The Marketing Mix: Thought-starters for B2B Business Leaders

The Sendoso Marketing Journey. A conversation with Kris Rudeegraap, co-founder and CEO

On this episode, Kris Rudeegraap [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudeegraap/], CEO of Sendoso [https://www.sendoso.com/], talks about his journey from software sales - where he spotted a gap in the market - to being a company founder, and then the first CMO.  He details Sendoso's early marketing strategies, including building a robust CRM database, focusing on field and event marketing, and creating educational content to establish their category. Kris goes on to talk about the importance of data-backed content, SEO strategies, and creating content for different levels of the organization. And we discuss the challenges and benefits of category creation, and the value of event marketing for startups.  Our conversation also covers the evolution of Sendoso's marketing team, from initial hires to scaling up. And, naturally, the effectiveness of gifting as a marketing tactic. Note: This episode is not sponsored by Sendoso. Kris was invited on the show as a guest. Resources: Connect with Kris on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudeegraap/] Read the HockeyStack report on Revenue Impact of Gifting [https://www.sendoso.com/resources/blog/the-revenue-impact-of-gifting]

Is Google losing its grip on B2B marketing?

If you’re a founder or CEO of a growing business, you've probably been told that you have to focus your marketing around Google. Whether that’s ranking highly for a specific phrase or a set of keywords; or investing in ads to get more people to your website. Both of which can get expensive quickly! And there's a good chance that all this effort has left you frustrated. The game has changed drastically over the last year or two - impacting the value of both SEO and Google Ads. On this episode, we explore the changes in the landscape; look at how people's search habits have changed; and talk about the evolving role of Content Marketing to take advantage of the strategic shift. Resources Peter Caputa Linkedin Post [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7223720388927598593/] - "Most companies should stop publishing educational content to their website for SEO purposes. It's like buying real estate in an undesirable neighborhood." Rand Fishkin Video Post [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/randfishkin_clicks-are-dying-attribution-is-dying-the-activity-7221294276238852096-EiRP/] - "Clicks are dying. Attribution is dying. The way we've done digital marketing for 25yrs is dying." Chris Walker Linkedin Post [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7228755847818985472/] "Google paid search is often by far the largest expense across the entire Marketing budget and simultaneously the lowest performing investment."

B2B Websites that Convert | A Conversation with Sam Dunning of Breaking B2B

If you’re running a B2B tech company, you want your website to generate leads, and convert interest. Yet so many websites are built for vanity, not revenue.  And that’s Sam Dunning’s [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdunning/] goal with Breaking B2B [https://www.breakingb2b.com/] - to change the way that tech companies and SaaS providers think about their web design.  The website should be the hub to which you drive all of your marketing programs. And yet many of them are designed around good looks and fun messaging – rather than on educating prospects, and capturing their interest. So we discuss some common pitfalls of sites that fail to connect, and Sam shared three approaches he uses to craft clear headlines and positioning statements.  We also covered the importance of having more than just pricing on your pricing pages; and how to construct a low-friction “book a demo” process. Plus Sam talked a little about his personal branding strategy which borrows from popular social media trends.  Key Takeaways: 1.      Design for the Audience: A website should focus on the pain points of the target audience. Not the preferences of internal stakeholders 2.      Clarity Over Complexity: Use straightforward headlines that avoid cliches and jargon; and clearly state the value proposition and benefits. 3.     Transparency Builds Trust: Open pricing and accessible demos streamline the sales process, and reduce time wasted on unqualified prospects 4.     Expand your Pricing Page: Incorporate social proof, such as client testimonials, case studies, and FAQs, to address common objections 5.     Engaging Demos: Wngaging product demos, either through videos or interactive tools, allows visitors to understand the product's value quickly and effectively. Resources: Connect with Sam on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdunning/] Listen to – or watch - his Breaking B2B Podcast [blog]  For more on Sam’s tips to build a killer B2B tech website, check out [https://www.breakingb2b.com/craft-a-saas-website-that-converts-like-crazy] Episode #390 “Craft a SaaS Website That Converts Like Crazy” And for my England-based listeners, here’s Sam’s SEO-based spoof of “It’s Coming Home [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/samdunning_seo-activity-7215293405818425344-W-m5?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop]”

Keeping Up With Marketing Trends

I was on my way to the New Jersey Digital Marketing Conference recently. And it occurred to me that the way we keep up with the latest in marketing strategy and techniques has changed significantly. A few years ago, it was all about in-person events, networking, and reading a few books. Now - post-covid - much of our marketing education is digital. TikTok, webinars, social media and, yes, podcasts. And as AI becomes a bigger and bigger part of the conversation, where do you go to keep up with the trends? On this episode, I run through the options, and share my own approach. Resources: Section [https://referrals.sectionschool.com/mzus9vH] - Online business courses (very AI and marketing focused) Rutgers Mini-MBA Programs [https://www.business.rutgers.edu/executive-education/digital-marketing] - Virtual and in-person courses The Marketing Book Podcast [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/the-marketing-book-podcast-6793] Smart people who I follow: Rand Fishkin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/] (SEO) Eli Schwartz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/] (SEO) Ethan Mollick [https://www.linkedin.com/in/emollick/] (AI) Nicole Leffer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleleffer/] (AI) Andy Crestodina [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycrestodina/] (Content) Cocktail Recipe: The Mexican Monk [https://www.patrontequila.com/cocktails/patron-silver/mexican-monk.html](but replace the tequila with mezcal!)

Building a Marketing Flywheel: Momentum through Community w/Chris Delany, CEO of Semgeeks

I’m talking with Chris Delany [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdelany/], the CEO of Semgeeks, about how the world of B2B digital marketing is changing. We look at the transition from basic SEO tactics and website design, to a full-bore strategy focused on creating a community across multiple channels. Chris explains how he’s shifted to a more integrated, multi-touch approach that focuses on a complex customer journey instead of the more traditional sales funnel. This reflects a broader change towards building a community, that keeps potential customers interested with everything from short-form videos to live events. And so we dig into the idea of a marketing 'flywheel' – using an integrated strategy to build momentum over a period of time, leading to deeper customer loyalty. And at a time when live events are struggling (at least, in terms of pay-to-play sponsorships), Chris talks about the bet he’s placed on creating the New Jersey Digital Marketing Conference [https://semgeeks.com/njdmc/]. Resources: * Connect with Chris on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdelany/] * Check out Chris’s agency, Semgeeks [https://semgeeks.com/] * Sign up for the NJ Digital Marketing Conference [https://semgeeks.com/njdmc/]