Marketing Spark (The B2B SaaS Marketing Podcast)

Definition of annoying: most pitches from podcast booking agencies. They’re not personalized. Clearly, no research has been done. They’re frequently off-topic. And sometimes they use the wrong name. Agencies using these types of agencies are getting bad deals. It’s hard to get a guest on podcast, so you can't use a company that does a poor job. Having received so many bad podcast guest pitches, I asked Jakub Zajicek from Speak on Podcasts for insight and advice on how and when to use a podcast agency. Since launcing in 2020, Speak on Podcasts has booked more than 2,000 guests and represents companies like @gong and @paddle. The key to finding the right partner is simple: research and being clear about your point of view and who’s going to do the talking. As important, companies need a strategic plan that integrates how podcasts will fit into the marketing and sales mix.

The more that you know your customers, the better. That's Marketing 101. As marketing attribution becomes increasingly more challenging, companies will need new tools to identify and engage prospects. Getting this type of customer intelligence will allow them to make better and faster marketing, advertising, and sales decisions. On the Marketing Spark podcast, Clearbit CMO Kevin Tate talks about how companies can use technology to identify their ideal customer profiles (ICPs), how to gain insight into what customers and prospects are thinking and the questions being asked, and how to identify Website visitors who don't provide any contact information. We also took a look at Clearbit's marketing activities - content marketing and free tools.

In theory, podcasts are a great thing for B2B and B2B SaaS companies. They allow companies to connect with prospects, customers, and influencers and generate a ton of content (blog posts, social media updates, videos). But podcasts can be a hard sell for marketers. One of the challenges is that the value and ROI of a podcast are more than data-driven. When a marketer is asked by a CEO about how to measure a podcast's success, the answer is "a podcast can be quantified but many of the benefits aren't visible". To get insight into the B2B podcast landscape, I connect with Tom Hunt , founder of Fame. We talked about: - Whether companies are still enthiastic about podcasts - How to sell a podcast to. CEO or CMO - The role and value of an internal podcast for employees - Whether CEOs really understand their customers, and how a podcast and creating content is a great way to discover valuable insight.

Sales is a combination of art and science. The best salespeople combine personality, insight, research and time to engage people and convince them to make purchases. In this episode of Marketing Spark, SellX's Steve Schmidt talks about: - How salespeople should operate given the economic landscape - What makes for a great sales person beyond sales - How sales and marketing can work together effectively - The biggest mistakes made by salespeople on LinkedIn  - Why Steve has enthusiastically embraced TikTok - The link between sales and demand generation.

Consultants get a bad rap. They're seen as people who like telling other people what to do, but they don't do the actual work. But consultants can play a key role in helping companies fill gaps and seize opportunities. The right consultant at the right time can deliver huge ROI. On the Marketing Spark podcast, I talk with Faheem Moosa, who helps consultants drive higher revenue. Faheem and I look at the consulting landscape amid volatile economic times, the role of content in marketing and sales, and the keys to launching a successful consulting business. If you're a consulting, thinking about getting into the business, or looking to hire a consultant, Faheem delivers great insight.

Words are powerful. They make as much an impact as video, photos, and audio. But words and writing are often under-appreciated, particularly by people who aren't writers or marketers.  In this episode of the Marketing Spark podcast, Sam Howard talks about why words matter and best practices for using them to drive Website conversions. Sam embraces a research-driven copywriting approach involving interviews with employees, customers and a competitive audit. We talk about: Whether copy or design should come first when developing a Website Best practices for copy and structure of homepages Three killers tips for Website conversions How to create better CTAs, demo pages, and About pages.

What a difference a year makes for B2B Saas entrepreneurs. In 2021, business was booming, venture capital was flowing, and the focus was customer acquisition and growth. Today, the economic landscape is bumpy, venture capital has evaporated, and customer retention is paramount. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Lately.ai CEO Kate Bradley Chernis talks about her professional challenges and how she's navigating the B2B SaaS waters. She also talks about Lately's struggles to raise venture capital and Lately's bootstrapped approach to marketing.

Typeform is one of the world's best-known and most popular tools for creating online forms and surveys. Armed with $135 million in Series C financing, the Barcelona-based company is aggressively expanding its marketing activities to drive brand awareness and cement its industry leadership. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Typeform CMO Carrie Sanderson talks about: - How Typeform works to ensure that its positioning and messaging stay fresh, relevant, and current - How to deal with the realities of the Dark Web and Dark Social given a lot of activities can't be quantified. - How it conducts market research to identify new competitors and challengers. - How Typeform plans to better leverage LinkedIn. - Her biggest accomplishments over the past year and plans to make more people and businesses aware of Typeform.

For all the focus on data, messaging (and positioning) is crucial for companies looking to connect with prospects and customers. If you cannot talk about your product and why it matters clearly, it's like operating with one hand tied behind your back. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Diane Wiredu talks about how to develop messaging, the deliverables (more than a document or guide) and how to quantify the success of messaging engagements. We also talk about the difference between messaging and position

As B2B SaaS sales become more challenging, demand gen can be an important way for companies to attract, educate, encourage, and nurture prospects. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Chris Roche talks about the benefits of demand gen and how companies can get started or ramp up their efforts. We also talk about how B2B SaaS brands can leverage LinkedIn and experiment with TikTok.