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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...