My oh my, how time flies.
I’ve survived nearly three exhilarating years in the booming world of ecommerce, working at Rebuy (a personalization platform and the fastest-growing app on Shopify) when ecommerce personalization is skyrocketing.
Thanks to an amazing product and word-of-mouth marketing, we raised a $4.4M seed investment in my first year. In my second year, we raised $17M.
As a newish content marketer and the first marketing hire at Rebuy, I found myself racing to keep up with new product updates, landing pages, email campaigns, and a steady stream of content across our website and four social media channels.
To level up and learn, I often listened to marketing podcasts. I came across The B2B Content Show last fall while looking for tips on content strategy.
Imagine my excitement when I received an invitation to be a guest on the show! Okay, the truth is I was nervous as hell. But after some hand-wringing and long looks in the mirror (and encouragement from my teammates), I went for it anyway.
I join host Jeremy Shere to share my tips for surviving (and thriving) as a B2B content marketer in your first year on the job.
Enjoy! 💼💡
Listen to the Episode
Visit The B2B Content Show website or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
What is The B2B Content Show?
The B2B Content Show is a podcast dedicated to exploring the art and science, opportunities, and challenges of B2B content marketing strategy. It offers insights, tips, and discussions to help content marketers excel in their roles. Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to level up your skills, this podcast has valuable content for you.
Who is This For?
My interview on The B2B Content Show is perfect for new B2B content marketers seeking survival tips for their first job at an early-stage startup.
Survival Tip #1: Interview “Everyone”
Well, not everyone.
But your key stakeholders. You know the ones. Those kind souls with all the knowledge and insights you need to create amazing, well-informed content.
Key Stakeholders:
Identify key stakeholders within your organization, such as sales, success, support, and product teams. Build relationships and gather context from each department to align your content marketing strategy with your company’s ideal customer profile (ICP).
Teammates:
Set up regular meetings with your teammates to share insights, updates, and ideas. Collaborate closely to ensure your content aligns with the overall marketing strategy and product roadmap.
External Stakeholders:
Reach out to partners and customers to gather unbiased context and feedback. Offer to buy virtual coffee with customers to understand their pain points and needs better.
Survival Tip #2: Choose Your Allies
Don’t try to do it all yourself (like I did, oof). Collaborate with team members to leverage diverse skills and expertise.
Internal Allies:
These include your key stakeholders, but can also include anyone in your organization that can help you in your content marketing journey. Work with them to leverage their expertise and support for successful content campaigns.
External Allies:
If you’re the first marketing hire, or if your resources are limited, consider hiring freelancers, agencies, interns, or virtual assistants to assist with content creation and marketing efforts.
Join Communities:
Join B2B content marketing communities like Superpath and Peak Community to learn from industry experts, share experiences, and gain valuable insights.
Survival Tip #3: Choose Your Tools
Baseline Tools:
Use essential tools like CRM or email marketing software to communicate with your users and share the latest news about your company and your product.
Writing Tools:
Optimize your writing with tools like Hemingway and Grammarly to enhance readability.
Here’s a short list of what I used during my first year at Rebuy
- Email: Klaviyo
- Social: Hootsuite
- Design: Photoshop and Canva
- Video: Final Cut Pro X (with a Motion Array account)
- Writing: Grammarly and Hemmingway
- Excel: Editorial calendar
- Measurement: Google Analytics
Survival Tip #3.5: Enjoy the Ride
As a team of one—or an early marketing hire—you’re going to feel pressure to create a flow of high-quality, high-velocity content. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride!
Embrace Experimentation:
Try different content formats, messaging, and topics to discover what resonates best with your target audience.
It’s also fun to experiment with different ways of engaging your teammates.
At one point I hosted a weekly meeting open to the entire company called Content Cafe. It created space for all of us to get in the same room and talk about how best to use content—what content was needed most, what topics customers are talking about, etc. It was fun! And a good way to get others throughout the organization involved with content marketing.
Are We Having Fun Yet?
Content marketing can be creative and enjoyable. Add personal touches, such as song lyric easter eggs, to your writing to make it more engaging and interesting. Connect with your teammates regularly to share fun things you’re doing outside of work.
What do you do to have more fun at work?
Conclusion:
As a B2B content marketer, you have numerous opportunities to be creative, expand your network, and learn from industry experts.
The B2B Content Show podcast and these survival tips will help you survive and thrive in this dynamic landscape.
Connect with fellow marketers, experiment with your content, and most importantly, enjoy your content marketing journey!