A Lesson in Demand Marketing - An interview with Joseph Lewin

My latest guest on the Marketing Tales show is a seasoned demand gen marketer, podcast host, and the director of an international non-profit organization in Kenya. Meet Joseph Lewin, a man who started his marketing career in Kakamega, a town in western Kenya, about 15 miles north of the Equator, where his wife started the Waweza Movement, a non-profit organization that houses, feeds, and educates 50 children from vulnerable backgrounds. He took photos and videos of kids in Kenya for a sponsorship program, learning how to make the movement by building relationships with local marketers. After leaving Kenya, he and his wife traveled Europe, taking photos and videos for high-end hotels' social media in exchange for a few nights' stay, further gaining real-world experience, and building his marketing muscle. He steadily grew his marketing skills, working in several industries, then doubled down on LinkedIn in 2021 and launched a podcast called, The Strategic Marketer. It was there that he interviewed his future CEO, who ultimately offered him a job at Proofpoint Marketing, the company he works at today. "Show a man a job board, and he'll apply for weeks. Teach him how to interview potential employers, and he'll never have to submit another application again." As Director of Growth, Joseph builds out Proofpoint's internal marketing and sales teams to enable them to equip their clients to create marketing programs that build relationships at scale through digital marketing content. One of his projects includes a show called "Relationship-Led Growth Live," a community that combines marketing and sales strategies to help build relationships at scale, initiate conversations with ideal customers, and turn those conversations into pipeline and revenue.If you've followed the Marketing Tales for a while, the recurring theme for today's successful marketers is: NetworkingBuilding relationshipsJoseph's strategies to drive demand include participating in podcasts and hosting live webinar events because they are scalable. Why? "Because they help you build relationships," Joseph says. "You're getting the direct relationship value, but you're also getting the demand gen side where you're seen as an industry influencer."Some ways demand gen marketers go wrong:"If you're just passively waiting for people to talk to you, it's a huge miss," Joseph emphasizes. So, instead of waiting for prospects to fill out a form, host an event, give value, follow up, and create authentic conversations with your prospects over time, instead of the old, solely transactional, lead gen approach. To learn more about the benefits of demand gen marketing, listen to the full episode by clicking the link in the comments below. If you'd like to learn more about Joseph, connect with him on LinkedIn for more relatable content. Until next time.