010 | Turning Marketing Observations into Business Growth | Studio CMO - a podcast by Golden Spiral, Shaping Technology Marketing

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The Episode in 60 Seconds

Angus Nelson, Golden Spiral’s Director of Development, and Mark Whitlock, Golden Spiral’s Marketing Manager, are co-hosts of the Studio CMO podcast. This past week, Angus and Mark dug into email marketing analytics following a plummet in open rates.

In this episode of Studio CMO, Angus and Mark report on their findings and reveal additional marketing observations they uncovered in their research.

The episode delves into:

• Major changes in email marketing
• COVID-19’s effect on consumer behavior
• Incentivization in this new environment
• How to approach digital ad spend and goal-setting
• Why you should be “redeeming your commute”

Our Hosts

Mark Whitlock spends his days telling others about Golden Spiral, a full-service B2B technology marketing agency helping clients realize their marketing potential. He is Golden Spiral’s Marketing Manager and has used words to craft stories and influence others from his days in radio, through his time recruiting partners for non-profits, as a senior acquisitions editor for a major publisher, and as a best-selling author. Mark quotes way too many movies, always has something playing through his AirPods, and enjoys laughing with his wife and children.

Angus Nelson, Director of Development at Golden Spiral, is a forward-thinking marketing professional with proven success in brand strategy, innovation, and identifying emerging trends. From Fortune 500 brands to battle-tested startups, he helps leadership teams gain solid ground—solving problems, guiding strategy, and navigating challenges. He’s the host of the "Up In Your Business" podcast and has spoken for brands like Walmart, Whole Foods, BMW, Coca-Cola, and Adobe. Last but not least, Angus is a huge fan of travel, family, a great bourbon or cigar, and the Green Bay Packers.

Show Notes

Learn how to fortify your marketing infrastructure on the Golden Spiral blog.

Daniel Glickman, CMO of Wave.video, thinks of B2B as B2U (Business to User), meaning we should always remember that we are marketing to real people. Daniel is also an expert in creating high-quality video funnels. Learn more in Episode 009 of Studio CMO.

ARE WE THE PROBLEM?

Hubspot reported a 67% increase in the volume of emails being sent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Golden Spiral’s marketing team decided not to increase or decrease our cadence of emails, but instead to sharpen our existing efforts by focusing on two factors:

1. Repetition: A repeated message matters. The more times someone sees a message, the more likely they’ll remember it.
2. Fundamentals: Practicing the fundamentals is critical. One of those fundamentals is email subject lines.

CoSchedule, the social media scheduling tool, offers a free headline analyzer. Check it out here.

The verbs in your emails matter, especially in your subject lines. We compiled 756 verbs that will help you avoid cliches and create better CTAs.

COVID-19 IS A POWERFUL TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR

Consumer behavior is changing. Here's how companies are responding:

• Incentives: if you pay in advance, you’ll receive a discount.
• Expanding bandwidth: providing more access or features at cheaper levels
• Innovation: finding new ways to meet customer needs.

 

COMPANIES ARE INCENTIVIZING HUMAN BEHAVIOR

What does incentivization look like in this new environment? How can companies engage customers in a way that really matters to them?

Many companies are providing bonuses if consumers behave a certain way. For example, some insurance companies are installing programs into vehicles that monitor whether or not the driver remains within the speed limit, makes complete stops, etc. If the driver meets expectations, he or she receives savings or bonuses.

Coming out of the pandemic, B2B leaders may need to consider what kind of reward structure they could provide their customers.

IT’S ALL HUMAN TO HUMAN

Do B2B and B2C still exist?

The people that are engaging in the sales process with your products or services are other humans with challenges and mandates and goals. It’s incumbent upon your company or product to position itself in a way that directly speaks to their pain points.

“Let's be honest. You want that deeper human touch. You want to be more human in what you're doing despite the technology around you.” - Mark Whitlock

 

HOW TO NAVIGATE DIGITAL ADS DURING COVID-19

Spending is down 50% across all channels, clicks are down, and cost per click is down correspondingly. Companies don’t know what to make of it, so digital budgets have been significantly cut.

Is that being driven from a budgetary standpoint? Is it being driven because they feel like they’re tone deaf?

Mark and Angus revealed their greatest piece of advice during the pandemic: Fortify your marketing infrastructure.

Right now, it’s a week-by-week proposition. You should be setting goals for the next 2 weeks at most. Then, watch the trends and respond rationally. Once we come out of this, it’s important not to set a goal for the rest of 2020. Set a goal for one month, maybe two. Then, once again, watch and respond rationally.

“Everything is changing rapidly, almost daily. Your paid spend needs to represent that.” - Mark Whitlock

WHAT DOES WORKING REMOTE LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR COMPANY?

As more and more companies offer a remote work option, will more management and leadership teams begin to recruit talent from anywhere in the world?

As mentioned by Rishad Tobaccowala in Studio CMO Episode 003, find out what Automattic does with their distributed workforce to strengthen on- and offline bonds.

 

REDEEM YOUR COMMUTE

If you had a daily commute before the pandemic, what could you do at home to redeem that time before work starts up again?

“Keep the M.A.I.N. thing the main thing.” - Angus Nelson

Mindset. Allow yourself to see more objectively and creatively in how you approach your customer, your product, and your teams. Improve your leadership, communication, and delegation to help your team have ownership and influence over the future of your company.

Attitude. Come from a place of generosity, a place of abundance where all things are possible.

Inputs. Find the people that are speaking to your soul and inspiring you. You and your company need intellect, data, and heart in this season to truly connect with your customer.

Nurture. We have to make time for ourselves and the things that are important in our families in order to remain effective.

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Website of Golden Spiral, Shaping Technology Marketing