Marketing Spark (The B2B Marketing Podcast)

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Marketing Spark is a micro-podcast (each episode is 15 minutes or less) that features insights, tips, and stories from marketers and entrepreneurs in the trenches. It is focused on B2B marketers' successes, failures, and what they have learned along the way.

Mark Evans


    • Jan 6, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 107 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Marketing Spark (The B2B Marketing Podcast)

    Chatbot and the Future of Conversational Intelligence: Sonny Patel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2023 25:58


    Chatbots are becoming more popular to serve the needs of customers and answer their questions, but the AI is making chatbots smarter and more valuable. On this episode of Marketing Spark, Liverperson's Sonny Patel's talks about the future conversational inteligence and how companies can use it to drive marketing and sales.

    For B2B SaaS Companies, Podcasts are a No-Brainer: Jeremy Shere

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2022 27:40 Transcription Available


    Podcasts can be a valuable marketing tool for B2B SaaS companies because they provide opportunities to connect with customers, prospects, and influencers.  Podcasts can also help generate a lot of content by extracting insight about multiple topics, which can be useful for content marketing efforts.  However, it can be challenging for marketers to convince senior executives to invest in a podcast because it can be difficult to measure return on investment (ROI).  In this episode of Marketing Spark, Connversa Podcasting CEO Jeremy Shere, talks to Mark Evans about: - How companies should quantify ROI - Why podcasts continue to be embrace amid tough economic conditions - The biggest reasons why companies shy away from podcasts - The reasons why companies jump on the podcast bandwagon; podcasts done by competitors being one of biggest factors. - Why consistency is the key to podcast success - The role of podcasts within the sales process

    Putting the spotlight on content, GA4, Website optimization and CTAs: Andy Crestodina

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2022 37:57 Transcription Available


    The digital marketing landscape is always changing. There are new channels, tools, and approaches. But it feels like we've entered uncharted territory for digital marketing amid global economic growth. The rising tide that lifted many, if not all, ships has disappeared. And there's increasing pressure on digital marketers to perform and do marketing that converts. I couldn't think of a better person to offer insight and perspective about digital marketing than Andy Crestodina, who has been operating in the digital world since 2000. On the podcast, we talk about: - How blogs can rank in search - How to use GA4 - The effectiveness of "Get a Demo" - Why so much homepage messaging is unclear - Whether AI-powered writing tools will make an impact

    What's a Fractional CMO and How Do They Deliver?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2022 53:52 Transcription Available


    One of the more interesting business trends is the rise of the fractional executive. It's the idea that you can someone with skills and experience but not on a full-time basis. It's an intriguing model for companies looking to fill gaps economically. In this episode of Marketing Spark, I sit down with Malcolm Lewis to explore the fractional CMO (FCMO) model. We look at the definition of FCMO, what they do, how to hire one, and how to define the rules of engagement. Malcolm also talk about the value of positioning as a pillar of the B2B marketing foundation. Learn more about how I help B2B SaaS companies with positioning.

    Digital Marketing in a Clickless, Attribution-Free World

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2022 39:34 Transcription Available


    For many years, marketers have leaned hard into data for information and insight about how people interact with different activities. But the landscape has dramatically changed.  A lot of digital marketing can't be tracked or attributed. People see content but never click, or they learn about products on the Dark Web. Spark Toro CEO Rand Fishkin says marketers need to return to the days of creativity and ingenuity to attract and engage customers.  He says they need to make leaps of faith when making marketing decisions as opposed to depending on data to lead the way strategically and tactically.  It's an insightful conversation with someone who's been in the digital trenches for a long time. 

    How to Pick the Right Podcast Booking Agency

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2022 34:09 Transcription Available


    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 Growing Importance of Customer Intelligence

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2022 32:54 Transcription Available


    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.

    Are B2B Companies Still Excited about Podcasts?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2022 30:50


    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.

    Tried, True and Tested Approach to B2B Sales: Steve Schmidt

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 48:25


    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.

    Exploring the Exciting World of Consulting with Faheem Moosa.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2022 36:07


    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.

    The Power of Copy and Conversions in B2B SaaS Marketing

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 28:00 Transcription Available


    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.

    The Entrepreneurial Challenges of Running a B2B Saas Startup

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2022 38:36 Transcription Available


    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's Big, Bold Marketing and Market Domination Plans

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2022 35:05 Transcription Available


    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 Karrie 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.

    How to Create Compelling B2B SaaS Messaging

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2022 37:07 Transcription Available


    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

    Embracing Demand Gen Amid Challenging Economic Times

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2022 32:58 Transcription Available


    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.

    Why, How, and When to Hire a Fractional CMO

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2022 38:42 Transcription Available


    Over the last couple of years, the fractional CMO (FCMO) has been gaining momentum as companies look for marketing leadership without hiring a full-time and expensive resource. As a fractional CMO, I've been seeing more interest and more people embracing the title. In this episode of Marketing Spark, I talk with David Poulos, a fractional CMO, about why there is growing interest, when and why to hire a FCMO, how to establish the rules of engagement, and how long a FCMO should stick around. 

    Walnut.io's Journey from Idea to $56-million in Venture Capital

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2022 29:26 Transcription Available


    What's it like to operate a red-hot startup? What's it like to raise $56-million in venture capital in a relatively short period of time? In this episode of Marketing Spark, Walnut.io CEO Yoav Vilner talks about the interactive demo software company's rapid growth and how it raised major venture capital, including a $35 million Series B round in January. Yoav and I also talked about: - How B2B SaaS companies can attract their first 100 customers - When sales teams should be scaled. - When to hire your first full-time marketer and what type of marketer to hire - The new world of networking.

    A Deep Dive into B2B SaaS Pricing

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2022 42:11 Transcription Available


    When should a B2B SaaS company change its pricing and how often should it happen? How do free trials and freemium play within the pricing equation? In this episode of Marketing Spark, Dan Balcauski and I explore the pricing landscape. We look at who should be responsible for pricing, know when prices have to be increased and know when your pricing is working. Pricing may not get the attention it deserves so Dan has great insight into its role and how to think about it. 

    How to Create Better Sales Emails: Will Allred, Lavender

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022 26:24 Transcription Available


    Most emails from salespeople are terrible. They're impersonal, irrelevant, and ineffective. They often don't reflect a prospect's interests or needs. Lavender wants to change that with AI-powered technology that lets salespeopole write better emails. On this episode of Marketing Spark, Lavender co-founder Will Allred talks about why salespeople struggle with email and how they can be more successful. We also explore the new sales landscape and the adjustments that salespeople needed to make during COVID when they couldn't meet with prospects of attend conferences. And we talk about Lavender's use of LinkedIn and TikTok to connect with customers.

    What Happens When Your Audience Disappears? - PizzaTime

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2022 30:39 Transcription Available


    PizzaTime's business exploded during the pandemic as companies looked for ways to engage remote employees. The company, which offers catering to remote teams, reaped the benefits and transformed itself into a high-growth entity. But as more people start going back to the office, PizzaTime has to re-strategize. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Matthew Carnevale talks about the different marketing growth tools being applied. This includes doubling down on customers and referrals, leveraging a blog and newsletter, and talking to customers on a regular basis.

    How B2B Brands Can Embrace TikTok: Will Aitken

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 28:30 Transcription Available


    TikTok is the world's sixth-largest social media platform with one billion users. Slowly but surely, B2B brands are establishing a presence, although it's far from bandwagon jumping. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Sales Feed's Will Aitken talks about why now is the time for B2B brands to embrace TikTok and the power of video. From insight into attracting 39,500 followers Sales Feed's TikTok channel, Will offers advice on how companies can get started and the keys to success.

    How to Work With B2B Content Marketing Freelancers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 26:02 Transcription Available


    Many B2B SaaS companies are aggressively leveraging content marketing to attract and engage prospects. One of the ways to generate content is to hire freelancers and contractors. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Brooklin Nash and I talk about: - The pros and cons of in-house content marketers and outsourced. - How to hire contractors and freelancers. - Gated vs. ungated content, and  - Long-form content vs. short-term. We also talk about Brooklin's approach to Twitter and how he's increased his follower count to 7,000 from 600 in the past year.

    How well do you know your customers: Mike Birt

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022 29:28 Transcription Available


    Marketers will tell you the importance of really knowing their customers but how many marketers actually understand their customers inside out? Long-time marketer Mike Birt talks about the differnet approaches that marketers can take to gain customer insight. In this episode of Marketing Spark, we talk about the importance of rewarding and nurturing customers rather than simply focusing on customer acquisition. And Mike offers some suggestions on how to identify customer intentions and signals.

    Exploring the World of Direct Mail Marketing

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2022 30:56 Transcription Available


    While marketers are obsessed with all things digital, direct mail marketing is alive and well. There's huge value in being able to target people by their physical addresses. As important, brands that leverage direct mail marketing are seeing impressive ROI. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Postie CEO Dave Fink talks about why direct mail is viable option for many brands and how it liberates marketers from dealing with tech giants like Facebook and Google. Dave also talk about his experiences as one of the first investors in Dollar Shave Club and what it was like to work with founder Michael Dubin.

    What Happens When No One Knows About Your Great Product?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2022 28:56 Transcription Available


    Many companies develop great products. The problem is few people know about them. These companies struggle with a lack of money to do marketing. There's too much competition, or they're product-based. Andrew Grubb is experiencing this first-hand.  As the CEO of ThinkSound, which makes earphones and headphones, Andrew heads up a company that has loyal customers....but not enough of them. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Andrew talks about the challenges of attracting the spotlight and how Think Sounds plans to leverage community and influencers to drive sales.

    How to Get Started with B2B SaaS Marketing

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2022 29:05 Transcription Available


    Many B2B SaaS companies are started by engineers with no marketing expertise. They build the product but struggle to spread the word so people can discover and use it. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Verb Data's Dave Hurt talks about the steps he and his co-founder took to dip their toes in the marketing waters and some of the experiments they conducted along the way. It's great insight into how, in many respects, marketing involves taking a deep dive into what your customers want and how they articulate their needs.

    Sketchnotes: Marketing with a Creative Twist

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2022 37:16 Transcription Available


    In a fast-moving marketing landscape, it's a challenge to break through and attract the spotlight. Kacy Maxwell is taking a different and effective approach with a concept called sketchnotes that combines notetaking, doodling, and drawing. It's a user-friendly and quick way to communicate ideas at a time when multi-tasking people scan rather than read. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Kacy and I talked about: - Why he embraced sketchnotes - How B2B companies can embrace brand storytelling - The marketing outlook for 2022 - Gated content - His annual solitude trips.

    An Inside Look at the Category Design: Josh Lowman

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2022 33:05 Transcription Available


    Some companies aim to stand out from the crowd. They want to differentiate themselves from companies that walk, talk, and sound the same. Some companies want to go a step further. They want to compete in a new category. They embrace a concept called category design in which they define and lead a new market. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Josh Lowman offers insight into the definition of category design and how one of his clients embraced the concept.

    Xtensio's Journey from Services to SaaS

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 28:41 Transcription Available


    xtensio is a classic story of how a service-based company turned a problem into a product. The company was working with startups and needed better ways to support buyer personas and other marketing activities It launched a few templates that resonated and then realized that there was more than enough demand to pivot the business. In this episode of Marketing Spark, xtensio CEO Alper Cakir talks about the journey and how it has leveraged content marketing to drive brand awareness and inbound traffic. It is interesting that xtensio doesn't have a marketing department. Instead, it relies on Cakir and in-house employees to create most of the content.

    How to be strategic about building a personal brand

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 28:34 Transcription Available


    It's the wild west when it comes to building a personal brand.  There's no lack of advice, guidance, content, and coaches to establish a personal brand within a competitive landscape.  Michelle Griffin has some great insight into creating a strategic plan for personal branding. We talk about why personal branding is important for entrepreneurs and CEOs, and how to get started on platforms like LinkedIn.

    How Marketers Can Escape the MQL Hamster Wheel

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2021 34:17 Transcription Available


    Many B2B marketers are throttled by the need to generate MQLs. Their campaigns and activities are measured by how many email addresses are collected and fed to an army of business development and sales reps. Nelson Gilliat believes there's a better way. The "Buyer-centric revenue" model allows marketers to do good and creative marketing that drives brand awareness and generates customer interest in your products. At the same time, the buyer-centric revenue model eliminates a lot of the prospecting done by B2B SaaS companies. It's cold outreach and cold-calling that bother prospects rather than engage and educate. Nelson is the author of "Death of the SDR: Birth of Buyer Centric Revenue" 

    How to Build a Content Marketing Creation & Promotion Machine

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2021 29:31 Transcription Available


    Building a content marketing strategy is a lot like building a house, says Visme's Farzad Rashidi . You need a good foundation and infrastructure and a nice facade. You need to have a clear understanding of the best keywords that will attract readers to content and determine the most relevant channels to publish content. But creation should only account for 20% of your time. 80% should be devoted to promotion and distribution, as well as updating and refreshing existing content. That's the formula for content marketing success.

    How to Hire the Right Marketing Consultant

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2021 30:30 Transcription Available


    Hiring a marketing consultant is often a leap of faith. You're hoping their expertise and experience fills gaps and make things happen. But a lot of consulting engagements don't work as well as expected. - There's misalignment on expectations. - A lack of engagement and collaboration (no partnership) - Not enough clarity about what success looks like. - A lack of commitment to actually do marketing (more talk than walk) When I lost a client recently, some of these issues reared their ugly heads. To get some more perspective, I talked to Kevin Whelan, who helps marketing consultants improve their businesses. A key theme was how companies need to hire consultant and, as important, how and when consultants should take on clients. Consulting is a two-way street. Both parties need to agree to work together. It's there's a good fit, that's a great start.

    Taking the Right Approach to ABM

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2021 23:06 Transcription Available


    In simple terms, account-based marketing (ABM) is about targeting the prospects that really matter. It's about a laser-focused approach to marketing and sales. Behind the scenes, however, a lot needs to happen. It includes ensuring that marketing and sales work together to attract, engage, and nurture prospects. On this episode of Marketing Spark, Andrei Zinkevich also points out that ABM also involves determining the customers that you don't want as much as the customers you do want. Andrei goes into depth about how his company, Full Funnel, helps B2B SaaS companies leverage ABM to drive leads and revenue growth.

    Turning Up the Volume on Conversational Marketing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2021 32:24 Transcription Available


    For many B2B SaaS companies, conversations are the ultimate success metric. When customers directly engage with you, relationships are established and, as important, the sales journey is jump-started. On this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Kilens, Drfit's VP of Content & Community, talks about how conversation marketing gained momentum last year at a time when conferences disappeared. Drift pioneered conversation marketing with the introduction of an AI-powered chatbot that attempts to engage, understand and recommend solutions. Mark and I also talk about Drift's approach to content marketing, the importance of content distribution, and some of the metrics used to assess content marketing success.

    Insight About LinkedIn from a Power User

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 32:16 Transcription Available


    Over the past 19 months, a growing number of people have embraced LinkedIn as a platform to make connections, drive conversations, and share content. Among the most successful is Joel Lalgee , a professional recruiter, who has more than 73,000 followers.  In this episode of Marketing Spark, Joel looks at how LinkedIn has evolved and how his approach to LinkedIn has changed. It's great insight from someone who has clearly seen huge ROI from LinkedIn. Joel also talks about the "Great Resign" movement that has dominated the work landscape, as well as the challenges and opportunities of working from home. 

    Diving in the Fascination with Personal Brand Branding - DP Knudten

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2021 40:45 Transcription Available


    When did building a personal brand become so important? Does everyone need a personal brand? DP Knudten has some great insight into why a personal brand is a key part of how to operate professionally and personally. He looks at the keys to success and the mistakes made by people along the way.  As well, DP talks about his Non-Fiction Brand approach to personal branding.

    Don't Let Content Collect Dust. Distribute & Repurpose: Ross Simmonds

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2021 31:42 Transcription Available


    Many marketers believe that when they hit "publish" on a piece of content, the job is done. But the reality is it's just beginning. Ross Simmonds says one of the keys to content marketing success is distribution. Without it, he says all you're doing is building a content library. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Ross talks about: - Why so many companies and marketers struggle with content distribution - How to kick-start a content distribution plan - How to repurpose content on multiple platforms - Why it's important to focus on quality, not quantity - How to create content that's valuable and SEO-friendly.

    To Gate or Ungate Content, That is the [Marketing] Question

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2021 30:40 Transcription Available


    To gate or not to gate, that is the question. Should prospects cough up an email address to access content? It's a question that I've asked many marketers in recent months. And most of them believe that gated content is disappearing. In theory, gated content is a great way to attract MQLs and justifying/quantifying marketing investments. In practice, however, getting email addresses is increasingly challenging. On the Marketing Spark podcast, Jonathan Bland suggests that marketers need to look at content differently. Rather than it being about email farming, the focus should be brand awareness and funnel development. “It's about getting maximum reach,” Jonathan says. The decision to un-gate can be a difficult pill to swallow but the digital marketing landscape has changed. There's so much good content that a company simply can't afford to create a barrier or friction.

    How Marketing Success is Ruined by a Rotten Foundation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2021 26:26 Transcription Available


    When marketing fails to perform, a frenzy of fixes happens. It's about tactical optimization and doing things differently. But often marketers are addressing symptoms, not root problems. Sometimes, bad marketing is caused by a rotten foundation. Marketing execution stumbles when it's not underpinned properly. Michelle Tresemer describes this problem as “compounding defects”, a term that she borrowed from the construction industry. Compounding defects happen when there is no strategic vision or purpose. This leads to marketing that isn't focused, structured, or aligned. Michelle says that “by the time you to tactics, there are no guardrails or no direction. Everyone is just doing what they think is best and it doesn't work”. In the physical world, compounding defects is what happens when a skyscraper's foundations are slightly off. As the building is constructed the foundational flaws are magnified and exacerbated. In the marketing world, compounding defects can involve a lack of leads or sales, or content that a CMO finds difficult to approve because it's somehow off the mark.

    How to Create a Unified B2B Marketing & Sales Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2021 34:47 Transcription Available


    In many organizations, marketing and sales operate in silos. Sales complains that marketing delivers crappy leads while marketing claims sales can't close deals. In an ideal world, sales and marketing operate as a cohesive team that collaborates to effectively attract and engage prospects. On the Marketing Spark podcast, April Palmer provides insight into how startups and entrepreneurs can create powerful marketing and sales teams. As well, she talks about the mistakes that many companies make when hiring a sales leader, and how to build a sales organization in the right way. For companies looking for sales help, April has advice on how to hire a third-party sales organization.

    How Agile Can Change How Marketers Think, Work, and Succeed

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2021 30:20 Transcription Available


    In the software world, agile has been around for many years. It's how software is developed more efficiently and iteratively. But agile is also being embraced by organizations looking to make their marketing more successful. Michael Seaton says agile fundamentally changes how marketer think and work. It's about making marketing more structured, focused and effective. It's about giving marketing teams the psychological safety to test and learn without getting sent to the penalty box if they make mistakes.

    A Deep Dive into the World of B2B Content Production: Brad Smith

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2021 36:37 Transcription Available


    As more B2B brands embrace content marketing as the way to engage, educate, and connect with prospects and customers, it's becoming increasingly difficult to break through and stand out. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Brad Smith, CEO with Wordable, offers in-depth insight into: How companies should approach content marketing The importance of focusing on keywords that can be ranked for in the short term. How to build a content marketing team and how to assess its performance How to never run out of content ideas How to effectively distribution content once it's been published.

    How a B2B Marketer Successfully Embraced TikTok

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 28:52 Transcription Available


    One of the most interesting parts of the B2B marketing landscape is watching marketers do their own marketing. I see a lot of it on LinkedIn – my social media platform of choice. There are marketers who create text posts, videos, carousels, and, of course, polls. But, believe it or not, there is life beyond LinkedIn for B2B marketers. And one of the more intriguing places is TikTok. Yeah, TikTok. It's no longer just a social media platform for goofy videos but a place where B2B marketers can successfully leverage. A marketer who appears to have cracked TikTok is Stephen Pope, who runs SGP Labs in L.A. In this episode of Marketing Spark, Stephen talks about why he embraced TikTok and his tactical approach to making videos that attract prospects.

    The Risks and Rewards of Being an Early Adopter

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2021 46:29 Transcription Available


    Being an early adopter is not easy. There is a risk to embrace a platform or product that isn't popular or perhaps not ready for prime time. In 2017, Michael David Chapman walked away from his job. With no backup plan, he started to post on LinkedIn - sometimes three or four times a day - about his personal and professional challenges. This is way before LinkedIn emerged as a vibrant content platform. As an early adopter, Michael capitalized on a huge opportunity by doing what other people weren't doing. His posts generated huge audiences and Michael has attracted 276,000 followers. In this episode of Marketing Spark, we talk about Michael's LinkedIn journey and how he sees the platform evolving. We also do a rapid-fire session on all things LinkedIn.

    The marketing pendulum is swinging back to fundamentals: Zineb Layachi

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 27:36 Transcription Available


    Can you feel the marketing pendulum swinging back to the basics? For years, the focus has been data, KPIs, and quantifying anything under the sun. But marketing success happens in different and sometimes mysterious ways. Some of it is measured while other marketing isn't directly attributable. Many marketers have embraced data because there are so many tools to access analytics and insights, scale, and automate processes. When technology makes it easy to reach a global audience, it's easy to not spend as much time on fundamentals or first principles. But it appears like marketers are starting to focus more on fundamentals. In my business, I'm seeing more interest in positioning and messaging. Zineb Layachi said technology makes marketers forget about the reality they are trying to connect with people. While tools allow marketers to amplify their efforts, she says the marketing pillars are important. “How can you connect with target audiences and do marketing? What makes an impact? People are at the center of that. I keep talking about the fundamentals when you get the fundamentals right, you scale on solid foundations.”

    Scaling Marketing at a Fast-Growing B2B SaaS Company: Ruth Zive

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021 25:50 Transcription Available


    How do you scale a marketing team at a hyper-growth company? It's definitely a nice problem to have. Who wouldn't want to ride a rocket? Managing growth is a major challenge for Ruth Zive, who has led marketing at Ada for nearly three years. Earlier this year, the Toronto-based company raised $130 million. Ruth, who has headed up marketing at Ada for nearly three years, says momentum and capital have allowed her to take a different approach to marketing, “We have the wind in our sails and we are well-capitalized. So, now we can take a breath and be a lot more thoughtful and strategic about the future,” Ruth said on my podcast. “In the past, we would make decisions from month to month. Now, we very deliberately planning for one or two years out.”

    The Keys to Really Knowing What Makes Your Customers Tick: Ryan Gibson

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2021 29:31 Transcription Available


    Sadly, most marketers don't really know their customers. They have buyer personas and ideal customer profiles. But these tools barely scratch the surface. The only way to know your customers is to talk to them. Yet many marketers don't do it because: - They claim to have no time - They have bigger priorities - They're afraid doing hard work - They don't get why it matters That's not good enough. Ryan Gibson not only believes in the value of talking to customers, but he pivoted his consulting business to focus on “customer investigations”. It is insightful and often surprising, he says, what customers and prospects will tell you if you ask them questions.

    Who gives a crap about email marketing: Jules Dan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2021 28:48 Transcription Available


    The “unsubscribe” notification is painful. Someone wants to end a relationship. They want you out of their lives. It's not them, it's you…and your newsletter. But is the unsubscribe really that bad? Should marketers, in fact, celebrate unsubscribes? When you step back, someone disconnecting from a newsletter means they're not your target audience. The effort invested to create a newsletter isn't resonating with them. So, it's perfectly fine for both sides to move on. On the Marketing Side podcast, Jules Dan said it's more important to focus on the people who want your email marketing. “I sometimes encourage people to unsubscribe.”

    How to ensure that your B2B SaaS demos don't suck

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 22:54 Transcription Available


    Click on “Ask for a Demo'. It's the CTA on every B2B SaaS website. But what happens after the click? How do companies educate, and delight prospects? In many ways, the demo is almost taken for granted within the marketing process. Marketers are focused on messaging, value propositions and content to attract and engage. The demo belongs to sales. But that's the wrong approach. The demo should be a coordinated effort between sales and marketing. A demo is a golden opportunity to encourage, inspire and showcase your product in the right way. If marketing isn't involved in this crucial process, that's a mistake.

    The "One Big Thing" Formula for B2B SaaS Marketing Success

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2021 37:51 Transcription Available


    The biggest marketing challenge for many companies simply getting started. There are so many options that it's almost paralysis by analysis. In many cases, companies do too much. They believe that more channels or campaigns equal more success. It's better to focus on doing a small number of things really well. Pick a channel and run hard with it. A key part of Jordan Behan 's approach to getting started with marketing is: One Big Thing. Pick a marketing tactic like an eBook, Webinar, video, or course to stand out. I like the idea of One Big Thing because it establishes realistic expectations, structure, and focus.

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