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    In Growth We Trust: Marketing | Growth | Startups

    🔮 Unpacking B2B Marketing Trends, Tactics and Growing a Community | Dave Gerhardt, Founder of ExitFive.com (HubSpot, Privy, Drift)

    Tue Feb 20 2024
    PodcastingB2B MarketingContent CreationCommunity Building

    Description

    The episode covers various topics related to podcasting, B2B marketing, content creation, and community building. It explores the professionalism and expertise in podcasting, different marketing channels and content creation strategies, building an audience on social media platforms, differentiation and creativity in podcasting, content creation and ideation, audience validation and influencer success, measuring marketing impact and networking, community engagement and teamwork, challenges and importance of podcasting, and positioning and branding strategies.

    Insights

    American interviewees are perceived as better at talking and maintaining conversations compared to French and English interviewees.

    This insight highlights the perception of American interviewees as skilled conversationalists.

    Consistency over time is crucial for podcast growth as it's a long-term channel that requires belief in its value beyond just audience size

    This insight emphasizes the importance of consistency in podcasting for long-term growth.

    Building an audience directly on platforms like LinkedIn has become crucial for creating leverage as an individual or company in today's digital landscape.

    This insight highlights the significance of building an audience on social media platforms like LinkedIn.

    Differentiation in the saturated podcast landscape can be achieved through unique personalities, higher production quality, and varied content formats.

    This insight emphasizes the importance of differentiation in podcasting to stand out from the competition.

    Being willing to start with imperfect content and iterate based on feedback can lead to success in content creation.

    This insight highlights the value of embracing imperfection and using feedback to improve content creation.

    Having a loyal audience can facilitate product development and hiring processes

    This insight emphasizes the benefits of a loyal audience in supporting product development and hiring.

    AI is a significant trend in marketing that some feel is underrated in its potential uses for content creation and research assistance.

    This insight highlights the potential of AI in marketing for content creation and research.

    Exit 5 aims to treat their platform more as a membership than just a community, emphasizing creating additional value beyond traditional forum interactions.

    This insight showcases Exit 5's approach of providing additional value to their community members.

    Running a podcast involves significant time, effort, and financial investment, contrary to common belief that it's free and easy.

    This insight dispels the misconception that podcasting is free and easy, highlighting the commitment required.

    Positioning in branding involves being the guide for customers on their journey to solving a problem.

    This insight explains the concept of positioning in branding as guiding customers towards solutions.

    Chapters

    1. Professionalism and Expertise in Podcasting
    2. Marketing Channels and Content Creation
    3. Building an Audience on Social Media Platforms
    4. Differentiation and Creativity in Podcasting
    5. Content Creation and Ideation
    6. Audience Validation and Influencer Success
    7. Measuring Marketing Impact and Networking
    8. Community Engagement and Teamwork
    9. Challenges and Importance of Podcasting
    10. Positioning and Branding Strategies
    Summary
    Transcript

    Professionalism and Expertise in Podcasting

    00:00 - 07:44

    • The speaker praises the guest, Dave Gearheart, for his professionalism and expertise in podcasting and interviews.
    • American interviewees are perceived as better at talking and maintaining conversations compared to French and English interviewees.
    • The podcast episode with Dave Gearheart focused on B2B marketing, career insights, community building, content creation, and podcasting in the B2B space.
    • Dave Gearheart discusses his involvement in multiple podcasts, including one about golf and another focused on B2B topics.
    • There is a discussion about the potential of turning podcasting into a full-time job after the current phase of focusing on Exit 5.

    Marketing Channels and Content Creation

    07:15 - 14:12

    • Different marketing channels can work for B2B depending on factors like topic, host, and goals
    • Interview podcasts can provide leverage in content creation using tools like chat GPT
    • Distribution of podcasts is challenging due to the difficulty in growing listenership and the lack of direct response
    • Consistency over time is crucial for podcast growth as it's a long-term channel that requires belief in its value beyond just audience size
    • The speaker has a background in B2B SaaS marketing and storytelling, transitioning from working at companies to running a membership site for B2B marketers

    Building an Audience on Social Media Platforms

    13:54 - 20:49

    • The media company focuses on helping B2B marketers grow their careers by sharing marketing insights and experiences.
    • Initially hesitant to hire a team, the founder realized the importance of scaling the company and has now hired full-time employees.
    • The company leveraged social media platforms like LinkedIn to build a massive organic audience and create a PR channel, shifting away from traditional PR methods.
    • By sharing content and insights freely, the company gained traction on LinkedIn when no other companies were utilizing it for content publishing.
    • The founder's book 'Founder Brand' introduced the concept of building an audience in a niche through social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc., which has now become a common practice among companies.
    • Building an audience directly on platforms like LinkedIn has become crucial for creating leverage as an individual or company in today's digital landscape.

    Differentiation and Creativity in Podcasting

    20:29 - 27:20

    • David Kansker, a recognizable tech founder, focused on content, podcasting, and social media without worrying about ROI.
    • Mastering social media creates a feedback loop that connects different pieces of content and leads to new opportunities.
    • Differentiation in the saturated podcast landscape can be achieved through unique personalities, higher production quality, and varied content formats.
    • Interview podcasts can still succeed if done with charisma and deep learning, as seen in examples like Joe Rogan and Lex Friedman.
    • Creativity is key in podcasting; exploring different formats like short highly edited segments or unique interview styles can lead to success.

    Content Creation and Ideation

    26:58 - 33:32

    • Content creators find inspiration from various sources like Instagram and YouTube for fitness content ideas.
    • Diversifying platforms for content creation is important, but focusing on quality over quantity is key to success.
    • Strong ideation skills are crucial for standing out as a content creator.
    • Being willing to start with imperfect content and iterate based on feedback can lead to success in content creation.

    Audience Validation and Influencer Success

    33:10 - 39:14

    • Validation from audience can boost confidence in pursuing new ideas
    • Utilizing existing audience for research and validation can provide a competitive advantage
    • Having a loyal audience can facilitate product development and hiring processes
    • Starting a podcast with no-name guests can be challenging without a budget for big names
    • Success of some influencers leads to an industry of courses promising similar success

    Measuring Marketing Impact and Networking

    38:52 - 45:32

    • There is a discussion about online courses and how some people view them skeptically, while others find them valuable for various topics like sleep training or workout programs.
    • In the B2B marketing industry, measuring marketing impact is challenging due to the complex buying process involving multiple stakeholders and long onboarding times.
    • Topics important for B2B marketers include setting goals, creating marketing plans, working with sales teams, pitching plans to executives, managing up, and balancing short-term and long-term strategies.
    • Marketers are interested in channel-specific tactics like what works on LinkedIn or in email marketing, as well as general questions such as the best time to post content.
    • AI is a significant trend in marketing that some feel is underrated in its potential uses for content creation and research assistance.
    • Networking among marketers is seen as valuable for sharing ideas and feedback, with face-to-face interactions often leading to insightful discussions about tools and strategies used by different companies.

    Community Engagement and Teamwork

    45:11 - 52:08

    • Exit 5 is focusing on cultivating personal knowledge sharing and engagement within their community.
    • They are exploring ways to connect peers through mentoring sessions and group connections based on shared interests.
    • The hosts discuss the value of lurking in online communities and how visible engagement metrics may not accurately reflect the value people derive from content.
    • Exit 5 aims to treat their platform more as a membership than just a community, emphasizing creating additional value beyond traditional forum interactions.
    • The hosts share how they met and started their podcast, highlighting the importance of teamwork and consistent content creation.

    Challenges and Importance of Podcasting

    51:42 - 58:03

    • Podcast hosts discuss the challenges of having guests on their show and express a desire for a format that doesn't rely on guests.
    • They reflect on the ego aspect of podcasting and how some may perceive it as cliche or not worth discussing.
    • Running a podcast involves significant time, effort, and financial investment, contrary to common belief that it's free and easy.
    • The importance of being a go-to resource for potential customers in B2B marketing is emphasized, focusing on providing valuable content and having a unique perspective.

    Positioning and Branding Strategies

    57:47 - 59:34

    • Positioning in branding involves being the guide for customers on their journey to solving a problem.
    • Using different elements from various frameworks can be beneficial in positioning a brand effectively.
    • StoryBrand by Donald Miller is a recommended book for understanding branding and positioning strategies.
    • Choosing between different tools like HubSpot and Mailchimp can be challenging, leading to the need for platforms like G2 Crowd for recommendations.
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