As the Founder or CEO of a start-up or small business, you know you need to take marketing seriously. But do you know how to get started? The Marketing Mix is your guide to positioning, content marketing, demand generation, and sales enablement for growing B2B companies. We dig into the details by interviewing marketing specialists; by talking to leaders who’ve faced the same issues as you, in their company; and by taking deep dives into specific marketing topics. Whether you’re interested i ...
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Is Google losing its grip on B2B marketing?
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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…
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B2B Websites that Convert | A Conversation with Sam Dunning of Breaking B2B
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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 goal with Breaking B2B - 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 …
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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.…
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Building a Marketing Flywheel: Momentum through Community w/Chris Delany, CEO of Semgeeks
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I’m talking with Chris Delany, 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 o…
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Responsible Marketing is Good for Business: w/ Chad Hickey and Lauren Burke
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Responsible Marketing; Sustainability; Eco-friendly business practices. Whatever you call it, companies are increasingly exploring how to “do better.” And on this episode, we explore how businesses can embed Responsibility directly into their marketing strategies. Chad Hickey, CEO of Givsly; and Lauren Burke of Ljs Advisory, share their experience …
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SEO and AI: The value of the" Human Layer" w/ Greg Brooks, CMO of SearchTides
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If you’re worried about how “search” is going to be impacted by AI…then you’ve clearly been paying attention! But beyond all the hype, what are the most likely outcomes in the next year or so. Should your SEO strategy be changing? Should your marketing investment be going in different places? Greg Brooks and his team at SearchTides spend their time…
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AI in Marketing: How to get started on your AI journey
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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 ove…
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Engage, Deliver, Repeat: Where Marketing and Delivery Meet w/ Chris Heffernan, Founder and CEO of Dlivrd
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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 technol…
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Positioning: The Why, the Who, and the How w/ Sharon Scott
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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 serv…
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The Algo-Rythm is Gonna Get You | Improving LinkedIn, plus thoughts on Positioning
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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 you…
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The Story So Far: [Season 1 Recap] What have we learned in the first season of The Marketing Mix?
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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 t…
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A Practical Approach to Account-Based Marketing w/ Mason Cosby
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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 …
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Small Businesses Need Customer Research Too! A conversation with Justin Chen, co-founder of PickFu
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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 onl…
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Do you really need a website? Some thoughts on why you do, and how to make it happen.
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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 …
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Case Studies: The Power of Customer Stories w/ Nikki Fabrizio
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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 stu…
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Linking B2B Marketing to Revenue via Customer Conversion Points | A Critical Step Before Marketing Attribution Makes Sense
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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 b…
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Marketing Attribution: Understanding where your customers come from, w/ Steffen Hedebrandt
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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 attribu…
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Google Ads and PPC: Building a Great Campaign w/ Katie Kingsbery of RevKey
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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 A…
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SEO: What you need to know about Search Engine Optimization w/ Charley Karpiuk
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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 o…
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The Four Pillars of Marketing | Position, Awareness, Demand, Enablement (PADE)
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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,…
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Building a Marketing Function in a Small Business | A Conversation with Jesse Park, President of amplifi
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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 i…
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Rebranding based on Customer Research | A conversation with Joan McGeough, CMO of The DAK Group
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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 expe…
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MQLs and SQLs - Bridging the Gap Between Marketing and Sales
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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 g…
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Funnel Marketing and Pirate Metrics - What are they and how do they work?
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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 Marketi…
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"Forget The Funnel": Considering Customer-Led Growth, a Conversation with Georgiana Laudi
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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 t…
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Website Design for B2B Manufacturers; a conversation with Ian Loew, Founder of Lform Design
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Should your marketing agency focus on B2B Manufacturers? There are more than 250,000 manufacturing companies in the US, with the majority of them producing B2B products. And the buyer profiles, their motivations, and the decision processes they go through, are not the same as a B2C, or even a regular B2B customer. Ian Loew, of Lform Design, talks a…
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"Unlocking the power of AI in design. Can AI Tools free up time for creativity?" A conversation with Brian Cobb, Creative Director at Opengear
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Brian Cobb, Creative Director at Opengear, shares his thoughts on how AI tools can streamline the creative process. We go beyond the social media “sound bites” about the evils of ChatGPT and DALL-E (!) to talk about real world applications in marketing design. What are some ways that AI can be integrated into existing tools and processes that Creat…
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AI for Search; plus, the value of Marketing Funnels. With Charley Karpiuk of Airtame
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On this episode, we talk to Charley Karpiuk, Growth Marketing Manager at Airtame. His career path hasn't been traditional, with his first Marketing experience coming from promoting his own music events as a DJ, and starting an English language school in Japan. These both showed him the importance of community building, and the value of remaining ad…
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