The Marketing Mix: Thought-starters for B2B Business Leaders - The Story So Far: [Season 1 Recap] What have we learned in the first season of The Marketing Mix?

The Story So Far: [Season 1 Recap] What have we learned in the first season of The Marketing Mix?

12/06/23 • 29 min

The Marketing Mix: Thought-starters for B2B Business Leaders

Search Engine Optimization; Demand Generation; and Content Marketing.
Most of the conversations in this first season of the podcast have delved into one (or more) of these three key areas of marketing.
In this final episode of Season 1, Steve selects a sound bite or two from each of his interviews, to remind everyone how smart his guests are! And to zero in on the #1 takeaway from each episode. He recaps his discussions with marketing practitioners, business owners, and an author. And he looks forward to 2024...and Season 2 of the podcast.
Clips from previous episodes include interviews with Charley Karpiuk, Katie Kingsberry, Gia Laudi, Joan McGeough, Steffen Hedebrandt, Jesse Park, and Nikki Fabrizio. And they highlight discussions around how AI will impact SEO; how to run a better Google Ads campaign; asking your customers why they need your product; what a branding project looks like; why attribution matters; and how to maximize your investment in content marketing.
Some of the key areas the guests talk about:

Generative AI should not be used as a content generation tool for SEO, as it can be easily detected by search engines and deprioritized.
Relevancy is crucial in Google Ads campaigns, with an unbroken line of relevancy between search terms, ad copy, and landing pages leading to successful campaigns.
Messaging should be based on customer insights and experiences, rather than assumptions made by founders or marketers.
Branding encompasses every experience that an audience has with a company, including visual, auditory, and emotional aspects.
Customer stories can be found by working closely with sales teams, leveraging online reviews, and conducting interviews to gather authentic and engaging content.
Marketing attribution should focus on making smart decisions by identifying activities that are wasteful and those that yield positive results.

Generative AI should not be used as a content generation tool for SEO, as it can be easily detected by search engines and deprioritized.
Relevancy is crucial in Google Ads campaigns, with an unbroken line of relevancy between search terms, ad copy, and landing pages leading to successful campaigns.
Messaging should be based on customer insights and experiences, rather than assumptions made by founders or marketers.
Branding encompasses every experience that an audience has with a company, including visual, auditory, and emotional aspects.
Customer stories can be found by working closely with sales teams, leveraging online reviews, and conducting interviews to gather authentic and engaging content.
Marketing attribution should focus on making smart decisions by identifying activities that are wasteful and those that yield positive results.

Previous Episode

A Practical Approach to Account-Based Marketing w/ Mason Cosby

The term Account Based Marketing, or ABM. has been hijacked by companies promoting platforms and tech solutions. But in essence, it's a methodology for reaching strategic accounts more effectively.
In this episode, Mason Cosby discusses the true definition of account-based marketing and how it can be a viable strategy for smaller organizations. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the strategy rather than the tools and technology associated with ABM. Mason shares his concept of "scrappy ABM," which involves using existing resources and tools to target strategic accounts and drive results. He also highlights the need for alignment between sales and marketing and provides insights into activation plays and the use of podcasts as an ABM tool.

Key Takeaways:

ABM is fundamentally a B2B growth strategy that aligns sales and marketing around a set of shared target accounts.
Smaller organizations can implement a scrappy ABM strategy by leveraging existing resources and tools to target strategic accounts and drive results.
Activation plays, such as close lost campaigns and missed meetings, can be effective in re-engaging target accounts and driving pipeline growth.
Podcasts can be a powerful tool in ABM as they provide an opportunity to build one-to-one relationships with target accounts

Next Episode

The Algo-Rythm is Gonna Get You | Improving LinkedIn, plus thoughts on Positioning

To kick off Season Two, Steve talks about marketing topics that have been top of mind since the last episode. He talks about the current state of the LinkedIn algorithm, (not great, but better than the alternative!); the need to productize your offering, whether it’s an actual product or a service; and the importance of positioning and defining your niche.

Steve also introduces his Marketing Mentor program, working with small businesses and their marketing “team of one” to build in-house capabilities and keep projects moving.

Finally, he previews the line up for Season Two of The Marketing Mix.

Links:

“The End of Social Media” – The Economist

The Marketing Mentor Program - More details

Timestamp Summary

00:01:30 What’s wrong with the LinkedIn algorithm

00:04:45 Some steps to improve the quality of your LI feed

00:07:25 The Marketing Mentor Program

00:08:50 Positioning, and finding your niche

00:13:15 What’s coming up on The Marketing Mix