SaaS Half Full

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/

Looking back on 2021 and early 2022, it was heaven for many marketers. Big budgets, sky-high valuations, and VC dollars are pouring in. Today? “Do more with less” has become the most-hated phrase among SaaS marketers. Bhaskar Roy, Head of Marketing at Workato, urges marketers to get back to the basics to climb out of the abyss. From obsessing again over org-wide customer success efforts to creating “frame breaking” content that goes against the grain, Bhaskar shares what he believes can have a max impact for marketers in today's challenging economy. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhaskarroy/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Who is in charge of pricing decisions at your SaaS org? For nearly 60% of companies, it’s the CEO or an opinion-filled decision amongst the entire C-suite. But who should own it? Dan Balcauski, the founder of Product Tranquility, answers the question in this episode, breaking down the art and science of SaaS product pricing and packaging (two very different elements) and advocating for marketers to focus more on the “who” and “how” they charge instead of the price itself (the “what”). https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

"Do more with less" is this year's most-hated phrase for marketers. And for brand marketers, this means a direct hit to budgets responsible for a company's reputation. On this episode of SaaS Half Full, Lindsey talks with Palmer Houchins, Head of Marketing at G2, about the lopsided finger-pointing that often happens between demand and brand teams, especially in a recession when short-term ROI is king. Grab a drink and join the discussion as Palmer dives into what CMOs often get wrong about their thinking regarding brand spend, how to intertwine brand and demand to create balance, and shares his opinions on creating a founder brand. https://www.linkedin.com/in/palmerhouchins/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Gone are the days of internal-only communication. Every internal message is now at the risk of being shared externally, creating more pressure to skilfully craft statements surrounding economic, societal, or company impact events (RIFs, outage, data breach, etc.). As a result, the role of Corporate Communications has never been more in demand and vital to a company's long-term reputation. So, why does the function still report to marketing, a department typically focused on short-term tactics for direct ROI? In this episode, Grace Williams, SVP of BLASTmedia, shares her opinion and makes the case for Chief Communications Officers and other high-level corp comm leaders reporting directly to the CEO. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracecoylewilliams/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Despite data supporting the case for creating a more self-serve buying process, many SaaS revenue teams are still operating in a way that is legit the opposite of what today's buyer wants. New report data from more than 2,000 B2B tech buyers reveals what self-serve looks like in practice - and it's transparent pricing, free demos, and no freakin' cold calls. Listen as Lindsey speaks with Allyson Havener, VP of Marketing at TrustRadius, about the report's results and how it's changing the course for SaaS go-to-market teams. https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-havener/https://www.trustradius.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Who here is guilty of building and running a marketing and sales playbook, then delaying changing it because it took so damn long to implement? Often, the paralysis is due to not knowing where to start. Gracey Cantalupo, CMO at MentorcliQ, says to begin with being a good buyer first and go back to the start - which can be done in a couple of not-so-time-intensive steps. In this episode, listen as she and Lindsey Groepper discuss how hiring someone to walk your virtual storefront (yes, a mystery shopper!) and actually being on a software buying committee can be worth its weight in gold. https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceycantalupo/https://www.mentorcliq.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com

This special Fireside Chat edition brings together two SaaS VCs to discuss the current investment landscape vibe. Tackling everything from the technologies they are bullish on to the importance of burn efficiency in defining financial health, the current sitch is both conservative and optimistic. Sara Omohundro, Principal at Elevate Ventures, and David Kerr, Managing Director of Allos Ventures, are two experienced SaaS investors who joined Lindsey in-office for an agency discussion. Tune in to hear the unscripted conversation from the boots on the ground in SaaS investing. https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-omohundro-cfa-2a104181/https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kerr-9b0b501/https://allosventures.com/https://elevateventures.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

Media companies like Netflix create content to make money, plain and simple. If it doesn't perform, it isn't renewed or promoted. With this idea in mind, why are B2B marketers creating video content without expecting performance? Jennifer Griffin Smith, CMO of Brightcove, wants marketers to think and act more like a media company. In this episode, Jennifer explains how a successful video strategy isn't contained to large companies with high-production capabilities, the role of user (customer) generated content, and why she believes B2B has a place on TikTok. Are you ready to think more like Netflix? Press play. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifergriffinsmith/https://www.brightcove.com/en/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

When looking to exit through acquisition, what makes one SaaS company stand out from the others? The answer is...nothing definitively. It's all subjective, according to Thomas Smale, CEO and Founder of FE International, an M&A advisory firm. In this episode, Thomas and Lindsey discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a strong founder brand, common mistakes he sees companies make when positioning for an exit (like cutting the wrong expenses), and the "analysis paralysis" that prevents buyers from making an offer. https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomassmale/https://feinternational.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

What a ride 2022 has been! Another year with fantastic guests has come to an end, but we’re not closing out the season until we review our most downloaded episodes. We’ve talked about gaining alignment with your C-suite, how to get the most out of your PR agency relationship, when to sell your SaaS business, and even how to make your brand un-bland. Whether you’ve listened to the full episodes or not, enjoy this recap of 2022’s best, and feel free to revisit the conversations in the archives. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

It’s that time of year again! Marketing industry predictions are one of our favorite topics, and we’re sticking with the tradition. To share 2023 B2B SaaS marketing predictions, we have Kazuki Ohta, CEO and Co-founder of Treasure Data, a leading customer data platform. In this episode, Kaz and Lindsey discuss predictions like the rise of Chief Customer Officers, what will replace cookie-driven strategies, and the trend of proactive data governance. Tune in to hear Kaz unpack all of his predictions for 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazukiohta/https://www.treasuredata.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/

If you sell into the enterprise or are thinking of swimming upstream, this is the episode for you. Alberto Cantor is the Senior Director of Demand Generation and Corporate Marketing at ArisGlobal, and its SaaS product is sold to big-honkin' pharmaceutical companies. Yes, large, conservative buying teams in a super-regulated industry with long sales cycles. Can ABM work in this environment? Yes, but not if you give up easily. In this episode, Alberto talks about the three pillars he had to master before he got ABM for enterprise right (after two failed attempts) and how to set expectations for ABM performance across the entire organization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-cantor/https://www.arisglobal.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindseygroepper/https://www.blastmedia.com/