Tech Qualified

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Justin Brown, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore what marketing ROI means when your team must both “keep the lights on” and drive growth. Justin draws a hard line between table-stakes marketing and growth marketing. Your website, basic content, and consistent presence work like HR or accounting: you need them to run a business, and not every dollar ties to a clean return. Problems start when leaders demand perfect attribution for everything, or when marketers accept vague goals like “more” without a definition. For growth work, Justin pushes for a model built on history: cost per lead, cost per opportunity, and pipeline targets. He shows how board numbers can set teams up to fail, even when performance rises. If you lack data, he recommends setting a baseline, using benchmarks, and getting leadership to sign off on metrics. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Tristan Pelligrino, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore the realities of account-based marketing (ABM) for small B2B tech teams, focusing on practical ways to build effective programs without big budgets or expensive software. Tristan explains how scrappy ABM differs from enterprise approaches, breaking down the process of connecting with target accounts using lean tools and smart workflows. He highlights the value of layering outreach—using cold email, targeted ads, and LinkedIn sequences—to create momentum and gather early signals. Tristan shares how his teams track website visits and ad engagement to spot interest before leads fill out a form, making sure marketers have data to report real progress. The episode closes with advice for teams getting started: focus on a strong, relevant offer and keep friction low for your prospects. Tristan stresses that even with modest tools, clear messaging and ongoing testing drive the best results. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Content Logistics, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Justin Brown, founder of Marketers in Demand. They explore what it means to build a true marketing roadmap and why small B2B teams need more than just ideas to see growth. Justin breaks down the gap between having a “strategy” in your head and having a documented plan with real goals and actions. He explains that most teams think they have a strategy but lack a written roadmap that outlines what needs to happen and why. Without this, teams chase tactics—like paid ads or new messaging—without tying them to outcomes, which wastes time and budget. The conversation focuses on the power of starting with clear business goals, then building tactics to support them. Justin shares why teams should prioritize content creation and test internally before spending on outside help. He closes with simple advice: if you can’t send someone your marketing strategy in a document, it’s time to create one. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Justin Brown, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand, to tackle the real challenges of measuring content ROI for small B2B marketing teams. They dig into why direct attribution is so hard when you’re working with limited budgets and lean teams—especially when enterprise tools are out of reach. Justin shares why not every marketing activity needs to show a direct return. He explains the concept of “table stakes marketing”—the foundational work like keeping your website and social media fresh—that builds trust and credibility but rarely delivers a clear, immediate payoff. Justin stresses that this work matters for brand health, even if you can’t tie every action to a new lead. Together, Baylee and Justin explore smarter ways to track progress, like watching for growth trends and engagement, rather than obsessing over single-channel metrics. They remind listeners that investing in marketing is a long game, and lasting results often come from consistent, visible effort—not just short-term wins. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Justin Brown, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore the real work that goes into launching and sustaining a successful B2B podcast, especially for small marketing teams. Justin shares why consistency matters more than flashy production and explains how a podcast can anchor content strategy for tech companies. Justin pushes back on the idea that business podcasts should focus on executive stories or product launches. Instead, he urges listeners to build shows around real audience problems and to use targeted questions that give practical takeaways. He also describes how podcasting can fuel content for blogs, social media, and sales outreach, making it a practical choice for busy teams. Throughout the conversation, Justin stresses the value of starting simple and building over time. He encourages marketers to respect the medium, aim for steady output, and use podcasting as a tool for lasting relationships and trust—not just vanity metrics. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Kiyan Klocker to explore what makes a paid landing page work. Kiyan explains why landing pages must focus on a single audience and a single goal, and why sending paid traffic to a homepage usually falls short. Instead, he shares how to reuse strong content from other parts of your website while tailoring each landing page to match the campaign’s purpose and the visitor’s needs. Kiyan walks through the difference between marketing and sales, stressing that marketing should center on helping prospects solve problems. He outlines how to build campaigns for every stage of the funnel, from raising awareness to driving action, and why every landing page must set clear expectations for what happens after a visitor hits submit. He also highlights common mistakes, like adding too many calls to action or mismatching ad copy and landing page content. The conversation wraps with practical advice on measuring success, customizing by audience, and keeping the user journey smooth from ad to form. Kiyan’s insights offer a clear path for anyone looking to improve campaign performance with better landing pages. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Tristan Pelligrino, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore how B2B tech companies can craft offers that cut through the noise and drive real engagement in account-based marketing (ABM). Tristan explains why strong offers start with a deep understanding of customer pain points. He shares the importance of moving beyond generic content and building no-brainer offers that deliver meaningful value—sometimes even quantified as a percentage of the annual contract value. Tristan also stresses the difference between resources and true offers, urging teams to segment and qualify prospects before extending high-value opportunities. The conversation turns to messaging and testing. Tristan outlines practical ways to reach buyers through tailored emails, ads, and sales outreach. He encourages teams to test different angles, use real customer language, and rely on frequent iteration instead of waiting for perfection. The key is to launch, learn, and keep refining with real feedback. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell sits down with Tristan Pelligrino, Co-Founder at Marketers in Demand. They explore how B2B tech companies can build stronger content strategies by focusing first on understanding their ideal customers. Tristan explains that content isn’t just about producing blog posts or white papers—it starts with knowing exactly who you want to reach and what problems they face. Tristan shares why small marketing teams should prioritize real conversations with customers and internal experts. He shows how these discussions reveal the challenges buyers care about and help teams create more meaningful, specific content. By gathering insights from sales calls, customer interviews, and feedback sessions, marketers can move beyond generic messaging and stand out from competitors. The conversation wraps with practical advice for scrappy teams: start with one type of conversation, such as a podcast or video chat, and repurpose that material across channels. For Tristan, this approach helps teams stretch their resources, reach the right people, and build a content engine that actually supports growth. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Baylee Gunnell joins Colin Costigan, Head of Accounts at Marketers in Demand, to discuss a common marketing challenge. Many teams want to launch a perfect campaign, but the market demands speed. Colin explains why perfection is unattainable and how teams can shift their thinking. Colin suggests moving from an "architect" to an "engineer" mindset. Instead of endless planning, marketers should build, test, and gather real-world data. He advises treating every launch as a live experiment, not a final exam. This reframes failure as a learning opportunity and removes the pressure of a single, high-stakes release. To build momentum, Colin advises a consistent cadence for reviewing data and launching new tests. This creates a continuous loop of learning and iteration. By focusing on progress, marketers can adapt faster and achieve better results in a constantly moving market. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

Marketers often jump directly into tactics, feeling pressure to show progress. In this episode of Tech Qualified,, Baylee Gunnell and Colin Costigan, Head of Accounts at Marketers in Demand, discuss how to build a stronger marketing foundation. Colin explains that the desire for tangible results and leadership pressure cause teams to skip essential planning. A strong marketing plan starts with a business goal. This "North Star" guides your strategy, which defines who you will target. Only then should you develop tactics like email outreach or social media ads. Every tactic must trace back to the strategy and serve the main business outcome. Knowing when to adapt is critical. Colin explains how to tell if a problem is tactical or strategic. Signals like a low click-through rate may require a tactical change. However, major issues like a doubling cost-per-lead signal a need to revisit your strategy. This framework helps teams stay structured while remaining flexible. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

Building a website can feel overwhelming. In this episode of Tech Qualified, Erin Ham, Account Director at Marketers in Demand, shares a clear roadmap for website strategy. She joins host Baylee Gunnell to discuss why every project must start with a single, defined goal. This foundation guides all future decisions, from content planning to tech stack integration. Erin highlights common pitfalls, including overloaded menus and confusing jargon. She recommends a "five-second test" to ensure visitors immediately understand how you can help them. This means shifting from "selfish content" about your company to customer-centric messaging that solves a problem. It’s about focusing on what the user gets, not just what you do. The discussion also covers practical tactics for improving an existing site. Erin suggests talking to your sales team to learn customer pain points and using tools like heat maps for user insights. The key takeaway is to build a simple, strategic path that guides users and helps them succeed. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

Justin Brown, co-founder of Marketing in Demand, explains why founder-led content matters more than most executives realize on this episode of Tech Qualified with host Baylee Gunnell. Justin argues that founders bring irreplaceable industry perspectives that employees simply can't match, especially those who've spent decades in their field. The conversation explores three types of founders: those who resist content creation entirely, those who are open but hesitant, and those who fully embrace it. Justin emphasizes that most founders fall into the middle category and need content creation made as simple as possible. He suggests quarterly recordings that can be repurposed across multiple channels rather than demanding weekly commitments. Justin challenges traditional ROI thinking around content marketing. He views founder content as essential business infrastructure rather than direct revenue generation. Content serves multiple purposes: sales enablement materials, customer testimonials, and relationship building with industry leaders. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, host Justin Brown talks with Joe Michalowski, Head of Client Services at New North, about the importance of documenting marketing strategies. They discuss the value of creating detailed plans for various marketing channels. Justin and Joe explain that a written plan keeps everyone aligned, from internal teams to client stakeholders. It provides clarity on goals, target audiences, and metrics for tracking success. They also delve into the risks of neglecting documentation, such as inconsistent brand messaging, missed business goals, and difficulty in measuring marketing ROI. Joe emphasizes the need for living documents that evolve with a company's marketing efforts. He outlines key elements to include in a comprehensive plan: clear identification of the target customer, well-defined goals, specific metrics, and assigned responsibilities for execution. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker welcome Florian Delval, Director and Technical Product Marketing Manager at ActionIQ. Florian shares his journey from software engineering to product marketing, highlighting the skills and insights he brings from his technical background. Florian discusses a recent fast-track product launch at ActionIQ, where his team had just eight days to prepare. He emphasizes the importance of internal communication, having a clear plan, and focusing on essential tasks to ensure a successful launch. Florian also talks about the value of understanding market trends and staying ahead of the curve. Listeners will gain insights into how ActionIQ empowers marketers by simplifying access to customer data without requiring deep technical knowledge. Florian shares his strategies for effective collaboration between marketing and technical teams, ensuring everyone is aligned and working towards common goals. This episode is a must-listen for marketers navigating complex technologies and striving to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker chat with Greg Elfrink, Director of Marketing at Empire Flippers. Greg shares his experiences and insights on building and maintaining a successful newsletter, scaling content efforts, and leveraging global talent in the M&A space. Greg dives into the creation of the "This Week in M&A" newsletter, detailing its transformation from a simple content wrap-up to a robust weekly update with 118,000 active subscribers. He explains how switching to a more diverse and engaging format, inspired by popular newsletters like The Hustle and Morning Brew, significantly improved metrics and audience engagement. Throughout the conversation, Greg emphasizes the importance of curating relevant content and staying updated on industry trends to provide value to subscribers. He highlights the strategic use of both internal and external resources, including influencers and social intelligence software, to keep the newsletter fresh and informative. The discussion also touches on the challenges of marketing to entrepreneurs in the digital space, the benefits of a well-structured content strategy, and the impact of effective communication tools on team alignment and productivity. Greg's insights offer valuable takeaways for anyone looking to enhance their marketing efforts and connect with a broader audience. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker sit down with Allys Ton from Qortex to discuss the intricacies of brand building, particularly for small marketing teams. Allys shares her extensive experience in creating and nurturing brands at various companies, highlighting her unique approach to personifying brands. She explains how a comprehensive branding exercise can define a brand’s personality, voice, and values, making it easier to communicate the brand’s essence across all marketing materials. Allys emphasizes the importance of collaboration within a company during the branding process. She advocates for involving different departments to get a holistic view of the brand's identity. This approach ensures that the brand’s personality resonates with everyone, from engineers to customer-facing employees. Allys also talks about the practical steps involved in launching a brand, such as updating websites, social media, and marketing collateral, to align with the new brand identity. The conversation also covers the challenges and strategies of maintaining brand consistency with the help of external contractors. Both Allys and Meredith share their experiences working with designers and content creators to keep their brand’s voice and visual identity cohesive. They discuss the balance of in-house skills and outsourced expertise, emphasizing the need for clear communication and feedback to ensure that all content reflects the brand’s core values and personality. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this illuminating episode of "Tech Qualified," hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker engage with Ryan Tidwell from Saltmine, exploring the unique challenges of marketing within niche B2B spaces. Ryan shares his journey of marketing in underrepresented sectors like prop tech and how crucial consistency and tailored strategies are for his 'small but scrappy' team. His insights reveal that success lies not in grand gestures but in steady, thoughtful marketing that resonates with a specific audience. Ryan emphasizes the importance of understanding the audience's needs, avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions, and instead focusing on what truly matters to them. This approach requires marketers to think critically about the utility and clarity of their content, ensuring it speaks directly to the concerns and interests of their niche audience. The discussion also delves into the broader implications of marketing strategies that prioritize authenticity and strategic thinking over flashy, transient tactics. By sharing examples from his own experience, Ryanl illustrates how effective marketing in specialized fields doesn't always follow the mainstream but instead builds its own path to resonate deeply with its intended audience. This episode is a must-listen for marketers aiming to leverage limited resources for maximum impact. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In the latest episode of "Tech Qualified," hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Medsker engage with Drew Moffitt from Kumospace to explore innovative strategies in B2B influencer marketing and virtual office environments. Drew details Kumospace’s virtual platform, which simulates a physical office digitally, enhancing remote collaboration. The discussion also covers how Kumospace has been effectively utilizing influencer marketing to boost visibility and engagement, demonstrating substantial impacts on their growth and customer acquisition strategies. Drew explains the mechanics behind their successful influencer campaigns, emphasizing the importance of organic and relatable content to ensure authenticity. He shares insights on the careful selection and management of influencers to maximize reach and engagement. This approach has not only increased Kumospace's visibility but also significantly contributed to their revenue, demonstrating the effectiveness of influencer marketing in the B2B space. Furthermore, the episode dives into the operational aspects of running influencer campaigns, including the tools and processes Kumospace employs to manage and measure the success of these initiatives. Drew’s candid discussion provides valuable lessons for marketers looking to leverage influencer marketing, highlighting the potential for substantial returns when executed with a strategic and genuine approach. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, hosts Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker chat with Stephen Robles of Riverside about asynchronous recording technologies. The discussion kicks off with an overview of Riverside's features designed to ease recording processes for busy professionals. Stephen explains how the platform allows for recording without requiring all participants to be online simultaneously, a boon for busy CEOs and subject matter experts. The conversation dives into specific functionalities of Riverside, such as creating links for asynchronous recording, which simplifies the collection of high-quality audio and video content. This feature is particularly beneficial for journalists and businesses needing testimonials without coordinating schedules. Stephen highlights the intuitive user interface that guides users through the recording process, ensuring quality submissions with minimal technical know-how. Towards the end, the podcast covers Riverside’s innovative approach to content creation and its potential applications in various fields, including marketing and education. Stephen discusses upcoming features and enhancements that streamline the editing process, enabling users to produce polished content directly within Riverside. This episode is a must-listen for professionals looking to leverage technology for more efficient content creation and management. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.

In this episode of Tech Qualified, Justin Brown and Meredith Metsker host Nick Lafferty, a seasoned growth marketing consultant and founder of the Early Exit Club. Nick discusses the crucial role of paid marketing strategies for B2B organizations, emphasizing the rapid feedback and optimization opportunities it provides. He details how paid marketing efforts can be a valuable tool for small teams looking to test ideas quickly with minimal initial investment. Nick explains how to align marketing strategies with business objectives and select the most effective channels, such as Google Ads and LinkedIn. He stresses the importance of matching these channels to the company's stage of development and budget, guiding businesses through the initial steps of creating a paid media program from scratch. The conversation also covers common challenges and pitfalls in paid marketing, such as inadequate budget allocation and the complexities of channel prioritization. Nick shares insights on when companies should consider investing in paid channels and how to measure the success of these investments, providing practical advice for companies at various growth stages. This episode is produced by New North. New North is a strategic B2B marketing agency specializing in working with tech companies. Going beyond conventional tactics, we craft a personalized marketing strategy, conduct research, lay a solid foundation, execute dynamic campaigns, and continuously refine our approach through analysis. With New North, your small, scrappy marketing team transforms into a powerful growth engine, achieving your goals with less pressure and more precision.