Marketing isn’t just an art—it’s also a science. And few embody this seamless intersection more than Christy Behnke, SMG's Vice President of Marketing. During her conversation on GTM Secrets, host Stephen Lowisz broke down Christy's advanced yet approachable strategies for creating marketing campaigns that don’t just generate buzz but deliver measurable results. With her uniquely balanced approach to communications, demand generation, and data-driven tactics, we’ve pulled together a compilation of lessons you can start using today to enhance your own marketing game.  

Buckle up. This isn’t boilerplate advice for beginners—it’s actionable insight for marketers who like strategy with a dash of bold execution.

Harmonizing Marketing Communications with Demand Generation  

For many marketers, communications (creative, “fluffy” activities like brand-building) and demand generation (hard-data, conversion-focused activities) feel like two sides of a tug-of-war. But Christy doesn’t believe in choosing sides. Instead, she’s perfected the art of blending them into campaigns that pull double duty—captivating audiences while driving revenue.  

Christy credits this to her dual background. She started out in demand generation, where proving marketing’s ROI was critical. Later, she shifted to roles focused on marketing communications, where crafting relatable, creative messaging took center stage. These contrasting experiences taught her that they don’t need to be siloed.  

At SMG, the fusion looks something like this:

• Communications provide the human element—stories and connections that make your brand memorable.  
• Demand generation delivers the measurable impact—metrics-driven insights that prove which campaigns work and which don’t.  

How You Can Apply This  

If your marketing team is divided between these disciplines, start small:

1. Add KPIs (like conversion rates or engagement scores) to creative communications campaigns. For example, if launching a hopeful brand video, measure its clear downstream impact—like visits to your website or form fills.  
2. Make sure your demand-gen campaigns contain language and visuals that resonate beyond just logical data points. Inject emotional storytelling into your drip campaigns, and make them relatable.  

Real-World Example  

A demand-gen campaign at SMG might include a technical value-driven piece like a benchmarking report. The accompanying nurture emails? They lean into softer touches—engaging language, customer stories, and approachable takeaways that make SMG’s solutions feel like a perfect fit.  

The Gold Standard of Personalization in Outreach  

It’s 2023. Generic cold emails are marketing malpractice. Christy calls out this growing problem and emphasizes a major takeaway for marketers everywhere. If your outreach shows zero effort, it’s heading straight to the trash folder.  

Marketers, particularly those in leadership roles, are bombarded with outreach pitches. Christy stresses that personalized outreach is the only way to stand out. But don’t confuse true personalization with lazy attempts that scrape surface-level information.  

Levels of Personalization That Work:

• Deep Profile Research Over Surface-Level Flattery  

 Instead of referencing Christy’s title or congratulating her on a new role she’s been in for two years (yes, this happens), successful outreach mentions something unique. For her, this could be recognition of her 2020 Marketer of the Year award or a reference to her Bernese mountain dogs.  

• Value-Boosted Content Sharing  

 A surefire way to get responses? Send resources that genuinely add value. Think proprietary research reports or industry insights packed with actionable metrics. Christy is clear—don’t send another “read my blog” email. Bring something that helps her solve a problem or understand an emerging trend.  

Pro Tips for Better Outreach

1. Stop starting your emails with “I noticed on your profile…” Instead, craft hooks that focus on their pain points or interests, as gleaned from secondary clues on their content preferences or activity.  
2. Use personalization platforms carefully. Automation tools like Clay or Sixth Sense can support your outreach but shouldn’t write them entirely for you. Bots are often exposed by predictable phrasing that seasoned marketing execs can spot instantly.  
3. Lead with data-backed insights. Christy favors benchmarks that allow her to compare her results against others. Tailor outreach materials to highlight potential lifts in performance or identify untapped opportunities.  

Crushing It with Demand Generation Channels  

Demand generation strategies evolve rapidly, but some foundations never change. Christy’s candor on what works—and what doesn’t—is like a breath of fresh air. From solving B2B’s long sales cycles to managing the insane costs of LinkedIn ads, here’s what she aims for at SMG.  

1. Leverage Industry Events Like a Pro  

Christy is decisive about ditching meaningless trade show booths. At SMG, event sponsorships are targeted toward opportunities where their leadership is front and center—things like introducing keynote speakers or hosting dinners for small, high-value groups.  

Pre-event planning is also key. Christy’s team primes the event pipeline by identifying a list of attendees from their ICP and ensuring SDRs do targeted outreach well in advance. By the time her team lands at the event, they’ve already lined up promising conversations.  

2. Retool LinkedIn Use  

No sugarcoating here—Christy admits LinkedIn ads are stupid expensive. Still, her team finds success through tailored LinkedIn messages that feel human and intentional, not robotic. With so much budget going up in smoke for ineffective ads, this pivot to thoughtful, one-on-one engagement is a game changer.  

3. Exploit ABM Strategies with Sixth Sense  

Account-based marketing (ABM) works wonders when sales and marketing teams speak the same language. For SMG, Sixth Sense enables them to focus heavily on ICP-driven accounts with tailored messaging. Still, Christy warns that without alignment across teams, even the priciest tools won’t get you far.  

Your Action Plan

• Ditch booths unless they’ve got guaranteed ROI metrics like attendee lists. Secure exposure-heavy sponsorships instead.  
• Replace automated bulk messaging with precision targeting on LinkedIn. Set up a separate SDR team for research-first engagement.  
• Use ABM tools to prioritize your highest-converting accounts. Predefine which intent signals actually matter.  

“Measure Twice, Launch Once”: Data Is Queen  

Christy’s campaigns are powered by pure data—leading to a 450% boost in conversion. But it didn’t happen by accident. SMG rigorously analyzes three key metrics before scaling their campaigns.  

1. KPIs with a Purpose  

Each campaign starts with clear benchmarks. For example, replying to SDR emails might be measured in response rates, while ad success could ride on post-click conversions. Campaigns that don’t measure up during testing phases get axed or reworked.  

2. Hyper-Segmented Lead Scoring  

Using tools like Sixth Sense, Christy categorizes leads and accounts into A, B, C, and D tiers. Sales then focus exclusively on A and B prospects, leaving marketing to re-engage lower-tier leads through nurture workflows. This alignment with sales ensures that everyone’s time is well spent.  

3. Relentless Testing  

Testing frameworks are non-negotiable. Every element—subject lines, imagery, CTAs—is filtered through rounds of refinement. Only the campaigns that excel during tests scale to full deployment.  

Going Big with Pillar Content  

When it comes to content, Christy emphasizes playing the long game. Instead of churning out endless forgettable pieces, SMG invests in three to five “pillar campaigns” annually. These campaigns are built around meaty research-heavy reports like market trends or benchmark data.  

From those pillar pieces come all downstream assets—ads, blogs, webinars, and email campaigns. This laser-sharp focus allows teams to own a few big conversations rather than spreading themselves thin across multiple topics.  

Steps to Get Started

• Choose three areas of focus for next year based on audience needs and gaps in current industry knowledge.  
• Invest in research tools or analyst support to create whitepapers, benchmarking guides, or in-depth case studies.  
• Run an integrated campaign that ties these assets to all your distribution channels—ads, email nurtures, and social posts.  

Doubling Down on IRL Connections  

Christy is adamant about the need for in-person conversation to revive the human connection lost during years of virtual overload. Industry-related events aren’t just back—they’re thriving.  

Records show a significant rise in registration and attendance at association meetings, trade shows, and networking dinners. Crafting one-to-one meeting agendas or hosting intimate events remains a top tactic for Christy’s team.  

Key Takeaways  

Christy Behnke isn’t about shortcuts. Her tactical, inspiring marketing practices focus on precision, personalization, and purpose. Here’s a recap of actionable insights you can implement:

• Marry creativity with metrics. Find ways for storytelling to meet data wherever possible.  
• Personalize outreach not just in words but in messaging strategy. Go deep or risk irrelevance.  
• Double down on select demand gen tactics—elevating industry events and ABM instead of spreading yourself too thin.  
• Use data to refine, not just to analyze. Test, iterate, and build smarter campaigns from insights.  
• Create fewer but bigger content landmarks that form the foundation of your campaigns.  

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