Marketing Spark (The B2B SaaS Marketing Podcast)

In this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Evans talks to Mitch Solway, a fractional CMO for startups, about the volatile and ever-changing B2B and SaaS marketing landscapes.We discuss marketing leaders' challenges as they strive to attract prospects while dealing with budget pressures.

This episode takes a dive deep into the intersection of technology, innovation, and public relations. Mark Evans, seasoned B2B/SaaS marketer and ex-journalist, sits down with Nima Olumi, one of the co-founders of PR Monkey. As they unpack the challenges of modern PR, you'll gain insight into how technology is shaping the future of communications, branding, and storytelling. Whether you're a PR professional, an aspiring entrepreneur, or just curious about the world of tech-driven communications, it is a conversation that delivers a big-time knowledge and inspiration.

In this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Evans sits down with Dustin Tysick, VP of Revenue, with Testimonial Hero.They discuss the value of customer testimonials, with a special focus on the undeniable impact of video testimonials on the buyer's journey.Mark and Dustin delve deep into the various aspects of video testimonials and their unique ability to connect with potential customers on a profound level. They discuss how video testimonials foster trust, build credibility, and serve as persuasive tools throughout the buyer's journey, from awareness to consideration and, ultimately, the purchase decision.Through real-world examples, Dustin provides tips to capture authentic customer experiences, elicit genuine emotions and effectively showcase the value of your products or services. From scripting and production to distribution and measurement, Dustin offers solid advice and best practices to help businesses unlock the full potential of video testimonials.

Ever wondered how to single-handedly run a marketing department? Dock.us's Eric Doty delivers excellent insights that come from first-hand experience.In this episode of Marketing Spark, Eric shares his thoughts on leveraging the power of connections and underscores the importance of striking while the iron is hot – capitalizing on the unique perspective, excitement, and unbiased outlook that newcomers bring to the table.We discuss quick wins and how to attain them. Eric dives deep into strategies and techniques that will help you make a splash and garner measurable success, even in the early stages of your journey.Whether you are a start-up looking to set up a marketing department or a seasoned marketer planning to go solo, this conversation with Eric will equip you with the tools and motivation to succeed.

In this podcast episode, Mark Evans and Ben Pines, Director of Content at Wordtune and AI 21 Labs, discuss the impact of AI on content marketing. We discuss the evolution of Wordtune and its positioning in the market, the emergence of chat GPT as a content creation tool, and the importance of using AI as an assistant rather than a content creation machine. We also talk about the changing landscape of content distribution and reach, the potential for AI to help content creators succeed in their businesses, and the challenges of spam and fake news. This episode emphasizes the importance of creating high-quality content that stands out and is curated by people.

In this week's episode of Marketing Spark, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jarlath Watson, the principal at the Echlinville Distillery in Northern Ireland. We discussed how a product, specifically Irish whiskey, can expand its market and attract new customers across the ocean.Echlinville has become a renowned brand in the Irish whiskey market, with its high-quality and award-winning products expanding to 27 countries worldwide. But how does it differentiate itself from other Irish whiskeys and break into new markets with limited marketing and sales dollars? Let's dive into the marketing strategies of Echlinville and learn from their success.One of the key strategies of Echlinville is building brand loyalty through its heritage, tradition, history, and craft, as well as having really good liquid. They rely on influencers, bloggers, and writers to promote their brand online, but they also emphasize the importance of face-to-face marketing in breaking through the noise of digital marketing.

In this podcast episode, Mark, the host of "Marketing Spark," interviews Louis Gudema, author of "Bullseye Marketing" and fractional CMO for B2B startups and growth stage companies. Louis explains his unique approach to marketing and the Bullseye Marketing framework, which has received positive feedback from readers worldwide. Mark and Louis also discuss the process of writing a second edition of a book, the current state of the marketing landscape, and the effectiveness of brand marketing versus lead generation marketing. The conversation highlights the importance of brand and lead generation marketing while acknowledging the different skill sets required for each.

In this episode, Mark Evans interviews Jim Kraus, President of the Buyer Persona Institute, about the value and mechanics of buyer personas in marketing and sales. We discuss the definition of buyer personas, how to extract insights from customers and prospects, and the value of buyer personas in messaging, prioritization, and business performance.Jim explains the process of developing buyer personas and the key elements that make them effective. Jim emphasizes the importance of talking to recent buyers who have made the exact buying decision that a company is trying to influence rather than relying on existing customers.

In this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Evans and Clay Ostrom discuss the importance of brand positioning and how it applies to marketing, sales, HR, product development, and raising capital.We explore how positioning is about finding a unique place in the market and creating a memorable connection with customers.We talk about the importance of clear and effective positioning in order to stand out in a competitive market and avoid being lost in the crowd.We also discuss improving a company's positioning, including understanding customers, analyzing competition, and developing an offering that aligns with customer needs.We also touch upon the key deliverables of the brand positioning process and how to measure the ROI of the work done.

In this episode of the Marketing Spark podcast, Mark Evans interviews Paul Slack, founder and CEO of Vende Digital, about account-based marketing (ABM) and its growing popularity among B2B companies.The conversation covers the definition of ABM, its benefits, and best practices. Paul explains the four pillars of executing demand or ABM effectively and the importance of intent data in ABM campaigns.Mark and Paul also discuss the common mistakes that B2B companies make when implementing ABM strategies and the challenges of generating leads in a tough economic climate.Paul says that among the keys to ABM's success is the need for marketing and sales alignment and building strong relationships with potential clients.

In this episode of Markeitng Spark, Laura Gainer provides insight into how she helped turned pickleball into North American's fastest-growing sport.Laura talks about how she approached the sport after being hired by USA Pickleball to overhaul its brand, Website, and logo.We discuss how pickleball has attracted celebrities like Lebron James and why it has become so popular.

In this episode of the Marketing Spark podcast, host Mark talks to Sam Dunning, co-owner of Web Choice, about the common mistakes that B2B companies make with their websites and how to ensure that a website is a conversion machine. We discuss the importance of planning, messaging, and design when building or relaunching a website. Sam shares his insights on how to optimize the homepage, product page, pricing page, about page, and call-to-actions (CTAs) on a website. We also get into the signs that a company needs to redesign its website and where listeners can learn more about Sam and his work.

For many B2B SaaS companies, PR is a mysterious creature.They like the idea of media coverage to drive brand awareness and new business, but they're not sure how PR works and how to approach it.In this episode, Crackle PR's Parry Headrick provides great insight into the inner workings of technology PR and how companies can create win-win partnerships with PR agencies.We also talk about why entrepreneurs don't understand PR, why PR (and marketing) are among the early budget victims, and why Parry is excited about the work from home revolution.

In this episode, Sergey Ross and I explore the power of video for B2B SaaS companies looking to accelerate their growth. We talk about how video can be used at every stage of the sales funnel, from initial pitches to product demos and beyond. We also dive into best practices for creating effective video content, including tips for scripting, filming, and editing. Whether you're a startup or an established B2B SaaS company, we will give you the tools you need to use video to drive growth and increase conversions. Join us for an in-depth discussion on how to harness the power of video and take your B2B SaaS business to the next level.

In challenging economic times, marketing budgets are low-hanging fruit when it comes to cost cutting. In the process, many B2B SaaS companies turn to freelancers, contractors and agencies for strategic and tactical support.In this episode of Marketing Spark, Gwen Lafage (who has worked for agencies and as a B2B SaaS marketing leader) talks about how to hire and get value from top-quality suppliers.We also talk imposter syndrome and how B2B SaaS marketers can be creative to break out of the box.

In this episode of Marketing Spark, Andrew Arocha, Drift's chief revenue officer, talks about how less (marketing) will be more amid more difficult economic conditions.He talks about how companies will focus on revenue growth rather than brand awareness, the future of conferences (smaller and more intimate), best practices for ABM, and how companies should approach customer retention and churn.

As B2B SaaS companies focus on retention rather than acquisition, customer intelligence is becoming more important.On this episode of Marketing Spark, Mike Diaz talks about the different ways that companies can leverage data and information to keep customers in the fold.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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"

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.

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.