Marketing Spark (The B2B Marketing Podcast)

In the wake of COVID-19, it was easy for B2B companies to shrink marketing budgets and get rid of marketers. After all, marketing is a luxury, not a necessity, right? (well, not really). But as the economies recover in many countries, companies are beginning to spend more on marketing.  The question is whether companies will rebuild marketing teams or look for ways to outsource marketing by using agencies, contractors, and freelancers. Jamie Stenhouse, an Australian digital marketer, says outsourcing is an increasingly popular way to drive tactical execution. Jamie outsources a lot of his agency's work and sells a program to many companies on how they outsource their marketing.

What are the keys to building a successful marketing team?   Do you hire the best talent or put together a cohesive team that features people with different talents?   "Of course, all-stars," says Mitch Solway, a fractional CMO for startups, who I interviewed for the Marketing Spark podcast. "But all-star doesn't necessarily mean the top talent."   Mitch says one of the keys to success is hiring people focused on the right goals and, as important, people who can fit into the corporate culture.

Virtual events have received mixed reviews as a replacement for in-person conferences.   For some companies, virtual events have provided opportunities to connect. But many people have complained about the lack of interactivity and engagement.   For commonsku, which sells software to promotional product companies, in-person events have been a key part of its marketing and sales efforts.   As important, events have propelled Commonsku's community.   With in-person conferences off the table, commonsku has successfully leveraged virtual events to stay connected to customers and nurture prospects.   In this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Graham, commonsku's co-founder and chief brand officer, talks about why and how virtual events have worked so well.   

What can brands do to position themselves to emerge from COVID as strong and dynamic players?   While many brands are struggling to keep their heads above water, the strongest brands are already thinking about what needs to be done outflank rivals with marketing that engages consumers in new and different ways.   On the Marketing Spark podcast, Ron Tite provides insight into how brands can build marketing momentum to pull away from the competition.

If you're a B2B company that thinks it is too late to launch a podcast, think again.   Sweet Fish Media's James Carbary says there are huge opportunities for B2B companies to leverage podcasts to drive marketing, sales, and relationships with prospects and customers.   “There are one million podcasts live now. There are 30 million YouTube channels and a ubiquitous number of blogs.   But no company is saying ‘no, we don’t want to do video or we don’t want to do written content’. So, there's so much opportunity left in podcasting”.   Sweet Media Media produces podcasts for B2B and SaaS companies and offers a growing library of business podcasts.

Every B2B company wants to capitalize on the power of SEO. But there are fundamental mistakes at these companies make that undermine their marketing activities. Dev Basu, chief experience officer with Powered by Search, said SEO delivers when companies create research-driven content that meets the needs of target audiences.  

Too many brands leverage email marketing to drive sales. That's it. But Coherent Path CEO James Glover contends that retailers should use email marketing to build stronger relationships and help consumers discover new opportunities, and, yes, drive sales. He calls this approach "engagement farming". It's based on the idea that customers should look forward to getting email because it engages and deliver values. If they also buy something, that's great.   For more about James and this episode of Marketing Spark, check out the show notes. 

Print is the Rodney Dangerfield of marketing; it gets no respect. These days, it's all digital all the time. But print hasn't disappeared. It's still important and a key part of the marketing mix. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Joanne Gore, an experienced B2B marketer, talks about how print and digital can form a beautiful marriage to drive marketing success. To learn more about Joanne and why print still matters, visit the show notes.

Alexis Clarfield-Henry talks about what it's like to be the first marketer at a startup. After a career in advertising, Alexis joined Unata, which built an e-commerce platform for the grocery business.  Clarfield-Henry says one of the keys to success when hiring your first marketer is a willingness to think about of the box rather than someone who has done it before.  “In terms of who they need to look for, that person needs to be flexible, able to roll with punches, willing to learn new things, willing to test and learn, and pivot."  For more details about Alexis and the podcast, check out the show notes.

Social media a perilous territory, which explains why many senior business leaders happily avoid it. But Jay Palter, a social media strategic and personal brand expert, contends senior leaders can successfully leverage social media by delivering insight and value while avoiding the pitfalls.  In this episode of Marketing Spark, Jay offers pragmatic advice on how senior leaders should use social networks like LinkedIn and how success can be defined.   For more details about Jay and the podcast, check out the show notes.