Brian Houchins

Digitalzone’s VP of Marketing recently shared the latest insights on the landscape of B2B buyers on the MarTech Podcast – you definitely won’t want to miss this episode. Check it out below.

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The new TCPA rules are going to hit both the debt space and the business funding (MCA) space extremely hard. This is why it's more crucial than ever to generate your leads from digital opt-ins rather than churning and burning through endless amounts of "trusted" data sources. I've said it before and I'll say it again— Paid ads are an inevitability. If you think otherwise you're so far back in the stone ages that I'm surprised you've had time to read this in your pursuit of inventing fire.

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Understanding and integrating the user's intent is how you create more profound, lasting relationships with your users. It’s one of the critical pillars of our Intelligent Experiences. Get a deeper dive from the legend Chidi Achara #IX #Huge

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Is anyone else tired of the "10x growth" hype in marketing? Let's get real for a moment. In today's hyper-competitive tech landscape, we've seen countless B2B companies struggle to cut through the noise. The truth? Sustainable growth isn't about flashy metrics – it's about truly understanding and communicating your unique value. As a marketing agency who's worked with diverse tech clients, we've learned that effective ABM is about building genuine partnerships and offering fresh perspectives. It's about helping clients navigate market saturation and growing customer skepticism. We've just published a blog on this topic: "Understanding Your Value Proposition: How Agencies Can Truly Serve B2B Tech Clients." You can read it here https://lnkd.in/er8sYyg9 What's your experience with ABM in the current market? Let's discuss! #DetoxingABM #B2BMarketing #ABM #ValueProposition

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I've seen firsthand how rapidly the marketing landscape changes. Staying ahead of the curve isn't just a goal; it's a necessity. Here are three key areas to focus on to drive growth and innovation: 1. Data-Driven Decisions 📊 In today's world, data is king. There is no doubt about that. Focus on advanced analytics to understand your customers better and personalize your campaigns. This approach will not only improve engagement but also boosts ROI. 2. Embracing New Technologies 🤖 From AI to automation, new technologies are transforming how we connect with our audience. Keep an eye out and explore new innovative tools to streamline your processes and enhance your strategies. 3. Building Authentic Connections ❤️ In a digital age, authenticity stands out. Focus on creating GENUINE relationships with your audience through meaningful content and community engagement. It's about building trust and loyalty. What's the most exciting trend you see in marketing? #MarketingStrategy #Innovation #DataDriven #CustomerEngagement #DigitalTransformation

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Navigating Complex Client Needs With Boutique Agencies #1 Insight - Boutique agencies that provide complex solutions are still in need. P.S. Consider subscribing to my newsletter at the top of this post for more insights weekly on navigating successful exits, driving agency growth, and strategic partnership opportunities.

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Not all agencies are created equal when it comes to scope creep. Your agency’s business model—big box or boutique—can directly influence how scope creep impacts you: 🔹 Big Box Agencies: You handle large-scale clients and high project volumes. This often leads to scope creep because: • Clients expect “everything under the sun” with no clear boundaries. • Overlapping teams mean blurred responsibilities. • Scaling creates communication breakdowns. 🔹 Boutique Agencies: You offer highly specialized services, giving you control, BUT: • A single out-of-scope request can consume too much of your small team’s bandwidth. • Clients often expect extra personal touches. • Fewer resources = tighter margins. At SCOPE we customize solutions based on your business model. Whether you’re big box or boutique, we help you: ✅ Define strict project scopes. ✅ Set boundaries that protect profit. ✅ Implement workflows that eliminate scope creep. Your agency doesn’t have to be at the mercy of never-ending revisions and client requests. It’s Time to Take back control of your projects and your profits. Ready to optimize your business model to eliminate scope creep? Let’s chat 💬

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Struggling to connect with your audience and drive conversions? A robust content strategy can be a game-changer! Here are some actionable insights to help you elevate your content game: 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 • Research: Dive deep into audience demographics, interests, and pain points. • Personas: Create detailed buyer personas to tailor your content. 🎯𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 • Define Objectives: Whether it’s brand awareness, lead generation, or sales, be specific about what you want to achieve. • KPIs: Establish key performance indicators to measure success. 🕵️𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 • Evaluate: Assess your existing content to identify what's working and what's not. • Optimize: Update and repurpose high-performing content for better results. 🗓️𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗼 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 • Editorial Calendar: Plan your content schedule to ensure consistency and relevance. • Diverse Formats: Use a mix of blogs, videos, infographics, and social media posts to engage your audience. 🔍𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗘𝗢 • Keywords: Conduct keyword research to optimize your content for search engines. • On-Page SEO: Focus on meta tags, headings, and quality backlinks. 📈 𝗠𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 • Analytics: Regularly track your content performance through analytics tools. • Feedback Loop: Use insights to refine and improve your strategy continuously. Ready to create a content strategy that not only engages your audience but also drives meaningful results? Read more about what it takes on our blog:

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🌟 The Power of Data Loops 🌟Discover how leveraging vendor and partner connections transforms raw data into actionable insights! 🚀 Learn why the “cross-side network effect” is a powerful lever for growth for B2B SaaS brands. 📊 From product development to uncovering what drives success, this episode is packed with strategies to scale your business. ✨🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube now with Tyler Calder! 🔗📺 https://lnkd.in/gkwzgxNd #DataLoops #DataDriven #AlwaysBeTesting #B2B🚀

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Want a more consistent stream of interested prospects knocking on your door each month? The secret is building a "top-of-funnel" audience. At any given time, about 5% of your target audience is actively researching solutions to a problem you solve. These are the people who are likely to respond to a "bottom-of-funnel" call to action, such as "schedule a demo," "book a consultation," or "buy now." The remaining 95% aren't ready to engage in your sales process. However, almost all of these folks are in the market for Frequent, Insightful, Relevant, and Entertaining (FIRE) content. So, by offering no-strings-attached FIRE content, you can attract a larger percentage of your target audience to opt into a relationship with you and your brand...before they are even looking for your solution. This gives you an opportunity to: - Build brand awareness and trust - Uncover latent pain (that you have a solution for) - Stay top of mind for that moment when they move from the 95% to the 5%. Over the last 6 years, #podcasting has emerged as my favorite and most successful top-of-funnel audience-building medium. Why? 1. The number of listeners has exploded to over 140 million in the US.* 2. The average American listens to 8 per week* 3. Podcast consumers spend an average of 7 hours per week listening* 4. 71% of listeners say they are more willing to consider products and services after hearing about them on a podcast** Anecdotally, at Dentist Advisors, a niche RIA that provides wealth management services to dentists, over 15% of dentists in the U.S. listen to our podcast each month, and 43% of our inbound prospects report our podcast as how they heard about Dentist Advisors. In my current role as Head of Marketing at Elements, we're also seeing impressive results from the Elementality podcast, which is focused on helping financial advisors grow and scale their businesses. For an example of what top-of-funnel content sounds like, check out this recent Elementality episode (attached to post), where Jordan Haines, CFP®, and I discuss practical ways financial advisors can use AI to improve their marketing and increase efficiency. By delivering FIRE content via podcasting or other mediums, we've attracted a larger audience, built trust, stayed top of mind, and seen consistent inbound interest in our product. The moral of the story? Invest in building a top-of-funnel audience. It will become the fuel that produces a steady stream of inquiries that already trust you and your brand. #FinancialAdvisors and #MarketingLeaders, what's your favorite top-of-funnel strategy for generating a more predictable flow of inbound prospects? Let's discuss what's working and share our best tips! #WealthTech #ContentMarketing #DemandGeneration *https://lnkd.in/gqkdrvvz **https://lnkd.in/gE4a27YU

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Agencies are continuing to lay off Sr. and mid-level talent. Frankly, we've seen it before. Larger agencies are getting the squeeze to be more profitable with less. And it's often the "middle band" of employees who get the ax. But at what cost?    Agencies are losing expertise, leadership, growth structure, stability, inspiration, and more.    Not Altura Design. We're OBSESSED with the middle band. It's these stellar designers, copywriters, strategists and marketers who manage up and put a hand out. They mentor and lead. They bring fresh thinking and fantastic ideas.    The silver lining in all this? If your agency is doing away with the middle, come talk to us. Where we're strong at ALL bands. #brandcreators #boutiqueagency #creativeexperts #CPG

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Modern day CMOs have one of the hardest jobs in business. There’s so much going on. Marketing and advertising technology is changing every minute. The consumer is constantly changing as the world around them evolves and they are forced to deal with new ways of working, shopping and buying. And all of that stuff has taken a lot of old rules of marketing, advertising, PR, events and media and shifted the playing field while marketers and their agencies have been trying to play the game. This is a challenge to CMOs and agencies on a day-to-day basis. In this overwhelming environment, CMOs have a secret advantage that is often hidden in their agencies. What is that special built in advantage agencies can offer CMOs? https://buff.ly/3GbCDhZ

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The emergence of AI search (now ~20% of searches) is reshaping content strategy. Building brand authority today will determine visibility tomorrow. Here's our methodical approach to preparing for this shift: https://buff.ly/3OMJiTs #DigitalStrategy, #GrowthMarketing, #AIMarketing, #DataDrivenMarketing, #FountainCity

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I often emphasize the importance for marketers to demonstrate how their initiatives drive business outcomes. And according to dentsu Creative’s 2024 CMO Report, the C-Suite is recognizing the value of creativity: 81% of CMOs and CEOs see creativity as more important to their business than ever. Still, they must continue to communicate this value in terms their financial counterparts will appreciate. The study also found that the sentiment around GenAI is improving, with more CMOs viewing it as an enhancement rather than a threat, compared to last year’s survey, when two-thirds of CMOs doubted that AI could create content that would resonate emotionally. With the right use of GenAI and other emerging technologies, marketers can reclaim their time to dedicate it to creative work, which will be the ultimate differentiator. https://lnkd.in/gYQDegDp

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What’s the secret sauce to the future of marketing? Imagine a world where tech and human touch dance together seamlessly. As AI takes giant strides, it simplifies data. This lets brands whip up hyper-personalized experiences, just for you. But here’s the kicker: it's time for mindful marketing. People crave authenticity. They want simplicity. Meaning over noise. Brands need to focus on powerful, genuine interactions. Consent and quality are key. Use data respectfully, and watch decision fatigue fade away. Remember, less is more. This shift not only builds unbreakable brand loyalty but also keeps you front and center in a scattered digital landscape. So, are you ready to embrace the future? It’s time to inspire, connect, and thrive. #AI #DigitalMarketing #marketingtrends #consumerengagement #shoppablevideo

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A small conference booth with all the expenses can run you at least $25K, but how do you make sure people actually come to your booth? What if you don’t have the budget for a booth? Have no fear, geofencing is here! Check out our nifty Event Geofence Calculator to figure out how much you need to spend to reach those coveted conference attendees during AND directly after the conference by reaching them with display ads across mobile and desktop: https://lnkd.in/eu4vVHAK #geofencing #programmatic #displayadvertising

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