For companies in specialized industries such as steel manufacturing, achieving consistent lead generation across multiple European markets can be challenging. NLMK Clabecq, a renowned producer of high-quality steel plates for demanding industrial applications — including QUARD (wear-resistant steel) and QUEND (high-yield structural steel) — faced exactly this scenario. They had strong products, excellent engineering, and an established reputation. However, generating qualified leads in key European countries was proving difficult.
To address these specific challenges, NLMK Clabecq initially approached us to improve their website. As we gained deeper insight into their situation, it became clear that a targeted growth marketing strategy would deliver real and measurable results to support their objectives.
A Double Challenge: A Website Built for Lead Generation + Targeted Growth Marketing
Step One: Strengthening the Online Foundation
A critical first step was ensuring that when potential buyers landed on the site, they quickly found what they needed. Our website & CMS development team focused on:
- A dedicated landing page: We created a focused space to explain QUARD and QUEND in terms that resonate with engineering, construction, and heavy-equipment buyers.
- Lead capture: The journey on the landing page has been thought to be effortless for prospects to request specs or speak with a sales rep.
- Subtle performance upgrades: Regular plugin updates, minor design refreshes, and behind-the-scenes maintenance optimized the site for faster load times and a smoother user path.
By considering marketing needs from the beginning, the site was built to support lead generation.
Step Two: Crafting a Multi-Campaign Growth Strategy on LinkedIn
With a new digital asset in place, the question became how to drive the right eyes to that landing page – and turn them into leads. Our growth marketing team suggested a series of interconnected, data-driven campaigns on LinkedIn that leveraged three key pillars:
- Brand Awareness: Build awareness of QUARD and QUEND among targeted decision makers in the construction, lifting equipment, heavy equipment and related industries.
- Follower acquisition: Building a relevant LinkedIn community meant more than just driving numbers; it was about fostering ongoing engagement with an audience that genuinely cared about stainless steel.
- Lead Conversion: Capturing qualified leads through targeted campaigns offering high-value content (such as product brochures) in exchange for contact information that feeds directly into NLMK’s sales pipeline.
Throughout, our team monitored performance, shifting spend to the best-performing regions. Our approach was to regularly fine-tune targeting, messaging and budgets in real time.
Agility, Collaboration, and Tangible Results
By combining website optimization with a dynamic growth marketing approach, NLMK Clabecq has seen tangible results:
- Brand visibility: Awareness campaigns reached the right professionals at half the industry benchmark CPM, introducing QUARD and QUEND to key markets.
- Follower growth: Achieved a cost per follower of just €0.13, ensuring sustained engagement beyond the campaign.
- Lead generation performance: Across European markets, we generated 255 qualified leads, with a strong 53.6% completion rate on lead forms. These ads also benefited from an optimized cost per lead (€14 in key markets), remaining competitive within the B2B industrial sector.
- Optimized budget allocation: By monitoring real-time metrics, we shifted investment away from inefficient markets to maximize results in higher performing regions.
Thinking about your next steps?
If you’re in a manufacturing or industrial sector, you may be wondering how to translate your expertise into consistent leads across multiple markets. NLMK Clabecq’s journey shows that combining a user-friendly web experience with highly targeted paid campaigns can dramatically increase reach, even for niche products.
Is your website ready to engage the right audience when they arrive?
Do you have a strategy to build ongoing brand awareness while capturing real leads?
Could LinkedIn’s specialized targeting open doors to new markets for you?
Wherever you are, remember that success isn’t just about having the right tools. It’s about creating a real, relevant story around your offerings, and then delivering that story where decision-makers actually spend their time. When development, marketing, and customer teams work together as one – adapting to market realities in real time – you turn an ambitious plan into a lasting competitive advantage.
Looking for a team to help you achieve this? Contact us to receive a tailored quote for your digital projects.