#165: Strategy | How to Create Data-Driven Content to Build Trust and Stand Out with Emir Atli of HockeyStack
Aug 12, 2024
auto_awesome
Emir Atli, the founder and CRO of HockeyStack, shares his journey on building a successful B2B marketing strategy. He discusses how to create a strong LinkedIn presence before product launch, turning engagement into an advantage. Emir emphasizes the importance of data-driven content in establishing trust and enhancing sales conversions. He explains effective attribution methods for better decision-making and highlights the significance of community building in marketing. Along with innovative reporting, these strategies help optimize customer interactions and revenue.
Emir Atli emphasizes the significance of early audience engagement on LinkedIn to lay the groundwork for a successful product launch.
HockeyStack utilizes a unique media engine approach that centralizes various content formats to enhance brand trust and customer engagement.
Through HockeyStack Labs, the company provides industry benchmarks and data-driven insights, positioning itself as a thought leader in B2B marketing.
Deep dives
The Growth Journey of HockeyStack
HockeyStack has rapidly emerged in the B2B SaaS industry, particularly in the marketing and attribution space. The company’s founders recognized the importance of starting marketing early, even before the product launch, by building an audience on LinkedIn. They committed to posting daily for six months, which cultivated a small, engaged community that later supported their product launch. This strategic approach to marketing not only created anticipation but also laid a foundation for future customer relationships and feedback.
Content Strategy and Engagement
The founders of HockeyStack crafted a content strategy that emphasized engagement and community building over traditional marketing tactics. They posted insights based on their learnings from potential customers, which resonated with their audience and generated interest in their offering. As they approached their product launch, they maintained momentum by releasing a new feature weekly, leveraging feedback, and building a narrative around their product development. This iterative process fostered trust among early adopters, who felt assured of the company’s commitment to continuous improvement.
The Role of a Media Engine
HockeyStack has embraced a unique media engine concept, referred to as 'the flow,' which serves as a hub for various content formats including podcasts and educational shows. This strategy aims to centralize their best content, making it easily accessible for users, thereby enhancing brand trust and facilitating meaningful conversations. By providing educational resources alongside product updates, the flow helps bridge the gap between marketing efforts and customer engagement, ensuring a cohesive experience for users. This innovative approach not only draws in potential customers but also nurtures existing relationships through valuable content.
Insights from HockeyStack Labs
HockeyStack has implemented a research initiative dubbed HockeyStack Labs, which produces data-driven reports that offer valuable benchmarks for marketers. These reports address key questions from the B2B sector, allowing companies to gauge their performance against industry standards and drive informed decision-making. The success of these reports is evident, with thousands of views in just the initial weeks, highlighting a strong interest in actionable insights within the marketing community. This focus on data not only positions HockeyStack as a thought leader but also supports their broader objective of building trust through transparency and evidence-based research.
Rethinking Attribution in Marketing
Attribution remains a critical yet complex aspect of marketing, and HockeyStack seeks to provide clarity in this complex landscape. They emphasize the importance of customizing reporting and insights to suit various businesses rather than relying on static templates that fail to address unique operational needs. By integrating various metrics and providing real-time insights, HockeyStack enables marketers to tell compelling stories about their impact on revenue. This approach transforms attribution from merely a reporting tool into a strategic asset that empowers marketing teams to understand their value and optimize their efforts accordingly.
Dave is joined by Emir Atli, the founder and CRO of HockeyStack. Emir shares insights on his strategic content creation on LinkedIn to building a robust attribution platform that helps B2B marketers optimize revenue and understand customer journeys.
Emir and Dave cover:
How Emir and his team built a LinkedIn audience before launching their product and turned engagement into a strategic advantage
Using custom reporting and attribution to make better B2B marketing decisions
Creating data-driven content with HockeyStack Labs to build trust and establish thought leadership
Timestamps
(00:00) - - Intro
(05:16) - - Early Days at HockeyStack: Outreach and Launch
(12:53) - - Scaling Content Distribution and Launching Podcasts
(14:18) - - Transitioning to Event and Field Marketing
(19:25) - - Transitioning from CMO to Media Company CEO
(26:39) - - How to Build Trust at Scale
(30:33) - - Content Marketing Benchmarks and Data
(33:17) - - Sample Sizes, Metrics, and Context in Research Reporting
(41:42) - - How to Actually Use Reporting Tools
(42:59) - - Creating Custom Reports and Templates
(45:39) - - Tracking Traditional Touch Points Digitally
