for too much too early

When someone asks for an example and receives “Let’s book a call,” the conversation often stops. A calendar slot requires more commitment than another reply.

A better approach: share the example, ask for an email only when needed, provide demo access in the thread, and suggest a call once the person has enough context.

6. The same messages go to different roles

A message based on one pain point is often reused across industries and job titles. Even a strong offer can feel irrelevant when it does not reflect the recipient’s responsibilities.

A better approach: connect the message to the role. Talk about risk with risk leaders, hiring time with hiring leaders, and processes and workload with operations professionals.

LinkedIn outreach still works when the message respects the reader, gives them a reason to respond, and does not ask for too much too soon.

Wishing you success with your Social Selling efforts!

In a recent episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders Podcast, Olga Bondareva, founder of ModumUp, talks about demand generat...
06/18/2026

In a recent episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders Podcast, Olga Bondareva, founder of ModumUp, talks about demand generation in B2B with experts from enterprise companies:

• Irina Chernova, Demand Marketing Manager EMEA & LATAM at NetApp
• Aleksandra Savina, Demand Generation Manager, Global Marketing at Thermo Fisher Scientific

The experts shared how demand generation works in practice at two large B2B companies. Irina Chernova at NetApp described targeted demand as the last mile between strategic programs and sales conversations, with pipeline created and won pipeline as core KPIs.

Aleksandra Savina at Thermo Fisher Scientific runs global demand gen programs in the proteomics division, building campaigns around buyer questions rather than product features.

On what works, Irina Chernova shared how monthly engineering webinars became one of NetApp's strongest ongoing campaigns after the team expanded the audience, added follow-up, and repurposed recordings for lead acquisition. Aleksandra Savina described a 3-4 month proteomics program built around one educational topic across a webinar, white paper, blog, and social channels.

The speakers were also open about less successful initiatives. At NetApp, appointment-setting with external vendors did not deliver the expected pipeline - nurture through content worked better for their model. Aleksandra Savina noted that promoting a single asset without a full customer journey rarely delivers results, and that educational landing pages with too many CTAs often underperform compared with permanent site pages.

Both experts said a large share of the role is orchestration across field marketing, events, communications, digital, and sales. On AI, they start with goals, not tools: Copilot for planning and scheduling, HubSpot for analytics and AI search visibility, with FAQ content and llms.txt as early steps for LLM presence.

A big thanks to Irina and Aleksandra for a great and insightful conversation!

You can check out the full episode on the B2B Marketing Leaders Podcast:

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UldbYypT4_I
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wY46WfJSb3QV1OwqJS2nh
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/demand-generation-in-b2b-insights-from-netapp-and/id1852582740?i=1000773161818
Also, read the full article summary of the episode here: https://modumup.com/blog/9g9i7eooi1-thermo-fisher-scientific-and-netapp-on-d

On our team call last week, we discussed how Social Selling supports RFP-related work.One robotics client actively parti...
06/11/2026

On our team call last week, we discussed how Social Selling supports RFP-related work.

One robotics client actively participates in RFPs. When they weren’t on the invite list, our team reached out to procurement to check if the process was open (even though we already knew it was ) - and the client got invited to participate. We also help this client find potential partners on LinkedIn by checking who has bid on similar public RFPs and suggesting collaborations to strengthen proposals.

For another project in the automotive industry, the project manager noted, “our client doesn’t participate in RFPs. We asked several times.” We responded that asking sales reps is one perspective - the budget owner might see things differently. With AI, we can pull open RFPs in that industry in about ten minutes and provide real examples instead of just debating it.

Another client in retail automation chose not to participate in RFPs at all, since the process could last a year with no guarantee - and they don’t have the resources for that.

So yes, it’s a choice - participate or not, invest or not. But if you do choose to participate, procurement and sourcing should be part of your Social Selling plan. Published RFPs are usually just the last visible step.

Wishing everyone success in Social Selling!

Our AI-native system keeps growing, and we're integrating it into more of our daily workflows at ModumUp. It saves hours...
06/04/2026

Our AI-native system keeps growing, and we're integrating it into more of our daily workflows at ModumUp. It saves hours of time for our team.

At the core is an internal operating system paired with a database. We gather information from multiple sources, process it, and provide it to agents. The team can also work directly with the data and generate outputs.

Security is a priority: local LLMs handle sensitive data, while cloud models process everything else.

For instance, during a client Zoom call, the system collected notes from the conversation, chat history, project files, and external research. It then built a target company list for ABM outreach on LinkedIn, suggested approaches for each account, and identified contacts inside those companies. The list can go directly into automation tools, but we usually review it manually first.

We also developed a quality control system for LinkedIn posts. It checks over 100 parameters and flags anything that doesn’t match our content guides and best practices.

There are additional applications with our CRM and other workflows.

With an AI-native setup, almost anything that once seemed too complex is now achievable — limited only by time and focus.

06/01/2026

Why revenue alone is not enough to measure marketing success

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders podcast, Rahul Agarwal, Strategic Marketing Manager at Trystar, challenges the idea of relying on a single metric to evaluate marketing performance.

Rahul discusses how focusing solely on revenue or pipeline can mask significant gaps in the funnel, from high traffic that doesn't convert to overlooked opportunities in lead generation. It's important to evaluate the entire marketing process, identifying areas for improvement and uncovering potential revenue that might otherwise be missed.

You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Gwp7JKgjzq8

05/29/2026

How to get marketing budget approved in 5 minutes

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders podcast, Olga Bakanova, Head of Marketing at BESTMIX Software, shares a practical approach to making marketing plans clear and convincing for leadership.

Olga explains why leadership teams often care less about detailed plans and more about expected results, and how tying budget directly to revenue impact simplifies approvals. Olga highlights how focusing on projected marketing contribution to revenue can turn budget discussions into fast, straightforward decisions.

You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Gwp7JKgjzq8

ModumUp spent two years on Social Selling for a corporate workplace SaaS platform. The result: 200 B2B leads and 4 major...
05/28/2026

ModumUp spent two years on Social Selling for a corporate workplace SaaS platform. The result: 200 B2B leads and 4 major enterprise deals from two executive LinkedIn profiles.

Is that a lot or a little for two years? For B2B enterprise with long sales cycles and complex buying committees, it’s a strong outcome.

The product covers corporate email, messenger, video conferencing, cloud storage, and task management. ModumUp managed two executive profiles and focused on CEOs, CIOs, CDOs, and CISOs at large enterprises in banking, retail, manufacturing, logistics, and the public sector.

Audience growth

Over two years, the profiles connected with 4,364 target contacts. Followers grew from 706 to 5,070, and the profiles began appearing in feeds as recognized industry voices.

Content

Case studies with enterprise clients, personal posts, and management topics received the strongest response. A product case study reached over 41,000 views with a 774% view rate, while a personal post about reading habits got 9,000+ views and 80 comments.

LinkedIn Newsletters were launched on both profiles, growing combined subscribers to 1,450. Subscribers get notifications via LinkedIn, push, and email, so the audience sees new issues without the team having to fight the algorithm on every post.

Lead generation

Outreach combined direct-to-the-point messages with softer networking sequences such as useful materials, webinar invites, and conference invitations. 29 of 36 SQLs came from direct messages. Event invitations through DMs brought 610 registrations.

For complex B2B products, LinkedIn works best when inbound and outbound efforts are combined.

Results after two years:
- 4,364 target contacts
- 1,450 Newsletter subscribers
- 610 event registrations
- 164 MQL: shared contacts, requested presentations
- 36 SQL: scheduled calls and meetings
- 4 major enterprise deals closed from leads we passed

The project is ongoing.

Social Selling works — and the numbers show it.

05/27/2026

Why bottom-up budgeting beats traditional marketing planning

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders podcast, Natalija Pavić, Sr. Director of Product Marketing at KIBO Commerce, shares a different approach to marketing planning and budgeting.

Natalija explains why traditional top-down budgeting - based on last year’s numbers - can limit strategy, and how a bottom-up approach allows teams to rebuild plans from scratch based on current goals. This method fosters greater flexibility, promotes strategic thinking, and ensures marketing teams focus on what truly matters in the present.

You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Gwp7JKgjzq8

05/25/2026

How AI speeds up market analysis from weeks to hours

In this episode of the B2B Marketing Leaders podcast, Olga Bakanova, Head of Marketing at BESTMIX Software, shares how AI is transforming market analysis in marketing planning.

With AI, tasks that once took weeks are now completed in just one day, without compromising on quality or depth. Olga emphasizes how AI empowers marketers to create structured market overviews swiftly, accelerating decision-making and enabling more agile planning.

You can watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/Gwp7JKgjzq8

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