Leap Ahead podcast

35:47

Blose is a Demand Spring Leap Advisor and has over 20 years of content marketing experience. Chris is a storyteller at heart and spent a decade-plus honing his skills at leading independent content marketing firms and served as a client-facing VP of Content for the latter two. Chris brings his extensive experience to today’s episode to talk about marketing strategy, B2B storytelling, and the different types of content strategies available to the everyday CMO today. Key Takeaways: [2:15] Why is Chris so passionate about content marketing? [6:40] Is there a formula to storytelling in B2B marketing? [8:55] What are your objectives when you’re trying to tell a B2B story? [10:40] Chris shares some of the most important aspects of a content marketing strategy. [12:55] Chris talks about the difference between content pillars, content types, and content topics, and how to tie this all together through metrics. [18:10] Respond to the data. What worked last month might not be relevant this month. [18:55] How do you bridge the gap between buyer persona and content marketing success? [22:45] How do marketers go beyond writing content for content’s sake? [26:00] What do we really need to do to get better content marketing results? [29:15] It’s critical for a CMO to see the entire ecosystem and not be siloed in the metrics, the numbers, and the data. [32:05] Podcasts are not a good lead generation tool. It’s the perfect platform for building an audience, though. [34:25] Where does Chris plan to travel to after COVID-19? Mentioned in This Episode: Demandspring . com Chris on Demand Spring Chris on LinkedIn…

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Tessa May Marr — How to generate a positive ROI with Social Media 31:55

4 years ago31:55

31:55

Tessa May Marr is the CEO of Marr Media, a social media marketing agency that works with both B2B and B2C brands to build custom social strategies and offers a fully outsourced social media management plan. Tessa shares her expertise in social media marketing and offers tips on what CMOs need to be thinking about when it comes to social media in this episode. Key Takeaways: [2:05] How has the pandemic affected social media marketing? [4:30] The pandemic was a good opportunity to really nurture the relationships of your customers. Don’t let yourself be forgotten. [7:30] It’s always better to experiment with a smaller budget, test things out, and then go big when the concept has been proved. [10:35] Influencer marketing is on a big incline, but it’s not readily tracked. [11:45] What are some of the best ways to build trust on social media? [15:40] How has the social media marketing landscape changed over the last five years? [18:35] If you have the right tracking in place, you can really see the financial impacts of your company’s tweets and how they are driving marketing growth. [20:35] How can brands get a positive ROI on their social media? [21:50] Radio and billboard ads are still untrackable to this day. [22:30] It’s important to have realistic expectations during the first few months. [24:50] Tessa shares a little bit about her entrepreneurial journey. [27:50] Tessa’s number one priority has always been her team. [30:35] What’s the next destination Tessa plans to travel to when we’re out of lockdown? Mentioned in This Episode: Demandspring . com Tessa on Demand Spring Tessa on LinkedIn…

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Patricia Waldron — Being Late to Market Just Isn’t an Option in Today’s Environment 24:33

4 years ago24:33

24:33

Patricia Waldron’s 20-plus-year track record is filled with stories of companies who have, with her help, differentiated themselves through innovative strategies, solutions, and marketing initiatives. The fact is, technology never sleeps, competition is endless, and only companies that are willing to stay ahead of trends will rise to the top. In this week’s episode, Patricia paints a rich picture of what the retail marketing landscape looks like today, and how CMOs can get smarter with the unknowns that they’re faced with. Key Takeaways: [1:50] How did Patricia get into marketing? [5:35] How has retail marketing changed over the last few years? [8:00] How do you create an authentic brand that actually stands for something today? [10:25] Marketing teams are burned out. How can CMO’s reengage their team without overburdening them? [11:35] As a leader, a bit of humanity and compassion goes a long way with your team. [13:35] There are so many different places where you can get information. Take advantage of the “reverse mentorship” opportunities in your corner. [15:15] Patricia shares the types of challenges she’s overcome through her career. [16:55] Done is better than perfect. [18:00] What makes a good CMO and leader in today’s climate? [19:55] Be fearlessly curious, ask good questions, and then be a problem solver. [22:00] Every CMO today needs to have a growth mindset. [22:40] Patricia shares where she plans to travel next when the world opens up. Mentioned in This Episode: Demandspring . com Patricia on Demand Spring Visionfirst . biz Patricia on LinkedIn Flawless Consulting : A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used , by Peter Block…

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Carla Johnson — How to Develop Creative Thinkers 30:12

4 years ago30:12

30:12

Carla Johnson is a world-renowned Storyteller, Creative Explorer, and the author of Re:Think Innovation. Over the last two decades, Carla has helped architects, actuaries, executives, volunteers, innovators, and visionaries leverage the art of storytelling to inspire action. Carla is passionate about helping organizations create a culture of innovative and original thinkers. As we get older, we have a harder time connecting with our creative side, but this side is a critical part of what creates disruption in industries. Find out more about Carla and how CMOs can get the best out of their team in this week’s episode! Key Takeaways: [1:50] Does Carla consider herself a marketer or an innovator? [6:35] What can CMOs do to cultivate an innovation mindset for themselves? [7:25] We have to look beyond just innovating the technology and also cultivate our people. [8:20] We might promote someone into a new role, but we do not take into consideration how people show up in the world. [9:15] Want to drive innovation? Focus on the people. [13:35] A lot of people, which is a good thing, believe their product is different, but this blind faith is almost used as a crutch and it leaves companies open to being disrupted by others. [17:35] What inspired Carla to write her book, Re:Think Innovation? [19:00] Have you ever felt that you have a really creative team on staff, but you just can’t figure out who they are? [20:35] Carla wanted to help people take inspiration from the world around them and connect the dots with what they do. [23:00] Not a lot of executives want to “herd cats” and that’s what it can often sound like if they have a large team of creative thinkers on staff. [25:45] Sometimes CMOs miss the importance of content. That’s an area of expertise you must be well-versed on. [29:15] Carla is excited to head to Montana in a few weeks for a much-needed break! Mentioned in This Episode: Demandspring . com Carla on Demand Spring Carlajohnson . co Carla on LinkedIn Carla’s book: Re : Think Innovation Content Inc ., by Joe Pulizzi…

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Joe Cordo — Are You Focused on the Customer? 26:31

4 years ago26:31