On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how content marketing fits into a sales enablement strategy.

I get really excited when a customer agrees, or better yet, proactively volunteers, to participate in a case study.

But let’s be honest. The case study process can be a bit nerve racking. 

Your customers are really busy people. So, you only have one opportunity to talk with them.

Yet successful case studies are crucial to your business, so it’s important to be prepared to make the most of your client interviews.

So, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m sharing some pro tips, helpful information, and 15 questions you can ask your customers to ensure you get stellar case studies.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to set sales and marketing goals.

Jen discusses what it looks like when sales and marketing work together to set goals and the steps to set goals.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares results from the first industry report that brings together RevOps, Inbound Marketing & Technology.

Links Mentioned

Where RevOps & Inbound Collide in 2021 Benchmarks Report

Sales enablement, in its most simple application, is the holistic process of providing your sales team with the information, collateral, and processes they need to seal more deals.

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to build your sales enablement strategy in three easy steps.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how SmartBug worked with 1st United Credit Union to overcome a reporting challenge with the institution’s third-party software.

Is your organization debating whether or not to shutter its inbound marketing operations in favor of ABM?

You don't have to pick one over the other. Actually, they’re made for each other.

On today’s episode, I talk about how to get the most out of ABM — without ditching inbound.

What we talked about:

• Setting the right goals
• Writing goals down
• Ungating your content (even though this seems illogical)
• Exploring different verticals

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

Lead nurture campaigns can seem a bit tricky. After all, there are a lot of elements, like creating great copy or choosing the right frequency, that you need to get right in order to convert leads.

But don’t worry — in this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing my guide to addressing each of those elements to create a great lead nurture campaign. 

These are the eight steps you need to follow to create that great campaign — and how to get each of those steps just right. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares four tips for empowering sales development reps in the digital age. 

Jen discusses:

1. Building the right team

2. The importance of persona battle cards

3. How to create data-driven strategies

4. The importance of providing the right sales enablement assets

Thanks to an increasingly content-fatigued audience, and a rise in the popularity of automation and conversational AI, today's SDRs face an uphill battle.

Because of this, SDRs need the right tools, skills, and collateral to really connect with the right leads and usher them through the buyer's journey.

And as marketers, there are some things you can do to help your SDRs be more successful. 

So, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing my 4 tips for ensuring your SDRs have everything they need to succeed.

COVID-19 has been devastating, and it has already landed some heavy blows that will leave marks for a long time. By adjusting to these strange times, you can come out ahead on the other side.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five coronavirus-focused SaaS marketing strategies.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares the best Marketo add-ons for mid-sized business.

Jen shares add-ons that will help:

1. Your sales team see Marketo data without leaving your CRM
2. Your reps easily send and track template emails
3. You with your Account-Based Marketing efforts
4. And more!

Links Mentioned

• Marketo Sales Connect
• Ad Network Integrations
• Retargeting
• Website Personalization
• Predictive Content

Should you be using pop-up ads on your page? The answer is more complex than you may think. Despite self-reporting that ads provide a poor user experience, when pop-ups are implemented appropriately, they can be incredibly effective.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share the history of pop-up ads, if they work, and some do’s and don’ts to follow if you give them a try on your website.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to build the right tech stack to support your revenue operation goals. 

Jen discusses: 

1. What to considering when auditing your tech stack

2. Why you should consult and educate your employees when changing technology

3. Why integration matters

Links Mentioned

MarTech Stack Audit Template

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain discusses the topic of Intent Data. Intent data is a major factor in our marketing strategies, especially when it comes to ABM. Here are a few thoughts on how you can work with a data provider to pull in buying intent insights into your CRM and run plays for both sales and marketing. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares six ways to incorporate your ABM strategy into your virtual events.

Jen discusses the following tips:

1. Sales and Marketing Alignment

2. Customer and Partner Relationships

3. ABM Technology

4. And More!

Today, ranking on the first page of a Google search is a feat that requires thoughtful keyword research, content development, social strategy, campaign measurement, and on-site optimization. 

Not surprisingly, are those unwilling to make the effort or investment in the proper development of their websites. Instead, they prefer shortcuts aimed at knocking down the honest competition and taking those coveted top spots through deceit.

In this episode, I share negative SEO tactics to look out for and how to address them. 

When most of us think of “call recording,” we think of sales.

But call recordings provide an incredible inside scoop on buyers, one we’d never be able to find through any other type of research.

So, why aren’t marketers using them?

This SmartBug on Tap podcast challenges marketers everywhere to reconsider using call recordings as part of their tool belt. Jen Spencer shares 3 tactics for incorporating sales call recording into your marketing strategy.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares three tips for analyzing HubSpot’s multi-touch attribution reporting.

Jen will discuss:


1. How to choose the data dimension that suits your reporting needs.

2. The four main conversion points used for attribution models.

3. How to understand the different attribution models available

Links Mentioned

How to Analyze HubSpot’s Multi-Touch Attribution Reporting

Did you know that almost half of all Google searches are local? People are constantly searching for information that’s relevant to their needs, and most people are looking for something close to their home or work. Therefore, if you’re not optimizing your content for local search, you’re missing out.

But not to worry. On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’ll share a few easy steps to help you get started in optimizing your website for local SEO.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

Brands are only as successful as the stories they tell. In a world where everyone is inundated with content, video has become a top contender for being visually appealing and effective as a tactic for marketing. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share three ways that sales video can help your sales team convert prospects into customers.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares tips for running a fully remote quarterly planning session. 

Jen discusses the following:

• Establishing goals
• Laying out an agenda
• Creating working agreements
• Building a virtual parking lot
• And more!

Links Mentioned

Agile Planning for Remote Teams Template

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap we kicked off our Countdown to INBOUND series. 

INBOUND 2019 is right around the corner, so we’re hoping this series will provide you some inside scoop to the world’s most remarkable business event hosted by HubSpot! 

Two of our Senior Marketing Strategists, Jessica Vionas-Singer and Paul Schmidt, came on the show to share the details of the INBOUND session they're most excited about and why they're recommending that you attend, as well. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain talks all about how to fuel your inbound marketing engine with chatbots integrated with live chat to elevate the user experience on your website. 

If you've looked at the agenda for this year's conference, the first thing you probably noticed is that there are literally hundreds of sessions to choose from. Unfortunately, that means it's simply impossible for you to attend all of these amazing sessions. You've got the challenge of choosing and prioritizing how you'll spend your time in Boston.

But we’re here to help. That’s why we started our Countdown to INBOUND series a few weeks ago. We’re giving you the inside scoop on all things INBOUND to help you decide which sessions to attend. 

So, with that in mind, two more team members — Benji Bateman, Marketing Consultant and Amber Kemmis, VP of Client Services — came on this week’s episode of SmartBug on Tap to share two more sessions you don't want to miss. 

Case studies are great pieces of collateral that can have immediate impact on the audience you connect with and can be used in a number of ways throughout the course of your marketing and sales efforts.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share four essential elements of a great case study. 

The most important phase of any web design project is very simple: goals and strategy. What goals do you have for your site? Where would you like to improve?

On today’s episode, Jen Spencer is talking to you about S.M.A.R.T. goals. Are your goals:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
and
Time-Based?

Let’s talk about developing a strategy that works.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain shares how to use recruitment in this period of "The Great Resignation" to attract and retain talent. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how B2B marketing and sales teams can stay afloat this year.

Jen shares how businesses that aren’t used to being agile,  smaller businesses, or those with more flexibility baked into their operations can survive with the following strategies:

1. Getting Back To Basics

2. Trying Account-Based Marketing

3. Making Sure Your Messaging Is On The Money

4. Nurturing More Stable Verticals

5. Auditing Your Tech Stack To Maximize ROI

6. Making The Story About Your Customers

Links Mentioned

MarTech Stack Audit Template

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain talks trending campaigns, specifically QR codes, and how you can bring QR codes into your B2B marketing. Stay tuned as we go beyond the infamous Super Bowl ad to explore actionable insights. 

It’s the start of a new year, a new decade, and a new quarter. Not only is it a better time than ever to start fresh, but you likely have a new set of goals that you need to work toward.

On today’s episode I share my five favorite B2B lead generation tips that B2B marketers can use to help reach their goals.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

The senior living is an industry where building authentic and relational trust with the customer is paramount. You just can’t get that kind of authenticity from a blog. Video finds a way to make the experience feel more real and personal. 

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares four types of videos senior living teams can start using now.

Infographics made their splash in 2013.

Six years later, they’re still popular.

That’s pretty unusual in the fast-paced, ever-changing market we’re used to today.

And while infographics have definitely evolved with advances in marketing technology, the same best practices for successful infographic creation — and the same reasons you’d want to create an infographic — still ring true today.  

So, why are infographics still a valuable content marketing tool? On this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing five reasons why infographics are still a power content marketing tool in 2019.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares some key differences between Marketo and HubSpot.

Jen discusses:

1. Pricing

2. Usability

3. Integration

4. And More!

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer talks about the pros and cons of migrating from WordPress to the new iteration of HubSpot’s content management system, named CMS Hub.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares recent Marketo updates that will help you solve some of the biggest problems you may be experiencing with Marketo today.

Jen discusses:

1. Next-Generation User Experience

2. Multi-Channel Personalization

3. Landing Pages and Forms

4. Sales Updates

Links Mentioned

Marketo Release Notes

Meet with Us at Adobe Summit 2021

We've all been there.

You sit down to write and…nothing.

Whether it's a blog post, an e-book, or sometimes even an email, writer's block can affect us all.

If you're up against a deadline and just can't get your words down on paper, I have some helpful ideas to get you out of your rut.

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing six tips for overcoming writer’s block.

If you’re wondering how to reshape your marketing strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’ve come to this right place. 

In this episode, our guest host Rebecca Clyde, co-founder of Botco.ai, a chat startup that’s disrupting and modernizing marketing automation for enterprise-sized businesses, will discuss how to avoid being tone-deaf when marketing, and how to make it easy for customers to engage with your brand anytime, anywhere, even while they’re at home. 

Rebecca chats about:

• The best approach for marketing during a crisis
• A key aspect of marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic
• The economic impact COVID-19 is having on business
• And more...

Every month, tens of thousands of Google users search some version of "how to block pop-ups." 

Evidently, we're not all in love with this digital marketing tactic. 

But here’s the thing: some types of pop-ups can actually be a pretty useful addition to your inbound marketing strategy. 

So, on today’s episode of SmartBug on Tap we’re looking at pop-ups, how they’ve evolved, and how you can effectively incorporate them into your inbound strategy. 

Resources we talked about:

• HubSpot Lead Flows
• Juli Durante’s article about pop-ups

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

Maybe this isn’t true at your company, but I’m seeing that marketing marketing is finding itself deeper inside the sales pipeline.

Especially when revenue goals rely on feeding sales with qualified leads that become paying customers.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I talk to you about 2 ways that marketing should own its role in the pipeline and give 2 tips for making it happen.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to integrate and align data to maximize revenue and growth in your organization.

Jen discusses:

1. What a RevOps team does

2. Agreeing on goals for organizational alignment

3. Using data to grow your business

4. And more!

You’ve got a killer webinar topic, but you have no idea how to market it (much less how to leverage the event after it’s over).

On today’s episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’ll tell you 12 easy steps to market your public-facing webinars to make yourself (and your topic) stand out.

What are the six steps you should be taking before the webinar, and how do you continue to market the event once it’s over? The answers are more simple than you think, and they're all here.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

Welcome to Season Two of SmartBug on Tap. We’re back after a summer hiatus, and on today’s episode Jen Spencer is chatting about mergers and acquisitions—and their impact on Search Engine Optimization.  

On today’s episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m sharing how you can utilize your marketing team to enable sales. Many people assume sales enablement is strictly a job for sales managers. This is wrong! There’s one trick you can use to sell efficiently at a higher velocity rate: your marketing team.

Today we’re going to take a step back and look at what sales enablement really is. I’ll also be sharing 3 simple extensions that your marketing team can utilize to ensure a smooth transition for your future customers as they shift from marketing to sales.

With almost 2.5 billion users on Facebook every month and advertising capabilities that are highly targetable, this is one advertising platform businesses should consider including in their marketing budget. 

But what’s right for you will depend on your marketing goals and budget. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share a few key distinctions to help you decide what is right for your business.

If you’re no stranger to SmartBug, you’re not new to the conflict between sales and marketing. We talk about the misalignment between marketing and sales all the time, but the same conflict can exist between marketing and the C-suite as well. 

CEOs are focused on revenue generation and business growth, and they want their teams to be laser focused on an upward trajectory of revenue. A critical element of helping the C-suite find value is in how you present the data to them.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m going to be sharing several elements you should always include in your marketing reports, especially when your CEO is involved.

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares some recommendations on how to migrate a Marketo instance.

Jen will share:

1. A few questions to work through with your team to help determine your goals.

2. A short list of people who should know their roles in advance.

3. How to deep clean your CRM to prepare for your migration

4. How to organize your current marketing platform
5. And more!

Links Mentioned

• Your Complete Marketo Migration List
• Marketo's Setup Checklist

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares the top SEO trends that marketers should focus on this year and in the future .

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how SmartBug worked with Southern Nazarene University to maximize HubSpot and increase the number of applications to the College of Professional and Graduate Studies programs.

I'm happy to report that the SmartBugs are all back in our respective cities after a few of us were in Boston last week for HubSpot's INBOUND 2019 conference. 

We had a great time visiting with everyone there and really walked away with some great key takeaways. 

One of the highlights for me was the launch of HubSpot’s frictionless selling framework. The framework is a road map to reducing friction and improving the effectiveness of your sales team.

So, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m walking you through the framework and how we’re applying it here at SmartBug Media. 

This is the last episode in the Countdown to INBOUND series. 

Why? Because INBOUND 2019 is here! 

Thousands of marketers are gathering in Boston this week for three days of sessions, workshops, keynotes, and vendors. Basically, it’s an entire year's worth of marketing education packed into a few impactful days.

On today's episode, two of our team members —  Senior Developer, Mark Ryba, and Team Leader, Richie Knight — are highlighting two more sessions we’re really excited to attend. They’re diving into the details of the session, the key takeaways, and why they’re recommending that you attend, as well. 

Long gone are the days of publishing high volumes of low-quality, wafer-thin content and expecting your search engine rankings to increase. Today, SEO is as much an art as it is a science. It requires content writers and digital marketers to understand search engine ranking factors, prioritize searcher intent, and publish valuable, high-quality content that appeals to users and Google’s algorithm. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five SEO-friendly content writing tips to outrank your competition.

Today’s 24/7 news cycle has created the need for content. But staff writers can't do it all. They need you. That’s where contributed content comes in. 

Contributed content is when someone at your company authors an article for publication in a trade publication or mainstream outlet. And, if you follow a few tips, you can pitch your content in a way that increases your chance of being published. That leads to improved brand awareness, increased thought leadership, and a greater exposure for your website.

So, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing my top four tips for pitching your content. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares some of HubSpot's recent enhancements that impact contextual marketing.

Jen will share a few recent updates including:

1. Two-Way Contact Syncing with HubSpot and Shopify
2. Adaptive Testing
3. "Wait Until” Delays in Workflows

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain unpacks some advice on how to land a quick win to enable your sales team with real-time, highly qualified leads. Let's dive in!

While I was working for a SaaS startup, a member of our board once gave some advice for sales and marketing. He said pick one, maybe two bets, and go all-in.

It's not in my nature to go all-in, especially when there’s a lot at stake, but it’s something I'm working on. And this wonderful little thing called data sure does help.

On our latest episode of SmartBug on Tap, we discussed the 3 keys to going all-in with your data.

Check it out.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to get the most out of account-based marketing without ditching inbound. 

Jen shares how inbound and ABM are made for each other and how to get started by: 

1. Focusing on the right goals

2. Ungating your content

3. Exploring different verticals

Links Mentioned 

LIVE DEBATE: Gated vs. Ungated Content Debate

Sales and marketing are two different departments with the exact same goal, but they’re incredibly different animals with different perspectives and approaches. The solution for better alignment? Sales enablement.

Sales enablement is about closing the loop between marketing and sales to ensure that everyone has the intel and content they need to meet customers wherever they are on the buying journey.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share 6 ways marketing can help sales succeed with sales enablement.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain shares what's on her marketing dashboard and what metrics and data we should be digging into on a weekly basis. Data is the lifeblood of your organization. And putting that data into actionable, goal-oriented reporting is critical for us as marketing leaders as we guide the ship, and make decisions on the next investment or game plan. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to prioritize content reoptimization and generate more revenue from your old blogs and website pages.

On today's episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m talking about how you can maximize your trade show marketing efforts by actually incorporating digital strategies. During an era where nearly every marketing innovation is digital, there is still one traditional mainstay I see in B2B marketing — the trade show.

But live event marketing campaigns, such as trade shows, are expensive endeavors. How much of the money allocated to these events is wasted? How could marketers use cost-effective digital marketing campaigns to improve the overall ROI of these efforts?

That’s what we’re talking about today. I’m going to give you 4 tactical tips to help you reduce budget waste, become more efficient, and successfully transition from scanning a live lead at a trade show to converting that lead into a sales opportunity.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Hannah Shain shares a few things to keep in mind when considering gated versus ungated content.

Links Mentioned

Building Your Website on HubSpot CMS vs. WordPress Live Debate

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m talking about how marketers can better prepare their sales team for a campaign launch. And since my role oversees both marketing and sales, this topic is near and dear to me.

As you can imagine, our internal sales and marketing alignment is extremely tight here at SmartBug Media. So, I thought you'd appreciate hearing the way we roll out a marketing campaign and what types of enablement resources we provide our sales team. 

If you're already writing SEO-optimized, persona focused content, and if you're publishing that content on a regular basis and creating detailed newsworthy updates that Google's going to love, then the tips I'm going to share with you in this episode of SmartBug on Tap will provide some ideas on where you can go next. 

On this show I’m sharing our team’s favorite tips to help you refine your content strategy and grow your organic search. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares four ways to drive operational efficiency with revenue operations.

Jen discusses:

1. What Effective Revenue Operations Look Like

2. How to Get Started with Revenue Operations

3. How to Use Revenue Operations to Lift Operational Efficiency

Check out our latest RevOps and Inbound Marketing Benchmarks Report.

Video marketing is one of the strongest ways to give a visual introduction or demonstration of your products or services—and it allows you to capture the attention of your buyer personas at the right stage of the Buyer’s Journey. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five best practices to ensure that your company benefits from video marketing.

On today's episode I want to talk about SEO basics. That’s right, we’re talking search engine optimization.

I've actually found that a lot of people can get a bit confused about the basics of SEO, so today, I'm sharing 4 beginner tips to help you get you started.

Inbound marketers today are armed with a serious amount of data.

And that data can be used to help a sales team close deals faster.

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap I covered the three main ways I like to approach this challenge: segmentation, personalization, and well crafted lead nurturing campaigns.

All three of these tactics will give your leads the "I am a special snowflake" feeling and really help build trust.

You probably know how important it is to use buyer personas. 

But your work doesn’t end there. It's actually really important to consider customer personas, negative personas, and micro personas. Each of these personas can be helpful when it comes to increasing the success of your marketing campaigns. 

So, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m talking through how to use each of these three personas. 

During these uncertain times, it’s inspiring to see so many businesses opening their virtual doors a bit wider to support healthcare professionals, educators, and families whose lives have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. 

Generosity has not been limited to those on the front lines. We’re also seeing free and discounted tools and trainings to support marketing, sales, and service professionals.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five free and discounted tools to support Intelligent Inbound® during COVID-19.

Links Mentioned During the Show

Free and Discounted Tools to Support Intelligent Inbound During COVID-19

If you focus only on top-of-the-funnel, you won’t close any deals.

Lead nurturing further down the funnel is overwhelming, sure.

On this episode, I tell you all about 4 specific ways to nurture MQLs into SQLs.

What we talked about:

• Drip campaigns
• Email newsletters
• Event-based workflows
• Smart content

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

This may go without saying. 

But website design today absolutely must account for the proliferation of users accessing pages on mobile devices. 

And there's a huge difference when designing for a desktop versus mobile. 

So, with that in mind, on this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing my top 10 tips for designing for mobile. 

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

If your business has a website, you’ve probably heard of Google Tag Manager, which is the free software tool that gives you the ability to install different types of tags on your website. 

In the past, companies needed a web developer on their team in order to track codes. With hundreds of codes to track, this got a bit complicated to update and maintain. Google Tag Manager came in and solved the problem by storing all tags in one place—the Google Tag Manager account.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five benefits of Google Tag Manager.

Most inbound marketing professionals want to make the world a better place. But, no matter how idealistic and well-meaning we are, most of us have lead numbers and sales quotas to hit. 

One way inbound marketers generate leads is to gate content. On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer discusses why we gate content (and when we shouldn't).

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares six tips to turn your email newsletter into an effective component of your business’s lead-generation efforts.

On this episode of SmartBug On Tap I’m talking about the importance of internal marketing. 

You’re probably thinking, "Seriously? I have a big enough job already marketing to prospects, customers, investors, and job candidates. Do I really need to also market to my fellow team members?"

Well, if you truly want to get your message across, I highly recommend it. In this episode I’m covering why internal marketing is so important and the steps you can take to maximize your internal marketing efforts. 

No matter what industry you’re in, inbound marketing’s buyer-driven approach to content creation turns leads into customers by leveraging your company’s expertise and experience.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share content ideas and examples for every stage of the marketing funnel. 

Video marketing is one of the strongest ways to give a visual introduction or demonstration of your products or services—and it allows you to capture the attention of your buyer personas at the right stage of the Buyer’s Journey. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share five best practices to ensure that your company benefits from video marketing.a

We talk to so many marketers who think their website is a “set and forget” project. 

But this could not be further from the truth. Your website is like a living, breathing, organism that needs constant tending. 

There are four big mistakes companies often make when they set and forget their website. On today’s episode, I’m sharing them with you so you can avoid making them yourself. 

Jen Spencer here. On today’s episode of SmartBug on Tap we’re talking about buyer personas. Specifically, how sales teams can use personas to close more deals.

Here’s a rundown of what we’ll cover. First, we’re going back to the basics, reviewing what a buyer persona is and what it is not. Next, I’ll review the importance of negative personas. Finally, I’ll give you some tips for integrating personas into your sales process. And if using personas is a bit new to you, I’ve got three steps you can take to get started.

Let’s dive in.

Having a blog-posting strategy in place that resonates with your target audience will help with your goal of generating more leads for your business and helps establish your business as a thought leader in your industry—so you need to make sure your posts are optimized to maximize your reach. 

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’ll share a few easy steps to consider before hitting publish on your next post.

At SmartBug, we know a thing or two about working remotely. In fact, it’s one of the foundational cornerstones of our company. Over the years, we’ve found the secret recipe that enables us to spend ample time with those we love, while still having fulfilling careers. When working from home is done right, we know that remote workers can be more productive than those in an office.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I share four tips for staying productive while working from home.

Watching a new qualified lead come in is a beautiful thing, because it's a validation of our marketing efforts and our market fit.

After all, you can have the best product or service in the world. But if it doesn't solve a real person's problem, good luck selling to anyone.

So, with my marketing brain on high alert, the first thing I look for in a lead is its source — what did we do that paved that yellow brick road for this individual to flow directly to us.

Was it the webinar we co-produced last week with another organization? The conference we exhibited at? Or any number of educational, provocative blog posts that we wrote and have been shared on LinkedIn and Twitter.

My favorite type of lead are those that come from channel partners. Why? Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about on this episode of SmartBug on Tap.

We started a podcast about all things marketing. Why?

Well, because everyone has a party trick, even our VP of Marketing and Sales at SmartBug Media.

Here’s her party trick: providing insanely tactical marketing advice.

Each episode, Jen Spencer will share truly tactical solutions around all things marketing, such as lead generation, account engagement, brand loyalty, marketing automation… you get the idea.

This week Jen unfolds her ideas, and gives you a taste of what’s to come.

There's one kind of question that frequently comes up when I'm doing webinars or in-person presentations:

What kind of content belongs in each stage of the buyer's journey?

In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I’m talking about what kind of content you should use through each stage of the buyer’s journey and how to deliver it from a tactical perspective. This will ultimately help you achieve that goal of creating a new customer.

Last week we kicked off our Countdown to INBOUND series. This series is designed to give you the inside scoop on all things INBOUND. We’re here to help you decide things like which sessions to attend, to help you really get the most out of your time there.

Today we’re introducing you to two more of our team members, Christopher Hutchens, Marketing Consultant, and Nicki Kamau, Marketing Programs Manager. They came on this week’s episode of SmartBug on Tap to talk about the INBOUND session they're most excited about and why they're recommending that you attend as well.

Employing a great contextual marketing strategy on your website can help you build awareness, generate leads, nurture prospects, and delight your customers.

But how do you put together a great strategy?

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap I’m sharing my top 4 tips to employing a great contextual marketing strategy on your website. 

Check us out on Apple Podcasts here. And if you don’t use Apple Podcasts, here’s an alternative link.

On this episode of SmartBug on Tap, Jen Spencer shares how to create and use sales battlecards. 

Jen shares:

1. The questions you need to ask to get a clear idea of what sales challenge your team is facing

2. How to set a goal for your battlecard

3. How to draft the actual messaging used on the battlecard

4. And more!

Links Mentioned

The Ultimate Sales Battlecard Template for SaaS Marketers