I’ve never shied away from a dumb question. Trust me.
During the Spring “events circuit,” I asked any marketer that would listen…”So, what’s working?”
I wasn’t the only one asking it. In a challenging market, everyone is searching for what’s working. We know there’s no silver bullet, but there’s so much that’s not working. What can we learn from others?
The more I listened, the more I learned. It’s everything and nothing, all at once.
What works for me doesn’t work for you. What our audience responds to, yours won’t.
It’s events-led growth, partner-led growth, product-led growth, community-led growth, AI, signals-based GTM, intent data, organic social, outbound is dead, and the list goes on and on.
I’m not here to give you the answer. I’m here to hopefully encourage you. You’re not alone in this search.
For us—a small, scrappy, seed-stage startup—it’s events. Events have accounted for almost 50% of our pipeline in the last 12 months, which is great…during events season.
But now (when there are fewer events), we’re taking what we learned from events and applying some of the same methodology to how we prospect, what offers we make, and who we reach out to.
And I think this is the common thread among the marketers who are more successful right now: They’re learning the fastest.
Marketers have all been given a stack of chips, and we are placing bets. The faster you can learn what bets are winning and what bets are losing, the faster you can move all your chips to the winning bets.
Ironically, at a business that aggregates, organizes, and distributes content, I always wish I had more time to read content that would help me learn. I really made an effort this week and I found some great content (a lot of it linked below).
But again, a lot of the advice was contradictory to each other. But I’m better off reading it all and diversifying my perspective. Just keep learning.
So, while I don’t have your answer, my answer is to keep our heads up, keep learning, and keep adjusting…fast.
Until next week,
Jonathan
Fresh Content From The Week:
🧃Events 🤜🤛 Sales: Exploring shared workflows for what happens in-between
From: Swoogo
Do you ever feel like you and your Sales team are in a long distance relationship? Sure, there's a lot of mutual admiration; but communication and collaboration don't always feel so easy.
Still, the success of this rela... sorry- event, is a shared goal; so what can event leaders do to make information workflows a little smoother?
Enter Noelle Peterson, Director of Global Events and Field Marketing at UserTesting, and Kate VanLue, VP of Sales & Partnerships at The Juice.
We're bringing these event and revenue powerhouses together to learn strategies for making your event's most important partnerships work- from both sides of the equation.
🧃 The State of Pipeline Generation in 2024
From: UserGems
We asked 100+ revenue leaders to weigh in on what's fueling their pipeline generation, what's breaking down, and how to navigate the road ahead.
🧃 [Topline #61] What does Salesforce's revenue miss mean for SaaS?
From: Pavilion
In this week's episode, our hosts discuss the recent turbulence in the public markets, focusing on Salesforce's first revenue miss since 2006 and its implications for the SaaS industry. The conversation also delves into the challenges of IPOs, fundraising, and business operations, particularly in the context of M&A as a soft landing option, the importance of maintaining a healthy mindset amidst market fluctuations, and much more.
Fresh Episode of The Content Cocktail Hour:
"So I believe the true purpose of content is twofold: it serves as both an act of philanthropy and a marketing strategy for brands," says David Ebner, President of Content Workshop.
In this episode, we're joined by the one and only David Ebner, President of Content Workshop, to dive into the art and science of content marketing, covering everything from storytelling and attribution to the role of content as an act of philanthropy. David shares his unique journey from a creative writing graduate student to leading a successful content agency, emphasizing the importance of blending artistry with strategic goals while weighing in on the controversial topic of gated vs. ungated content. So grab your favorite drink and join us for a conversation that covers it all.
