Creativity & Inclusivity in B2B Marketing with Ty Heath

Last month, we introduced our all new podcast, Elevate B2B, with the goal of elevating the B2B industry. The show features conversations that inform, include and inspire the best of B2B marketing. Each episode will feature insights from a B2B marketing leader having a conversation with our very own Lee Odden. The Elevate B2B Marketing Podcast kicked off with the queen of content herself, Ann Handley of MarketingProfs. She shared insights about the new normal of B2B marketing and emphasized the need for empathy and emotion in content marketing. Check it out here if you missed it.  Featured guest, Tyrona Heath, joins this next episode of Elevate B2B to discuss creativity & inclusivity in B2B marketing. Ty is a leading B2B marketer, speaker, author, athlete and community builder who explores topics at the intersection of behavioral science, diversity, equity, inclusion and transformation. She is Director of Market Engagement at The B2B Institute at LinkedIn, which is a think tank funded by LinkedIn studying the future of B2B marketing and decision making. Ty is passionate about connecting people with information needed to make intelligent decisions, sharing research to help marketers be more productive and successful with a bit of humor. She is also a two time Olympic Trials qualifier and top B2B marketing influencer dedicated to leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion. When asked what she is move excited about in the B2B marketing world right now, Ty shared, “I feel the energy and the shift in the industry right now.  It's one of the most exciting times to be a B2B marketer. More people are excited to work on B2B creative and B2B ideas and are excited about the long term relationship building aspects and the science of it.” - Ty Heath [bctt tweet="“I feel the energy and the shift in the industry right now. It’s one of the most exciting times to be a B2B marketer.” — Ty Heath @tyrona" username="toprank"] “There's just massive growth potential in the B2B economy. B2B sales add up to be about $9 trillion a year, but it doesn't focus enough on long term brand building. That means there's an opportunity for massive value creation.” - Ty Heath [bctt tweet="“There's just massive growth potential in the B2B economy. B2B sales add up to be about $9 trillion a year, but it doesn't focus enough on long term brand building. That means there's an opportunity for massive value creation.” — @tyrona" username="toprank"] Here are a few highlights and topics covered in the conversation between Ty and Lee:

• The importance of investing in branding and marketing during market downturns
• Principles of creativity in B2B marketing
• Managerial diversity and prioritization breaking human bias
• The role of emotion and logic within marketing
• and MORE!

Check out the full interview podcast here:     Listen & subscribe to the Elevate B2B Marketing Podcast now

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B2B Marketers on the Move: Celebrating Top Marketing Talent in New Leadership Roles

As B2B marketers around the world embrace the holiday season and the push to 2023, the B2B marketing industry continues to offer growth and shifts that sometimes happen so fast that they are difficult to fully appreciate. For more than two decades, TopRank Marketing has been honored to help a wide variety of the world's leading B2B marketers and major global brands elevate and go beyond merely being competitive, to standing out from the crowd with creative and award-winning successes. In this spirit, for nearly a year now we have regularly made a point of taking the time to congratulate and honor business marketing leaders who have recently seen career advancement. When B2B marketers take on new leadership roles, it's only natural to look for trusted resources that will help professionals in new positions hit the ground running, and TopRank Marketing is happy to have been a go-to B2B content and influencer marketing agency for so many top marketers in new leadership roles. We are also always seeking out B2B technology industry influencers advancing in their careers to partner with on compelling and unique content collaborations. We offer hearty congratulations to each of the B2B marketing leaders featured in this seventh edition of B2B Marketers on the Move, and extend our thanks for sharing their B2B marketing career advice.

B2B Marketers on the Move: Celebrating Holiday Season Movers and Marketing Leaders

Hana Benkirane has been promoted to Group Manager, Integrated Marketing at LinkedIn*.

Throughout your career, lead with curiosity and authenticity. Curiosity allows you to maintain a growth mindset which opens you to opportunities and experiences that you may not have foreseen. Authenticity is your anchor in making sure that the steps you take are aligned with your values and what’s important to you.

Hana was featured in our "10+ B2B Influencer Marketing Predictions From Top Experts & Influencers," alongside nine more of the world's top B2B marketing influence experts from our comprehensive 59-page 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report. Paul Dobson has taken a new position as Head of Digital Services at Cloud Software Group.

Always be open to learning, exploring and applying new trends and technologies to your marketing and especially your social initiatives. Smart teams are innovating across the board and each day you’re able to get better data, stronger performance and move the needle more — that’s what keeps it so exciting!

Paul was featured in our "Inside Influence 12: Paul Dobson on The Secret Sauce of B2B Influence: Authenticity," and in our "Spotlight on Talent: 20 B2B Influencer Marketing Experts to Follow in 2022 and Beyond." Adam Singer has taken a new position as Vice President of Marketing at AdQuick.

Always be someone who gives back to the industry — whether in the form of mentoring young people, writing a blog, speaking at conferences, going on podcasts or other ways of sharing your experiences and case studies. Our sector is built on generosity and collaboration. I've never seen a case where being generous — authentically and for the right reasons — didn't meaningfully improve things for everyone.

Adam is a TopRank Marketing alumni, and was featured in our "10 Inspiring B2B Marketers Who Spark Greatness." Kathleen Booth has been promoted to Senior Vice President Marketing at Pavilion.

Find a community of peers and invest time in becoming an active participant. Give before you get. Being helpful — and asking nothing in return — is the best way to build strong relationships with people who can help and support you over the lifetime of your career.

Kathleen was among those featured in our "50 Top B2B Marketing Influencers, Experts and Speakers To Follow In 2022." Scott Sweeney has taken a new position as Product Marketing Manager at MathWorks.

Like the laundry, learning is never finished. And learning without application is just entertainment. Become an expert by reading about subjects within and outside of your field. Implement the best ideas, tactics, and strategies. Rinse and Repeat.

Manoj Jasra has taken a new position as Senior Vice President at Accolite Digital.

Growth and challenge have always been important to me in my career. Going from airlines to telecommunications to hospitality all on the client side, now to technology on the consulting side is a refreshing adventure I look forward to.

Ella Patenall has taken a new position as Marketing Manager at TruthEngine.

It’s important to think hard about the type of business you see yourself in, as that will determine your day-to-day. I knew I wanted to join a startup as I wanted a fast-paced role where I could build out the marketing strategy from the ground up. Secondly, make sure you are definitely interested in the sector you’ll potentially be working in, as you have to be comfortable talking about it day in and day out. Lastly, keep your long-term plan in mind and consider how this role fits in with that, whilst remaining open and curious.

Eric Ingrand has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Cloudi-Fi.

General career advice: Advice #1 : Digital marketing is all about learning and trying new things, so never stop being curious and keep trying! Advice #2 : Great growth hackers don’t necessarily have the best technical skill set, they don’t have dozens of certification badges, but what they have is the never-give-up mindset! Advice #3: Always try do what you love. By focusing on things you love you will automatically focus on things you are not good but great at, that makes tons of difference, in you work life, but more importantly in you personal life.

Christina Garnett has taken a new position as Principal Marketing Manager, Offline Community and Advocacy, at HubSpot.

The easiest way to drive business impact and showcase your importance to a company, regardless of your role, is through collaboration. A collaborative approach improves your work relationships and means that your work's ripples can have a wider reach and impact. Your successes become their successes and vice versa.

Christina was featured in our "10+ Top Content & Search Marketing Insights from MnSearch Summit 2022," offering a look at harnessing brand affinity through community. Tifenn Dano Kwan has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Amplitude.

If the past year proved anything, it’s that progress is not always linear. With so much unknown about the future, winning companies are turning to proven strategies to drive growth no matter the economic conditions. Investing in your product experience and leveraging the long-term benefits of a product-led growth model can work hand-in-hand to become your greatest growth lever.

Tifen has been featured in our "50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked in 2020," and in "10 Years of Women Who Rock in Marketing – CMO Edition 2019." Carol-Lyn Jardine has taken a new position as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Wonderlic. Carol-Lyn was featured in our "Break Free B2B Series: Carol-Lyn Jardine and Heather Hurst on Effectively Managing Change in B2B Marketing." Ana Villegas has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Affinipay.

Be intentional about surrounding yourself and learning from those who are different than you. Embrace diversity in all its forms, be curious, mindful of biases, and listen to and appreciate the stories and experiences of others. Doing so will not only make you a better marketer. You’ll find as your career progresses that embracing diversity will make you a stronger leader and someone who is able to bring people together to achieve a common goal. That is incredibly powerful today and will no doubt be critical to success in the future!

Ana Villegas has been featured in our "How to Elevate Your B2B Marketing Career: Advice from Execs at Top B2B Brands," and was among those featured in "25 Women of Color Who Rocked B2B Marketing in 2021." Jessica Scheu has been promoted to Marketing Manager, UnitedHealthcare, at UnitedHealth Group. Keri Maijala has been promoted to Senior Manager, Content Design, at LinkedIn. Julie Kaplan has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Marketing and Revenue Operations, at CareMetx. Ryan Brock has taken a new position as Chief Solution Officer at DemandJump. Catherine Howe has been promoted to Director, Corporate Marketing and Communications, at Inmar Intelligence. Chris Bondhus has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Igloo Software. David Vogelpohl has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at FastSpring. Jessica Garrett has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Cloud Academy. Karina Garcia has taken a new position as Director, Content Insights and Performance, at Novartis. Tac Anderson has taken a new position as Vice President of Marketing at Sendle. Michele Kamenar has taken a new position as Senior Global Brand Copywriter at AppFire. Mike Riding has taken a new position as Vice President of Product Marketing at Integrate. Isaac Montoya has taken a new position as Content Marketing Strategist at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Brian Hood has taken a new position as Head of Product, Digital Channels, at WEX. Diana Perez has taken a new position as Director of Demand Generation at Adyen. Fahad Alamoudi has taken a new position as Director of Marketing & Communications, Americas, at Orange Business Services. Chandler Tidwell has taken a new position as Director of Demand Generation at Entrata. Robin Saitz has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Rockwell Automation. Stacy Pinkerton has taken a new position as Director of Inbound Marketing at Tipalti. Akriti Gupta has taken a new position as Director of Marketing, LinkedIn Sales Solutions, at LinkedIn. Nichole Berg has taken a new position as Director, Americas Demand Generation, at Everbridge. Mark Brandau has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at RELX. Meggie Thrasher has taken a new position as Director of Pipeline Marketing at Zoom. Chip Coyle has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at ECI Software Solutions. Lisa Cole has taken a new position as Chief Marketing Officer at Cellebrite. Isreal Lawstuen has been promoted to Director of Partner Marketing at Jamf. Christopher White has been promoted to Director of Small Business and Commercial Card Marketing at Capital One. Kyle Harper has taken a new position as Director of Product Marketing at Anthology. Mike Holp has taken a new position as Social Media Manager at PanomaticsVR. Aaron Orendorff has taken a new position as Head of Marketing at Recart. Aaron was featured in our article looking at "LinkedIn’s List of 24 B2B Marketers You Need to Know." Shauna Staveley has been promoted to Senior Social Media Manager at DemandScience. Alicia Tillman has been promoted to Chief Revenue Officer at Capitolis.

Authenticity and accountability are needed to make a long-lasting impression and build a community of advocates. “Embrace your brand’s humanity by creation authentic experiences. Your customers will thank you.

Alicia has been featured in our "The Real Thing: 5 Ways Authenticity Inspires Vibrant B2B Marketing," as well as "50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked in 2020."

Thanks To Each of These Inspiring Leaders For Helping Elevate the B2B Marketing Industry

We extend a holiday bounty of thanks to each of the talented B2B marketing professionals we've featured here, who have all recently been promoted or taken on new industry positions. We're certain that you'll elevate and reach new heights when it comes to the performance and success you'll deliver in your new roles. You can find our previous edition of B2B Marketers on the Move here. If you're looking for a new change of your own, feel free to take a moment to check out our own list of current job openings at TopRank Marketing on our careers page. *LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

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Laser Focus: Boost B2B Marketing With Better Focus

How can B2B marketers put the old adage of focusing on what you can control to the best use, and why will 2023 be an important year to boost efficiency with better focus? We’ve all heard the saying that it’s better to focus on those things that you can truly play a part in changing than spending time worrying about so many of the things that really are outside the scope of what we can change. Knowing where to put our efforts to the best use and which areas to skip are skills that generally improve as we mature and grow, in both our personal and professional lives. Let's jump right in and take a look at how to boost B2B marketing efforts with better focus.

Improved Focus For Better Marketing & More

No matter what stage of the journey we’re on, it can be valuable to take stock of where we’re at when it comes to where we place our focus, and how we can improve these important skills. Today’s helter skelter always-on social media digital marketing lifestyle is riddled with endless avenues vying for our attention, making it a harder task than ever to filter out the things we can’t control from those where we should be directing our full focus. Over time most of us generally know what our strong areas are, and where we tend to struggle, and building better focusing skills can often start simply by turning a mirror back onto ourselves, to be reminded of our inherent strengths and weaknesses.

Embracing Our Strong Points

With that refresher, we can confidently move on to applying our efforts to our strong point areas. What if those areas are perfectly aligned with our strengths, but aren’t ones that we can have an effect on? Or, on the other side of the equation, what if we’re facing areas where we can have great impact, but they’re not aligned with our strong points? This is a fairly common scenario, as we all have to tackle tasks that aren’t exactly in our top areas of expertise. When this happens, it can be helpful to recognize it as an opportunity to boost those skills and become a more well-rounded B2B marketer — especially with today’s roles requiring more of a full-stack skill-set than ever. In B2B marketing, learning where not to focus your energy can be an important discovery, along with the subtle power of brevity. In today’s short attention span digital-first world, a finely-tuned short message can often significantly outperform a comprehensive missive or manifesto, especially when it comes to content shared on social media platforms. I wrote more about this phenomenon in “You Have 8 Seconds – GO! Brand Messaging Secrets With Debra Jasper.” [bctt tweet="“In B2B marketing, learning where not to focus your energy can be an important discovery, along with the subtle power of brevity.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

Aligning Focus With Skill

It’s important to recognize that even if a particular task is squarely aligned with one of our strongest skills, if that task falls in the category of things we can’t control, no matter how much effort we put forth, the work will usually be for naught. The magic happens when we know our strong points and are also able to apply them in areas where our efforts can have a direct impact. We can optimize our focus by making it a regular practice to ask ourselves four key questions:

• Is this something my efforts can have an impact on?
• Does this task align with my strengths?
• Can I use this situation as a learning opportunity?
• If not me, who would this task be ideally suited for?

[bctt tweet="“The magic happens when we know our strong points and are also able to apply them in areas where our efforts can have a direct impact..” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

Riding The Focus Wave

When you find yourself in an especially productive period, take advantage of it and ride the productivity wave to get as much done as possible while the creative B2B marketing iron is burning hot. Unfortunately, we can’t control when we’ll be at our peak combined levels of energy, productivity, and efficiency. By quickly recognizing when such a period hits us, however, we can get in as much work as possible before the big wave eventually peters out. How can you take advantage of these times? Here are three strategies:

• Turn off anything you can that normally distracts you, such as alarms, notifications, or whatever may cause you to break stride while working at your best
• Try to include short micro-breaks — even if just for a minute — to keep the overall energy up and use the time to focus on what you want to accomplish next during the session
• When your very productive period comes to its inevitable end, take a little time to write down what you think made for such a good working session, and what you’d do differently next time to make it even better

Laser Focus Builds Better B2B Content

via GIPHY By using these focus-building techniques you'll have a jump on the competition, and be able to elevate your own B2B marketing efforts in new ways. You can learn more about increasing productivity through focus in our own Nick Nelson's "5 Ways B2B Marketers Can Boost Productivity and Focus," and how B2B marketers can build a super-stack of marketing technology skills to create the most value and efficiency in 2023 and beyond in "20 Ways to Build a B2B Marketing Super-Stack of Skills." More than ever before, creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why more brands are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Reach out to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and many others.

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