Over the last few years, thousands of business to business (B2B) software platforms and tools have emerged. Each promise huge returns in exchange for their large price tags.

Jay Baron (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysbaron/) joins me today to re-think how much we should be replying on these tools to get our marketing done.

He goes deep into:

Why you need to simplify your marketing tech stack (and get rid of some tools)

How to fix the bottom of your funnel to get conversions

His thoughts on how to use webinars as a live sales call

And so much more.

As always, Tweet me at https://twitter.com/stew_hillhouse to suggest guests or topics you’d like for upcoming shows.

Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

Over the last few years, thousands of business to business (B2B) software platforms and tools have emerged. Each promise huge returns in exchange for their large price tags. Jay Baron (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysbaron/) joins me today to re-think how much we should be replying on these tools to get our marketing done. He goes deep into: Why you need to simplify your marketing tech stack (and get rid of some tools)How to fix the bottom of your funnel to get conversionsHis thoughts on how to use webinars as a live sales callAnd so much more. As always, Tweet me at https://twitter.com/stew_hillhouse to suggest guests or topics you’d like for upcoming shows. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

If you’re reading this right now, I’m going to assume that you’re pretty bought into the whole podcasting thing. But not everyone has caught on yet, which makes it an opportune time to get started growing your business with a podcast. Erik Jacobson is the founder of Lemonpie (https://lemonpie.fm/), a full service podcast company. Previously, he assembled one of the best collections of business podcasts ever called Startup Mixtape (https://www.startupmixtape.fm/). In this discussion we cover:Why every business should consider starting a podcast (for internal and external reasons). What are some new business models that are evolving in the podcast space. How Erik strategizes a podcast launch to reach the ideal audience. And so much more. As always, let me know who you’d like to see on the show next by reaching out to me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/stew_hillhouse). Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

Public relations often spark images of Spin Doctors, advertisers (think Mad Men), or Olivia Pope rushing in to save the President from a media frenzy. Liz Duff joins me to explain why that's just not true by debunking The 5 Misconceptions around PR. She also lays out the strategy that she's using at SalesRight (https://salesright.co/) to get the founder tons of earned media through being a podcast guest. PR and marketing are not the same thing - but if you can learn to do both, you’ll be able to earn more traffic than you’ll know what to do with! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

When you’re tasked with understanding the needs of over 40M monthly unique visitors, you develop a skill for figuring out what kind of content people want to see. Previously, Jim Thompson was the Chief Audience Officer at Billboard Media Group, managing the audience across properties like Billboard Top 100, The Hollywood Reporter, Spin, Vibe, and Stereogum (https://www.billboard.com/). He is now the Analytics Advisor to Team Gary Vaynerchuck (https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/). We chat about: How to ask better questionsWhat exactly is Small Data?Where he sees media moving in 3 yearsEnjoy! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

QuHarrison Terry doesn’t only speculate about the future - he creates it. As Growth Marketer for Mark Cuban companies and founder of Inevitable / Human, he knows a thing or two about how to think about what makes a future thinker. Find him online at https://twitter.com/QuHarrison and https://www.linkedin.com/in/quharrison-terry-728b3a89/We discuss how he would build a growth marketing strategy for a company seeking users, where he sees opportunity, and just how close we are to a hardware agnostic world. He also generously is offering listeners of this podcast a super-discounted rate to give Inevitable / Human a trial. Head to 1q9x.com to get your first 3 months of membership for only $3. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

When it comes to writing copy or choosing the photos for a campaign, the last thing any marketer wants to do is start a focus group. But if you make feedback and data collection part of your customer experience mapping, then making creative decisions can be a snap. Clay Ostrom is the founder of Map & Fire, where he helps businesses create a smart, data driven brand. On this episode, we chat about: How to use data to make better creative decisionsWhy marketing and the founder need to have alignment on the purpose of the businessWhat data every marketer should be collectingAnd so much more.Enjoy! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

If you're a one-person marketing team, then this episode is for you. Sarah Noel Block has made a name for herself by serving a specific type of marketer - a tiny marketer. Though their teams may be small and their budgets, even smaller, tiny marketer's punch way above their weight class to drive serious business outcomes.Sarah Noel Block is a writer, the founder of tiny marketing, and the marketing manager of the Chicago Faucet Company. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

It shouldn’t matter if you’re a B2B or a B2C brand - video is a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. And what better time to get started - my iPhone now takes better videos than my super nice DSLR from a few years ago. In this episode, founder of Zest Media Productions Gabe Roy breaks down what videos are a MUST have for all businesses. If you like what you’re hearing, then you’ll love what else I’ve got cooking. I’m going to be releasing exclusive behind-the-scenes audio, video, and written content inspired by these podcast episodes. Plus, it’s also where I’ll share with you my swipefiles and candid takes on marketing seen in the wild. Click here to get immediate access to the archived library and to be notified when new podcast episodes drop. Cheers,Stewart Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com

So, to get the ball rolling, I’m uploading this cheesy trailer to turn the feed on. I’m thinking that an episode on how to get a podcast started would be helpful to a lot of people, because frankly, it’s complicated. In the meantime, be sure to sign up to know exactly when the first episode of the podcast drops. Cheers, Stew Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com