Don't Say Content

Moments of chaos are moments of opportunity. That is your marketing mantra heading into 2024. 

In this conversation, Devin and Margaret cut through the chaos that is the present-day marketing landscape to offer marketing leaders a bit of clarity. The key to your company’s strategic growth may not be as complicated as you think. It isn’t another tool in your tech stack, there’s no AI hack, and it’s not something you can gather pixel data on.

Are you ready for this? The answer is… your network. It’s your community and like-minded human beings who may be interested in your brand or product.

Especially in the rat race atmosphere of the VC-backed B2B startup, pressure to achieve meteoric growth at all costs blinds marketers, founders, and the rest of the c-suite to sane, sustainable goals—solutions to growth that don’t require endless budget and a dizzying mix of marketing channels paving the halls of your sales funnel. Lazy girl marketing, if you will.

Jump into the conversation:

(03:00) Why We’re Talking About Community

(13:00) Referral Partnerships for the Win

(24:00) VC’s Missed Opportunity

(36:00) Time to Experiment

(42:00) Stop Measuring by Channel

If you’re ready to take a breather, get back to basics, and create your own job security, tune in to this episode for some real talk and reassurance.

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Most of us used the wrong criteria when we evaluated job opportunities at some point in our careers. 

You know what they are: reactive, emotion-driven departures. Being lured by pay without evaluating the health of the company. Taking a lateral move at a company based on a promise that - if we were looking at the situation objectively we’d know—never results in the upward motion or promotion we were promised. 

The list is long. 

Then comes this point where you not only see the whole game board, but you stop judging it, which frees up your headspace for objective evaluation and strategic career planning. And that’s when things really take off. 

Today we’re tackling a listener question: how do you know when it’s time to leave your job? 

Join Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey as they examine their own career trajectories to extract the decisions that helped them move up to senior-level marketing roles, CEO and then to successful consulting careers.

• Short-term versus long-term—what choices will get you closer to your career objectives? 
• Do you even know what you want? 
• Strategic mindset: aligning your career objectives with the organization to accelerate your progress.
• The crucial role that discomfort plays in your career and how to make it your strategic advantage.

Jump into the conversation:

04:00 Title vs. salary: what matters more?

13:00 Values Influence Leadership Decisions

25:30 When Margaret Almost Missed an Opportunity

The TL;DR? Devin and Margaret want to urge you to analyze opportunities based on personal goals and values, advocating for a more logical and data-driven approach to job decisions rather than simply complaining about current situations. So join us for a discussion that will leave you encouraged to reflect on your career choices, embrace change, and pursue your goals with confidence and clarity.

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Did you attend this year’s HubSpot Inbound conference?

Whether you did or not, Devin and Margaret are here to break down the highlights of everyone's favorite marketing conference. What did they take away? What was their favorite part? (And maybe even spill a little tea about where they leave room for improvement, too.)

From juicy behind-the-scenes details of being a speaker at one of the top marketing conferences to tried-and-true conference strategies, this episode will have you both laughing and learning as Devin and Margaret reflect on their time at Inbound together.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

The power of thinking outside the booth: Devin and Margaret dish on why getting a booth might not be the best move for your event marketing strategy. Discover out-of-the-box ideas that will raise eyebrows and set you apart from the sea of sponsors.

Throw your own party: Who needs a boring sponsored event when you can throw a bar takeover?! Learn how brands grabbed attention, engaged marketers, and made lasting connections (with free drinks—you love to see it). 

Secrets from the green room: Devin and Margaret talk VIP experience for speakers and conference attendees alike, while also discussing some of their favorite backstage marketing efforts they’ve seen and executed—including a backstage video series at Appcues, where they tapped into the adrenaline-fueled minds of speakers post-presentation.

Jump into the conversation:

03:10 VIP vs. Regular Ticket

05:30 Community Over Everything

10:45 Best & Worst Conference Event Marketing Strategies

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Is the marketing industry better or worse off in today’s day and age based on the fact that we have access to more data than we could ever possibly report on?

They share stories of the good and bad ways they’ve seen data used to adjust marketing programs, the power of data in marketing experimentation, and share hot takes they gathered from their friends in the industry.

Since we have so many data points across platforms and initiatives, there’s so much to interpret and use to make decisions. The themes of this podcast can also be summed up in a few questions to help you think about data in your marketing execution:

• Are you using reporting to tell an effective story?
• Can you categorize your marketing goals and results into vital and experimental categories?
• Are you using your data to inform what programs you’re keeping and cutting?

So press play to hear Devin and Margaret dive into the relationship between data and marketing success.

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

We asked, you answered. What are your least favorite marketing jargon terms?

Sourced from our loyal community on LinkedIn, hosts Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey discuss some of the most used marketing terms in the industry today, challenging marketers and executives to move beyond “strategic” and “evergreen” as descriptors of your efforts. And in Devin’s own words, “Say what you actually mean.”

But don’t worry, Devin and Margaret know they aren’t exempt from this industry-wide communication plague. Margaret offers up some of her most-used buzzwords, and they work together to break down what she’s trying to convey when she says “sexy” in a business strategy context. They also dive into why content is their top do-not-say word and how these words become almost meaningless. 

Listen in for:

• Ways to communicate beyond overused buzzwords
• Why prioritizing people-first content moves us away from buzzword trends and into a more authentic marketing industry
• Hot takes and listener submissions to make you laugh about the terms we’ve come to hear too often

Subscribe to our newsletter for bonus content: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius

An award-winning podcast production company working with the largest B2B brands to drive engagement, and retention: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Amplified by Casted

Podcast and video marketing platform for B2B brands to grow their audience and impact the bottom line: https://www.casted.us/

Marketing by Kristina Carson

Digital marketing and social media expert. https://www.kristinacarson.com/

We’re back for season 3 with a topic sent in by a listener: the relationship between sales and marketing.

Fraught relationship or not, there is so much opportunity and growth when these teams are aligned. So why is it so hard to make that happen?

Devin and Margaret challenge leaders to bridge the communication gap with their sales counterparts, and challenge marketers to gain an understanding of how to extract crucial customer information from sales conversations, build exclusive content offers that drive engagement, and collaborate effectively to achieve growth objectives.

With thought-provoking discussions on the evolving landscape of account-based marketing, event strategies, and the importance of aligning goals and responsibilities, this episode leaves marketing leaders with plenty to ponder, including:

• Why marketing + sales have to be aligned from the top down
• The power of effective marketing (dangling carrots) that sales can actually use
• Ideas for how marketing + sales can work together for real impact

Subscribe to our newsletter for bonus content: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius

An award-winning podcast production company working with the largest B2B brands to drive engagement,and retention: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Amplified by Casted

Podcast and video marketing platform for B2B brands to grow their audience and impact the bottom line: https://www.casted.us/

Marketing by Kristina Carson

Digital marketing and social media expert. https://www.kristinacarson.com/

In this bonus episode, Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey sit down with Rachel Downey, CEO and Founder of Share Your Genius (their production company) to reflect back on how the podcast came to be, how transformative it has been for themselves and their personal brands, and how this podcast has helped move them past their fear.

And don’t worry, there are some solid asides too. You won’t want to miss hearing about the episode that got cut. 😉Press play for a look back and a look forward in the world of Don’t Say Content and B2B podcasting.

Connect with Rachel Downey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelelstsdowney/

Listen to her podcast, Voicemails with Rachel: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voicemails-with-rachel/id1648953137

 Check out Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

We’re back with a bonus episode to hold you over until season 3 drops in September of 2023!

What are your guesses for how many times our hosts Devin and Margaret said the word “content” during season 2? Hint, it’s over 50. 🤯

Devin and Margaret reveal the total number and more in this episode, including teasing what’s coming up for season 3, reflecting on the original premise of Don’t Say Content, and sharing a few times where saying the word “content” was actually warranted (that might also double as a shame reel).

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Here’s a bonus episode where our host, Margaret Kelsey, joined Exit Five, hosted by Dave Gerhardt. 

Layoffs, budget cuts, slower sales cycles, and a lack of urgency to buy your product right now. That's become normal in B2B SaaS over the last two quarters. But what does it mean for marketer? Do nothing? Just play defense? Yeah right. Marketers are being asked to do more with less, and if you're one of those marketers this is a session you don't want to miss. Dave is joined by Margaret Kelsey (Founder of TatCo, Marketing Advisor), Jason Widup (VP Marketing, Metadata), and Shauntle Barley (Director of Marketing, Demandwell) to talk about the state of B2B marketing in Q2 2023 and helpful ideas for driving growth in a down economy. 

Listen to Exit Five: https://www.exitfive.com/podcast

Follow Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegerhardt/

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to the Don’t Say Content newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

The relationship between Founders/CEOs and their heads of marketing is broken. 

The Boss doesn’t understand how marketing works, so they micromanage their marketing leaders into poor performance. Marketing leaders struggle to communicate value because much of their work isn’t tied directly to revenue and they don’t always know how to speak to the business metrics and challenges that matter to The Boss. 

This tension at the executive level leads to wasted money, slowed company growth, and more recently: record CMO turnover in 2023 and a stagnation in B2B Marketing strategy (and efficacy) due to a hamster wheel of starting from scratch. 

In this episode, Devin and Margaret share stories from their experiences working with founders/CEOs in-house and agency-side over the last decade. Some bigger themes they cover are:

• The importance of shared language and understanding of metrics
• How communication and trust impact the CEO/head of marketing relationship
• The balance between brand and funnel-building initiatives
• Why CEOs and founders should step back from leading marketing departments

Plus Devin shares what she learned from being CEO and working with her marketing team, as well as anonymous stories from their clients (you know it’s juicy when Devin and Margaret aren’t sharing names). 

The spicy takes are abundant in this one—proceed with caution. 😉We’re sending off season 2 with a bang. We’ll be back in September 2023!

Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/

Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dontsaycontent.substack.com/

Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

Sponsored by Ahrefs: https://ahrefs.com/