Marketing Spark (The B2B Marketing Podcast)

In this episode of Marketing Spark, we talk with Gil Allouche about Metadata.io, a platform that helps companies streamline and automate marketing processes.  We discuss the challenges marketers face to drive marketing execution and the need for efficient tools to free up time for strategy and creativity.

In this episode, we sit down with Shay Howe, Chief Marketing Officer of ActiveCampaign, to delve into the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.  Shay shares his expert perspective on the future of owned data, the  role of email marketing in a world overflowing with information, and ActiveCampaign’s strategic acquisition of Postmark. Shay explains how the importance of owned data is growing...

In this episode of Marketing Spark, we dive deep into the world of LinkedIn with Florian Decludt, a renowned strategist who's been guiding entrepreneurs on leveraging this powerful platform.  Florian's insights are gold whether you're looking to build your brand, network effectively, or supercharge your content engagement.  Discover the dos and don'ts of posting, tactical advice to maximize engage...

In this episode of Marketing Spark, Mark Evans talks to Mitch Solway, a fractional CMO for startups, about the volatile and ever-changing B2B and SaaS marketing landscapes. We discuss marketing leaders' challenges as they strive to attract prospects while dealing with budget pressures.

This episode takes a dive deep into the intersection of technology, innovation, and public relations.  Mark Evans, seasoned B2B/SaaS marketer and ex-journalist, sits down with Nima Olumi, one of the co-founders of PR Monkey.  As they unpack the challenges of modern PR, you'll gain insight into how technology is shaping the future of communications, branding, and storytelling.  Whether you're a PR...

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 prof...

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 new...

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 landsca...

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...

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 o...

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 pe...

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...

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 campaign...

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...

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 entr...

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...

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 supplier...

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...

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 pers...

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...

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 creativ...