Eric Baum Leading Bluleadz to 200% Growth
Key Takeaways
- Eric slashed customer acquisition costs from $365 to $45 per call through website, SEO, and PPC strategies
- Bluleadz achieved 100% growth for three of the past five years and was targeting 200% growth
- Investing in team training from leaders like Paul Roetzer and Marcus Sheridan accelerates agency capabilities
Eric Baum, founder and CEO of Bluleadz, joins the show in episode 8 of the Inbound Agency Journey to share his journey from plumbing franchise owner to inbound agency leader.
An Unconventional Origin
Eric is a serial entrepreneur who came to inbound marketing out of necessity. Back in 2006, he owned several plumbing franchises and the cost of acquiring customers through traditional channels was unsustainable at $365 per call. He jumped into online marketing and slashed that cost to $45 per call through website optimization, SEO, and PPC strategies. That dramatic improvement led him to found Bluleadz to serve 35+ plumbing franchise clients with the same approach.
Sustained Growth
Bluleadz got in on the ground floor of HubSpot in 2009 and achieved 100% growth for three of the past five years. At the time of the interview, Eric was targeting 200% growth for 2015, driven by expanded service offerings and a growing client base.
Investing in the Team
Eric’s approach to growth includes significant investment in team training. He brought in leaders like Paul Roetzer from PR20/20 and Marcus Sheridan from The Sales Lion to train the Bluleadz team. This investment in outside expertise accelerated the team’s capabilities and brought new perspectives to their service delivery.
The agency was also preparing to launch a new sales enablement product in Q2 2015, diversifying their revenue beyond traditional retainer services. Eric recommends tools including SpyFu, BuiltWith, Teamwork, Google Apps, and Tony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Mode for personal productivity.