B2B Tech Marketing Talks

14. Community Marketing with Kendall Breitman (Riverside.fm)

The theme of our 14th podcast episode is Community Marketing.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things marketing in a community and community management is Kendall Breitman from Riverside.fm.
Summary
In this conversation, Kendall Breitman shares her unique journey into community management, transitioning from a political reporter to a community manager. 
She explains the essence of community management as fostering connections and facilitating conversations among users. 
The discussion delves into the marketing aspects of community management, emphasizing the importance of listening to community feedback and creating a feedback loop that informs product development. 
Kendall also highlights the challenges of measuring community success and the significance of community in the B2B landscape, advocating for the creation of communities that resonate with users' needs and experiences.
Key Takeaways
Community management is about fostering connections and conversations.
Listening to community feedback is crucial for product development.
Community management blends marketing, product marketing, and customer success.
Communities should be built around users' needs, not just the brand.
Measuring community success can be challenging but is essential.
Engagement and sentiment are key indicators of community health.
B2B companies can greatly benefit from building communities.
Creating a feedback loop enhances user trust and loyalty.
Community management is a strategic investment for any brand.
About Kendall Breitman
Kendall is the community manager for Riverside.fm, a remote recording and editing platform for podcasters, marketers, and video content creators. In her role, she leads Riverside's community of thousands of creators, advocating for their needs and developing and implementing strategies to build and nurture a strong sense of community among Riverside's users.
Connect with Kendall on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbreitman/ 
 
 
B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

13. Automating B2B Tech Marketing with Brandi Starr (Tegrita)

The theme of our 13th podcast episode is Automating B2B Tech Marketing.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things content market automation is Brandi Starr from Tegrita.
Summary
Brandi Starr, COO of Tegrita, shares her journey in B2B marketing and the power of marketing automation. 
She emphasizes the importance of personalization and the need to move away from one-size-fits-all campaigns. 
Brandi discusses the common challenges organizations face with marketing automation, such as resource constraints, funnel problems, and data flow issues. She highlights the need for a strategic approach and the importance of mapping out the communication journey. 
Brandi also explains the benefits of marketing automation, including scalability, targeted messaging, and brand recognition. She concludes by describing the marketing automation nirvana, where every contact receives the right message at the right time.
Key Takeaways
Marketing automation requires a strategic approach and mapping out the communication journey.
Common challenges with marketing automation include resource constraints, funnel problems, and data flow issues.
Marketing automation offers benefits such as scalability, targeted messaging, and brand recognition.
Moving towards personalization and away from one-size-fits-all campaigns is crucial for success.
The marketing automation nirvana is when every contact receives the right message at the right time.
About Brandi Starr
Brandi Starr is a marketing powerhouse with over 20 years of experience shaking up B2B and B2B2C companies. 
As COO at Tegrita, a consultancy that unlocks the power of email, she's all about transforming processes, enhancing go-to-market strategies, and ensuring smooth customer experiences. 
Named one of the Top 50 Women in MarTech, Brandi blends strategic vision with operational savvy. She's also the co-author of "CMO to CRO" and the host of the Revenue Rehab podcast, known for turning ideas into action and inspiring others in the marketing world.
Connect with Brandi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandistarr/ 
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

12. Effective Partner Marketing with Alex Whitford (Channext)

The theme of our 12th podcast episode is “Effective Partner Marketing”.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things partner marketing is Alex Whitford, VP of Revenue at Channext.
Summary
In this conversation, Alex Whitford, VP of Revenue at Channext, shares his insights on effective partner marketing. He discusses his background in channel sales and the lessons he learned from his experience at Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Alex emphasizes the importance of operational excellence in building successful channels and advises channel chiefs to focus on partner engagement and maturity. He also highlights the need for customized and automated marketing content that provides value to partners and end users. 
Alex envisions the future of partner marketing to involve multi-vendor collaboration and AI-driven demand generation.
Key Takeaways
Operational excellence is crucial in building successful channels.
Focus on partner engagement and maturity, rather than recruiting a large number of partners.
Provide customized and automated marketing content to partners to drive utilization and engagement.
Collaboration between vendors is essential for effective partner marketing.
The future of partner marketing involves multi-vendor collaboration and AI-driven demand generation.
About Alex Whitford
Alex Whitford is the VP of Revenue at Channext, helping businesses understand how to hit hyper scale through technology and channel strategy. 
With 8 years of building channels across Europe, Middle East and Africa, he has developed extensive relationships with key leaders and businesses who have taught him the key steps to building a killer channel that scales itself!
Connect with Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-whitford 
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

11. Personalising Content at Scale with Grant Hushek (Grantbot Process Consulting)

The theme of our 11th podcast episode is Personalising Content at Scale.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things buyer personas is Grant Hushek, Founder of Grantbot Process Consulting.
Summary
In this conversation, Grant Hushek shares his background in automation consulting and the value it brings to businesses. He discusses his experience with Zapier and the importance of learning through hands-on projects. Grant explains the concept of no code and how it allows for automation by connecting different elements of a tech stack. 
He emphasizes the role of CRMs in automation and the value of enriching data for personalization. Grant also discusses the use of content marketing and automation, including tailoring content based on segments and utilizing intent data from platforms like LinkedIn. 
The conversation explores the concept of personalization in content marketing and how to scale it up. It discusses the use of no-code tools, automation, and AI to repurpose content and personalize outreach. The goal is to capture leads early in their buying journey and nurture them over time. 
The conversation also touches on ethical considerations and the importance of providing value and building relationships rather than focusing on immediate sales. The key takeaway is that personalization requires a long-term approach and a deep understanding of the target audience.
Key Takeaways
Automation consulting can provide significant value to businesses by streamlining processes and freeing up time for higher-level thinking.
No code tools like Zapier allow for automation by connecting different elements of a tech stack.
CRMs play a crucial role in automation and can be used for data enrichment and personalization.
Content marketing can be enhanced through automation by tailoring content based on segments and utilizing intent data.
Intent data from platforms like LinkedIn can be captured and used to identify high-intent prospects for outbound messaging. Personalization in content marketing requires a long-term approach and a deep understanding of the target audience.
No-code tools, automation, and AI can be used to repurpose content and personalize outreach.
The goal is to capture leads early in their buying journey and nurture them over time.
Ethical considerations should be taken into account when using automation and AI in personalization.
Providing value and building relationships is more important than immediate sales.
About Grant Hushek
Grant is the founder of GrantBot Process Consulting (GPC), a no-code automation firm helping B2B service businesses streamline their operations. 
As the first employee at Hampton, a community for founders with $1M+ annual revenue, I identified common automation needs across businesses. Now, GPC partners with companies to scale output without scaling workforce, focusing on automating social media lead generation, CRM, client onboarding, project management, and invoicing. GPC has partnered with over 25 companies, using platforms like HubSpot, ClickUp, Airtable, and Zapier to build automated solutions.
Connect with Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-hushek/ 
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

10. Partnership Strategy with Scott Pollack (Firneo)

The theme of our tenth podcast episode is Partnership Strategy.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things partnerships strategy is Scott Pollack from Firneo.
Summary
Scott Pollack, founder and CEO of Firneo, shares his journey into the world of business development and partnerships. He discusses how he fell into partnerships and the challenges he faced as a partnerships professional in a world dominated by sales and marketing. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding the value alignment framework and aligning partnerships with the goals and needs of internal stakeholders and customers. He also addresses the longer time horizon of partnerships and the need for patience and recognition of the significant impact partnerships can have on revenue and growth.
Key Takeaways
Partnerships professionals often fall into their roles and face challenges in a world dominated by sales and marketing.
Understanding the value alignment framework is crucial for successful partnerships, aligning partnerships with the goals and needs of internal stakeholders and customers.
Partnerships have a longer time horizon for realizing revenue and impact, requiring patience and recognition of their significant potential.
Building an internal ecosystem and setting expectations around partnerships is essential for success.
About Scott Pollack
Scott Pollack is the co-founder & CEO of Firneo, a learning community for the next generation of Partnerships, Ecosystems, and Business Development leaders. Scott has spent over 20 years as a partnerships leader at startups and large companies like American Express, Dow Chemical, and WeWork. He has been teaching courses about partnerships since 2011, and is the best-selling author of What, Exactly, Is Business Development? A Primer on Getting Deals Done.
Connect with Scott on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/slpollack/
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

9. Effective Buyer Personas with Naomi Soman (Storylogick Consulting)

Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things buyer personas is Naomi Soman, Founder of Storylogick Consulting.
Summary
In this conversation, Naomi Soman discusses the importance of redefining buyer personas in the marketing world. She emphasizes the need to move away from the traditional approach of creating detailed profiles based on demographics and instead focus on understanding the problems, goals, and dreams of the target audience. Naomi suggests using recorded sales calls and customer conversations to gather insights and create more effective buyer personas. She also highlights the value of mirroring the language of customers in marketing copy and tailoring messaging to different stages of the buyer's journey. Additionally, Naomi discusses the significance of disqualifying irrelevant leads and the power of storytelling in making buyer personas relatable and memorable.
Key Takeaways
Redefine buyer personas by focusing on understanding the problems, goals, and dreams of the target audience.
Use recorded sales calls and customer conversations to gather insights and create more effective buyer personas.
Mirror the language of customers in marketing copy to make it more relatable and increase conversions.
Tailor messaging to different stages of the buyer's journey to provide the right message at the right time.
Consider disqualifying irrelevant leads to focus on high-quality prospects.
Utilize storytelling to make buyer personas more memorable and relatable.
About Naomi Soman
Naomi Soman has worked in several hyper-growth startups in Tel Aviv, including both scrappy series A companies and even a powerful unicorn. She focuses on crafting messaging and writing copy for performance marketing teams to consistently improve conversion rates and bring in higher-quality leads. From social ads to massive ABM-driven lead-generation campaigns, Naomi knows how to strategically tell a story to get users to click. By investing heavily in qualitative and quantitative customer research, mastering communication fundamentals, and mercilessly analyzing and optimizing results, she helps SaaS startups get the most out of every dollar they spend on digital marketing.
Connect with Naomi on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-soman/ 
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

8. Channel Strategy with Harald Horgen (The York Group)

The theme of our eighth podcast episode is Channel Strategy. Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things channel strategy is Harald Horgen, Founder of The York Group.
Summary
In this conversation, Harald Horgen discusses his background in channel development and the evolution of the channel business model. He highlights the importance of cultural transformation in channel strategy and the challenges of navigating different business models in the channel. Horgen emphasizes the risk and reward of channel partnerships and the need for strategic alignment between vendors and partners. He also explores the concept of opportunity versus risk in channel relationships. He highlights the rapid and radical changes that can occur in the channel, as well as the importance of strategic partnerships.
Key Takeaways
- Channel partners are often reluctant to take on the risk of promoting new products, as it can disrupt their existing business models and relationships.
- Understanding the different business models in the channel is essential for vendors to identify the most suitable partners for their products.
- Opportunity and risk are inherent in channel partnerships, and vendors must provide support and value to their partners to mitigate risk and foster success. Channel partners are expected to create value for their vendors, but they are at risk of being replaced or marginalized.
- Recent events have shown that changes in the channel can be swift and radical, highlighting the risks that channel partners carry. ISVs should be cautious of opportunistic channel partners who may only be interested in a single opportunity.
- Analyzing partner performance is crucial for ISVs to identify and address non-performing partners.
- Developing strategic partnerships requires designated salespeople, activities-based marketing plans, and becoming an important part of the partner's business.
About Harald Horgen
Harald Horgen is an acknowledged expert on the challenges of building a successful international channel for technology products.
As the President and founder of The York Group, an international business development organization with partners across all major geographies, Harald has been opening new markets for his clients since 1993.  He has been personally involved in setting up channels in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. He has worked with clients of all sizes, from small start-ups to industry giants such as Microsoft, Symantec, HP and Dell. 
His clients have come from more than 20 countries, including the U.S., Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India. A native and citizen of Norway, Harald attended high school in Canada, business school in Oslo and graduate school in Arizona.   
Fluent in English, Norwegian and French, he lived in France for 14 years, which by itself makes him an expert on overcoming cultural challenges! This is often a make-or-break strategy for companies as they expand beyond their domestic markets, and as is often the case, the difference between success and failure usually comes down to understanding a few basic principles that drive the business model.
Connect with Harald on LinkedIn.
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

7. Market Development Funds (MDF) with Liliana Grisales (Schneider Electric)

The theme of our seventh podcast episode is Market Development Funds (MDF). Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things MDF is Liliana Grisales, Global MDF Business Owner at Schneider Electric.
Summary
In this conversation, Liliana Grisales shares insights into the world of MDF programs and channel incentives. Liliana discusses her background and career journey, highlighting her diverse roles at Schneider Electric. She emphasizes the importance of aligning MDF programs globally and complying with legal and financial regulations. Liliana also explores the complexity of channel strategy and the challenges of justifying ROI in MDF programs. She provides best practices for collaboration and strategic planning in partner programs, focusing on uniqueness and customer attraction. The conversation concludes with key takeaways for successful MDF programs.
Key Takeaways
- Aligning MDF programs globally is crucial to ensure compliance with legal and financial regulations.
- Justifying ROI in MDF programs can be complex, but it is essential to measure the success of activities and optimize the program.
- Collaboration between vendors and partners is key to developing effective MDF programs, with regular reviews and strategic planning.
- Partners should focus on their uniqueness and develop a strategic marketing plan to attract and retain customers.
About Liliana Grisales
Liliana Grisales is the Global MDF Business Owner at Schneider Electric, where she spearheads the transformation of Market Development Funds (MDF) across all channels. As a recognized subject matter expert in MDF, Liliana has played a pivotal role in crafting commercial rules in alignment with new global and company policies. Her responsibilities extend to driving the digitization of processes, education, and fostering the adoption of the MDF program to ensure compliance, efficient fund utilization, and program effectiveness. With an impressive 28-year track record in global IT companies, she has demonstrated expertise in Sales, Business Development, Strategic Marketing, Channel Marketing, and Programs. A native of Colombia, Liliana has called Miami, US home for the past 21 years. She holds a degree in Electronic Engineering and a Master's in International Business from South Eastern University in Miami.
Connect with Liliana on LinkedIn.
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

6. B2B Tech Sales Enablement with Ed Badawi (Sales Inc)

The theme of our sixth podcast episode is B2B Tech Sales Enablement.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things sales enablement is Ed Badawi, Founder & CEO of Sales Inc.
Summary
In this conversation, Ed Badawi, shares insights on understanding sales cycles, content deployment, and the mindset of salespeople. He emphasizes the importance of aligning sales and marketing teams and tells the story of his journey in the sales industry.
Ed also discusses the challenges faced by salespeople and the need for empathy and problem-solving. He highlights the significance of storytelling and the role of content in sales, emphasizing the need for a cohesive and strategic approach.
The conversation explores the importance of aligning success metrics, the pitfalls of hiring more salespeople without a clear strategy, and the role of empathy and humility in achieving high performance.
Key Takeaways
Aligning sales and marketing teams is crucial for success.
Understanding and addressing customer problems is key in sales.
Telling a meaningful story and creating relevant content is essential.
Salespeople face challenges and rejection, requiring empathy and problem-solving skills Aligning success metrics between sales and marketing is crucial for effective collaboration and achieving business goals.
Hiring more salespeople without a clear strategy and structure can lead to chaos and high turnover.
Empathy and humility are essential qualities for building strong relationships with customers and creating a positive sales experience.
About Ed Badawi
Ed is the Founder & CEO of Sales Inc, a Sydney-based company that provides businesses with the proven strategy & practical support required to generate more sales. We do this by offering Sales as a Service for companies and practical sales strategy workshops for business leaders across all industries (B2B & B2C). Their unique approach to generating and consolidating commercial outcomes has been 'forged in the fire' and is 100% scalable.
Ed is passionate about raising the selling standards of businesses and the sales experience of consumers. He and his team know that business leaders and their sales teams can influence consumers in a customer-centric manner that creates a win-win-win outcome that simultaneously improves the financial, physical and emotional health of everyone involved. Sales Inc works with start-ups through to global enterprises across APAC and North America.
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.  

5. Content Marketing and the CTO with Anthony Spiteri (Veeam Software)

The theme of our fifth podcast episode is Content Marketing and the CTO.
Joining our host Jeremy Balius to discuss all things content marketing in the context of the CTO's role is Anthony Spiteri, Regional CTO for APJ, Product Strategy, and Lead Cloud and Service Provider Technologist for Veeam Software.
Summary
Anthony Spiteri shares his origin story and career progression, from starting in tech support to becoming a regional CTO for Veeam. He discusses the early days of blogging and content creation, as well as the importance of authenticity in communication.
Anthony also talks about the challenges of communicating complex topics and the rollout of Veeam's V12 release. He provides insights into how B2B tech marketers can approach CTOs and build relationships. Finally, Anthony shares his future focus and big bets for 2024.
Key Takeaways
Authenticity is key in content marketing, allowing for a more personal and relatable approach.
Communicating complex topics requires distilling information into digestible presentations and easy-to-understand statements.
Building relationships with CTOs involves understanding their interests and needs, and offering compelling technology solutions.
Approaching CTOs with a sales-focused mindset is not effective; instead, focus on forming genuine connections and providing value.
About Anthony Spiteri
Anthony works in Product Strategy, the Office of the CTO at Veeam Software, leading the technical engagement with Analyst and Media in APJ as Regional CTO and official spokesperson, which extends globally. As Lead Cloud and Service Provider Technologist, Anthony focuses on customer and partner engagement on all aspects of technology relating to modern data platforms, automation, IaaS, BasS, DRaaS, Public Cloud, storage, networking and compute.
Anthony also generates content, evangelizes and participate as a keynote speaker at major industry events while also collecting product feedback and engaging with Product Management and R&D.
Anthony previously held engineering and architectural lead roles at leading Cloud providers and have a Master’s Degree in Network and System Administration (Distinction) from Charles Sturt.
He can be found blogging at https://anthonyspiteri.net or hosting the Great Things with Great Tech Podcast at https://gtwgt.com
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B2B Tech Marketing Talks is a podcast bringing you insightful conversations with leading marketing and channel leaders about B2B tech marketing. Our goal is to provide you with valuable insights, fresh perspectives and practical advice from experienced marketing leaders who have successfully navigated the challenges you face daily as a B2B tech marketer.
For more about Filament, visit our B2B tech marketing agency and discover our digital marketing services. 
Follow Filament on LinkedIn.  
Connect with Jeremy Balius.