The Marketing Mix: Thought-starters for B2B Business Leaders

Steve Cummins - Solent Strategies
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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 in reaching a wider audience, picking the right channels, or building a marketing team, The Marketing Mix is in your corner. Your host is Steve Cummins, who has built and run marketing teams at a number of tech companies, from Fortune 500 to fast-growth start-ups, and been part of several acquisitions along the way. As Principal and Chief Marketer at Solent Strategies, Steve now helps tech companies who are ready to punch above their weight.

  1. 10/16/2024

    The Sendoso Marketing Journey. A conversation with Kris Rudeegraap, co-founder and CEO

    On this episode, Kris Rudeegraap, CEO of Sendoso, talks about his journey from software sales - where he spotted a gap in the market - to being a company founder, and then the first CMO.  He details Sendoso's early marketing strategies, including building a robust CRM database, focusing on field and event marketing, and creating educational content to establish their category. Kris goes on to talk about the importance of data-backed content, SEO strategies, and creating content for different levels of the organization. And we discuss the challenges and benefits of category creation, and the value of event marketing for startups.  Our conversation also covers the evolution of Sendoso's marketing team, from initial hires to scaling up. And, naturally, the effectiveness of gifting as a marketing tactic. Note: This episode is not sponsored by Sendoso. Kris was invited on the show as a guest. Resources: Connect with Kris on LinkedIn Read the HockeyStack report on Revenue Impact of Gifting

    35 min

  2. 08/29/2024

    Is Google losing its grip on B2B marketing?

    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 left you frustrated. The game has changed drastically over the last year or two - impacting the value of both SEO and Google Ads. On this episode, we explore the changes in the landscape; look at how people's search habits have changed; and talk about the evolving role of Content Marketing to take advantage of the strategic shift. Resources Peter Caputa Linkedin Post - "Most companies should stop publishing educational content to their website for SEO purposes. It's like buying real estate in an undesirable neighborhood." Rand Fishkin Video Post - "Clicks are dying. Attribution is dying. The way we've done digital marketing for 25yrs is dying." Chris Walker Linkedin Post "Google paid search is often by far the largest expense across the entire Marketing budget and simultaneously the lowest performing investment."

    17 min

  3. 07/24/2024

    B2B Websites that Convert | A Conversation with Sam Dunning of Breaking B2B

    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 your marketing programs. And yet many of them are designed around good looks and fun messaging – rather than on educating prospects, and capturing their interest. So we discuss some common pitfalls of sites that fail to connect, and Sam shared three approaches he uses to craft clear headlines and positioning statements.  We also covered the importance of having more than just pricing on your pricing pages; and how to construct a low-friction “book a demo” process. Plus Sam talked a little about his personal branding strategy which borrows from popular social media trends.  Key Takeaways: 1.      Design for the Audience: A website should focus on the pain points of the target audience. Not the preferences of internal stakeholders 2.      Clarity Over Complexity: Use straightforward headlines that avoid cliches and jargon; and clearly state the value proposition and benefits. 3.     Transparency Builds Trust: Open pricing and accessible demos streamline the sales process, and reduce time wasted on unqualified prospects 4.     Expand your Pricing Page: Incorporate social proof, such as client testimonials, case studies, and FAQs, to address common objections 5.     Engaging Demos: Wngaging product demos, either through videos or interactive tools, allows visitors to understand the product's value quickly and effectively. Resources: Connect with Sam on LinkedIn Listen to – or watch - his Breaking B2B Podcast  For more on Sam’s tips to build a killer B2B tech website, check out Episode #390 “Craft a SaaS Website That Converts Like Crazy” And for my England-based listeners, here’s Sam’s SEO-based spoof of “It’s Coming Home”

    35 min

  4. 06/20/2024

    Keeping Up With Marketing Trends

    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. TikTok, webinars, social media and, yes, podcasts. And as AI becomes a bigger and bigger part of the conversation, where do you go to keep up with the trends? On this episode, I run through the options, and share my own approach. Resources: Section - Online business courses (very AI and marketing focused) Rutgers Mini-MBA Programs - Virtual and in-person courses The Marketing Book Podcast Smart people who I follow: Rand Fishkin (SEO) Eli Schwartz (SEO) Ethan Mollick (AI) Nicole Leffer (AI) Andy Crestodina (Content) Cocktail Recipe: The Mexican Monk (but replace the tequila with mezcal!)

    15 min

  5. 05/15/2024

    Building a Marketing Flywheel: Momentum through Community w/Chris Delany, CEO of Semgeeks

    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 on a complex customer journey instead of the more traditional sales funnel. This reflects a broader change towards building a community, that keeps potential customers interested with everything from short-form videos to live events. And so we dig into the idea of a marketing 'flywheel' – using an integrated strategy to build momentum over a period of time, leading to deeper customer loyalty. And at a time when live events are struggling (at least, in terms of pay-to-play sponsorships), Chris talks about the bet he’s placed on creating the New Jersey Digital Marketing Conference. Resources: Connect with Chris on LinkedInCheck out Chris’s agency, SemgeeksSign up for the NJ Digital Marketing Conference

    28 min

  6. 04/17/2024

    Responsible Marketing is Good for Business: w/ Chad Hickey and Lauren Burke

    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 in integrating these practices into B2B events and campaigns. Reducing unnecessary tradeshow swag; creating thoughtful event activations; and showcasing company values in advertising and outreach. There are many ways that Responsible Marketing can be embedded in the strategy. We also discuss the motivation for companies to adopt this approach - to reflect their internal values; appeal to an increasingly tuned-in customer base (we’re looking at you, Gen Z); or respond to their employees’ expectations. And provide some guideposts for marketers and business owners who are looking to get started. Key Takeaways:  Responsible Marketing is a valuable part of building brand reputation Any initiative should be an integral part of your marketing strategy A senior marketer has to be the internal champion for this to succeed Take time to educate the Sales team on the benefits to the sales process KPIs should ideally align with existing metrics, to ensure buy-in across the company  Resources: Connect with Lauren here Connect with Chad here

    38 min

  7. 04/03/2024

    SEO and AI: The value of the" Human Layer" w/ Greg Brooks, CMO of SearchTides

    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 thinking through these exact issues – based on data and their own experience. And on The Marketing Mix, Greg shares some of his thoughts on the changes that are already happening. And how marketers and business owners should be adapt. We start off by talking about foundational elements of SEO; consider the long term value of content marketing as a search strategy; and think through the overall marketing approach as search becomes smarter. Will the "Human Element"  be the thing that makes the difference, and keeps you ahead of the game? Key Takeaways: Current SEO best practices - authority, relevance, and technical optimization - will continue to be the bedrock of search. But we need to consider an additional “human” layer to boost its value.If AI is driving the cost of producing content to zero, how do you add value? Expertise and Experience are the areas where human input can improve on AI generationGoogle's continued focus on 'helpfulness' should guide the strategy, rather than looking to AI-specific tactics and shortcuts. Make your content useful, and – whatever Search becomes - it will be found. Find Out More: Connect with Greg on LinkedIn Read more about SearchTides, and dig into their research Timestamps: 05:20 The Role of SEO in Business Growth  08:40 Impact of AI on Content Marketing  14:15 Google wants to be Helpful 26:15 The Human Era of SEO:  36:00 A Drink at The Search Bar

    38 min

  8. 03/20/2024

    AI in Marketing: How to get started on your AI journey

    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 options that marketers should consider as they start to look into AI; share some examples and use cases of how to incorporate AI into your daily workflows; and consider where we might be with AI tools a year from now. Really, though, this episode is an encouragement to “Just Do It” (to use a turn of phrase!). If you’re not yet using AI, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start to play around with AI tools - whether that’s a standalone AI assistant like Chat GPT or Claude; or tapping into the AI features of the software you’re already using. And we’re giving you some pointers to get your journey started. Plus, since the subject of Large Language Models and AI in Marketing is constantly changing, I share some of the resources I’m using to stay ahead of the curve!. See below: Timestamps: 04:35What to think about when you think about AI 07:05Which AI Assistant should you use? 12:10Three use cases to get you started 19:20How is this going to change the way we work? Articles and Newsletters mentioned in this episode: Sam Altman’s “95%” quote. Link “Best Practices for Working with Large Language Models” - The New Stack column, by Jon Udell. Link “Claude 3: ChatGPT finally has a serious rival" - Understanding AI Newsletter by Timothy Lee. Link “Your guide to Google Gemini and Claude 3.0, compared to ChatGPT” - AI for Good Newsletter by TarenSK. Link "Which AI Should I Use?” - One Useful Thing Newsletter by Ethank Molik. Link “Microsoft promises Copilot will be a 'moneymaker' in the long term” - The Register. Link The Gartner Hype Cycle. Link Fuggedaboutit Cocktails “Bot” By Michael A McConachie - Link The Mobster Mirage Cocktail Recipe: [Verbatim, from the Fuggedaboutit Cocktails custom GPT] 1 oz Whisky: Pick a good one, something with character but not too overbearing.1/2 oz Cointreau: For a hint of sweet citrus to brighten things up.1/2 oz Dark Rum: Adds depth and a bit of mystery.1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice: To cut through the sweetness and add some zing.Dash of Simple Syrup: Only if you like it a bit sweeter, see?Garnish: Lime wheel or a twist, for that touch of class.Chill Your Glass: Get a nice cocktail glass and fill it with ice or stick it in the freezer for a bit to get it nice and frosty. Mix Ingredients: In a shaker, combine the whisky, Cointreau, dark rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup if you're using it. Fill that shaker with ice. Shake It Up: Shake it like you mean it, but with respect Strain: Strain it into your chilled glass. You want it smooth, with no ice chunks crashin' the party. Garnish: Add that lime wheel or twist. It's like the suit jacket on a well-dress

    27 min
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About

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 in reaching a wider audience, picking the right channels, or building a marketing team, The Marketing Mix is in your corner. Your host is Steve Cummins, who has built and run marketing teams at a number of tech companies, from Fortune 500 to fast-growth start-ups, and been part of several acquisitions along the way. As Principal and Chief Marketer at Solent Strategies, Steve now helps tech companies who are ready to punch above their weight.

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