How Hyperke Generated 75+ MQLs for Soutron With Research-Led Enterprise Outbound

Soutron sells library, archives and collections software into markets that most B2B databases do not cover well. Its buyers include public libraries, university archives, museums, cultural institutions and legal knowledge teams. Each market has different technology, decision-makers and procurement cycles.

A library replacing its catalog, a museum migrating from PastPerfect and a law firm consolidating research systems will not respond to the same message. Soutron needed a way to identify the full market, understand each account's existing systems and reach the people responsible for a purchase. That meant building the audience and the buying context before launching outreach.

We built the system in three steps: map the market, find the buying trigger, and launch an outreach play tailored to that account.

First, we scoped the total addressable market across public libraries, museums and cultural heritage, university archives and legal teams. Clay served as the central workspace for account mapping, enrichment and segmentation. We expanded contact discovery with Airscale and evaluated additional sources, including Prospeo. We combined this with LibraryTechnology.org, state library directories, association attendee lists, online library catalogs (OPACs), vendor customer lists, museum and institutional websites, and job postings. For public libraries, we built a 50-state plan that distinguished existing customers, remaining accounts, product opportunity and market penetration. We then identified the right librarians, archivists, collections managers, CIOs and procurement stakeholders within those accounts.

Next, we researched what made each institution relevant now: its existing library or collections platform, legacy on-premise software, migration activity, open RFPs, grants, budget cycles, technology hiring, modernization projects, conference attendance, website visits and previous CRM interest. We identified installations of systems including Axiell CALM, PastPerfect, Lucidea/ArchivEra and EOS through catalog footers, institutional websites, vendor references and job descriptions. For one Lucidea account-based campaign, this work identified 468 people across 31 target organizations and produced 382 verified personal emails.

Then we tested 37 distinct GTM plays across market segments, buying signals and sales angles. Public libraries received state-specific messages about SHAREit, interlibrary loans, existing market penetration and ILS replacement. Museums and archives received competitor migration and collections-management messages. University collections were approached through their archival workflows. Legal campaigns targeted librarians, knowledge managers, CIOs and procurement leaders with distinct angles. We also used conference follow-ups, website-visitor outreach and CRM reactivation to engage accounts at the right point in their buying process.

Our strongest cultural heritage campaigns began with a specific question about how an institution managed its collections, not a generic demo pitch. Replies revealed incumbent systems, migration plans, budget timing and the right internal stakeholders. We managed responses, followed up with relevant information, and passed qualified opportunities into Soutron's HubSpot workflow. Every campaign fed new account intelligence into the next.