Interesting B2B Marketers

In this episode of Interesting B2B Marketers, Steve Goldhaber sits in with Scott Vaughan, Fractional Executive & GTM Advisor to CXOs & Investors at Vaughan Go-to-Market Advisory, discussing the importance of redefining the role of Chief Marketing Officer and how it can have a significant impact on a company's success.

Listen as they discuss sales and marketing alignment issues in the context of a government technology company, as well as how to help a startup scale quickly by focusing on a specific market segment. 

They also talk about the importance of working with people who share similar values, creating impactful content that ties back to go-to-market strategy, navigating go-to-market strategy as a senior marketer, and the importance of getting new perspectives and going to truth-tellers. 

Finally, they touched on meetings and scenarios where they don't enjoy being in and how culture plays a big role in driving good or bad meetings.

Tune in for more insights on how to better navigate the go-to-market strategy!

Connect with Scott Vaughan and Steve Goldhaber on LinkedIn.

In this episode of the Interesting B2B Marketers, Steve Goldhaber and Priscilla McKinney discuss the value of market research and self-reflection in marketing. Through a case study example about a large facility provider for focus groups, they bring to light how collaboration can help industries boost performance. 

They then share their own experiences from their first jobs in marketing and how it has influenced their approach. They also talk about the use of market research as an insurance policy, the importance of using it to learn instead of just validating, reverse mentorship, and the need to prepare and respect audiences. 

All these topics are vital for successful B2B marketing research. Lastly, they emphasize the need to constantly learn and network in order to stay ahead of trends.

Connect with Priscilla McKinney and Steve Goldhaber on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Interesting B2B Marketers, Steve is joined by AJ Wilcox, founder of B2Linked, a company that specializes in LinkedIn ads. AJ discusses an intriguing case study where his company aided a client to scale recruitment efforts by segmenting the audience into micro categories and tailoring messaging for each. AJ and Steve delve into the early days of LinkedIn advertising, the importance of audience targeting, and the need for cohesion between sales and marketing teams. 

The conversation further explores useful tips for enterprise-level professionals seeking to leverage LinkedIn more effectively and the delicate equilibrium between sales-driven content and brand messaging. This insightful episode with AJ Wilcox is one not to miss.

Key takeaways from this episode include:

• LinkedIn ads can be a powerful tool: Both for recruiting and B2B prospecting, LinkedIn ads have proven to be effective.

• The power of audience segmentation: Segmenting the audience and customizing messaging can significantly enhance the efficacy of LinkedIn advertising campaigns.

• The necessity of software management: When dealing with a large number of micro-segments, using software to manage campaigns can be crucial.

• Cost-effective targeting strategies: On LinkedIn, targeting by job title can prove more cost-effective than targeting by skill.

• The need for sales and marketing synergy: Breaking down barriers between sales and marketing can lead to the creation of more actionable and effective content for B2B marketing efforts.

Connect with AJ and Steve on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Interesting B2B Marketers, host Steve is joined by Amanda Elam, CMO of Bloomreach. Amanda, a dedicated B2B SaaS marketer, brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for technology, data, and creativity to the conversation. She divulges her insights into a successful rebranding campaign she spearheaded for a tech company transitioning from on-premise to cloud offerings and discusses the challenges of building a community during a pandemic. The interplay between technology and human elements in decision-making and problem-solving also forms a significant part of their dialogue.

Key takeaways from the episode include:

• Successful rebranding requires a delicate balance: Amanda emphasizes the importance of considering the company's existing customer base and revenue streams during rebranding, along with thorough market research and testing. 

• Infuse the human element into business decisions: Amidst the challenge of transitioning from a demand and growth mindset to community building during the pandemic, Amanda stresses the significance of the human element in business decisions.

• Building a successful community: Transparency, gathering like-minded people, and providing a forum for shared experiences are crucial elements in constructing a thriving community.

• Merging different tech companies: The merging of two distinct technology companies with differing personas, market segments, and buying profiles can present challenges. Amanda underscores the role of quality content in building trust and achieving better personalization in the digital ecosystem.

• Beware of overpromising: Amanda cautions against making claims that sound good but aren't necessarily achievable, underscoring the importance of realism and transparency in leveraging technology and human elements to solve problems.

Connect with Amanda and Steve on LinkedIn.

In the latest episode of the Interesting B2B Marketers podcast, Steve is joined by Tim Hughes, the Co-Founder and CEO of Digital Leadership Associates. With a focus on the integral role of social media in business growth, Hughes shares his wealth of experience and knowledge in the digital world, including insights on artificial intelligence, content strategy, and the transformative power of coaching and training.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• The importance of targeted, insightful content: Social media is not just about entertainment. It is a platform for sharing valuable knowledge and skills that can provide fresh insights to audiences.
• Embracing the digital shift: Hughes emphasizes the urgency for organizations that are still predominantly analog to adopt digital strategies. This includes understanding the role of artificial intelligence and the potential it holds for business growth.
• Strategic use of social media: To maintain a competitive edge in business, it is essential to use social media strategically. It's not just about being present on these platforms, but using them effectively to deliver value to the audience.
• The power of coaching and training: Hughes shares his experiences with transforming people's lives through coaching and training, underlining the focus of Digital Leadership Associates on imparting new skills to clients.
  
  

Don't forget to tune in to the full episode to learn more about social media and business growth. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network to help us spread the word.

Connect with Tim and Steve on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Steve Goldhaber is joined by Jon Russo and he discusses his extensive experiences in B2B marketing. He then shares a case study about a SaaS company that pivoted to new areas after optimizing technologies and presenting data. 

They also talk about helping an organization become more strategic with an account-based sales approach, avoiding landmines in the process. Finally, they explore the potential future of B2B sales and marketing, with a focus on personalization and AI. 

They also touch on the impact of online purchasing and the trend toward tailored buying experiences. Jon Russo shares his unique path to his first marketing job after leaving the Army, as well as discusses how marketing today differs from 20 years ago.

Key points from the episode

• Optimizing technologies and presenting data can be a helpful way to pivot business strategy
• Avoid landmines when transitioning to an account-based sales approach
• Personalization and AI are important elements of future B2B sales and marketing
• Online purchasing is increasing, with more tailored buying experiences
• Marketing today is different from 20 years ago, with more advanced technologies available for decisions and strategies.

Connect with Jon Russo and Steve Goldhaber on LinkedIn.

In this episode of the Interesting B2B Marketers podcast, Steve Goldhaber interviews Scott Stockwell, an experienced B2B marketer and consultant with a unique background in retail, management consulting, and brand management. Scott is also the chair of the B2B Council for the Data and Marketing Association and an advocate for a B2B marketing community in the UK called Propolis.

In this conversation with Scott Stockwell, he shares his experience of using tone analyzer and personality insights to identify common themes in gold award-winning entries across 32 categories. They found that an analytical tone and a sense of joy were important in the winning entries, while openness and emotional range (particularly with low harmony) were the key personality traits associated with them. They also discuss a digital fan experience that won one of Joel's B2B Marketing Gold and Grand Prix Awards and the benefits of using design thinking to create sprints to drive engagement and collaboration in an online B2B marketing community.

Steve and Scott both emphasize the importance of co-creation and collaboration in solving problems and finding solutions, and the value of diverse perspectives in the process. The key takeaway is that the shared experience and wisdom from attendees can provide valuable insights to improve marketing strategies.

Steve Goldhaber chats with Brian Macreadie, a B2B marketing pro with 25+ years of experience, about the power of creativity in competitive industries. They share case studies on marketing with limited budgets, the key components of effective marketing, and the significance of bravery and creativity in overcoming industry challenges.

For new marketers, Steve and Brian offer advice such as understanding clients, integrating technology, and surrounding oneself with experts. They also explore Brian's unique background in physics and software development. Ultimately, they conclude that boldness is the key to success in marketing, leading to increased brand awareness and engagement.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The importance of creativity in industries with fierce competition and how it can be used to stand out from the crowd.
• Case studies on budgeting constraints when marketing and the effectiveness of marketing broken down into its key components.
• Advice for B2B marketers starting out in their careers, such as understanding clients and their culture, integrating technology with marketing, pushing boundaries, and surrounding oneself with people who excel in areas where one may lack expertise.
• Boldness is key when undertaking marketing projects as it results in increased brand awareness, client engagement, and higher read rates.

Tune in to this episode to discover how creativity can help your business succeed. Don't forget to subscribe to the Interesting B2B Marketers Podcast for more informative and engaging episodes.

Connect with Brian Macreadie and Steve Goldhaber on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Interesting B2B Marketers, Steve sat down with Steffen Hedebrandt, Chief Marketing Officer & Co-Founder of Dreamdata. He shares his experience on how defining an ideal customer profile (ICP) and leveraging social selling on LinkedIn can help companies increase their momentum and growth.

Steffen also shared his experience with his first full-time job in marketing, which involved working with a partner who had created an online marketplace for vintage music instruments. They had 10,000 vintage music instruments listed on their website, and the goal was to get physical shops to upload their products to the website. Steffen's favorite marketing tactic at the time was search engine optimization, as they needed to get their guitars and other vintage instruments to appear at the top of Google search results to attract demand to their website. They managed to grow their organic traffic significantly, but were not able to monetize it effectively, and the company ultimately failed. Steffen learned the importance of connecting marketing tactics to revenue to avoid going bankrupt.

In this episode, Steve interviews Christine Bailey, a B2B marketing expert who shares her experience creating a new market category for a regulatory technology (RegTech) software company. Christine discusses defining a purpose-driven value proposition, conducting research, using color psychology, building a scalable revenue marketing engine, optimizing websites and lead flow, and creating unique messaging strategies. They also talk about the value of facing challenges to create better opportunities and gain valuable insights into marketing efforts.

Don't forget to check out the episode and join in the conversation by using the hashtag #InterestingB2BMarketersPodcast.

Connect with Christine Bailey and Steve Goldhaber on LinkedIn.