How Marketers Create Interest an interview with Teri Marks

Sometimes you meet someone so positive that their energy transcends the virtual realm and lifts your mood as if they were right next to you. That's what I felt during my latest interview with Teri Marks, Marketing Manager of Peak Community. Teri started her career in graphic design, working towards an agency life until B2B marketing caught her eye. She quickly realized that's where she wanted to be and has been ever since. Building trust with your audience is essential in B2B marketing. When it comes to social proof, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Sure, create case studies, customer spotlights, and video testimonials, but know where your customers consume that content. What may work for one particular industry may not work for another. Creating that awareness and knowing your audience is key!To create that awareness, "it's important for marketers to have a solid idea of the needs of customers and then try to solve those problems," Teri says. Also, don't forget to highlight your customer-facing employees to build relationships, connections, and trust. "Great marketing leaders will always elevate their team members," Teri says. Another way to build trust is to convey that you are an expert, and by partnering with you, they will get the best ROI. That's where thought leadership comes in. The term "thought leaders" was first coined by Joel Kurtzman, former editor-in-chief of Strategy+Business magazine, and has come a long way. With the invention of social media, influencer marketing is not just for the Seth Godins of the world. Now anyone who shows up consistently and shares their insights will inevitably build trust with those interested in a topic. Take heed! If you're an employee or an employer planning on entering the thought-leadership area, you must establish expectations early, so each side knows the other's wants and needs. But realize that creating awareness and trust takes time. "You have to be genuine because we can all tell when someone genuinely wants to help from those who are there for their own benefit," Teri says.To provide the best value for your audience, be in the know, listen to sales demos, and work closely with customer success to determine your audience's challenges. "Guessing what might be the problem ends you up in that 'take a left turn when you should have taken a right, kind of situation," Teri says. An important lesson Teri shared reflecting on her successful career as a B2B marketer is to "always be learning." "I have learned something from every single person I've worked with, and marketing leaders who instill this ethos into their team are the ones who succeed.""MOVE - The 4 Question Go-To-Market Framework" by Sangram Vajre and Bryan Brown is a book she recommends to any marketer wanting to progress in their career."Understanding go-to-marketing is massive, huge, in that respect," Teri advises. Until next time! ✌️#marketing #content #storytelling