A Newsletter on Marketing (and Life) #003

Read this email to improve your content (and field marketing)

Author

Jordan Ogren
July 06, 2023

A Newsletter on Marketing (and Life) #003

I hope you had a splendid 4th of July weekend 🇺🇸

I spent mine in the Upper Peninsula ("up north") with family and friends. Gladstone/Escanaba, Michigan, to be exact (if you're nosy).

We watched fireworks, ate hotdogs, and built a fence for my brother. I sadly did not run the annual Firecracker 5-mile race (next year).

Side note: I hate the first few days after experiencing such joyful moments. I have a "rebounding" experience where I'm down and need to recharge.

If you have any tips, send em' my way!

I hope you’re doing well and continue to until next time. Enjoy!

Podcast Takeaways

(Time to read: 1:33 minutes)

I know nothing about field marketing.

And as I've talked to great marketers, most of them seem to get results from it (when used in different ways).

I was grateful to chat with Nick Bennett, who knows a lot about field marketing (and much more). He shared his view on the evolution of it and the role of evangelism in B2B marketing.

He also shared his perspective on the importance of authenticity over (focusing on) vanity metrics on social media platforms.

I loved Nick's warm demeanor and willingness to share knowledge. I'm thankful I could talk to him a year ago and learn from him.

Enjoy the insights from our conversation (listen to the conversation here):

Takeaway #1: Sales and marketing should work together to attain shared goals

We know it turns out poorly when sales and marketing pull in different directions.

Then we must agree that having them work together is a pertinent goal. And one easy way to do that is to align their goals. If they work toward a shared goal, they will do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

Nick believes one of marketing's objectives should be to make the sales process easier and more frictionless. When marketing does that, the entire revenue engine roars louder.

"I think (marketing's job) is to make your customers' lives easier. Marketing is there to help be that support system (to answer those questions)…"

Sales will become much easier if marketing can do that for the customer. Thus, making achieving the desired outcome easier.

Takeaway #2: Authentic connection > vanity metrics (in content creation)

When creating content, aim less for metrics such as likes and impressions and more for connections and conversations with real people. Opportunities arise from connection more often than reach.

By focusing on fostering a relationship with your small audience, you will create better content in the future as you understand them at a deeper level.

Find your smallest viable audience and create content that resonates and aids them in making progress.

Takeaway #3: The evolution of field marketing

Field marketing and melatonin are synonymous for me… they both put me to sleep.

Over my short career, I've yet to see field marketing done well (aside from here and there online). That's why I was happy when Nick shared how he sees field marketing evolving.

He suggests a shift from a more event-focused discipline to Field Marketing 2.0 - a more holistic and integrated approach that includes digital marketing, account-based marketing, and other strategies.

"The field marketer in me is like, people have a misconception that field marketing only equals events… I want people to know it's also about executing preshow, during the show, and post-event strategies to create a holistic customer journey."

While we're in a post covid era, we will see where field marketing goes, especially as VR and such take over. But I think it’s still important to keep it in your marketing toolbet.

Three quotes. Three books.

"The purpose of the beehive isn’t to make honey; honey is a by-product of a healthy hive."

– (The) Seth Godin

"Whatever the outcome, once it has happened, casual thinking makes it feel entirely explainable, indeed predictable."

– Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, Cass R. Sunstein

"We cannot handle the complexity outside us unless we are able to notice–and ultimately change–what complexity does inside us."

– Jennifer Berger and Carolyn Coughlin

Links to the three books quoted above:

Personal Note from Jo

(Time to read: 1:43 minutes)

Never ship half-baked ideas.

That's why I'm here with no new installment of my "future masterpiece" (😂) on the human iOS. I've vowed never to ship something that isn't well thought out.

The reason? To respect your time. The reader, that is.

A well-thought-out idea is easier to digest and actualize the takeaways. The idea sharer has spent significant time wrestling with the concept, allowing you to spend minimal to derive value.

That's a lesson for all or most marketing: spend time with your concepts before sharing to respect your audience.

There is one caveat: You can create spaces where you can share unbaked ideas with others (a community) to help you develop them together.

I do this with a friend, and it's helpful. And this is what I want to do here. I want you to share your thoughts, pushback, and divergent opinions.

I want this to be a two-way street for communication. Not like a "write to the editor" type street. I mean an authentic avenue for us to progress together.

Progress in marketing.

Progress in life.

Progress.

At the end of this journey together, we both will be better.

No more tidy guides and such. I'll link that in the newsletter; this is a sandbox for us to explore, grow, and progress in life.

Hit that reply, and let's grow together.

– Jo