🧑‍🏫 New RAG Training, 💰 "Anthology Fund" Now Open, 🛒 Top Conversion Tactics

To: My Cleverest Converg-ling

From: The Desk of Lillian Pierson

This Week In Data & AI: July 22, 2024

Anthropic has partnered with Menlo Ventures to establish a $100 million fund called the Anthology Fund. Its purpose is to support AI startups. This fund offers startups access to investment funding, starting at $100k, access to Anthropic's AI models, credits, and expert guidance from the Anthropic team. This initiative is designed to foster future innovation in AI, particularly in fields like healthcare, education, and scientific research. Discover how this partnership can accelerate your startup's growth by reading the full article here.

Free Live Training - Sponsored By SingleStore

Join Wednesday free live training to learn to build a text-to-SQL RAG pipeline with SingleStore and EZ Insights.

Develop the AI engineering skills you need to land opportunities at high-growth startups in Wednesday’s free training.

🤯 According to Democratizing.Finance, the average valuation of AI startups is currently $27 million, with their revenue growth averaging out at 298.4%.

SingleStore and EZ Insights will be hosting a free live training that you can join in real-time to learn how to build a text-to-SQL retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipeline. 

This event will provide step-by-step guidance on leveraging SingleStore's unified database capabilities and EZ Insights' tools to create efficient, AI-driven data queries. 

Develop your technical AI engineering skills and streamline your data processing workflows by attending this informative session. 

Register here to secure your spot.

WEEKLY FOUNDER-LED BRANDING POWER PLAY

How to build a brand that resonates (even if you’re just starting out)...

Back in 2012, when I was just making the transition from traditional marketing to online marketing, I struggled with conveying a consistent value proposition across different platforms. 

My messages were a bit disjointed, and it showed in my engagement metrics. That's when I first saw the need for a powerful messaging framework, especially if you’re building a founder-led brand.

Then in 2019, I was working with a startup that honestly had an incredible solution, but they really struggled to communicate its value consistently. They had fantastic features, but their messaging was inconsistent and confusing to potential customers. 

The solution? We created a messaging framework.

We defined their core values, crafted key messages, and then worked to ensure that every piece of communication reflected these principles.

Here’s a hint on the types of core values and character traits that are sure to open more doors for you:

The results were astounding. The brand became recognizable, the message was crystal clear, and our engagement skyrocketed.

Lesson:

A messaging framework should be the backbone of your brand communication, especially when you’re building a founder-led brand. This type of framework builds trust and recognition organically by supporting a clear and consistent communication of your value proposition.

Takeaway:

Create a messaging framework that consistently conveys your value proposition. Define your core values, craft your key messages, and ensure every piece of communication aligns with these principles. 

Your brand’s identity and trustworthiness will thank you.

Want deeper guidance and input from me on how to build a powerful founder-led brand? Grab your copy of Visible today and put my strategies to work for you.

CONVERSION CORNER

5 conversion tactics to turn leads into loyal customers (without the struggle)

As a Fractional CMO for B2B tech companies, I speak to a lot of founders and leaders of B2B tech companies that are REALLY struggling to convert their leads into loyal customers. While I can’t take on every potential client, I love that I can use this newsletter as a way to help such brand. 

Here are 5 conversion tactics that have consistently worked for my clients:

1. Personalized communications: Be sure you’re tailoring your messages to address the specific needs and pain points of your leads. Personalization builds trust and shows that you care about them and their unique situation.

2. Multi-channel engagement: Never rely on a single marketing channel. Use a combination of email, social media, community, and/or other channels to build omni-presence that keeps your leads engaged, informed, and impressed.

3. Value-driven content: Offer free content that provides real value. This could include whitepapers, case studies, webinars, or long-form YouTube videos. This positions your brand as a helpful resource that actually cares about your customers.

4. Consistent follow-ups: Follow-up consistently, but without being pushy. Automated email sequences are a great way to stay on top of this without overwhelming your team.

5. Exclusive offers: Provide exclusive offers or early access to new products as a way to reward your leads and encourage them to become customers.

These tactics have helped my clients (including several Fortune 100 companies) to achieve predictable, measurable results.

If you're struggling to convert leads, try incorporating these tactics into your strategy. Want to learn more about how to implement these tactics effectively? Let’s connect and discuss. 

DOES YOUR GROWTH STRATEGY PASS THE AI-READINESS TEST?

I’ve put these processes to work for Fortune 100 companies, and now I’m handing them to you…