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Content Marketing, Engineered Podcast | TREW Marketing (TREW Marketing & Wendy Covey)

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DateTitreDurée
11 Feb 2022Manufacturing Marketing Research Findings with Lisa Beets00:17:53

 Learn where to invest and pitfalls to avoid when crafting your 2022 marketing plan. 

Lisa Beets, Research Director for the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), conducts seven primary research studies annually, and one of her favorite focuses in manufacturing. This is in part to her days with Penton Media focused in HVAC, but also recognizing the need for data in this unique industry. 

During the episode, Lisa walks me through CMI's Manufacturing Marketing report and we discuss several datapoints that jumped out to us both, such as:

  • 51% are challenged by overcoming a traditional sales and marketing mindset
  • 51% struggle with creating valuable content as opposed to sales-oriented content
  • 75% were asked to do more with the same resources in 2021
  • 65% expect their 2022 content marketing budget to increase over 2021
  • Marketers cited videos produced the best results for content marketing, with 53% citing how-to videos as the leading format
  • When it comes to organic social platforms, LinkedIn came out on top as both the most popular at 93% and best at producing results.
  • Facebook was the top paid social platform used at 76%, though LinkedIn produced the best results beating out Facebook by 8%
  • The top ways to measure content performance were web-centric, including 73% citing website traffic and 69% citing website engagement

We concluded that there was a close synergy between the CMI Manufacturing Marketing Report and the TREW Marketing & Global Spec State of Marketing to Engineers report, and that both are helpful for marketers to educate and advocate for content marketing with internal leadership.

24 Feb 2022Communicating Through Body Language With David Schneer00:37:28

David Schneer is a Ph.D., CEO, and Body Language Master Trainer at The Merrill Institute. Through conducting qualitative focus groups in the electronics industry for 30 years, he recognizes that each and every one of us are surrounded by communications contradictions. David became passionate about helping business professionals and other interested folks (hello parents of teenagers!) discern someone's truth through body language. 

During the episode, David quizzes me about common body language myths, such as reading someone from an expression or a handshake, and figuring out when someone is lying. He also provides practical advice on how to facilitate effective communications in the workplace, such as creating a comfortable environment. We also discuss how to read body language via Zoom, when only a portion of someone's body is in view.  

Viewer note: our Zoom video feed cuts out around 18 minutes into the episode, but the audio file sounds great. Our apologies for this technology hiccup.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



10 Mar 2022Evolve Your Google Adwords Strategy with Glenn Schmelzle00:36:40

 The Google Adwords platform has grown tremendously in sophistication. Are you keeping up? 

Glenn Schmelzle, Founder and VP of Lead Generation for Marketing What's New, is laser focused on helping B2B companies get the most out of Google Adwords. He sees marketers make the same mistakes over and over, and one of those is a lack of focus on content. By not creating quality content both in your ad itself and on your website, even the most thoughtful execution of an Adwords campaign will fall flat.  He also encourages marketers to plan their content along the funnel, and consider where their ad falls along the buyers journey in order to inform content and calls-to-action.

By applying AI, Google continues to make significant changes to which advertising campaigns are accepted, how ads appear, who they appear for, and what the ad says. During the episode, Glenn fills us in on how the platform has evolved and big changes that are afoot for 2022. Some of these changes have introduced more complexity for the marketer, but also better performing ads through context and relevancy. 

Glenn is the podcast host of The Funnel Reboot, a show that shares strategies from leading marketers. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

24 Mar 2022A Technical Leader's Inbound Marketing Journey with Matt Eurich00:22:06

 Coming up through the technical ranks to leading a business, how do executives ramp up and keep up with inbound marketing? 

Matt Eurich, COO of Genuen and former President of WTI, is an engineer with a business mind. As he moved up the ranks from engineering to business leadership, he knew that the company's approach to marketing had some gaps.He thought that perhaps those gaps would be addressed by a once-every-three-year website project. He laughs now at the old him who just didn't know what he didn't know, and credits his trusted partnership with TREW for bringing him and the organization along to where they are today.

During the episode you'll hear how, over a decade, WTI went from a trade show and brochure website approach to a holistic inbound marketing model where content investment made the greatest impact. He describes some of his a-ha moments and tools that were most helpful to keep things on track, such as a marketing scorecard and content editorial calendar. 

You'll also learn that WTI's high-performing marketing program helped raised its valuation when seeking to be acquired and what happened next to the WTI brand and other entities that were acquired. 

His advice to other technical leaders? Find a strategic marketing partner and trust them and their process. Even if some of what they bring to the table sounds odd at first (you'll hear him poke fun at persona development), trust in your marketing partner and their proven experience. (Spoiler alert: he now thinks personas are one of the best things that has ever come out of marketing planning). 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

07 Apr 2022ABM Readiness, Measurement, and Winning Tactics with Joe Quinn00:44:55

 Award-winning ABM strategist shares his decade-long journey with ABM and advice for getting started or improving your programs. 

Joe Quinn, Senior Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Manager at Salesforce-Tableau and former ABM Leader at NI (National Instruments) has spent the past decade learning, inventing, measuring, and improving on all things ABM. Joe and his team at NI were recognized with an ABM Program of the Year award by the Flip my Funnel organization, and he's tasked with scaling ABM marketing efforts at Salesforce-Tableau.

Many companies may think they need to be doing ABM given how buzzy it is in our marketing world, but here are a few criteria Joe suggests using to assess whether or not your organization is ready for ABM:

  • Are there dedicated sales resources to named accounts? Are those accounts tiered?
  • Is executive leadership on board with ABM? 
  • Is there a salesperson (or salespeople) willing to devote time and energy as a partner with marketing?
  • Does the company recognize and support resource tradeoffs between volume-based lead generation versus strategic relationship development?

If all signs look positive, Joe suggests a multi-phase ABM framework with associated metrics, including account research and prioritization, content development, tailored tactical execution, and closed-loop reporting.

During the episode Joe shares some of his award-winning ABM tactics, including case study briefs, customized LinkedIn introductions from Account Managers, and contact acquisition. We also touch on the role of technology to help enhance, automate and measure ABM initiatives -- and when these should and should not integrate into the CRM or other platforms in use.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



21 Apr 2022Company Culture Communication with Lee Chapman00:30:52

 Learn how companies define, reinforce and promote their culture to recruit and retain talent. 
Lee Chapman, TREW Marketing President and brand guru, knows that it is one thing to define company values, but the behaviors and actions of employees shape a company's culture. When the two are aligned and differentiated, great things can happen!

During the episode Lee gives many examples of company culture in action, from keg deck parties and family picnics to service events and Trello wedding planning boards. We examine who is responsible for defining and owning culture, ways to communicate and promote culture, and opportunities to uncover and tackle culture issues. 

Employee onboarding, six-month reviews, and exit interviews are all good touchpoints to seek out culture feedback. Is there alignment between the company's core values and the culture? Misalignment may be the catalyst for an operational change, such as adopting a new software tool, or an outdated notion of values, such as evolving workforce needs. 

Content plays a significant role in defining and reinforcing culture, both internally and with external stakeholders such as prospective customers and new hires. Communicate about your culture through the "about us" company page, employee videos, blogs and social posts (just to name a few). 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng



05 May 2022How Manufacturing Marketers Impact Rep Growth with Ellen Albright00:31:22

 Learn how manufacturing companies can better support their channel sales reps through content, marketing programs, and the martech stack. 

Ellen Albright, Marketing and Communications Director at E-T-A Circuit Breakers, is a resourceful North American marketer of one, backed by a corporate marketing team out of their company headquarters in Germany. 

Marketing plans start with new product introductions which are then supported by industry/application campaigns specific to regional needs. Every campaign has an element of sales support, whether through content assets, multi-touch email workflows, or other downstream activities. Automation is key for Ellen in areas such as lead scoring, lead routing, and targeted email workflows.

During the episode Ellen shares how the pandemic offered an opportunity for her to plan a more active role in training channel sales reps on digital marketing and selling, and creating new programs for them to leverage. One of these was a multi-touch email campaign personalized to the rep company utilizing content from E-T-A. This was a win-win, as Ellen had more control over the message, the rep leveraged marketing automation functionality not found in-house, and both could gain a fuller picture of which prospects were engaging and more likely to convert to customers. 

 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

 

19 May 2022Moving to Google Analytics 400:23:46

 Learn why GA4 is replacing Google's Universal Analytics platform, and what actions you need to take by July 1st to capture key reporting data. 

Keith Moehring, CEO of L2 Digital, is a marketing operations guru. When Google Analytics Version 4 (GA4) first released, I'm guessing Keith was first in the proverbial line to get his hands on the Beta. It made him the perfect guest to discuss why Google rebuilt its analytics platform and walk through key differences between Universal Analytics and GA4. 

One of the most exciting benefits we discussed was for content marketers. With GA4 you'll be able to measure how far someone scrolls on blog posts, long web pages, even video. This helps inform content/page length and where your call-to-action button should be placed.

Keith highly encourages marketers to add GA4 code to their site before July 1, 2022 so that they have a full year of data by July 1, 2023 -- the date that Google turns Universal Analytics off for good and everyone is on GA4. Otherwise your year-over-year data will look more like a "we used to measure X and now we measure Y but we didn't have Y last year so I don't know how we are doing" sort of thing. 

During the episode he walks through which specific actions to take now, and which ones can wait until closer to that 2023 date. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

02 Jun 2022Ramping Up in a New B2B Marketing Role00:24:29

 Starting a new marketing position at a technical B2B can be a daunting time. How can you ramp up and add value quickly? 

Alicia Keene, Inbound Marketing Specialist at TREW Marketing, has been the new marketer on the scene many times over. Through her experiences at an electronic components manufacturer and multi-client work at an agency, she quickly figured out that devoting time to learn and absorb in the early months will lead to higher quality and impactful work.

During the episode, Alicia walks through 8 key steps for a new marketer to follow when ramping up with a new technical B2B company. They include:

  1. Hear a company overview presentation
  2. Study the marketing plan and review key content and branding assets
  3. Review historical marketing content and collateral
  4. Research the industry and competition
  5. Research keywords and perform a content gap analysis
  6. Meet with technical subject matter experts (SMEs)
  7. Shadow your colleagues
  8. Be a sponge! Absorb information and ask questions

Be sure to catch the end of the episode with Alicia's advice for Marketing Managers who are planning to onboard new marketing staff.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


16 Jun 2022Video Marketing with Friends in Manufacturing00:27:54

 Learn how a machine tools company uses video and podcasting paired with co-marketing and an action-oriented agile process to grow awareness. 

Eddie Saunders Jr., Head of Demand Generation for Flex Machine Tools, is a highly energetic and action-oriented marketer. He and a team of five colleagues collaborate closely to quickly assess marketing ideas and get them accomplished. This agile process has led them to be early to market with new platforms such as LinkedIn live, and they are not afraid to take risks with fun, humorous educational content that many larger manufacturing companies tend to shy away from.

One of the biggest game-changers in their marketing program was what Eddie coined "buddy marketing" where Flex Machine Tools pairs with complementary manufacturers and distributors to expand their reach by tapping each other's networks and defray costs. Some examples include advertising and tailored videos.

Where Eddie seemed most passionate was when talking about the Flex and Friends video podcast, which he hosts. He is thrilled to give others in the industry a platform to tell their stories and learns something new from every interview. Each interview is repurposed in numerous ways to extend the content investment.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


30 Jun 2022The Scrappy Solo Tech Marketer00:20:00

 Executive buy-in, fractional investor support, and intern talent help a solo tech marketer succeed. 

Diana Van Dusen, Marketing Manager at Azumo, has worked in both enterprise companies as part of a large marketing team and served as a marketing department of one. She enjoys the fast-paced, streamlined decision-making of smaller companies and is very resourceful at securing help to accomplish big marketing goals.

Azumo recently underwent a full re-brand, from their name and visual identity to their messaging and website. To pull this off, Diana relied heavily on help from an experienced marketing pro engaged by the investment group that has a stake in Azumo. Diana also engages agency support and interns with a talent for design and writing -- areas that complement Diana's skills as a holistic marketing strategist.  

Diana has worked at both software and hardware companies, and the most remarkable difference she noted was in the length of the buying cycle. A SAAS product might be an eight-week decision whereas the cycle for Azumo's front-end displays can be as long as 18 months, if not more. This difference translates to varied marketing strategies and, in the case of longer sales cycles, less insight into marketing attribution to the sale. 

Diana recommends that other solo tech marketers look to industry blogs, social networking, peer feedback, and trusty Google when learning and growing as a professional. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


14 Jul 2022Maximizing Membership in an Industry Association00:19:11

Learn about the types of benefits that industry associations provide to their members, and why marketers should think beyond the logo on the website and invest time to explore all the ways association membership can help meet corporate marketing goals.

Stephanie Tierney, Director of Marketing Communications for the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA), is keenly focused on engaging members and helping them find their passion within the organization. From serving on standards boards to supporting industry studies, there is a long list of ways companies can get involved and maximize the value of their membership in ECIA.

Stephanie utilizes many channels to stay top-of-mind with members, including enewsletters and LinkedIn. Part of her role includes leading a committee to plan the annual ECIA Executive conference, which is back in person this year (after a two-year pandemic-related hiatus) with the theme "Bucking Normal." ECIA also has a podcast, The Channel Channel, which focuses on industry trends and association news.

It was clear from our interview that there is no "one way" to maximize membership in an industry association, rather Stephanie encourages members to forge their own paths based on business needs and individual motivators. For some, this may come in the form of shaping industry guidelines and for another, it might be leveraging association analyst research for a thought leadership content campaign. Regardless, she reminds us that when it comes to membership, you get out what you put in....so get involved!

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


28 Jul 2022Nimble Event Strategy with Garrett Burnett00:30:11
 With travel and supply chain uncertainty, it's more important than ever to adopt a nimble, adaptive approach to events. 

Garrett Burnett, Head of Global Events at Silicon Labs, says that one of the most important traits of an events professional is adaptability. It's not IF something will go not according to the plan, it's WHAT. An effective events person is ready with plan B and C without skipping a beat.

Never has this trait been more important (and more put to the test) than in these early post-Covid times. Between airline staffing shortages, new Covid outbreaks and supply chain issues, there are a lot of external forces impacting events as normal. There's also lots of room for learning, growing and retooling. 

During the episode, Garrett walks us through SI Labs approach to industry events in 2022-2023, their user conference WorksWith, and innovative approaches to webinars and workshops. You'll hear the outcome of his recent trip to Embedded World in Germany, and how SI Labs is bringing live and interactive elements to their virtual developer conference. We also debate event success metrics, how to extract more value from event content, and basically geek out on all things events -- one of my favorite marketing topics. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

11 Aug 20222022 Content Marketing World Industrial Summit Preview00:27:12

Take a sneak peek at the speakers and topics included at the 2022 Industrial Marketing Summit, a one-day event held as part of Content Marketing World.

On this episode I'm joined by Adam Beck, Director of Marketing for CADENAS PARTsolutions, and Joe Sullivan, Thinker and Founder at Gorilla 76, to take a sneak peek at this year's Industrial Marketing Summit event which will be held on September 15, 2022.

As the event sponsor representing CADENAS PARTsolutions, Adam has put together a stellar line-up of industry marketing leaders to share inspirational ideas and practical advice for industrial marketing professionals. Adam tapped Joe as the event host and panel facilitator. He will not only introduce speakers, he'll also help to pull out relevant points of value for the audience. 

Here is the line-up for the day:

Panel: Marketing for Manufacturers: Creating content to power direct AND channel sales 

Presenters: 

Session: Inside the Mind of the Technical Buyer: Create the Content your Prospects Actually Want

Presenters: 

Session: Earning a Seat at the Exec Table: A Field Guide for Marketers in Traditional Industries

Presenter:

Session: Meeting the Customer where they are: Content Delivery in the Digital Environment

Presenters: 

  • Ashley Quinlan, Vice President of Global Distribution and Marketing Strategy at Samtec Inc

  • Daniel Williams, Chief Information Officer at Samtec Inc

For more information about the 2022 Industrial Marketing Summit, visit the event page on the CADENAS PartSolution website. There you'll find more in-depth information on each session, and links to a registration page for Content Marketing World. You can also visit the Content Marketing World page directly if you are ready to register now. Reach out to Adam, Joe, or myself for a registration discount code before you take that last step! We look forward to seeing you in Cleveland on September 15th.

 
For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


25 Aug 2022Gratitude Culture as a Competitive Differentiator00:28:37

 Creating and promoting a company culture of gratitude leads to higher recruitment and retention success rates.

Lisa Ryan has the unusual title of Chief Appreciation Strategist for her company, Grategy. She's also the author of Thank You Very Much: Gratitude Strategies to Create a Workplace Culture that Rocks! You can quickly tell that Lisa has a strong opinion about gratitude and its impact on a company's growth. Gratitude starts with listening. What do employees like most about their jobs? What would they change? A short "stay" pulse interview (as opposed to the traditional "exit" interview) can provide valuable insights for both managers and marketing. 

Listening alone isn't enough, of course. Managers need to have the resources and authority to act upon feedback. Marketing has the opportunity to use internal feedback to inform brand messaging for both internal and external campaigns.

During the episode, you'll hear Lisa and I bat around ideas of how leadership, HR and marketing can all work together to better define a gratitude culture and craft messaging that will not only reinforce this culture internally but be used externally for recruiting. She also discusses her take on the Great Resignation and how individual priorities and expectations from their work culture have permanently shifted across generational lines. 

When Lisa is not on the keynote stage or consulting with manufacturing companies, she is in the host seat of her podcast, The Manufacturers' Network. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


08 Sep 2022Lasso Your Content Chaos00:28:13

 Learn how to take a strategic and proactive approach to content planning. 

Jennifer Dawkins, Vice President of Account Services at TREW Marketing, is an expert in content planning for both start-ups and enterprise companies. When it comes to the latter, she's seen her share of Content Managers who are overwhelmed with requests and have no formal process for planning and prioritizing content projects. This leads to random acts of content, lack of insight into performance, and a ton of aging content which can be detrimental to the brand.

During the episode, Jennifer shares key steps in developing a content plan. It starts well before the first content brainstorming session, as all content should tie back to a campaign with identified personas and success metrics. She walks us through how to conduct a content brainstorming session using a content topic cluster framework, and shares who should (and should not) be in the room. 

We also cover accountability, measurement, how to handle ad-hoc content requests, and an approach to auditing aged content.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

22 Sep 2022Edgy Authenticity in Cybersecurity00:45:47

Two cybersecurity experts having an authentic conversation leads to business growth and chart-topping podcast listenership.

When you fire up a Zoom call for a conversation with NuHarbor CEO Justin Fimlaid and VP of Product and Engineering Jack Danahay, you soon discover that these two have distinct chemistry and philosophical alignment on most things in the cybersecurity world. Given this, it was not very surprising to me to learn that their podcast, PWNED (that's pronounced "poh-nd" to us non-cybersecurity people) has a massive following, breaking the top 100 in both the U.S. and UK. 

During the episode, Justin and Jack share their story, from how they met and discovered their aligned views, NuHarbor's "respectfully edgy" brand personality, and how at the heart of it all is walking the walk with their audience. They fully understand the needs and frustrations of their buyers, including piecemeal solutions and oversimplified value propositions that overpromise. 

Through NuHarbor's content marketing, with PWNED playing a key role, they've discovered that adopting an authentic voice and helpful, specific advice has attracted the professionals they most want to work with, those that look at the cybersecurity world through a similar lens and are aligned with NuHarbor's approach.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng


06 Oct 2022Influencer Marketing in Electronics and Semiconductor00:25:53

When it comes to influencer marketing, there are remarkable differences between the B2C and highly technical B2B worlds. Find out why. 

 Stuart Cording is a reformed electrical engineer turned technical writer who studies and educates about the electronics and semiconductor industry. In short, he is a B2B technical influencer.

When you hear the word influencer, you might conjure a celebrity promoting designer clothes on Twitter or a teenager trying 40 different shades of lipstick on Instagram. While some of the same channels might be leveraged, Stuart explains how being an influencer in a technical B2B industry is a bit unique.

For one, the influencer needs to have enough expertise to understand how a product works and where it might be best used. They may not always get their hands physically on a product, given constraints such as pricing or size. They also don't need the massive reach of a B2C influencer, rather a deep niche focus will produce more traction. These are some of the reasons why there are not as many influencers in the electronics and semiconductor space today. 

During the episode Stuart and I debate the differences between industry trade press editors and influencers, and he covers the types of services that technical B2B influencers provide. 


For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

20 Oct 20222022 Fall Marketing Conference Round-Up00:53:25

Learn what topics were trending and TREW's big takeaways from INBOUND, Content Marketing World, MozCon, The Martech Conference, and the PMM Summit.

In this episode, I'm joined by several senior members of the TREW Crew to share the big trends and takeaways from conferences we each attended in Fall 2022. These included:

Here are just a few of the topics we covered during the episode:

Lee Chapman, TREW President, shared a key INBOUND theme of connectedness. Emerging from the isolated Covid times, marketers (and humans in general) are seeking ways to feel connected. One has a sense of this at in-person conferences, where people are more eager than ever to talk to the stranger in the next chair over, and online, where new communities are springing up as gathering places for learning and connecting. Lee's favorite presenter was Dale Bertrand from Spark and Fire who provided in-depth advice on how to diagnose and improve SEO performance. 

Morgan Norris, TREW Senior Brand Strategist, reports that pillar pages are still a thing! Demonstrate your expertise and help your buyers by publishing long-scrolling web pages packed with relevant, connected content. You can score high marks with Google AND with prospective buyers through this strategy. While at CMW, Morgan tried out several AI tools for content marketing, nabbed the top score at a content-themed whack-a-mole game, performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (sort of), and presented with yours truly during the CMW Industrial Marketing Summit. Morgan's favorite presenter was Lisa Gately from Forrester who covered thought leadership – what it is, what it isn’t, and how to create a thought leadership campaign.

Erin Moore, TREW Account Director, was the overachiever that fit in two conferences: MozCon and The Martech Conference. A big focus at MozCon (and INBOUND and CMW!) was Google's greater emphasis on EAT: expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Partly in response to the misinformation of today's times, brands need to do more to build their authority. This might be niching further down, creating even MORE content on a subject (and tying it together with that pillar page), and publishing author bios along with blogs and articles. Erin's favorite presenter, Lily Ray from Amsive Digital, went into the background on EAT, the Google patents that she thinks went into it, and a lot of fantastic examples to showcase how Google can piece together an entity's authority.

Collaboration and AI-assisted content marketing and SEO were also big topics at The Martch Conference. During the episode you'll hear Erin share an easy "hack" for figuring out trending keywords used by your target personas, so be sure to listen for that. 

Rounding out the five events, I attended the Product Marketing Manager Summit along with TREW client Rich Goldman from Ansys, who presented a content marketing collaboration between our two teams on a GIANT movie theater screen. About half of the sessions were themed around positioning and messaging, along with how to do content marketing at scale and ways to support sales. I had two favorite quotes, one of which “The Gartner buyer’s journey is REAL, y’all” refers to just how much of a slog the long B2B technology buyer's journey can be, and pivotal ways marketing can help. 

For show links and more, visit the Co

10 Nov 2022Trends at TREW Marketing00:12:22

 Learn which major projects and areas of investments are leading to the best results for TREW Marketing clients. 

Most of us are deep into marketing planning for 2023, and to help, we’ve been running a trend series to provide you with helpful information as you decide where to investment and make those important budgetary tradeoffs. (If you missed the previous trend blogs and podcast epiosde, you can find those through the links below).

On this episode I share 5 major areas of investment for TREW Marketing’s clients. You’ll hear specific tactics being used and most importantly what is producing the best results. These areas include:

  • Persona-based content marketing campaigns
  • Corporate brand refresh
  • Shifting from owned community to external industry communities
  • Return of "big splash" product launches
  • Helping sales overcome objections with a strong value proposition
01 Dec 2022Why Does Keysight Have a Resident Geek?00:31:03

Learn how Keysight connects with engineers through owned and external communities.

Daniel Bogdnoff is a technical content marketing leader best known as the Resident Geek at Keysight. Leveraging his EE education from Texas A&M University (whoop!), innate curiosity for all things electrical, and enthusiastic personality, Daniel turned a small pilot video series into a corporate-wide channel with over 105,000 views.

During the episode, you'll learn the history behind Keysight Labs and how video has helped the company to grow, engage and educate their community through the channel. We also touch on the popularity of webinars and the shift in format, from talking heads with PowerPoint recordings to live streams where attendees can tap an expert in real time. 

Daniel is also the host of Moore's Lobby, a podcast produced by EE Tech. This is one of many ways Keysight gains exposure to communities outside its own. They also successfully partner with creators who have their own YouTube channels and podcasts, and this is especially interesting when pairing a niche application show with a similarly-niched product. 

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

15 Dec 2022eCommerce for All Manufacturers00:30:36

eCommerce is not just for large, transactional manufacturers. Learn how to take friction out of the buyer's journey with helpful digital assets.

When you think of eCommerce in manufacturing, you may instantly envision a store experience where visitors can purchase low-cost widgets. In reality, eCommerce is much broader and includes numerous diverse digital tactics.

Curt Anderson, Founder of B2B Tail, has experienced the evolution of eCommerce, starting from the dot.com boom which he jumped into with both feet.  He helps small and medium-sized manufacturing companies identify how eCommerce strategies can help remove friction from the buying process, help buyers make informed decisions, and create a more efficient sales process.

During the episode, Curt expands the view of eCommerce beyond the store, including product configurators, ROI calculators, essentially all digital experiences that help the buyer specific and purchase. He also explains how with today's enabling technology, many of the more sophisticated eCommerce tactics of the past are affordable and within reach for smaller manufacturers.

Curt is a passionate educator and resource for manufacturers. He co-hosts a weekly LinkedIn Live show called Manufacturing eCommerce Success with Damon Pistulka. He also supports the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) by producing member webinar series on marketing and digital transformation topics.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

06 Jan 2023From Marketing Book Group To Corporate Cohesion00:30:52

 Learn how the Ansys product marketing team shifted from siloed activity to a unified marketing language and became one of the company's most respected groups. 

Rich Goldman, Ansys Director of Product Marketing, has enjoyed a storied career journey in semiconductor, photonics, and electronics design. It seems that wherever he goes, he creatively and effectively solves challenges. He's helped the country of Armenia recruit tech businesses by establishing a presidential award in engineering. He's co-authored a book amongst the likes of famous scientists and astronauts on the symbiotic relationship of the space and technology industries. And in his latest role, he's inspired a large marketing organization to adopt a common framework and processes to be more strategic in their content marketing efforts.

During the episode, you'll hear how each business silo was using its own planning framework and vernacular for content marketing, making collaboration difficult and overwhelming corporate marketing resources. To solve this, Rich and Ansys CMO Scott Richardson held an organization-wide, 12-week workshop group based on the book Content Marketing, Engineered. The timing was perfect with marketing planning held directly after the conclusion of the workshop.

Through this approach, the product marketing and corporate marketing teams are now aligned on foundational marketing principles, including a planning framework, vernacular, and metrics. Planning is now conducted in a rolling 12-month quarterly calendar, helping teams to prepare by looking ahead while still being nimble with shifting business needs. Not only did this effort lead to revenue growth, but the product marketing organization is also now recognized as a strongly performing group.

Rich also shares details about the company's writing process, rolling 12-month planning approach, and a big 2023 focus on measurement and attribution.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

26 Jan 2023Enjoy Better Conversations and Unlock Possibilities with Patti DeNucci00:35:55

Find out why conversations are so important to our health, careers, and personal growth, and learn practical tips to becoming a better conversationalist. 

Two-time book author and former technology marcom professional Patti DeNucci wants to inspire you to improve (and enjoy!) conversations, whether those take place in a social or professional setting. I couldn't think of a better time to spend some mental energy on this topic, with a post-pandemic re-emergence into face-to-face gatherings, or for some, hesitation to even engage IRL. 

In Patti's new book, More Than Just Talk: An Essential Guide for Anyone Who Wants to Enjoy Better Conversations, you'll learn why conversations are so important to our health, careers, and personal growth. She walks you through barriers and obstacles to good conversations and calls us out on some excuses we've probably all used to avoid social situations. 

In the episode, you'll hear how setting intentions and preparation will provide focus and confidence. We also touch on several concepts from Patti's "Conversation Toolkit" including my favorite, becoming a "Possibilitaritan." 

Having better conversations includes a healthy dose of listening, and Patti explains what prevents people from actively listening and how to improve this key skill.

One of my favorite tips comes at the very end of the episode where Patti tells us how to perform the "sniff test" and warns us to make sure this is done in private. Be sure to listen for that nugget!

More Than Just Talk follows on the heels of Patti's first book, The Intentional Networker.

For show links and more, visit the Content Marketing, Engineered podcast blog

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

10 Feb 2023The Path to Achieving Corporate Thought Leadership00:28:20

 We're in a world where everyone wants to be a thought leader. But what does it look like for your company to gain thought leadership?  

Lisa Gately from Forrester meets with us to discuss thought leadership – what it is, what it isn’t, and how to create a thought leadership campaign. 

According to Lisa, “Thought leadership is a social dialogue. It is an intentional exercise of knowledge, skills, and expertise to build awareness, elevate perception, and drive preference related to key issues that audiences care about.” 

Thought leadership is brand equity – but it’s not easy to achieve. Most thought leadership misses the mark because it doesn't provide a unique perspective on an issue, it's not prioritized with internal resources, and it's ultimately self-serving -- it's product or solution marketing -- not industry leadership.

Lisa discusses how to diverge from our traditional way of thinking about thought leadership and build a thought leadership plan that's strategic, resourced, and meaningful.

 https://bit.ly/CMEPodcast 

Learn more about TREW Marketing

 https://www.trewmarketing.com 

Order the book! Content Marketing, Engineered

 https://bit.ly/contentmktgeng

23 Feb 2023Generative AI For Industrial Content Development: a ChatGPT, Writer, and Jasper Showdown00:36:31

 Can AI tools help to develop content targeted to engineers and technical buyers? 

The landscape is exploding with generative AI tools for content marketing. But when it comes to creating B2B marketing content, especially pieces targeted to engineers and technical buyers, are these tools actually helpful? This is what TREW Marketing set out to find through research and writing experiments.

The episode kicked off with Morgan Norris, TREW Sr. Brand and Content Strategist, walking us through the variety of tools that aim to help marketers across content strategy, SEO, and content development. As we honed in specifically on content development, the team narrowed their focus to two primary tools, Writer and Jasper. They also explained instances when ChatGPT might helpful, and made mention of other content tools which you'll note in the resources section below.

Jamie Tokarz, TREW Sr. Content Manager, and Hannah Schulze, TREW Content Specialist, walked through their experiments using the tools and what they found most and least beneficial. On the whole, the scales weighed heavily towards the negative, but all involved saw some benefit and think there is a positive outlook for gains as the tools mature.

The best experiences centered upon headline generation and branding rule enforcement. The tools also provided a nice starting point to overcome "blank page syndrome." The worst experiences were around long-form technical content and any piece of content where you'd like to reinforce your brand messaging and SEO terminology in an authentic manner. 

The team put together an AI for B2B Content Generation guide based on their research and experiments to date, including before/AI-generated/writer-edited live content snapshots which really drive home their lessons learned. This guide will be continuously updated as TREW learns and experiments more. 

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

09 Mar 2023Heard at ERA: Recap of the 2023 Electronics Representatives Association Conference00:40:49

Hear the latest electronic components industry and marketing trends presented at the 2023 ERA conference. 

TREW Marketing Senior Brand and Content Strategist, Morgan Norris joined me for the 2023 Electronics Representatives Association (ERA) conference, held in TREW's hometown of Austin, Texas. In this episode, we share some of the trending topics we heard in keynotes and sessions as well as share highlights from our presentation, Transforming Your Brand Into a Trusted Resource.

Some of our marketing takeaways include:

  • Many of the rep firms are lacking differentiated messaging and their websites don't portray them as a knowledgeable technical resource for design engineers
  • Video is very popular with design engineers; sales reps can use video to share their expertise and build credibility; brands can use video to add interest to (potentially dry) electronic component content topics
  • Don't overthink social sharing; use content created by your marketing department, your partners or your network and add your point of view
  • Generative AI and ChatGPT are great content brainstorming tools, but when it comes to creating highly technical content, they won't do the heavy lifting for you
  • Enewsletters are still quite popular with design engineers; one sales rep firm consistently achieves a 70% open rate through hyper-personalization 
  • Sales rep firms and distributors can leverage and extend a manufacturer's marketing campaign, creating a channel win-win-win amplifier
  • Manufacturers are open to collaborative marketing campaigns and offering co-op funding, but sales reps need to first have a strategic approach to marketing and pitch thoughtful campaign ideas

Some of our industry takeaways from a fascinating closing keynote by Michael Knight, President and CEO of Endries International, include:

  • As more sensors are added to our cars (and other parts of our daily lives), the demand for data storage will be massive
  • Look for more household and work tasks to be automated through robotics and applied AI; examples include robots delivering food to your table at a restaurant, picking strawberries in the field on a farm, and assisting with diagnosis and surgery 
  • Renewable, unlimited energy from solar will be more attainable with battery storage technology advances
  • The commercialization of space will continue, especially to mine precious minerals 
  • The demand for electronics will continue to be strong!

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

23 Mar 2023Daily Videos Part of a Robust Content Marketing Strategy For Optics Manufacturer00:27:34

Learn how a leading optics manufacturer uses daily videos and other content marketing tools to differentiate from their competitors.

Cory Boone, Technical Marketing Manager at Edmund Optics, is a big believer in content marketing for engineering companies, as you'll hear in this episode. He has found that through content, the company builds trust and credibility and stays top-of-mind with prospects and customers. 

Edmund Optics' multi-faceted content strategy includes daily videos which range from broad and basic, such as how optics are used in the world around us, to technical challenges where optics and photonics can be applied. Videos are leveraged across multiple platforms including TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. TikTok is not where the company expects to find and convert near-term leads, rather it supports long-term awareness and branding goals. 

In Cory's role as a Technical Marketing Manager, he acts as a bridge between engineering and marketing communications, which he finds helps to lend greater credibility to marketing as a whole. He also writes technical content where he draws from his optical engineering education and seeks time from deep subject-matter experts within the company. Cory oversees the Edmund Optics Knowledge Center, where visitors can search or filter by topic.

Cory and his team have experimented with generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, and have found their best use to be for brainstorming and outlining. Cory advises taking great caution when using data sourced by these tools. It is important to determine and cite the source of the data to make sure it is accurate, recent, and not from your competition. This is a big challenge for niche technical subjects.  

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

06 Apr 2023GA4 is Here...It's Time to Bid UA Farewell Forever00:22:15

 Learn the differences between Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Universal Analytics and find out how to transition to GA4. 

If you've logged into your Google Universal Analytics (UA) account on or after March 1, 2023, you've realized that you have a new tool: Google Analytics (GA4). In this episode, Kasey Tyring, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist at TREW Marketing, walks through the major differences between the two tools and how to get up-to-speed on GA4.

A few key points you'll hear during the episode:

  • Web visits (and a few other key metrics) are counted differently in GA4, so don't try to compare with UA data
  • Greater emphasis and deeper data are provided on-site engagement 
  • Bounces and clicks take on a different meaning in GA4
  • One of the most insightful tools is events - check this out first and get excited about this new way to view the buyer's journey!
  • After you have a handle on the changes, be sure to educate leadership about the change 

If you have a busy spring schedule and/or not super excited about learning a new Google Analytics tool, well, tough. In July 2023 UA will go away forever. So let's all embrace the change and give GA4 a big welcome hug. Happy measuring!

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

13 Apr 2023Generative AI Update - News, Tools, Prompting, Crafting A Company Policy00:32:47

 Hear the latest updates on generative AI for marketing, including tools we're kicking around, features we love, and prompting best practices for creating AI-assisted technical content. 

Morgan Norris, TREW Brand and Content Strategist, is on top of how AI tools can enhance our technical content writing process (not derail it). She's been researching and piloting various tools and staying abreast of the ever-evolving legal and cultural implications of generative AI.

In this episode we cover:

  • Marketing AI news, including a statement and guidance from the U.S. Copywrite Office
  • Generative AI tools we are trying out (see full list below)
  • Generative AI functionality that benefits us most as technical marketers
  • Best practices for prompting AI tools during ideation, research and writing
  • How to create a company policy on generative AI

Morgan will host a webinar in May to take a deeper dive into many of these topics. If you have questions or topics you'd like her to cover, drop her a line on LinkedIn. 

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

20 Apr 202315th TREWversary, and Oh How Marketing Has Changed00:42:34

 Hear from TREW Marketing Co-Founders and early employees share stories about the company and how marketing has changed in the past 15 years. 

To celebrate TREW Marketing's 15-year "TREWversary," TREW Co-Founder Rebecca Geier, along with early employees Lee Chapman and Morgan Norris, joined me for a look-back episode. Expect to hear many stories on this episode, including:

  • Where TREW Marketing got its name
  • The most dramatic changes in marketing over the past 15 years
  • Critical business decisions that shaped the agency
  • The most unique technologies we learned about through client engagements

Learn more about TREW Marketing here.

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Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

27 Apr 2023Research Series | 2023 State of Marketing to Engineers00:45:46

 Gain insights on how engineers and technical buyers find and consume content to make purchase decisions. 

Christian Haight (a.k.a. CJ), Content Marketing Manager at GlobalSpec, joins me on this episode to walk through key findings from the 6th annual research study conducted by TREW Marketing and GlobalSpec. 

The 2023 State of Marketing to Engineers Report includes a set of consistent questions we ask to monitor trends, such as preferred information sources and content types. We also take a deep dive into search behaviors, influencers, podcasts, and in-person events.

In this episode we walk through key findings, industry feedback and our own opinions in areas such as:

  • Search behaviors
  • Channel preferences
  • Industry influencers
  • Social media preferences
  • Valued content
  • Sales interactions

For more in-depth research information, check out the resources link below. Also be on the lookout for event MORE research to be released this year. In June 2023 GlobalSpec has a report coming out on engineers' work challenges and where they seek training and education. In Fall 2023 TREW Marketing and Elektor will release a European-focused report with many overlapping areas of focus as the State of Marketing to Engineers research.



Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

04 May 2023Research Series | 2023 CMI Manufacturing Content Marketing Report00:21:49

 Gain insights into where manufacturing marketers are seeing success and how they are investing their marketing budgets in 2023. 

For part two of my two-part research series, Lisa Beets, Research Director for the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), joins me to walk through key findings from the 2023 Manufacturing Content Marketing Research Report. The report studies where content marketers working in manufacturing invest time and budget dollars, and the outcomes they are experiencing.

This year's study spans a broad range of marketing topics, from content creation and management, distribution, metrics and goals, and budget allocation.

There were three particularly interesting discussions we had during the interview:

  1. Manufacturing marketers are outpacing B2B marketers in video investment in both the number of videos produced and the use of YouTube as a distribution channel.
  2. Manufacturing marketers cited web visits and social followers as the most important metrics as opposed to conversion metrics for B2B marketers; hearing this makes me ponder the final point....
  3. There were struggles cited with creating a content marketing strategy (which may be the reason for bullet #2 - relying on easy-to-grab vanity metrics over substantial conversion metrics)

This report is an excellent companion to part one of my research series, where we walked through the 2023 State of Marketing to Engineers.

Resources

Connect with TREW Marketing


TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

09 May 2023SEO Series | The Evolving Search Landscape of 2023, from E-E-A-T to AI00:34:14

 Learn about the biggest changes to SEO over the last year, including the EEAT update and the growth of AI search and generative AI, and hear how these changes are impacting B2B engineering companies like yours. 

For part one of this two-part series on SEO for technical, B2B companies, we’re joined by Lily Ray, Senior Director of SEO and Head of Organic Research at Amsive Digital. Lily has spent the last 11 years in agencies, focused on SEO and organic research across many industries, and she brings a wealth of experience to our episode today.

Google has been in a period of rapid evolution, with multiple core updates released over the last few years. The biggest update, E-E-A-T, has changed the search landscape, prioritizing experience, expertise, authority and trustworthiness of websites and individual authors alongside other, long standing ranking factors. Lily cites how she’s seeing E-E-A-T and other core updates impact client sites, as well as how businesses can find success in organic search by focusing on user experience first and foremost.

If the frequent shifts in Google’s algorithm weren’t enough, we also have the rapid adoption of AI changing how people search for and create content. After spending months testing ChatGPT and AI search engines, Lily has takeaways on the smart, responsible ways of using these tools, and why it’s dangerous to use the tools without a firm understanding of how they work and what they do and do not do. She also shares how she’s using this new toolset to create efficiencies in info sourcing and content reuse, to augment rather than replace current processes.

Resources




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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

18 May 2023SEO Series | Taking a Conversion-Focused Approach to SEO00:37:12

 Learn the fundamentals of taking a conversion-focused approach to SEO content to meet your audience where they are in their buyer’s journey, and drive sales and revenue for your business. 

Part 2 of our SEO mini-series continues with Dale Bertrand, President of SEO agency Fire&Spark. Like many SEO professionals, he didn’t start his career focused on marketing, content, or search. He started as an engineer, first in manufacturing and then in computer engineering building a supercomputer for the NSA, before a stint focused on AI. He brings his rare combination of engineering, AI, and SEO expertise to our episode today, tackling the topic of conversion-focused SEO for engineering and technical companies.

As search engines have evolved and user behavior has changed over time, SEO best practices have changed as well. SEO success no longer comes from keyword stuffing, or a few back-end tweaks, or aggressive link building. Instead, companies are finding success in search by building authority around key topics to gain visibility, and by focusing on conversion intent and optimization in their search strategies.

Dale elaborates on taking a conversion-focused SEO approach to meet your audience where they are in their buyer’s journey, delivering the content they need at that time and using content to drive them to the next step. He gives examples of how companies in the engineering space can use this approach to drive lead generation, revenue, and other key conversion activities. We also discuss the impact AI is having and will have on SEO, and how even as the technology changes, the fundamentals of marketing, SEO, and content development stay the same.



Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

01 Jun 2023Creating Your Manufacturing Marketing Foundation00:43:32

In this week's episode, I sit down with Nicole Donnelly, the Founder and CEO of DMG Digital. We are both marketing agency owners in the manufacturing and engineering space, so we really dive into what we see as the main challenges manufacturers face when it comes to marketing from executive buy-in to consistency and long-term strategy. 

 Here are the topics we covered in this episode:

  • Executive buy-in of marketing efforts
  • Marketing and sales silos
  • Sales enablement materials
  • The value and ROI of consistency
  • The difference between SME and AI sourced content
  • Where to begin marketing for manufacturing

The Artificial Intelligence vs Service Matter Expert (SME) discussion was a great topic to bring up. Nicole and I agreed that there is a place for generative AI tools like ChatGPT in your content and marketing strategy, but if you want valuable, trustworthy content that converts, it's best to source your content from your experienced internal talent. Nicole also shared her advice for marketing efforts that become stagnant and when to elevate your marketing strategy into paid advertising, video, podcasting and more.

Resources


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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

08 Jun 2023Generative AI for Marketing - Maintaining Trust and Building an AI Policy00:32:30

Is your team using AI tools? Here’s everything you need to know to maintain trust and authenticity.

 In this week's episode, Morgan Norris, Senior Brand Strategist at Trew Marketing, shares everything she’s learned about Generative AI. Morgan has become our resident expert on all things AI tools and has sifted through dozens of tools to find out which ones are most valuable to marketers. Morgan shares the key features of the best performing tools for tasks like idea generation, editing, and content writing.

We also highlight the ever-present need to stay authentic and trustworthy when developing and publishing content – something we still need human oversight for. Last, discuss what liabilities could come up if you’re using AI tools incorrectly and the direction these tools could take in the future. 

Resources


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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

15 Jun 2023Cultivating Connections Through Regional Technology Councils00:27:41

 How to successfully approach networking events and what your local technology council can do for you. 

It was a true pleasure to have a conversation with Thom Singer. His career has taken a winding path guided by the powerful connections he's made over the years. Thom is a successful public speaker, author, and podcaster and his most recent role is the Chief Executive Officer of the Austin Technology Council where his mission is to bring Austin's technology companies together to engage the wider Austin community and ensure the future of Austin's technology business landscape.

In this podcast episode we discuss Thom's background in marketing and his genius take on networking and adding value to events and to the people you meet.

"Networking is not a verb, it's a lifestyle. You can't just show up at an [industry event] and think 'this networking stuff doesn't work, nobody sent me tons of business'. It takes years to build a reputation in your community, in your industry.-Thom Singer CEO, Austin Technology Council

 

We also extend the philosophy of adding value to the concept of content marketing. Many businesses are apprehensive to share their IP with the public, but ultimately, in mine and Thom's experience, sharing valuable information wins business and trust.

Of course, we had to talk about Thom's plans for the Austin Technology Council. He shared why these councils are so important for their communities and how technology and related service companies can get involved.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


23 Jun 2023The Future with HubSpot - New AI CRM and Generative Writing Tools00:35:27

 New AI tools and more that continues to make HubSpot the best all-in-one marketing platform.

I caught up with Chris Alexis, Mid-Market Sales Manager at HubSpot on the latest episode of the podcast. Chris and I have worked together for more than a decade and have watched the HubSpot platform morph and expand to serve businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to large enterprises and expanded its capabilities for coverage throughout the customer journey.

Chris walked through the evolution of HubSpot from its beginnings an inbound marketing tool to today's all-in-one marketing, CRM, operations, and customer service platform.

We discussed the buyer's journey for marketers searching for the right marketing platform for their needs and Chris highlights some key considerations such as product adoption and implementation, training, connections to external tools, and productivity.

I was very excited to talk about the future of HubSpot. In its history, the company has been excellent at changing with the times and scaling with the businesses it serves. In today's changing landscape, HubSpot continues to innovate adding critical tools like generative AI writing tools and ChatSpot -- the intelligent CRM sales and marketing assistant that can pull reports and answer any CRM questions with ease.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


13 Jul 2023How to Tackle a Manufacturing Website Redesign as a Solo Marketer00:23:35

 Working in a marketing department with a team of one? Here's how one solo marketer approached a full website redesign. 

On this week's episode of Content Marketing Engineered, I had the pleasure of hanging out with Amanda Dinauer. Amanda is one impressive marketer. She is the Marketing Director for three brands: LasX Industries, MicroMed Solutions, and FlexPak Services. How does she juggle it all?

We talked through her approach to content marketing, how she handles different leadership priorities, and prepares for real-time events like product launches.

We also discussed one recent successful undertaking: a complete website redesign for LasX.

  • Initial reasons for the redesign
  • Necessity of creating a strategy first
  • Adding high-quality videos
  • Prioritizing customer-focused messaging
  • Creating a process for updating content

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

 

20 Jul 2023The Marketing Boost - Quick Wins to Get You Out of Your Mid-Year Slump00:28:02

 We've hit the half-way mark of 2023! Here are a few strategies to boost demand, unify sales and marketing, and earn quick wins for your marketing efforts.  

As we enter the second half of the year, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all that's left to accomplish - especially this year when there's been so much uncertainty. Marketers are uneasy - there's been budget cutbacks, new AI, analytics and, social platforms to keep up with, and looming end-of-year reports to consider.

So, I thought this would be a great time to talk with Lee Chapman, president of TREW Marketing, and learn from her how fellow marketers are feeling and discuss some quick wins that can get us all out of the mid-year slump to end the year strong.

The discussion covers a number of quick wins marketers can achieve.

  • Revisiting value proposition and messaging
  • Interviewing existing customers
  • Performing a SWAT analysis
  • Performing content audits
  • Updating which metrics to track
  • Focusing on thought leadership
  • Updating social media strategy
  • Launching "mini campaigns" for product launches or events

I also asked Lee about which content she is seeing perform the best for her B2B clients...no surprise...she said there is no silver bullet and that a mix of content is key (blogs, white papers, ungated assets, social graphics etc) with a heavier emphasis on video, as our research shows, younger engineers are seeking out video. LinkedIn is also one of the highest performing channels.

Give this episode a listen or read the transcript below to inspire some new energy going into the last half of 2023.

Resources

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


03 Aug 2023MAICON Recap: How Marketers are Embracing the Evolving AI Landscape00:48:28

 What a head-spinning time we had at this year's Marketing AI Conference (MAICON). We're distilling everything we learned - with practical examples of how marketers are utilizing AI - in this week's episode of Content Marketing, Engineered. 

At TREW Marketing, we are no strangers to the power of AI marketing tools to provide intelligence and streamline mundane tasks. However, the ever-evolving nature of AI means that there is always something new to discover. From innovative tools to ethical considerations, we knew it was crucial to attend MAICON, hosted by the Marketing AI Institute. TREW's Senior Brand Strategist, Morgan Norris and I immersed ourselves in three days of learning. Now, we're excited to share the key takeaways from the conference, including emerging tools we're eager to experiment with, and creative ways marketers are leveraging AI tools and LLMs themselves to drive business results.

In this podcast episode, Morgan and I delve deep into the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) for marketers. We explore how LLMs can streamline workflows, eliminate mundane tasks, and enhance creativity. We discuss generative AI application tools like Jasper, Writer, MarketMuse, and functional-specific tools for video, transcription and more. We also highlight the potential of AI as an aid in rapid strategy development, as demonstrated by Ethan Mollick's ability to create a host of product launch materials in 30 minutes using AI.

Join us as we share our insights and discoveries from MAICON, and get ready to be inspired by the possibilities of AI in marketing.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


10 Aug 2023How Industrial Marketers Approach Influencers, Storytelling, Video, and Personal Brands00:25:34

 In the industrial marketing space, we have a lot of catching up to do. Jordan Yates, Marketing Engineer at Knowles Precision Devices, shares how she uses modern marketing strategies to gain an edge over the competition.

Jordan Yates holds a unique title as a "Marketing Engineer," combining her mechanical engineering background from Texas Tech University and her role on the technical marketing team at Knowles Precision Devices. After graduating, Jordan leveraged social media, particularly LinkedIn, to her advantage. She cultivated a personal following by sharing technical demos and documenting her journey of learning new skills like soldering. This growth has not only benefited the companies she has worked with but also sparked a discussion on the power of personal brands, influencer marketing, and thought leadership within the engineering industry. 

In today's episode of Content Marketing, Engineered, we delve into strategies for making technical content more accessible and engaging for audiences, as well as uncovering what kind of content engineers are really searching for. One highlight of the episode is when Jordan explains her secret to making technical content exciting – writing "love letters" as her first draft or idea generation. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

17 Aug 2023MozCon 2023 Recap: Doubling down on building authority and brand recognition for SEO00:40:42

Erin Moore shares the key themes from MozCon 2023 and why going back to basics is a winning strategy.

Erin More, TREW's Account Director, attended MozCon this year to bring back all the latest industry news on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). If you're a marketer or a practitioner of SEO specifically, you know how much things have changed in the last few years and even months in the world of SEO and search rank strategy. 

According to Erin, there were 4 big themes from MozCon 2023: 

  • Search is a lot more than Google search
  • The way google interprets information and feeds you information has changed
  • The way SEOs understand search is changing
  • Google has been evolving constantly with AI

Erin explains each of these themes and how marketers can make some key changes to their SEO strategies in order to build authority and lean into brand recognition - two key strategies SEOs are turning to for success in the future.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


24 Aug 2023The Power of Integrated Data Across Marketing, Sales, Distribution, and Beyond00:45:06

John Joyce joins us to share how integrating data across departments, distributors, and countries can really work.

John Joyce is one of those unique marketers that have worked on both sides of the business, within a marketing agency and in an internal marketing department. His career is impressive. He spent the last 8 years at Brennan as the Global Marketing Director and in that role he essentially brought the established company into the 21st century with modern marketing. In this episode we talk about his most successful moments at Brennan including branding initiatives, video, and inbound and content marketing. 

We also discuss some of the data challenges and lack of connectivity he faced, which led him to start Brijr.io, a managed integration platform designed to connect data between sales, marketing, distributers, inventory, and more. 

I had a great time talking to John as we discussed some of the hot topics in our industry from the changing landscape of SEO to the opportunity marketers have to rise above the noise of generative AI. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.



31 Aug 2023How to Create Kick-Ass Presentations00:29:01

Say goodbye to death-by-powerpoint! Richard Goring shares his top presentation tips.

Richard Goring is a director at Bright Carbon, a content creation company producing anything where visually storytelling is useful such as presentations, explainer videos, infographics, etc.

With years of experience and thousands of presentations under his belt, he is the expert on all things presentations. I talked to Richard about how to make highly technical content more engaging during presentations and some common pitfalls he sees marketers making when building PowerPoints for conferences, sales demos, and everything in between.

We talked about how to brainstorm your presentation without using PowerPoint and some PowerPoint hacks that only the experts know. Richard shared some excellent free tools (listed below) and theorized how far AI can take us in making visual presentations. 


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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

07 Sep 2023B2B Email Marketing Tips That Actually Work with Jay Schwedelson00:29:39

 He's a crowd favorite at HubSpot's Inbound conference, now he's here to share his latest tips in B2B email marketing. 

Are you banging your head on your keyboard thinking your attempts at reaching your audience via email is fruitless? We get it, B2B email marketing can seem like you're getting lost in the inbox. That's why we had Jay Schwedelson on, the founder of SubjectLine.com and Outcome Media. Jay has presented on email marketing for years - one of our team's favorite presenters at HubSpot's annual Inbound Marketing Conference. Jay has a talent for rebuilding our confidence in email marketing by sharing his genius yet simple tactics to great email marketing. From testing subject lines, sending newsletters more than once, and adding relevance. He even shares a few proven subject line strategies that can increase your open rate by 25% or more!

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

14 Sep 2023How to Turn the Knowledge of Your SMEs into Exceptional Content00:24:14

 Our content specialist, Jamie Tokarz is the master of creating exceptional content out of your Service Matter Experts. With more than 16 years' experience, she shares how she does it. 

She is a star writer that produces amazing content and all her clients love her and love working with her...we were thrilled to have our very own Jamie Tokarz on the podcast this week! Jamie is a Content Strategist and has helped TREW clients produce exceptional content using their own Service Matter Experts (SMEs) for more than eight years. 

We invited Jamie to teach us how to get the most out of SMEs' very valuable time by hosting efficient sourcing sessions and how to take what we gathered from those sessions and turn it into content that converts.

Jamie shares:

  • How to prep for SME sourcing sessions
  • How to set expectations for SMEs who aren't in marketing
  • How to us AI tools to prepare and supplement SME knowledge
  • How to create an efficient review process

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

21 Sep 2023INBOUND23 Recap - New Tools and AI Tips from HubSpot's Annual Conference00:33:53

 Senior Inbound Specialists Kara Moon and Kasey Tyring share the highlights of what they learned from INBOUND23, HubSpot's annual marketing conference.

HubSpot's annual INBOUND conference is something we look forward to every year and this year, Senior Inbound Specialists Kara Moon and Kasey Tyring attended the conference in Boston. After an action-packed week of marketing sessions spanning all topics from analytics to social media, they join me on the podcast to share what they learned and what we can expect from the all-in-one tool for marketers

They discuss the main theme of the conference, Artificial Intelligence, and the new AI tools that HubSpot announced while also sharing the main AI tips they learned from sessions about SEO, social media, and content marketing. But this episode isn't all about AI, Kara and Kasey explain which sessions inspired them the most and what strategies they plan on using right away.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

28 Sep 2023How Industrial Marketers Adapt to Reach Technical Buyers of All Ages00:45:38

 The state of industrial marketing is changing fast! As the demographic of engineers and technical buyers evolves, so too should our marketing efforts. 

On this week's episode of Content Marketing, Engineered, I spoke with Nikki Gonzales, Head of Partnerships at QuoteBeam and host of the Automation Ladies podcast. As a millennial with a storied work history in the industrial manufacturing and software industries, Nikki brought a fresh point of view on how to market and sell to engineers and technical buyers.

We discussed how ignoring your outdated internal processes can cost you young talent, whether you should gate your assets with a form, whether you should have pricing and inventory listed on your website, and the best social media strategy to reach engineers of all ages. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


05 Oct 2023Valuable Takeaways from Content Marketing World 202300:49:25

 Morgan and Wendy recap their epic week at Content Marketing World 2023!  

Wendy Covey and Morgan Norris were in Washington D.C. last week to attend and share their own expertise at Content Marketing Institute's annual Content Marketing World conference. 


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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

12 Oct 2023Marketing in Electronics Manufacturing: Pro Tips from Sannah Vinding00:23:47

 Wendy Covey talks with Sannah Vinding, Digital Marketing Director at Micro Commercial Components, about how she humanizes the brand, excels at thought leadership, and provides valuable content to her sales and distribution teams. 

In electronics manufacturing, theres always so much to do - especially in marketing. From setting up your sales team for success, to producing valuable and memorable content, to working with distributors. How can you get it all done? Sannah Vinding, Digital Marketing Director at Micro Commercial Components, uses "swim lanes" to keep everything organized. She breaks down her strategy in the latest episode of Content Marketing, Engineered.

Sannah and Wendy discuss the importance of humanizing an electronics manufacturing brand and how to utilize and grow thought leaders within your organization. She also shares her winning video strategy across LinkedIn, your website, and YouTube.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

19 Oct 2023Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit00:23:02

 The hosts of the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit get together to share the impressive lineup of speakers and topics for the 3-day summit. 

The Industrial Marketing Summit is shaping up to be a can't-miss event on any industrial marketer's calendar. Wendy Covey, Joe Sullivan, and Adam Beck got together to talk about what to expect from the summit. The event takes place January 31 - Feb 2 at the University of Texas at Austin campus in the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. 

TREW Marketing, Gorilla 76, and CADENAS PARTSolutions are hosting the event after they noticed a need for an individual marketing summit geared specifically toward the needs of industrial marketers. The conference is broken into three days. The first day is a welcome dinner and reception, the second day is a full-day of sessions, and the third is broken into a half day of workshops. 

The half-day of workshops are designed for industrial marketers to walk away with actionable insights to take back with them. The first workshop is titled "Successful Reporting: Using Data to Tell the Story About What’s Working." Hosted by Gorilla 76, attendees will leave the workshop with a meaningful dashboard that will help paint a clear picture of your progress for your leadership team. The second workshop is hosted by TREW Marketing and is titled "Leveling Up Your Content Plan: A Guided Approach to Building Brand Authority." Attendees will leave this workshop with a completely build out content strategy for a campaign. 

The conference will cover the following topics, and more!

  • Product Marketing
  • Sales and Marketing Alignment
  • Increasing Right-Fit Leads
  • SEO and Trustworthy Content 
  • AI Tools and Practical AI Strategies
  • Using Data to Redefine Marketing
  • The Importance of Customer Experience
  • Building and Measuring Brand
  • Influencer Marketing and Thought Leadership

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


26 Oct 20232024 Marketing Planning with Eddie Saunders Jr: Advertising, Comarketing, and Developing Empathy00:24:44

Wendy Covey talked with Eddie Saunders Jr. of Speak Friend Consulting, about 2024 marketing planning, the power or comarketing, empathy in developing sales enablement, and more.

2024 is looming just a few short months away! As marketers, it's time to think about updating our strategies for the new year - where to focus our efforts, which channels to invest in, and how we can level-up our craft. I had Eddie Saunders Jr. on the podcast this week to give his insights into these topics. We talked about about the underused tactic of comarketing, how TikTok can be added to your marketing channels, and how marketers can develop more empathy to reach customers where they are - plus using your sales team to get even more customer intel.

Don't miss Eddie at the Industrial Marketing Summit January 31 - February 2nd in Austin, Texas. He will be joined by other panelists who are industry leaders in influencer marketing, brand voice, and thought leadership.



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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

02 Nov 2023How Manufacturers Can Forge a Winning Relationship with Their Distributors00:33:22

 Manufacturers often don't have direct relationships with the end customer, and instead use a distribution network to sell their products. However, there is a huge communication gap between what marketing thinks the end customer wants and what the distributor knows they want. This week's episode is all about learning and listening from your manufacturing distributors.  

This week I was joined by Tom Paul, CEO of BAM!, a mobile distributor portal. I wanted to have him on to give manufacturing marketers a different point of view on how our content can benefit or be reworked to serve our valuable network of distributors. We talked about the common miscommunications between the manufacturer and the distributor and how simply asking the right questions and listening to the people on the front lines can dramatically impact the usefulness of our enablement materials.

We discuss topics like training, the best way to access distributor materials, and the difference between the needs of veteran distributors and new, entry-level salespeople. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

09 Nov 2023Staying Top-of-Mind During the Technical Buyer’s Journey00:35:50

 Mary Keough shares a new way of looking at the buyer's journey and what channel strategies she's focusing on to add more high-intent leads to her pipeline. 

Mary Keough is a seasoned marketer both in the SaaS and industrial marketing space and shares insightful marketing tips to her more than twenty thousand followers on LinkedIn. There's a reason why she's so popular - she's authentic. You can tell the marketing strategies she shares have been hard-won by experience. One of her favorite topics? Marketing and sales alignment. I spoke with Mary on this week's episode of Content Marketing, Engineered and we discussed a wide variety of topics from navigating the technical buyer's journey, which channels to focus on, how to measure high-intent leads, and how you can turn your marketing department into an essential business function in the eyes of your leadership team.

Watch or listen to this episode for some valuable marketing advice, and if you want to hear more from Mary, you can catch her session: FINALLY. A Marketing & Sales Alignment Strategy that Just Might Work at the Industrial Marketing Summit on Thursday, February 2nd in Austin, Texas. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

16 Nov 2023The Keys to Successful Sales Enablement with Pam Didner00:41:03

A comprehensive discussion about the relationship between marketing and sales, covering topics such as storytelling in marketing, integrated marketing and the strategy behind successful sales enablement.

Pam Didner has an impressive career history, which includes various roles at Intel, becoming a marketing professor, and then transitioning to becoming a sought-after marketing thought leader and keynote speaker. In this week's episode of Content Marketing, Engineered, Wendy and Pam discuss the importance of sales and marketing alignment, understanding your marketing bandwidth and boundaries, and what true, successful sales enablement actually looks like.

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30 Nov 2023Become a Better Technical Writer with the Content Writing, Engineered Course00:30:22

Every year, TREW hosts Content Writing, Engineered, a technical writing bootcamp for marketers who want to level-up their technical writing skills. This year, two TREW Crew members participated in the course. We talk about their experience in this episode.

The Content Writing, Engineered course is designed to teach marketers, sales professionals, and engineers in technical companies how to write compelling yet technical content for their target audiences. Senior Inbound Marketing Specialists Julia Holliday and Kasey Tyring took the course this year and they discussed what they learned with the course instructor Morgan Norris, TREW's Senior Brand Strategist.

Course Breakdown:

6-Week Course with a mix of group lessons and one-on-one coaching calls.

Week 1: Preparing to Write 

Week 2: Content Types

Week 3: Research and Outline

Week 4: Writing

Week 5: Reviewing Content 

Week 6: Enhancing Content

Kasey and Julia discussed the key takeaways from the course including getting a better handle on the writing and storytelling process. They also discussed the value of being trained how to interview subject matter experts (SMEs), the technical experts in your company that can be the missing link to your content strategy. Overall the two agreed the course was a great chance to learn and hear from other marketers in industrial and technical companies who are trying to balance their workload while also continuing to learn and improve their marketing skills. It was also eye-opening to know that even seasoned, marketers can benefit from the course, getting a lot of best practices and actionable takeaways to use in their role.

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07 Dec 2023Survey Results: How European Engineers Seek Information and Make Technical Buying Decisions00:41:51

In this episode, I'm joined by Udo Bormann, Marketing Conversion Manager at Elektor, to discuss our recent research report "Decoding Engineering Preferences." The research is based on a survey of over 1,200 engineers and technical professionals across Europe and covers a broad range of topics, including search behavior, the use of AI tools, content preferences, and most valued marketing channels.

14 Dec 2023Optimizing for LLMs and Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) with Dale Bertrand00:34:55

The TREW Team is excited to have Dale Bertrand, CEO of Fire & Spark back on the podcast to discuss the changing nature of search marketing and how to optimize for the future of LLMs and Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Dale Bertrand is the CEO and Founder of Fire&Spark, an SEO agency. Dale is also a popular speaker, sharing his expertise at conferences like INBOUND and Content Marketing World. We invited Dale to share what he's learned in 2023 - specifically in regards to the changing nature of search marketing  and how marketers should update their strategies to optimize for Large Language Models (LLMs) and Google's future Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Dale and I discussed how AI has had major implications on how search engines operate and how AI has changed user search behavior. For marketers, we've moved well-beyond "gaming the system" for SEO and instead should broaden SEO strategy to focus on optimizing for each channel (LLMs, SGE, bots, YouTube, etc.) and focusing on being seen as a trusted thought leader in the eyes of Google.

Dale theorized that Google is going to determine which author has the expertise to write about a topic and who Google trusts to provide the answers users are looking for. We discussed this is the perfect time to develop internal Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and leverage them for the signals Google is looking for.

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21 Dec 20232023 Marketing Wrapped - AI, Search, Social, and Strategy for 202400:28:10

We've all heard of Spotify Wrapped, so this year we thought it would be fun to create Industrial Marketing Wrapped! Lee Chapman and I discuss the many changes to marketing in 2023 and what we and our clients are focusing on in 2024.

In 2023, TREW Marketing celebrated its 15th anniversary! While we've seen tons of changes in industrial marketing over the years, 2023 seems to be unique in its changes due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to update many channel strategies. In this episode Lee Chapman, TREW's President and I discuss the biggest changes and lessons learned from 2023 and how we will approach industrial marketing in 2024.

We start off the episode with the year's biggest topic, AI. We, like many marketers out there, spent many hours this year researching and testing different AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Bard, Writer, Jasper, and all the built-in features of our favorite tools like HubSpot and Moz. 

Also with the rise of AI came its ripple effects across search behavior, how users consume data, and in turn how marketers should approach different channel strategies. As AI, LLMs and Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) start to take away opportunities for traffic to our own websites, marketers need to focus on their email strategy (newsflash, the trick is NOT to spam your database) and their social strategy. We've seen an uptick in engagement on LinkedIn as well as really interesting ways marketers are using LinkedIn whether that's the carousel posts, informal "letter" style posts or adding links in comments instead of directly in the posts.

Another channel or medium to focus on in 2024 is YouTube and video in general. Our research shows YouTube is a top channel for engineers and technical buyers of all ages and experience levels. YouTube is a great place to build out your thought leadership, subject matter experts, and brand authority,

In this episode we also touched on Moz's new Brand Authority measurement tool and our 2023 European and global research as well as the upcoming Industrial Marketing Summit. 2024 is shaping up to be a major year of growth for marketers to enhance their skill set and for industrial brands to reach new audiences on new channels.

While planning your new year remember: successful marketers will be focusing on building a strong brand and a differentiated channel strategy and they will remain agile, curious, and creative.

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04 Jan 2024How to Increase Organic Traffic and Improve Domain Authority with a Content Audit00:18:32

January is the perfect time to audit your marketing content - and it's not just a housekeeping task! Jennifer Dawkins and Kara Moon explain how a content audit can increase organic traffic and improve domain authority. 

A content audit is a great exercise to complete in January when you're preparing and organizing your marketing plan for the year. A content audit gets you organized and can help you align and update your messaging. I spoke with two TREW Crew members, Jennifer Dawkins, Vice President of Account Services, and Kara Moon, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist, on the podcast who shared how they execute successful content auditing projects for our clients. First, we talk about the reasons why you should complete a content audit, including updating outdated or irrelevant content, and ensuring all content on your site reflects your current products and services. 

We spoke about how a content audit can uncover the common issue of having too much or not enough content for each stage of the buyer's journey. Maybe you have too much content for the lead nurturing stage, but not enough lead generation content. You may also find that a high-traffic piece of content is not relevant or bring in the wrong type of user.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • What data you need for a content audit
  • How to analyze that data
  • What qualitative analysis you need to complete
  • How to determine what content to keep, combine, or kill
  • how often you should be auditing your content
  • The benefits of a content audit

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


 

11 Jan 2024What Marketing Metrics You Should be Tracking in 202400:54:34

 So much has changed in the marketing landscape over the last 12 months. Erin Moore and Kara Moon share how your 2024 marketing scorecards should be adjusted to reflect those changes.  

There have been so many industry changes in marketing over the last 12 months from how users are searching, what platforms their using, and how the channels themselves are serving up content. As we grapple with all these changes and its effect on organic traffic, it's important make adjustments to your marketing analytics, whether you keep a weekly scorecard, monthly spreadsheet for stakeholders, and so on.

I sat down with TREW Crewers Erin Moore, Account Director, and Kara Moon, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist, to talk about how they've updated their tracking and marketing benchmarks for 2024, why those changes were necessary, and best practices for marketing analytics.

We discuss the continued need for differentiated and targeted channel strategy and what tracking for each channel looks like including YouTube, LinkedIn, events, PR, Google advertising, and industry advertising. We also talk about where to get your marketing data: GA4, HubSpot, or each channel individually.

For many marketers, especially those wearing multiple hats in a small or one-person department, it can be tempting to blow off metrics but it's one of the most important marketing tasks. You need to be able to measure and track what you're spending time and money on, as well as make effective behavior changes using those metrics.




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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.



 

18 Jan 2024Building A Strong Personal Brand with Chris Luecke00:27:34

 Building a strong personal brand can be a game changer for salespeople in technical companies. A strong personal brand establishes you as authoritative and credible and helps you stay top-of-mind with your key audience.

I invited Chris Luecke, Founder and Podcast Host of Manufacturing Happy Hour on the podcast to share how he built his personal brand, how it benefited him as a salesperson, and how to get started.

Chris was generous enough to share how he got started building his personal brand. It all started when he needed to reach a new audience of technical buyers in his role as an account manager selling industrial automation solutions and software. Chris needed a way to reach a new audience, including millennials who were starting to be promoted into decision making roles. He wanted to share his solutions in a simple, casual way like you would if you were out having a beer someone. The venture grew from campy videos he would store on YouTube and include in his personalized sales newsletter to popular LinkedIn videos that grew his reach and personal brand exponentially. 

In this episode we discuss the challenges B2B brands have with utilizing the personal brands of employees within the company including less control of brand standards and messaging, and use of standard marketing materials. Ultimately their is a strategy that includes merging company and personal brands together so everyone wins.

We also discuss the fear and workarounds of getting in front of a camera and growing your audience if you're just starting out. 

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.

25 Jan 2024Beyond PR: How to Leverage Technical Publication Communities with Patrick Hopper00:34:06

 Patrick Hopper joins me to talk about the many ways marketers can partner with industry publications to grow awareness, reach new audiences and build leads.

Patrick Hopper is the Publisher and President of OpenSystems Media which publishes well-known industry publications such as Embedded Computing Design and Military Embedded Systems.  As the president, Patrick straddles both sides of the operation, working on the content side and client/advertising side. I've worked with Patrick for over a decade in various capacities and I invited him to join me on the podcast to share all the different ways marketers can utilize technical industry publications they might not know about including some free avenues.

Patrick and I spoke about trade show strategies with their upcoming trade shows Embedded World 2024 in Europe and Embedded World North America - coming to Austin, Texas this October. Specifically how to stand out in a sea of thousands of vendors. We also dove into the FREE ways small businesses can utilize the reach of OpenSystems Media properties. Most notably, marketers can submit content for free, whether it's just one article or several in a series, this content is then distributed across daily and weekly newsletter and LinkedIn. Marketers can get connected to their content team through their submissions page. Patrick encourages everyone to use this free resource.

Listen to the full episode on how to utilize technical publishing using:

  • Webinars
  • Tradeshows
  • Newsletters
  • Blog Articles/Series
  • Podcasts
  • LinkedIn

For a true, integrated marketing campaign, marketers know they need to use many different channels to get their message across, working with an established, trusted media brand is an effective strategy.

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TREW Marketing is a strategy-first content marketing agency serving industrial companies that target highly technical buyers. With deep experience in electronics, test and automation, software, and engineering services, TREW Marketing helps clients build trust and generate demand.


09 Feb 2024A Quick Recap of the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit00:34:02

 After a whirlwind few days in Austin, Texas at the Industrial Marketing Summit, Kasey Tyring and Wendy Covey share their highlights of the event.

Wow! If you didn't attend the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit, you missed out on one of the most special, engaging, and valuable industrial marketing events of the year - and it's not just us saying that! A quick look at the #IMSummit tag on LinkedIn shows just how impactful this conference was to industrial marketers. 

In this episode of Content Marketing, Engineered, I talk with Kasey Tyring, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist at TREW Marketing. Kasey played a large role in organizing the conference but also got to attend many of the sessions and mingle with attendees. We discuss what went down at the conference, from the keynote, to the back-to-back sessions, and the stacked line-up of panels. We cover our key takeaways from AI sessions, branding and messaging sessions, and more. 

Of course, one of the biggest highlights of the Industrial Marketing Summit was the genuine networking and connection building everyone experienced - all wrapped together by a really REALLY fun time we won't soon forget. 

Catch the recap of the 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit!

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15 Feb 2024Working Together to Solve Manufacturing's Talent and Image Issues with Meaghan Ziemba00:46:36

Meaghan Ziemba shares how manufacturers can attract young talent and how to use marketing to manage their brand to sustain success for years to come.

Mavens of Manufacturing were a Media Sponsor for this year's Industrial Marketing Summit. Behind the brand is the very talented and champion for Manufacturing - Meaghan Ziemba. Meaghan is the owner of Z-Ink Solutions, a technical copywriting and editing service. On this episode, Meaghan and I discuss the skill development and hiring issues the manufacturing industry is facing, what benefit marketing has to correct some branding issues in the industry, and the important role of the technical writer.

We also discuss the upcoming Manufacturing Ally Rally, taking place June 20th in Cleveland, Ohio. This full day event will host panels from experts across disciplines in manufacturing to help unite manufacturers as allies to their communities.

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22 Feb 2024The Importance of Online Reputation Management for Industrial Companies00:37:10

 Matthew Olson of Signalfire shares how to boost organic search through Google Business Profiles and how to make visual branding and brand identity a priority.

Matthew Olson is the President of Signalfire, a creative marketing agency based in Wisconsin. Signalfire was a brand sponsor of 2024 Industrial Marketing Summit and after meeting him and his team at the event we knew we had to have him on the podcast. Signalfire started in 2006 and has a unique mix of clients. Today Matthew and his team are focused on helping clients in the industrial manufacturing and tourism industries. While these two industries may not appear to have a lot in common, Matthew shared the key strategies that are successful in both and what industrial marketers can learn from B2C marketing strategies.

This episode of Content Marketing, Engineered covers the importance for industrial companies to optimize their Google Business Profiles, including adding geographic locations and soliciting authentic customer reviews. Matthew goes into detail about the hidden SEO benefits of Google Reviews.

Matthew and I talk about the future of SEO and Google Search as well as alternative avenues to bring in audiences like Google Ads and even TV ad placement. Another great conversation topic is the importance of visual branding and creative design - something stakeholders don't often see ROI in. Matthew shares his perspective on this and teaches us how to get buy-in from executives by sharing the benefits of great creative.

 

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29 Feb 2024Understanding the Technical Buyer: 2024 State of Marketing to Engineers Report00:52:42

 Targeting engineers and technical buyers? We walk through the ways your ideal audience is researching solutions, making purchasing decisions, and spending time online.

The State of Marketing to Engineers Research Report is in its 7th year! GlobalSpec and TREW Marketing have teamed up all these years to understand the behavior and strategy of the technical buyer and engineer. What are their research habits? What are their channel preferences? How are they spending their time online outside of work? On this week's episode, I'm joined with CJ Haight, Content Marketing Manager at Global Spec to go over some of the findings from our annual report. 

We discuss some of the most popular topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and how technical buyers are using and feeling about AI tools. We also discuss topics that industrial marketers what to know about their ideal buyers:

  • What social platform do technical buyers value most for work?
  • How many trade shows will technical buyers attend this year?
  • How many newsletters are they willing to subscribe to?
  • Which types of content do they value most?
  • Which types of content are they willing to fill out a form for?
  • How much time do engineers spend researching a solution before reaching out to a sales person?
  • Where do engineers routinely seek out information for a work related purchase?

In this episode we go deep into the topics above and break down preferences and behavior by age and geography. Does an engineer in Europe use LinkedIn as much as an engineer in North America? What social platform do Engineers aged 66+ use the most for work? What about for engineers younger than 30?

Watch or list to this episode fore a great breakdown of the report or download the full research report here.

 

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07 Mar 2024Why Successful Technical Companies Rely on Content Marketing00:49:44

 Craig Coffey is a seasoned marketing professional and champion of content marketing to improve his B2B technical company's market share and bottom line. Learn how Craig has utilized content marketing successfully throughout his career. 

If you look at Craig Coffey's LinkedIn profile, you'll find an impressive career in B2B marketing and you may even notice that many of his roles lean heavily on content marketing. Craig is no stranger to the power and success a content marketing strategy can bring to an organization. I brought Craig on the podcast to talk about his career and his content marketing strategies over the years - everything from research to product launches, to creating a physical magazine to place in distribution centers. During the episode we talk about ways to convince leadership that content marketing is a winning strategy to break into markets, gain market share, and build trust and leave a lasting impression with your audience.

We talk about Craig's current role, and how he's using content marketing to foster trust and brand awareness while breaking into a market where you're not well known. As a true content marketing expert, I couldn't wait to get his opinion about the following topics:

  • Content repurposing
  • Brand and messaging development
  • Buyer personas
  • Collateral vs. content
  • Service matter experts
  • Spokespeople and thought leadership



This episode is a content marketing masterclass. Listen now to learn from a true champion of content marketing.

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14 Mar 2024Updating your 2024 & 2025 SEO Strategy with Kyle Roof00:36:43

 Struggling with organic traffic or how to update your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy for 2024 and beyond? Give this episode a listen. Kyle Roof returns to share how marketers should approach SEO updates like EEAT, SGE, LLMs and more.

Kyle Roof is the co-founder of Internet Marketing Gold and PageOptimizer Pro and he's the Lead SEO of High Voltage SEO. Kyle is also one of our most popular guests on Content Marketing, Engineered. The last time he was on the podcast was two years ago and wow, have things changed in the SEO landscape since then.

I was thrilled to have him back on to discuss all the recent updates and themes of the SEO industry, from Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), E-E-A-T guidelines, Multimodal Search, optimizing for Large Language Models (LLMs), and Parasite SEO strategy on forum sites like Reddit, Quora, and Medium.

We talk about the impact of the Helpful Content Update, if pillar pages are still relevant, author authority and how important it is to signal to Google that a real person wrote your content.

We finish the episode with one truth: Successful SEO is still in large part about understanding the foundations of SEO: Semantics HTML (Htags), inbound links, entities, winning longtail keywords, etc.

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21 Mar 2024The Power of Developing a Personal Brand in an Industrial Sales Role00:41:46

In this episode, I welcome back Morgan Norris, Senior Brand Strategist at TREW Marketing. We delve into the world of personal branding and specifically, how people in sales and marketing roles can utilize this strategy to become a go-to and trusted resource. Personal brand is as an individual's identity and reputation both online and in person. We talk about how personal branding fosters trust and loyalty among customers.We also discuss how to define and enhance a personal brand by identifying your strengths. The conversation also covers how personal branding should align with your company's corporate brand.

Takeaways:

  • Personal branding is essential for salespeople to establish themselves as trusted resources
  • Identify your strengths and what sets you apart from others to define your personal brand
  • Align your personal brand with your company's brand, but also maintain your own unique tone
  • Imagery and visual cues can enhance your personal brand
  • Use AI tools to brainstorm ideas, but ensure that your personal brand remains authentic
  • Start with small steps like posting on LinkedIn, commenting on posts, and creating videos
28 Mar 2024How EETech is Helping Technical Brands Build Community and Add Self-Service UX00:37:28

The folks at EETech know a thing or two about the research and buying habits of engineers and designers after spending decades building communities better known as the 'Reddit for Engineers."  We talked about what they've learned and how technical companies of all sizes can take advantage of their tools.

EETech is a huge online communications company dedicated to serving up the most important content for today's engineers. Today, I'm lucky to have David Blaza, Global Sales Director and Terra Gledhill, Director of Research & Marketing, on the podcast to talk about their wealth of experience working with highly technical brands to make the most impact when reaching engineers and technical buyers.

We discuss all the different online communities EETech has built to be the "Reddit for engineers" including All About Circuits, Control Automation, and EE Power, among many others. We also go deep on the findings of EETech's Annual Engineering Insights Report and why self-service on your website is one of the most important features you need to close the deal with engineers.

04 Apr 2024A Step-By-Step Guide to Starting a B2B Podcast with Jordan Yates00:42:36

Jordan Yates is well known in the Industrial Marketing B2B space as a Marketing Engineer and podcaster. She's the host of her own podcast Failing For You, and has helped many industrial businesses create their own podcasts.

In this episode, we discuss the benefits and considerations of starting a B2B podcast. We explore the growing popularity of podcasts and the opportunities they present for B2B companies. We also discuss the different formats of podcasts, such as interviews and solo episodes, and the misconceptions people have about podcasting. The conversation covers the importance of planning and strategy before starting a podcast, as well as the tactical steps involved, such as naming the podcast, designing the creative for the podcast, establishing an RSS feed, and choosing an online recording software. We also cover the different ways to measure the success of a podcast.

Jordan and I share our recommendations for equipment, including laptops, cameras, microphones, and lighting.


Takeaways

  • Before getting started, understand the time and commitment it takes to produce a podcast and divert resource accordingly
  • Create a hook in the podcast introduction to engage listeners from the start.
  • Consider using music and voiceover to make the podcast introduction more professional and captivating.
  • When creating podcast cover art, choose a design that aligns with your brand
  • Maintain brand consistency by using the same cover art and overlays for your podcast episodes.
  • Invest in essential podcasting equipment, such as a laptop, camera, and microphone, and lighting
  • Measure podcast success through metrics like listens, downloads, and engagement, and consider using lead capture mechanisms to gather more information about your audience.
12 Apr 2024Strategies Technical Marketers Can Borrow from the B2C Playbook00:36:04

The marketing team at Heatcraft Refrigeration Products are not afraid of stepping outside the box when it comes to reaching their target audience. Pete Grasso, Content Marketing Leader, and Tim Fletcher, Digital Marketing Leader join me on the podcast to talk about how they use B2C strategies to build a loyal following and get the information their contractors need.

We discuss how they've successfully partnered with a trusted influencer in their space to maximize reach, create dozens of new content pieces and gain feedback from their community. This video alone has more than 30,000 views. They've also created a dedicated mobile app to help their contractors get the answers the need quickly, the app is also used as a sales-enablement tool and is used by their wholesalers and distributers. creating a mobile app, experimenting with AI, and using video marketing for sales enablement. We discuss their use of AI and video. They emphasize the importance of measurement and ROI and the power of executive buy-in.

Not only is the marketing department seen as innovators, they are also a valued department in the organization, assisting HR with recruitment and culture assets (check out this creative Family Matters video), creating sales enablement tools and getting key buy-in from executives. 

Key Takeaways

  • Consider applying B2C strategies to the B2B space
  • Collaborate with influencers to reach niche audiences and build trust
  • A mobile app can be a useful content delivery system and sales enablement tool
  • Use video marketing to engage customers and showcase company culture
  • Prioritize marketing initiatives based on core company pillars
  • Think outside the box and dare to try new and creative approaches
  • Measure marketing efforts and demonstrate ROI to stakeholders

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18 Apr 2024What We've Learned from the Pilot of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)00:28:44

How will Google's Search Generative Experience change the way brands appear in Google's search results? One member of the TREW Crew has been in the SGE beta for more than a year. Let's see what she's found out

In this episode, I catch up with Jennifer Dawkins, Vice President of Account Services at TREW Marketing, Jen has been part of the Beta program for Google's new Search Generative Exoereince (SGE) for more than a year and in that year, there have plenty of updates. I ask her about her experience with the SGE program program.

For some background, Google's SGE is an AI-generated search summary that appears on the Google homepage, providing quick, AI-generated answers to users' queries. Jennifer shared that SGE has been valuable for finding clear factual answers and quick information, but has been less than accurate when asking, technical or complex questions. Often pulling from sources that are not traditionally high-ranking in Google search results.

We also talk about how brands can optimize their content strategy for Google SGE and other AI-assisted search tools. The bottom line? Quality content and a multi-channel digital presence are the most effective strategies. The rollout of SGE to the general public is still uncertain, and we believe that traditional Google search and quality SEO standards  will continue to coexist with AI-assisted search platforms like SGE.

Key Takeaways

  • SGE provides quick answers and summaries for factual queries, but may provide inaccurate or misleading information for more complex and technical searches.
  • A multi-channel digital presence is crucial for optimizing for AI-assisted search, as AI algorithms consider the frequency of brand mentions across various platforms.
  • Quality content remains essential, and creating valuable, trustworthy content is key to gaining exposure and building trust with readers.
  • Traditional Google search will likely coexist with AI-assisted search platforms like SGE, as they serve different purposes and cater to different user needs.

Resources

25 Apr 2024How to Add Value-Driven Videos to Your Content Marketing Mix00:34:37

According to our research, 97% of engineers and technical buyers watch work related videos during the work week. I talk with a video expert to learn the best types of videos to add to your content marketing mix.

Jeff Long is the owner of True Focus Media, a video and web development agency for industrial manufacturers. Jeff has more than 20 years experience in creating video content for industrial companies. Over the years, Jeff has seen the role of video evolve in marketing and today, it's more important than ever to include video in your content marketing strategy.

We discuss the types of videos to create besides the traditional corporate promotional overview video. Videos such as thought leadership pieces, answering frequently asked questions and creating demos of your products is a great way to share valuable content with your audience. Jeff shares his tips for preparing a spokesperson for video and emphasizes the value of authenticity in video content. We share advice on creating a content roadmap and effectively distributing video content as well as tools that can make producing video content easier.

Key Takeaways

  • Consider adding video to your content marketing strategy
  • Use video to showcase expertise and provide value 
  • Prepare spokespersons for video by encouraging them to teach rather than sell
  • Create a content roadmap to plan topics and speakers for your video content
  • Authenticity and human connection are important for building trust through video

Resources

 

02 May 2024A Masterclass in Rebranding and Authenticity with Gray Solutions00:28:11

Melissa Geertz is the Director of Marketing at Gray Solutions and over her year and a half tenure at the company has overseen a complete rebrand of the system integrator. I had her on the podcast to discuss the scale of the rebranding project, including how to get executive and cross-company buy-in, what steps to take during the rebrand, and how to measure qualitative and quantitative ROI of a rebrand. 

We talk about the importance of authenticity to stand out in a crowded market and Melissa shares insights on how Gray Solutions used the culture of the company to guide the branding process. 

Key Takeaways

  • Establishing a unique brand identity is key to stand out in a crowded market.
  • A rebranding project can have a significant impact on growth if done authentically and with a unique point of view.
  • A unique rebrand can add to company culture and recruitment initiatives.
  • Measuring the ROI of a rebrand should focus on growth metrics, such as inbound traffic, conversions, and brand recognition.
  • Look at competitors to understand the space they are owning, but find your own unique brand identity and stay away from copying others.
  • Gain inspiration from outside industries to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to your rebranding project.
09 May 2024Navigating Modern Manufacturing: AI, Recruitment, and Marketing00:28:15

Kristin Graybill is the Vice President of Commercial Strategy at the Manufacturers Alliance and in her role, she speaks to hundreds of manufacturers all across the country. In this episode, we talk about the work of the Manufacturers Alliance whose mission is to drive economic growth and foster collaboration within the manufacturing sector. They do this by hosting peer programs, conducting research initiatives, and providing resources to leaders across departments in mid to large manufacturing companies.

I ask her what trends trends she's seeing in manufacturing marketing, and we focused on the increasing risk and use of AI to streamline operations and enhance marketing efforts. We also talked about how "old school" manufacturers are being forced to modernize their marketing to compete in a tight talent market. Kristin echoed the need for marketers in the manufacturing sector to embrace innovation and leverage marketing strategies that appeal to the human element of their audience.

Near the end of the conversation we talk about diversity and inclusion in manufacturing leadership. Kristin shares findings from recent research conducted by the Manufacturers Alliance on women's leadership in manufacturing. She highlights the challenges women face in middle management and disparities in perceptions of gender equality within the industry. 

Key Takeaways

  • The Manufacturers Alliance helps leaders in manufacturing through peer groups and industry research.
  • AI is being used across manufacturing operations, marketing, and recruitment but comes with notable risks.
  • Modern and creative marketing is necessary to recruit talent.
  • Focusing on the advancement of women in manufacturing can help address the growing talent shortage.
16 May 2024Trade Show Marketing Strategies from Automate 202400:22:13

It's a question marketers all over the world face - "Are trade shows worth it?" We get this question time and again and are often asked which industry trade shows are best to attend and exhibit at. After all,  89% of technical buyers said they plan to attend at least one in-person industry event this year. Last week, TREW Crewers Lee Chapman, Kara Moon, and Kasey Tyring attended the Automate trade show in Chicago to uncover the value of trade shows and what marketing and sales strategy can make your company stand out in a sea of other exhibitors on the show floor. 

We discuss their impressions of the show, the booths and attractions that stood out to them, and the cool tech they saw. 

Key Takeaways

  • Attending trade shows can be a valuable opportunity to connect with prospects and stay competitive in the industry.
  • Interactive booths and attractions can make it easier for attendees to engage with exhibitors.
  • Timely follow-ups, such as same-day emails, can help maintain the momentum and interest generated at the trade show.
  • Collaborating with other companies in the industry can enhance credibility and create a more impactful presence.
  • Creative marketing strategies, such as limited swag giveaways and exclusive events, can help attract attendees and generate leads.
  • Trade show planning should involve a balance between eye-catching demos and targeted marketing efforts to attract quality leads.
  • Having a well-defined strategy and follow-up plan is crucial for maximizing the results and ROI of attending a trade show.

Show Notes

30 May 2024Email Marketing Myths Debunked: What Really Works in 202400:39:27

Ever wondered how to truly optimize your email campaigns?  Join us as we chat with Jeanne Jennings, founder of the Email Optimization Shop, about innovative strategies, myth-busting, and the latest best practices for email marketing. Discover how business metrics are your ultimate KPI, why straightforward subject lines work best, and the pitfalls of third-party email lists. Jeanne also explores the power of valuable content in newsletters over promotional material and discusses the evolving role of AI in enhancing email marketing effectiveness.

Key Takeaways

  • Measure Success with Business Metrics: Rely on business metrics as your key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the success of your email marketing campaigns.
  • Benchmark Internally: Focus on your own past performance instead of industry standards to assess the effectiveness of your email marketing.
  • Steer Clear of Third-Party Lists: Protect your sender reputation by avoiding the purchase of third-party email lists.
  • Prioritize Valuable Content: Engage your subscribers by focusing on delivering valuable content in your email newsletters.
  • Collaborate with AI Tools: Work iteratively with AI tools to fully leverage their capabilities and enhance your email marketing efforts.

Resources

06 Jun 2024Pre-Show Partnerships and Post-Show Content: Trade Show Tips with Jake Hall00:35:52

I was lucky enough to schedule this podcast recording on the very rare weeks when Jake Hall was not on the road. This conversation focuses on Jake's years of experience at manufacturing and engineering trade shows. He shares valuable strategies for companies who want to maximize their event spend, Including the most important strategies to take while planning, attending and following up with attendees post-show. We talk about the opportunity to capture video content with partners, clients, and your internal subject matter experts and how networking events can be just as important as the trade show itself. 

Key Takeaways

  • Promote trade show attendance before the event to generate interest and schedule meetings with potential customers and partners.
  • Create engaging and interactive booth experiences to attract and engage attendees.
  • Form partnerships and collaborations with other companies in the industry to showcase integrated solutions and expand reach.
  • Capture video content at trade shows to create post-show content and leverage for marketing purposes.
  • Recast manufacturing as a cool STEM industry to attract younger generations and change the perception of the industry.

Resources

13 Jun 2024Navigating Data and Content in the Era of Generative AI with Christopher Penn00:36:23

Christopher Penn is a co-founder and Chief Data Scientist at Trust Insights. Chris' newsletter is something the TREW Crew passes around our slack channel on a regular basis. His insights into the latest news about data analytics, automation, and generative AI, have been immensely valuable to or team, and we are thrilled he accepted our invitation to be a guest on Content Marketing, Engineered podcast.

In this episode, Morgan Norris, Senior Brand Strategist at TREW Marketing, asks Chris all of our burning questions about generative AI. They discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise when using generative AI or in-platform AI tools, and he provide a unique perspective about how AI should really be used as a research tool - something technical marketers can use to increase their knowledge of highly complex industries. They discuss AI disclosures to stay compliant with recent EU regulations, copyright issues, and a framework to help you decide which tasks are truly worthy of AI. 

They also have a conversation about the rise of AI generated, no-click search and how marketers should update the way they approach content marketing.

Resources

20 Jun 2024How Honest and Strategic Messaging Led to Rapid Growth for Engineering Firm Hallam-ICS00:30:34

Engineering firm Hallam-ICS has sustained growth over the last decade, crediting honest company culture, inbound marketing in niche service areas, and evolving brand messaging as the reason for their success. We talk to the president and CEO, Keith Flaherty on the latest episode of Content Marketing, Engineered.

TREW Marketing has worked with engineering firm Hallam-ICS for more than 7 years and over that time many of the marketing strategies and brand messaging have evolved to reflect the company's growth. We invited president and CEO Keith Flaherty to discuss the company's history, culture, and growth over the years. 

One thing that's truly special about Hallam-ICS is the company culture, it plays a huge role in recruiting and retaining employees and the messaging reflects this differentiator. 

Hallam-ICS is also seen rapid growth in niche expertise areas, such as toxic gas monitoring and arc flash, and Keith credits executive buy-in of inbound marketing as the reason they've grown and generated millions of dollars in leads in those areas.

We also discuss how messaging changes with growth, and how to blend "small and friendly" messaging with "large and expert" messaging and how to stay consistent as more regional locations are added to the company.

Takeaways

  • Company culture is a key differentiator in attracting and retaining employees.
  •  Achieve rapid growth in niche expertise areas by leveraging inbound marketing to generate leads.
  • Messaging should be evolved over time to blend an original small, friendly culture with the current larger, more capable image.
  • Opening new offices requires careful selection of leaders who understand the company's culture and can effectively communicate its messaging.

Resources

27 Jun 2024Modern Public Relations: Micro Influencers, Niche Publications, and Generative AI00:39:01

Sam Heimbach is a professor of Public Relations and she talks to us about how modern PR really works. Gone are the days of solely pitching traditional journalists for coverage.

In this episode, Morgan Norris, Senior Brand Strategist, interviews Sam Heimbach, a public relations professor at Texas State University. They discuss the evolution of PR, the impact of social media, and the role of employee voices in PR. 

They also touch on the use of generative AI and the changing landscape of journalism and PR. The conversation covers social listening tools, influencer research, and the impact of generative AI on the PR landscape as well as the importance of trust and authenticity in content creation. 

Takeaways

  • The evolution of PR has expanded beyond media relations to include social media and owned channels.
  • Employee voices play a significant role in company brand and reputation, but it requires a balance of control and freedom.
  • Generative AI is impacting the content landscape, emphasizing the importance of high-quality and trustworthy content.
  • The rise of social media has changed the way journalists source information and has created new opportunities for PR professionals.
  • The changing landscape of journalism and PR requires active digital and social media listening.
  • Influencer research involves evaluating the reach, alignment with brand values, and content quality.
  • Trust and authenticity are crucial in content creation, and AI should be used additively rather than as a replacement for human input.

Resources

11 Jul 2024The Secrets to Growth for System Integrators with Jack Barber00:26:03

Has your growth stalled as a system integrator? Then this episode is for you! I talk with a senior consultant who works with system integrators to avoid common sales and marketing pitfalls that hinder growth.

This week, I'm joined by Jack Barber, Senior Business Consultant for Exotek, a boutique consultancy firm focused on system integration companies in industrial automation. Jack has more than 25 years of experience in the system integrator (SI) space, and was kind enough to share his wisdom about what he sees are the most common mistakes SIs make and how he educated them to be disciplined in order to grow leads and expand within their current clients.

 We talk about the importance of focusing on specific niches and differentiating yourself in the market. SIs oftentimes fall in the trap of saying they "do it all" which can leave potential buyers confused about their strengths. We also touch on the discipline it takes to be successful during account management, and the importance of expanding accounts instead of just completing a project and moving on to the next client.

Takeaways

  • Focus on specific niches and differentiate yourself in the market to attract clients.
  • Balance business development with project delivery and have discipline in account development.
  • Capture and transfer tribal knowledge from senior employees to younger ones.
  • Create visual content to showcase capabilities and engage clients.

Resources

18 Jul 2024How B2B PR Should Fit into Your Integrated Marketing Strategy00:24:13

Industrial manufacturing and engineering companies may go decades without considering a Public Relations strategy. Our guest this week shares why PR shouldn't be overlooked in your overall marketing strategy.

Michelle Garrett is the author of B2B PR That Gets Results, a new public relations book that helps companies understand the importance of PR while providing tactical PR tips. On this episode, Michelle and I discuss how PR can help companies tell their stories and gain credibility. We talk about the misconceptions about PR, the difference between paid, earned, shared, and owned media, and the the integration of PR with content marketing and social media. We also talk about how to measure your PR efforts.

Takeaways

  • PR is an essential component of B2B marketing and can help companies gain credibility and tell their stories.
  • Misconceptions about PR include confusing it with advertising.
  • PR should be integrated with content marketing and social media to maximize its impact.
  • Measurement of PR efforts can include placements, impressions, and traffic generated.
  • Consider adding PR to your marketing program to improve brand reputation and share company achievements.

  • Quality writing is crucial in PR to stand out and engage audiences.

Resources

25 Jul 2024SEO Series: What the Heck is Going on at Google?!00:33:48

Have you recently found yourself saying, What the heck, Google?! Google search results have been experiencing significant changes, with an increase in discussion sites like Reddit and Quora appearing in search results. This is due to Google's emphasis on first-person experience (EEAT) and combating misinformation. However, the results often include outdated information and unreliable advice.

Additionally, Google's AI overviews, formerly known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), have been quietly rolled out, providing automatic answers to queries but sometimes pulling in inaccurate information from sources like forums. The leaked Google algorithms reveal that clicks, click-through rates, and length of page visits are ranking signals, while on-page SEO and technical backend optimization are less important than we previously thought. To adjust to these changes, marketers should diversify their strategies and focus on reaching their audience where they are through channels like YouTube, events, thought leadership, referrals, digital advertising, and public relations. Content strategies should prioritize deep technical content, real-world projects, and data, rather than introductory topics. It's important to stay flexible and adjust plans as Google's search landscape continues to evolve.

Takeaways

  • Google search results now prioritize content from discussion sites to provide a first-person perspective.
  • However, this shift has resulted in outdated and unreliable information appearing in search results due to a lack of oversight.
  • Google's AI overviews, previously known as SGE, provide automatic answers to queries but may pull in inaccurate information and are not always pulling from the most authoritative sources.
  • Clicks, click-through rates, and length of page visits are ranking signals, while on-page SEO and technical backend optimization are less important.
  • Marketers should diversify their strategies and focus on reaching their audience through channels like YouTube, events, thought leadership, referrals, digital advertising, and public relations.
  • Content strategies should prioritize deep technical content, real-world projects, and data, rather than introductory topics.

Resources

01 Aug 2024SEO Series: Is Inbound Marketing Still Working?00:36:45

Worried about Google's generative AI changes? Don't panic! Learn actionable strategies to pivot to mid-funnel content and use AI tools to navigate this new SEO environment successfully.

As we continue our SEO series, Wendy and Dale Bertrand delve into the evolving landscape of Google’s search results due to changing algorithms and the integration of generative AI. Dale emphasizes the need to plan proactively for upcoming uncertainties. He advises marketers to pivot their focus towards middle-of-the-funnel content, targeting customers who have identified their problems and are actively seeking solutions. Their conversation underscore the importance of adapting marketing strategies to provide unique, valuable information that truly resonates with the target audience instead of chasing trends. Additionally, Wendy and Dale delve into the use of AI tools in marketing and stresses the importance of measuring success through conversions and sales rather than merely focusing on traffic and rankings.

Takeaways

  • Don’t panic about Google’s generative AI changes, but prepare for the uncertainties.
  • Shift your strategy to create content for customers who are problem-aware and solution-seeking.
  • Produce unique and valuable content that is easily consumable by your target audience.
  • Use AI to streamline your processes and develop interactive widgets or apps.
  • Focus on conversions and sales to gauge the true effectiveness of your marketing efforts, not just traffic and rankings.

Resources

08 Aug 2024How We're Using AI Tools for Content Marketing00:38:24

Writers from the TREW team share how they're using AI chat technology in the writing process. They also give tips on when to use tools like ChatGPT Teams and how to construct prompts and chat threads to get a better result.

Jamie Tokarz, Senior Content Strategist, and Julia Holliday, Senior Inbound Marketing Specialist, both use AI chat tools to take their projects up a notch. We discuss how they're using AI tools for research, ideation, content mapping, and editing as well as how these tools have changed since they were first introduced. Has their output improved in quality, or are they still seeing issues with AI "hallucinations"? We also revisit the strategy for prompting and returning to previous chat threads.

We touch on a few different AI tools including ChatGPT Teams, Claude, Perplexity AI, and Gemini.

The two TREW Crewers emphasized that AI is a tool that enhances the writing process but doesn't replace human creativity. Tips for integrating AI into marketing processes include starting small, treating AI as an assistant, and iterating on prompts. 

Takeaways

  • AI tools can be used for various stages of the content creation process, including research, ideation, content mapping, and editing.
  • The launch of ChatGPT Teams has provided a tool that allows for conversation-based AI assistance while ensuring data confidentiality.
  • Google search results are increasingly prioritizing discussion-based sites like Reddit and Quora, which may not always provide authoritative information for technical topics.
  • Organizing prompts by subject and providing detailed background information can improve the effectiveness of AI-generated responses.
  • Start small when integrating AI into marketing processes and iterate on prompts.

Resources

22 Aug 2024What to Expect at the Marketing AI Conference (MAICON) 202400:23:00

Fellow marketers, have you started your AI journey yet? No matter what stage of the journey you're on, The Marketing AI Institute is a resource you can use to accelerate your use of AI. 

We are lucky to have Cathy McPhillips, Chief Growth Officer for the Marketing AI Institute,  join us on the podcast to discuss her seasoned marketing career and all Marketing AI Institute including their upcoming Marketing AI Conference (MAICON).

Cathy shared the institute's mission to to make AI approachable, accessible, and actionable for marketers, focusing on AI literacy for all.  They institute provides many free resources to get started including blogs, white papers, podcasts, research, online courses, and events. The podcast is one great way to learn a little more each week about the latest in AI for marketing and beyond.

We spent a lot of time talking about MAICON and as a past attendee, I can say the event is something every marketer should add to their calendar. From networking, to valuable sessions, to learning from fellow marketers, MAICON is a can't-miss event. 

Takeaways

  • The Marketing AI Institute aims to make AI approachable, accessible, and actionable for marketers, focusing on AI literacy for all.
  • They provide various resources, including blogs, white papers, podcasts, research, online courses, and events.
  • The flagship event, MAICON, focuses on accelerating AI adoption and strategy.
  • Training and education are crucial for marketers to stay up-to-date with the rapidly changing AI landscape.
  • AI has significant relevance and potential in the manufacturing industry, with various use cases and success stories.

Resources

05 Sep 2024Overcoming Recruitment Challenges with Strategic Marketing and Community Engagement00:26:40

If you're like most industrial companies, attracting and retaining talent is one of your biggest challenges. In this episode we discuss how marketing can play a critical role in recruitment initiatives and community engagement.

Batesville Products Inc., an aluminum casting manufacturer, was facing a problem that plagues many modern manufacturers - they couldn't find or retain talent to fill their vacant production roles. Even when they did fill these positions, there was a high turnover. Mary Jutzi, Digital Marketing Associate at Batesville Products,  teamed up with Batesville's human resources team to address this issue. In this week's episode, Mary shares the steps Batesville took to understand the root of their talent problem and the initiatives they launched to address those findings.

This episode is full of out-of-the-box initiatives that were very successful for Batesville Products Inc. From rewriting job descriptions, engaging in community events and local schools, and developing a children's book. 

Mary explains how they leveraged their company culture and unique selling points to attract the right candidates. Mary offers advice for marketers tasked with meeting recruiting goals and shares insights on reaching younger professionals.

Takeaways

  • Marketing can play a crucial role in supporting local communities and meeting recruiting goals.
  • Increasing brand awareness in the community is essential for attracting the right candidates.
  • Highlighting company culture and unique selling points can help differentiate from competitors.
  • Engaging with the community through initiatives like children's books can have a significant impact.
  • To reach younger professionals, it's important to show that the company is modern and offer workplace flexibility.
  • Connecting with other Department of one marketers can provide support and valuable insights.

Resources

12 Sep 2024Building a Career Marketing for B2B Tech Startups00:45:52

Curious about the fast-paced world of B2B tech startups? In this episode, fractional CMO Mary Anne Gunn shares her experiences navigating the challenges and opportunities of startup marketing. From building strong customer relationships to balancing sales and marketing, Mary Anne provides actionable insights to help marketers thrive in an ever-evolving environment.

Drawing from her 25+ years of experience, Mary Anne highlights the importance of adaptability in startup environments, understanding what your customers care about, and aligning marketing with high-level business goals. She discusses how to handle the pressure to deliver leads quickly while still laying a strong strategic marketing foundation. Mary Anne also provides practical tips on navigating the volatile nature of startups, balancing sales and marketing alignment, and staying up-to-date in a fast-changing marketing landscape.

Takeaways

  • Embrace Flexibility for Career Growth: In the startup world, adaptability is a must. If you're willing to pivot quickly and tackle challenges head-on, you’ll develop a wide skill set that accelerates your marketing career.
  • Build Customer-Driven Strategies: Understanding customer pain points and shaping marketing strategies around their needs is essential. The deeper your insights, the more impactful your role becomes.
  • Focus on Metrics That Matter: Go beyond vanity metrics. As your career progresses, focus on efficiency and revenue-driven metrics that align with broader business objectives to position yourself as a strategic contributor.
  • Collaborate and Network: Partner with sales, product, and other departments to create more impactful marketing programs. Relationship-building skills are crucial to your success.
  • Stay Ahead of Marketing Trends: Keeping up with advancements in tools like AI can enhance your skills and make you more valuable, but never lose sight of the fundamentals—clear communication and a strong understanding of your market.

Resources

19 Sep 2024AI Strategies and Tools for Industrial Marketers00:39:24

In this episode, VP of Account Service, Jennifer Dawkins, talks about her experiences at MAICON, the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference. Jennifer shares the high-level timeline of how AI is expect to evolve over the next decade and how marketers can keep up. They discuss the rapid advancements in AI, the importance of AI literacy for organizations, and the evolving landscape of content marketing in the age of AI, including the broader copyright implications. 

As AI chat continues to answer user questions accurately, we discussed the importance of moving away from "what is" content, and work towards creating compelling content that stands out - with unique points of view and personal anecdotes. I also ask her about the new AI tools she's excited to learn about and try, including video editing tools and integration tools. 

The main takeaway from the conference? AI is here. If you don't learn it, you'll lose business to your competitors and it will ultimately hinder your career as a marketer. But it doesn't have to be impossible to learn or implement, start small and don't let initial AI mistakes dissuade you from taking advantage of the tools. 

Takeaways

  • AI literacy is essential for organizations to stay competitive.
  • Generic content will not perform well in the AI-driven landscape and compelling content must have a unique point of view.
  • Copyright laws regarding AI-generated content are still evolving.
  • Organizations must develop a clear AI strategy and guidelines.
  • The future of AI includes multimodal capabilities and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
  • Starting with small, low-stakes AI projects can ease the transition.

Resources

AI Tools Mentioned

26 Sep 2024The Eight Pillars of ROI-Driven Marketing for Manufacturers00:31:46

Chris Peer, the author of The Great 8 Pillars: ROI-Driven Marketing for Manufacturing Companies joins us on the podcast this week to walk through all eight pillars and share what he thinks the most important are for industrial marketers. We talk about how to structure marketing operations for success and how to get in front of leadership with the right data that is meaningful to grow your influence within the organization and demonstrate the impact marketing can have.

We also talk about the need for frameworks and processes so that you can have a repeatable model when you launch campaigns. We talk about value proposition and of course your MarTech stack and how AI factors into this equation. 

Takeaways

  • ROI is crucial in marketing and should be the focus of marketing operations.
  • A strong value proposition, messaging, and branding are essential for differentiation and attracting customers.
  • Content creation and AI are major obstacles faced by marketers in the industrial sector.
  • To get executive buy-in, marketers should demonstrate the impact of marketing on revenue and align marketing strategies with organizational goals.
  • Measuring and reporting on the right metrics is key to gaining executive support and demonstrating marketing effectiveness.

Resources

03 Oct 2024Sales vs. Marketing: How to Bridge the Divide00:32:51

How can we navigate the "family feud" between sales and marketing so we all succeed? Mark Hunter, The Sales Hunter, is on the show to talk about the common misunderstandings between teams and how to work together.

Mark Hunter is a best selling author, professional speaker, and founder of The Sales Hunter, an organization that trains companies and salespeople to achieve better sales and retain customers.

This episode is all about the age-old battle (or more, "misunderstanding") between sales and marketing departments and how to work through tension that often occurs. We explore the customer journey, the significance of effective communication, the need for alignment in strategies, and the need for quality metrics reporting. Mark discusses the role of personal branding on LinkedIn, and practical advice for bridging the gap between sales and marketing teams. 

Takeaways

  • The blame game between sales and marketing is unproductive.
  • Understanding the customer journey is crucial for both teams.
  • Salespeople should take responsibility for prospecting.
  • Marketing should create awareness and educate the market.

Resources

10 Oct 2024How to Leverage Clean Data and AI for Effective Email Marketing00:35:03

 Successful email marketing always starts with a clean email database. Hear tips on how to organically grow your email list, how often you should review your email list, when to delete inactive recipients, and how AI plays a role. 

In this episode of Content Marketing Engineered, I talk to Shelly Alvarez, the Vice President of Marketing Services at Ragnarok. We discuss the evolution of email marketing, the impact of AI, and the importance of maintaining a clean database. Shelly shares insights on building a database from scratch, effective email marketing strategies for startups, and the significance of measuring success through revenue and key performance indicators. The conversation emphasizes the need for continuous testing and adaptation in marketing strategies.

Takeaways

  • Email marketing is still relevant and evolving.
  • Maintaining a clean database is crucial for email success.
  • Pop-ups on websites can effectively capture leads.
  • Testing different strategies is essential for success.

Resources

17 Oct 2024Breaking Into New Markets: Prototyping, Messaging, and Managing Risk00:36:21

If you're a well-established industrial brand in a specific vertical, it can be tempting to launch your products in a completely different sector. But there is a lot that goes into making the decision to launch into a new market and even when you do make the decision, it can take years and many trial and errors to gain market share. That's why I had John Schober, founder of Sorian, on the podcast this week. John has decades of experience consulting for businesses who are interested in launching into new markets. He shares insights on entering new markets, emphasizing the importance of experimentation, understanding customer needs, and developing a strong value proposition.

He discusses the iterative process of prototyping and feedback, risk management, and the necessity of collaboration across teams. Additionally, he highlights effective marketing strategies and the role of technical marketing in successfully penetrating new markets.

Takeaways

  • Experimentation is crucial when entering new markets.
  • Understanding customer needs is essential for success.
  • Prototyping can help capture customer interest and feedback.
  • Collaboration between R&D, marketing, and sales is vital.
  • Unlearning previous assumptions is necessary when entering new markets.
  • Iterative processes lead to better market fit and product success.

Resources

24 Oct 2024Find Your People at the Industrial Marketing Summit00:28:23

Calling all industrial marketers! The Industrial Marketing Summit is BACK!

On this week's episode, we're sharing all the details on what to expect from the second annual Industrial Marketing Summit, the go-to event tailored specifically to the challenges of marketers in the B2B manufacturing, engineering, and technical industries.

Joe Sullivan, co-founder of Gorilla76, is my partner in crime! Together, our agencies are hosting the Industrial Marketing Summit, which will take place Wednesday, February 26 through Friday, February 28, 2025 in the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas Austin campus.

I invited Joe on the podcast this week to talk about what he's most excited about for next year's event and why we started IMS in the first place. We'll peel back the curtain on the event schedule, covering workshops, keynote sessions, panels, and roundtables. We also talk about the positive feedback we received from the 2024 event and how this marketing summit is different from other marketing conferences you could attend. 

Takeaways

  • The Industrial Marketing Summit is designed for industrial marketers.
  • Workshops will provide actionable insights for attendees.
  • The event aims to build a community among industrial marketers.
  • Sponsorships opportunities are available for companies who want to get involved.
  • The summit will feature dual tracks of sessions: Brand & Strategy and Tactical Excellence
  • The event is inclusive for all levels of marketers.

Resources

31 Oct 2024Recapping Our Time at Content Marketing World 202400:27:41

 The TREW Crew is fresh back from sunny San Diego, and we're diving deep into their experience at Content Marketing World. Hear our lessons learned and what we'll be applying to our own marketing practice.  

Join me as Lee Chapman and Morgan Norris share their insights from the mentorship program, the manufacturing master class, and the countless inspiring sessions they attended. We'll discuss the latest AI innovations, the power of personal branding, and the evolving landscape of video marketing.

They also share their honest thoughts on the conference party, and we'll look ahead to future industry events like the Industrial Marketing Summit. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable tips and inspiring stories.

Takeaways

  • Participating in the mentorship program was a highly rewarding experience.
  • The manufacturing masterclass focused on personal branding strategies.
  • Storytelling is a crucial element in marketing, especially for technical audiences.
  • AI is reshaping SEO strategies, emphasizing search intent over keywords.
  • Video marketing is becoming more accessible and less intimidating for companies.

Resources

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