Stacking Growth | The B2B Marketing Podcast

Ciara Hopkins, VP of Demand Generation  at Refine Labs, joins Evan Hughes and Steph Crugnola for a discussion about leads: leads are not all created equal, and Ciara talks through why, and how to address it.  Ciara starts by talking through her journey, starting as an SDR constantly questioning the ‘why’ behind instant calls and emails to new leads. She highlights the transformation she witnessed and became part of in marketing, moving from traditional lead gen to a demand gen approach.  As a marketer, Ciara emphasizes the crucial role of UTM tracking and high versus low intent categorization in driving marketing efficiency. She highlights the importance of understanding the entire customer journey by collaborating with sales and operational teams to enhance data integrity. She also breaks down the industry's shift toward recognizing the value of brand awareness efforts and the necessity of meaningful KPI development to measure these initiatives effectively. Episode topics: #marketing, #leadgen, #demandgeneration, #sales, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #CRM  ______ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our NewsletterConnect with the guest: Ciara Hopkins Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Steph Crugnola

Megan Bowen and Evan Hughes host Ciara Hopkins in a roundtable discussion of paid ads, nailing down when is the right time to start investing.  They cover: Defining your ideal customer profile and target market Developing your strategic narrative Building a website that converts traffic into sales conversions Aligning Marketing and Sales In addition to valuable insights and questions from the live audience, Megan, Evan, and Ciara detail each of these milestones, how to get started with building up to them, and how to know when you’ve hit the right place to start investing money effectively into paid ads.  Episode topics: #marketing, #demandgeneration, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #advertising #paidads #roundtable #marketingexpert ______ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our Newsletter Connect with the guest: Ciara Hopkins Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Megan Bowen

Ashley Lewin, Senior Director of Demand Generation at Refine Labs, joins Evan Hughes and Steph Crugnola for a discussion about attribution, and how to bridge the gap traditional software based attribution can leave in your understanding of your customers.  Ashley starts by breaking down each attribution model, including first touch, last touch, multi touch, and self reported, highlighting the strengths and gaps left by each. Then she breaks down the hybrid attribution model, walking through first steps on how to implement and utilize the data insights it can give. Ashley stresses the importance of viewing attribution as a compass to get you close to your destination, rather than a definitive answer, and how staying flexible and curious can help keep you better up to date with the rapidly changing landscape in marketing.  Episode topics: #marketing, #attribution, #demandgeneration, #selfreportedattribution, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #CRM  ______ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our Newsletter Connect with the guest: Ashley Lewin Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Steph Crugnola

Kerri Amodio, Director of Demand Generation at Refine Labs, joins Evan Hughes and Steph Crugnola for a discussion on why (and how) you should start ungating your content.  Kerri starts by explaining how lead generation tactics have become more and more outdated as the market and technology keeps growing and changing. She highlights the necessary shift that marketers need to make towards adopting a demand generation mindset and creating a consistent demand for products and services rather than just generating leads.  Kerri lays out several tactical strategies for effectively measuring and repurposing high-value content. She also stresses the growing importance of building trust and credibility with audiences by delivering authentic and ungated content—content that is open and accessible without barriers such as gated forms or sign-ups, thus fostering a more genuine relationship with the audience. Episode topics: #marketing, #content, #demandgeneration, #contentcreation, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #gatedcontent  ______ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our Newsletter Connect with the guest: Kerri Amodio Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Steph Crugnola

Aaron Weekes, Performance Marketing Manager at Refine Labs, joins Evan Hughes and Steph Crugnola for a discussion on the program he launched on his podcast to help job-seeking marketers work on their content and storytelling.  Aaron shares his personal story with finding himself looking for a new role, and how making connections through content helped him narrow down his search and eventually land his position at Refine Labs. He focuses on the storytelling aspect of marketing, and how generating consistent content on LinkedIn or other platforms can help prospective companies learn more about you before you even apply.  Episode topics: #marketing, #podcasting, #demandgeneration, #contentcreation, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing #interview #jobsearch ______ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our Newsletter Connect with the guest: Aaron Weekes Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Steph Crugnola

Megan Bowen, Refine Labs CEO, joins Evan Hughes and Steph Crugnola for the premiere episode of Stacking Growth: Called to Action. On this season of Stacking Growth, we’re featuring marketing leaders who’ve been called to make a change, and inviting them to share their journey - the highs, the lows, and everything in between.  Megan reflects on the major shifts happening in B2B SaaS companies right now, having moved from the “Growth At All Costs” mindset into a “Profitable, Efficient Growth” mindset as well as the transition through buying Eras from Analog to Website to Dark Social, and now into AI.  She talks about how Change Management is necessary for companies to succeed in moving into the modern era of marketing, especially midmarket enterprise organizations that have been operating successfully for a long time in the Website era. She outlines the crucial steps for navigating change management effectively: assessing reality, updating brand positioning, and phasing into new digital strategies, and how Refine Labs excels at facilitating this process.  Megan shares the darkest moments along her journey, how she was able to push through to grow stronger, and a message of hope in embracing your humanity to find your marketing superpowers.  Episode topics: #marketing, #changemanagement, #demandgeneration, #AI, #B2BSaaS, #digitalmarketing __ Subscribe to Stacking Growth on Spotify and YouTube Learn More About Refine Labs Sign Up For Our Newsletter Connect with the guest: Megan Bowen Connect with the hosts: Evan Hughes Steph Crugnola

From Metrics & Chill: “In this Metrics & Chill interview we hear from Megan Bowen, CEO of Refine Labs, a progressive demand strategy and research firm focused on growth-stage B2B SaaS companies. She shares how they leverage historical data to help their clients get more customers. When they start working with a new client, the first thing they do is conduct what they call a "revenue performance assessment." Key Takeaways: Revenue Performance Assessment: Refine Labs conducts an in-depth analysis of historical CRM data to optimize demand generation strategies, focusing on lead pipelines and closed-deal analytics. Prioritizing Attribution: A blend of software-based and self-reported attribution provides a more comprehensive understanding of the lead-generation journey, particularly highlighting critical insights for demand creation programs. Identifying Growth Levers: Key growth drivers often include improving lead conversion rates and paid social advertising effectiveness, helping companies leverage their strengths for better outcomes. Consistent Review Process: Businesses are encouraged to perform revenue assessments every 9 to 12 months to refine strategies and adapt to evolving market conditions. Common Challenges: Common pitfalls among companies include overspending on paid search and ineffective social media strategies, areas where Refine Labs offers guidance to boost efficiency. See full videos and more on our ⁠YouTube channel⁠ Stay on top of all Refine Labs news and events by ⁠subscribing to our newsletter.⁠

Kerri Amodio, Director of Demand Generation at Refine Labs, shares her expertise on shifting from lead generation to demand generation. She discusses the complexities of this transition, particularly in larger organizations and emphasizes the importance of data-driven strategies and leadership buy-in. Kerri highlights the need for a focus on customer experience and solving real problems. She also touches on utilizing video advertising and diverse attribution sources to strengthen B2B marketing efforts, ultimately enhancing brand reputation and market share.

CEO Megan Bowen and VP of Marketing Evan Hughes hosted Demand Generation Manager Ryan Olestro and Senior Performance Marketing Manager Malin Wijenayake to discuss paid search efficiency and how to stop overspending.  They dive into key tactics for improving paid advertising strategies, focusing on recognizing budget inefficiencies and balancing spending between Google Ads and Paid Social. They cover setting up effective conversion tracking, differentiating between competitor and branded campaigns, and adjusting to changing search dynamics. The discussion provides practical strategies to boost ROI and adapt marketing efforts to changing digital landscapes. The panelists share insights on experimental approaches to Google Ads, such as optimizing for conversion value, using dynamic search ads, and writing effective ad copy. They stress the importance of evolving ad strategies in response to AI technologies and highlight the need for ongoing testing and adaptation to remain competitive in digital marketing.  Key Takeaways: Implement effective conversion tracking by integrating UTMs into your CRM system to accurately assess keyword and campaign performance. Balance your budget between demand capture and demand creation strategies to avoid overspending on Google Ads and invest in medium to long-term brand building. Structure non-branded campaigns by separating high-intent keywords from low-intent keywords to ensure efficient budget utilization and targeting. Experiment with dynamic search ads and competitor campaigns to glean insights into consumer behavior and identify new keyword opportunities. Continuously refine ad copy and remain flexible with Google's evolving algorithms and SERP formats to maintain a competitive edge in a changing digital environment. See full videos and more on our YouTube channel Stay on top of all Refine Labs news and events by subscribing to our newsletter.

Ciara Hopkins, VP of Demand Generation at Refine Labs, and Matthew Sciannella, Senior Director of Demand Generation, bring their B2B marketing expertise to the table. They discuss the evolving landscape of B2B marketing post-pandemic, stressing the importance of adaptability and long-term growth. Key topics include the critical role of brand awareness despite immediate ROI pressures, the need for a strategic content approach tailored to customer journeys, and leveraging historical data for data-driven marketing goals. This insightful conversation is a roadmap for success in a competitive environment.