Under $10k To Launch A B2B Conference with Tosin Thomas | Horizons Podcast

Listen now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple.—Tosin Thomas is Head of Marketing at Financial Cents, where she transformed virtual events into a growth engine by bringing scientific rigor from her biochemistry background to B2B marketing.Here’s some of my takeaways from this week’s episode…1/ 🎯 Test Small, Scale SmartSuccessful marketing isn't about doing everything—it's about testing channels cheaply, measuring results rigorously, and doubling down on what works. Case in point: Their first brand conference cost under $10k as a test, then scaled after proving ROI.2/ 📊 Self-Reported Attribution > Assumptions Ask customers directly how they found you. When you consistently hear the same channel (like LinkedIn), that's your signal to invest more heavily. Combine this with traditional tracking for a complete picture.3/ 🎬 Virtual Events Need Unique Value PropsDon't compete with established in-person conferences. Instead, create something different—like multi-track sessions tailored to different company sizes or interactive "workflow roasts" that solve real problems live.4/ 🔄 Content Redistribution > CreationSocial media shouldn't be a channel for new content—it should redistribute existing content in new formats. Turn blog posts into carousels, event clips into short videos, and customer stories into memes.5/ 💪 Hire for Marketing Skills First, Industry Knowledge SecondWhen building a marketing team, prioritize hiring excellent marketers who can learn your industry rather than industry experts who know some marketing. The learning curve is steeper for marketing skills than industry knowledge.6/ 🎁 FOMO > Convenience Drive event attendance by emphasizing what attendees will miss—exclusive resources, live networking, speaker templates—rather than just promoting the recording access. Their events hit 40-60% attendance vs. industry standard 30%.7/ 🎨 Brand Building Makes Performance CheaperStrong brand presence reduces customer acquisition costs across all channels. When people recognize your brand from content or events, they're more likely to engage with ads and convert.8/ 🤝 Strategic Partnerships Amplify ReachPartner with complementary tools and communities to expand reach. Example: When featuring a customer using multiple tools, involve all those companies in promotion for exponential reach.9/ 📈 Focus Marketing Roles on Scale-Ready ChannelsOnly create dedicated roles for channels showing clear traction and ready for scaling. Each new hire should own a channel that's proven its worth but needs focused attention to grow.—Where to find Tosin Thomas:* Web: https://mainstack.me/tosinthomas* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosinthomas/* X: https://x.com/TosyneThomas—In this episode, we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background 00:41 Transitioning from Biochemistry to Marketing 06:49 Understanding MQLs and SQLs 12:25 Balancing Brand and Performance Marketing 18:01 Innovative Event Strategies 23:32 Engagement and Attendance Strategies 29:06 Event Strategy and Education Focus 31:05 Pinpoint Webinars and Demo Days 32:26 Quarterly Branded Events and Educational Focus 33:22 Innovative Event Formats and Community Engagement 34:57 Strategies for Event Attendance and Registration 37:50 Using Events for Customer Retention 39:15 The Power of Content Marketing 42:00 Building a Marketing Strategy 44:22 Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms 48:09 Marketing Attribution and Tracking 51:07 Content Creation for Social Media 56:04 Building a Marketing Team 01:02:35 Hiring for Skills vs. Industry Experience 01:04:45 Onboarding New Team Members 01:06:52 Fostering Team Culture 01:11:02 Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions—Obligatory disclaimer: I've worked at YouTube and Google for about a decade in various marketing teams. Nothing I say in my personal spaces is necessarily endorsed by them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit horizonspod.substack.com