SaaS Half Full

Whether you are a SaaS founder looking to make your first marketing hire or a CMO building out your team, the rocky tech economy has created a surplus of marketing talent. VPs and Directors from big tech are free agents…fantastic hires, right? According to Mark Donnigan, virtual CMO and consultant, the answer isn’t always yes. In this episode, we tackle choosing the right type of hire (generalist or conductor?) and then dive into how to think more strategically about the top talent available today. https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdonnigan/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Most SaaS revenue leaders would agree that former clients (”Gems”) make amazing second clients. But, how can you track job changers and operationalize an outreach program at scale? Trinity Nguyen, VP of Marketing at UserGems, joins this episode to discuss this underutilized revenue stream and walks through how to identify Gems and create a program designed to target this critical group. https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinitynguyen/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Gen Y and millennials — who value purpose and meaning when choosing SaaS vendors — comprise most of today’s B2B decision-makers. So why are you still pushing narratives centered on products and features? Today's modern corporate narrative has evolved from CEO-driven, corporate talk tracks to more personal, human-centered narratives to form connections with a new generation of buyers. Join Lindsey Groepper, President of BLASTmedia, as she unpacks the current demands of the modern corporate narrative and how to evolve yours to build trust and establish connection. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

You’re a SaaS CMO and received the news that you are getting a new CEO. Super! Super? Super, right?! In this episode, Paige O’Neill, CMO of Seismic, shares her story of transitioning to a new CEO with her previous role. From what the first meeting should entail to the pressures of balancing old and new, Paige gives an honest account of what she learned in the transition and the two years that followed. Bottom line? A new CEO means starting over, which can simultaneously be insanely positive and challenging as the incumbent CMO. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigeoneill/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

For most SaaS organizations, the customer success function has two players - the CS lead and the salesperson. But in this episode, Karen Budell, CMO of Totango, talks through a “three-legged stool” approach, with marketing as an equal leg. She believes the three functions should work together to develop and execute customer expansion campaigns, driving more revenue from existing accounts. Which, in a down market, is much less costly and time-consuming than securing new logos. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenbudell/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

In this episode, our host speaks with author and positioning expert April Dunford about the realities of creating a category and defining positioning to win in SaaS. Drawing from years of data and experience consulting SaaS companies, April surfaces the signals indicative of a positioning problem, pinpoints where product demos go wrong, and gets candid about VCs and startups’ illusions about category creation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/?originalSubdomain=cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

SaaS marketers know we’ve entered the era of the self-serve buyer, where prospects expect price transparency and free trials. While this might not work for complex enterprise deals, there are lessons to be taken from a PLG motion that most SaaS orgs should employ. Krish Ramineni, Co-founder and CEO at Fireflies.ai, dishes on how to execute a free trial successfully, what it takes to offer a freemium product, and shares his personal story on ignoring his investors’ advice to stay away from a PLG model. https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishramineni/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

With Biden’s recent executive order addressing the safe and secure development and use of AI, data privacy is even more mind top of mind for SaaS marketers. In this episode, Conor Bronsdon, Director of Marketing & Communications at LinearB, breaks down the order, discusses the new privacy demands on marketers, and how to build buyer trust in today’s AI economy. https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbronsdon/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

SaaS marketers understand the importance of a strong brand, but are you clear in your strategic narrative today? If “efficiency” is driving your narrative, this episode is for you (because, spoiler alert, “efficiency” ain’t it.) In this episode, Melissa Rosenthal, Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, unpacks the elements needed to create a memorable brand in the face of new market demands and how to measure effectiveness. Plus, she's brave enough to talk about one of her biggest brand fails and what was learned from the experience. https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosenthal5/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Whether you have added enterprise selling into a PLG motion or have always focused on the segment, SaaS marketers understand the different pain points and nuances of prospecting to the enterprise. But, should you literally market to “the enterprise?” According to Sarah Emmott, Head of Brand for Work Management at Atlassian, the answer is no. In this conversation, Sarah unpacks how enterprise prospects actually search for solutions and explains why ditching the term “enterprise” in your marketing efforts is the way forward for maximum influence. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shickman1/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Are you an early-stage B2B SaaS marketer, or maybe you’re a seasoned marketer but have limited resources to uncover the audience data you need to succeed? In this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey sits down with Ryan Sonnenberg, Director of Marketing at SavvyMoney, as he spills the tea on how B2B SaaS marketers are leaving valuable audience data on the table and what tools early-stage marketers can use to help them in their audience identification journey. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantsonnenberg/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

PR and ABM…say what? Yes, there is a modern PR approach where these two strategies work together, adding more value to your PR investment. Our host, Lindsey Groepper, forgoes a guest this week to share her thoughts on this topic, including how to align your ABM targets with thought leadership efforts to create direct touchpoints with the individual prospects your BDRs are targeting. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

If you’re a SaaS marketer who tends to be risk-averse, the last 12 months have not been your friend. Market volatility and “doing more with less” do not pair well with taking chances, but Emily Montgomery, VP of Professional Services at Xplor, believes there are still opportunities to take calculated risks…and it starts with a mindset shift. Listen in as we explore how to “experiment and learn” to create a culture of risk among your marketing org and the channels most ripe for experimentation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-montgomery-8995361/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

It's been a minute since the social media industry has been in the spotlight, but the past six months have been poppin' off. Between the launch of Threads and Twitter rebranding to X, there's a wealth of new info to digest if social media falls under your purview (in-house or via an agency partner). In this episode, Karri Carlson, VP of Operations at LeadTail, updates us on the platform changes that matter, new platforms emerging (like Mastodon), and the trend of "atomizing" social into niche communities with their own set of rules and community standards. https://www.linkedin.com/in/heykarri/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

By now, we get it: AI is here to stay and makes marketing more efficient. But, what fears do marketers have around AI, how do you responsibly feed the board’s appetite for AI, and to what level do marketing leaders need to understand the technology? In this episode, we’re joined by Pete Housley, CMO at Unbounce, and Amanda (Elam) Cole, CMO at Bloomreach, to dig into these questions. Listen in for a deeper understanding of the seemingly unlimited opportunities of the technology and also the potential pitfalls. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-housley-a3653012/?originalSubdomain=cahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aelam/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

What do CMOs wish more CEOs understood about marketing? It’s the big question we ask our guests at the end of each episode, and through the first half of the year, many answers came back to one core topic - CEOs not valuing brand enough. In this episode, we’re bringing you a compilation of our guests’ answers and biggest wish: that more CEOs understood not everything in marketing can be measured. https://www.blastmedia.com/resources/?type=podcasthttps://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

PLG companies are in the spotlight again, being examined by media and analysts for their staying power in a recession. So, we’re pulling an episode off the top shelf this week which tackles PLG. Rachel Hepworth is now Head of Marketing at Notion, a PLG brand, but when this episode first aired, she was their Co-Marketing Lead. When Rachel started her role at Notion, a PLG company, the brand had been primarily (and successfully) built through community and content, existing without a growth-marketing function. As Notion was moving into more enterprise and complex sales, Rachel was tasked with starting from the ground floor, including scaling up a tech stack and data team. Listen in as Rachel walks through how to develop a growth engine inside a PLG company and how brand and demand can work seamlessly together. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhepworth/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Our circle of influence has fundamentally changed. Whereas we used to follow brands, we now follow people. While B2C companies were quick to invest in online influencers, B2B marketers are finally vibin’ with the creator economy. In this episode, Ali Fazal, VP of Marketing at GRIN, digs into how B2B brands should think about influencer marketing (spoiler alert: it has little to do with follower count), explores the most impactful channels, and gives advice on the possible value exchanges between B2B brands and creators. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifazal1/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Hey guys! Nope, scratch that. Hey friends! While most SaaS marketers agree on the importance of inclusive marketing, achieving inclusivity is still a work in progress. In this episode, Sarah Reynolds, CMO of HiBob, discusses the importance of establishing an authentic culture of inclusivity, details common oversights, and dives into the beautiful fabric that makes today’s diverse customer base. Oh yeah, and something about a little brand called Bud Light. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahlizreynolds/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

We’re gonna need a bigger bench. The list of available SaaS CMOs is growing, with many finding themselves free agents for the first time, involuntarily. In this episode, Lindsey connects with Nirosha Methananda, a senior marketing leader on the bench, about what she’s learned during her transition period. From digging into learning and community to investing in an executive coach (bye-bye ego!) and her personal brand, Nirosha is far from wallowing in her circumstances. She rounds out the episode by providing her take on the future of full-time work and where she sees the CMO market heading. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirosham/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/