The Marketing Mix: Thought-starters for B2B Business Leaders

Are we ready to take advantage of AI in Marketing yet?

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is quoted as saying that AI could automate 95% of tasks currently performed by marketing agencies. I don’t agree with the number, but it’s a bold enough statement to pay attention to. And, for sure, AI is going to have a significant impact on how we “do” marketing over the next few years.

So in this episode, I talk through the option...

In this episode, we talk with Chris Heffernan, the co-founder and CEO of Dlivrd. Think DoorDash, but for restaurant catering and same-day food delivery. Chris shares his insights on marketing as a founder, and how it has helped him scale his business. 

He discusses Dlivrd's unique positioning in the delivery ecosystem, at the intersection of technology, logistics and customer experience. They’ve created a business culture aroun...

Positioning is a fundamental part of marketing strategy. But it’s not always explicitly defined, particularly in small, fast-growing companies. In many cases, it’s based purely on the original intent of the founder, and reflects early-adopters. But as a business scales, it’s worth taking time to think through the Why/Who/How of your product or service, so you can develop the messaging and the Go-To-Market strategy that’s going to h...

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 busine...

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 discussi...

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 ...

Every marketing book tells you to get closer to your customer. And honestly, we don't really need to be told that! But it's not always so easy to do that as part of your day-to-day - particularly if "customer research" means in-person focus groups or Voice of the Customer projects.

Fortunately, getting customer insights is now much easier, with online platforms making it accessible to businesses with li...

A recent Linkedin post got some traction by suggesting that not all businesses need a website.

Which honestly, is a bit of a headscratcher.  As my friend Tim Peter wrote in a counterpoint, that's like saying you don't need a phone number or an email address to run a business.

On this week's episode, I talk through why you DO need a website, even if it's just a simple one. I discuss the types of...

In this episode of The Marketing Mix, we’re talking to Nikki Fabrizio about the power of using customer success stories - otherwise known as case studies - in content marketing. 

Nikki shares her experience in producing both written and video testimonials for a range of companies. She stresses the importance of finding the right clients for case studies - ensuring you have a diverse set of customers featured - and showcasing realist...

Marketing attribution sounds like a great idea. And in theory, it is. Particularly if you’re selling directly to customers via an ecommerce page on your website.

In many B2B scenarios, though, you’re selling through distributors, channel partners or third party websites. It’s not easy to track a buyer from the moment they first interact with your brand, all the way until they buy a product. When you encourage your customers to purch...

You’re spending money on PPC ads, on improving SEO performance, and attending multiple events. How do you know which of these investments is paying off? That’s what Marketing Attribution is all about.

In this episode of The Marketing Mix, we’re talking to Steffen Hedebrandt, CMO and co-founder of Dreamdata, about the importance of marketing attribution for small and mid-sized B2B companies. 

We discuss the challenges of tra...

Too many start-ups and small businesses waste their precious resources running Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns without linking them to activity that drives new business. It’s easy to get dazzled by vanity metrics, instead of targeting prospects who are ready to make a decision. 

So on this episode, we’re talking about the best way to approach Google Ads and PPC advertising, with Katie Kingsbery, Senior Account Manager at RevKey.  

If you know that SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, but aren’t sure where to get started, then this episode is for you.

Charley’s experience at Conde Nast, Google, and a number of start-ups has given him an insight into how SEO can be used to fuel the growth for brands and businesses. And in this conversation, he explains the four pillars of SEO that he considers whenbuilding a strategy, and how he approaches each one.
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When you think of marketing strategy, most people immediately refer to the Four P’s of Marketing – Product, Price, Promotion and Place. And while that’s a good starting place in theory, the reality of marketing - particularly in a small business or a start-up - is that you need a more action-oriented framework.

On this episode of The Marketing Mix, I discuss a broader model known as PADE, which looks at the four pillars of marketing...

Steve interviews Jesse Park, President and Co-owner of amplifi. Jesse shares his journey of transforming the company from a print specialist to an agency that helps nonprofit organizations enhance their fundraising efforts , and how he built the marketing function from scratch. 

Jesse's background is not in marketing, but he recognized the need to improve the company's brand awareness and demonstrate their expertise by pro...

Steve talks with Joan McGeough, Chief Marketing Officer at the DAK Group, to discuss their recent rebranding project and the crucial role customer research played in informing their decisions. 

The DAC Group is looking to revitalize their visual identity and validate their messaging to better resonate with their target audience. Joan shares her experiences from the rebranding journey, from selecting the right agency, to getting feed...

Why are we talking about MQLs and SQLs?

Funnel Marketing has dominated the last two episodes. First, it was the interview with Gia Laudi, author of "Forget the Funnel." Then I shared my thoughts on how the Funnel can be used effectively for start-ups and growth companies.

Marketing Qualified Leads are a layer on top of the Funnel that bridges the gap between Marketing and Sales teams. So if you've j...

On the last episode, I talked with Georgiana Laudi, co-author of Forget the Funnel. And that led to questions around 'what, actually, is the Marketing Funnel"?!

So this week, I explain some of the models that marketers use when we talk about Demand Generation.  And talk about the pros and cons of each.

I describe the five stages of a typical Marketing Funnel - Awareness, Interest, Consideration, Conversi...

If you’ve ever wondered if the traditional marketing funnel still makes sense, you’re on the same wavelength as Georgiana (Gia) Laudi, co-author of “Forget the Funnel.”

Gia would rather talk about Customer Led Growth, an alternate approach - applied particularly to SaaS marketing and recurring revenue models - focused on a deeper understanding of the experience of the “best customers.”

On this episode of The Marketing ...