Hosted by Stephen Lowisz, the GTM Secrets podcast thrives on bringing actionable sales, marketing, and demand generation tactics to its audience. Stephen, a startup founder deeply entrenched in go-to-market strategies, recently sat down with Rob Testa, a marketing leader balancing roles at Samsung SDS and his own small business, Rocket Marketing (RKT MKTG). With a wealth of experience spanning demand generation for behemoth enterprises and scrappy SMBs, Rob shared valuable insights into bridging sales and marketing, leveraging account-based marketing (ABM), and strategically deploying resources for growth.

This podcast is more than theory. It’s a tactical exploration of what works in today’s highly competitive marketplace and how companies, regardless of size, can implement these strategies. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the takeaways, designed to help you revolutionize your demand generation and go-to-market efforts.

Bridging the Sales and Marketing Divide

The divide between sales and marketing can hamstring even the most sophisticated organizations. Misalignment results in wasted resources, inconsistent messaging, and poor lead quality. To ensure a smooth process, sales and marketing teams must collaborate closely, working as a cohesive unit with shared goals.

Actionable Steps to Align Sales and Marketing:

• Define Common Goals: Establish key metrics that both teams are accountable for, such as revenue targets or conversion rates. Ditch generic KPIs like "leads generated" in favor of metrics tied to outcomes, such as SQL-to-customer conversion.
• Establish Regular Syncs: Weekly or bi-weekly meetings between marketing and sales are critical. Discuss campaign results, lead feedback, and adjustments in focus areas. Consider bringing sales into campaign planning sessions to ensure alignment from day one.
• Integrate Workflows Through Technology: Adopt a unified platform (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) to centralize lead handoffs, monitor progress, and keep both teams synchronized. Automate processes like lead scoring and follow-ups, so qualified leads don’t fall through the cracks.
• Create a Feedback Loop: Marketing needs to understand which leads convert and why. A formalized feedback mechanism, where sales shares insights on rejected or successful leads, ensures continuous improvement.

Tactical Example:
If your team is going after enterprises in a new vertical (e.g., healthcare IT), involve sales early in defining the ICP. Work together to identify the top 10 accounts and build a co-developed ABM campaign. Marketing can then focus on creating tailored ads, while sales crafts personalized outreach for decision-makers.

Enterprise Demand Generation Strategies That Work

For enterprises like Samsung SDS, demand generation is a structured, data-driven endeavor. Introducing new solutions or venturing into new markets often requires rethinking traditional approaches. Testa outlined a multi-pronged strategy that redefines how enterprises drive engagement.

Omnichannel Outreach with Video Campaigns

Omnichannel campaigns combine paid ads, video content, and tailored outreach. For example, Samsung utilizes LinkedIn’s video marketing tools to pinpoint engaged users. They analyze watch rates (e.g., how much of a video a user views) to identify accounts with high engagement.

Step-by-Step Guide for Video-Led Campaigns:

1. Create Industry-Specific Video Content: Focus on your audience’s pain points. For instance, a supply chain video tailored to manufacturing leaders can highlight how AI-driven insights improve operational efficiency.
2. Leverage LinkedIn Campaign Manager: Launch a video ad targeting industries or accounts on your priority list. Select metrics like company size, titles, and geography.
3. Analyze Video Metrics: Track video view rates (e.g., 50% vs. 75% completion) and use LinkedIn's reporting to identify which companies engaged the most.
4. Follow Up Intelligently: Use tools like ZoomInfo to retrieve contact details for top-ranking companies and engage them via email or sales outreach. Frame your message around their observed interest.

Pro Tip: Don’t stop at LinkedIn. Repurpose successful videos into landing pages, emails, and retargeting ads for a cohesive omnichannel experience.

The Power of Events

While digital strategies dominate, in-person interactions remain invaluable for enterprise companies. Conferences, roundtables, and industry-specific expos allow businesses to tangibly demonstrate their value while capturing high-quality leads.

Tactical Steps for Event Marketing:

• Pre-Event Outreach: Email prospects attending the event and encourage them to meet your team. Personalize invites when possible.
• Create Interactive Experiences: Stand out by offering hands-on demos or hosting panel discussions that position your company as a thought leader.
• Post-Event Follow-Up: Immediately reach out to leads, referencing any in-person discussions to create a personalized follow-up.

Example:
Samsung SDS might host a roundtable targeting IT leaders in logistics, showcasing how their mobile device management software streamlines operations while actively collecting qualified leads.

Tool Stack for Enterprises:

• LinkedIn Campaign Manager for granular audience targeting.
• ZoomInfo for deep account insights and uncovering contact details.
• Google Analytics to map the buyer’s entire engagement funnel.

Demand Generation for Startups and SMBs

For startups and small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the focus is more on agility, resourcefulness, and maximizing a limited budget. Without the cushion of brand equity, crafting authentic connections built on trust and utility becomes paramount.

Building an Organic Funnel From Scratch

Organic tactics might not be glamorous, but they’re highly effective and sustainable.

How Startups Can Nail Organic Growth:

1. SEO is Non-Negotiable: Dedicate time to keyword research and on-page SEO. Use free tools like Ubersuggest or Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords customers are actively searching. Craft blogs, landing pages, and FAQ sections targeting these terms.
2. Amplify Social Proof: Happy customers are your best advocates. Encourage them to submit reviews on Google, LinkedIn, Trustpilot, or industry-specific directories.
3. Leverage Low-Cost Directories for Backlinks: List your business on SaaS directories like G2, Capterra, and Product Hunt. Even if reviews are sparse, backlinks from directories improve SEO.

Converting Social Media into a Lead Engine

Social media isn’t just a promotional tool; it’s a platform to establish authority and build trust.

Best Practices for SMB Social Media Campaigns:

• Humanize Your Brand: Share authentic stories about your team, behind-the-scenes photos, or how your solution impacts customers.
• Stick to One or Two Platforms: Focus your efforts. For SMBs targeting enterprises, LinkedIn will always yield better results than TikTok. B2C brands, however, might see better traction using Instagram or TikTok.
• Engage With Others: Reply to comments, join related discussions, and even share relevant user-generated content. Don't just post content; nurture an active presence.

Pro Tip for Startups: Consistency trumps flashiness. Five helpful posts a week will beat infrequent viral campaigns. Aim for regular, meaningful engagements.

ABM Excellence for Any Budget

ABM is arguably the most effective demand generation strategy. Whether targeting a single account or a select set of accounts, the goal is to provide tailored solutions that meet specific pain points.

From Theory to Execution in ABM

1. Account Deep Dives: Perform comprehensive research for each target account. This might involve analyzing annual reports, press releases, competitor comparisons, and LinkedIn activity.
2. Craft Tailored Campaigns: Personalize every touchpoint, whether it’s a branded email, a customized landing page, or a video ad.
3. Coordinate Across Teams: ABM requires unison. Marketing provides air cover through ads and content, while sales runs targeted outreach supported by the insights marketing gathers.

Using Tools for Better ABM:

• LinkedIn Ads to run personalized video campaigns.
• Outreach.io or Salesloft to manage personalized sequences for each account.
• CRM Analytics to track ongoing engagement levels and refine strategies.

Example for SMBs:
A small marketing agency targeting Fortune 500 companies might create a custom presentation addressing challenges specific to a prospect, such as declining ad performance. They could follow up with personalized video emails to key decision-makers, emphasizing solutions tailored to the company’s needs.

Demystifying AI in Demand Generation

Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are becoming non-negotiable tools for marketers looking to scale efficiency without sacrificing quality. AI supports brainstorming, campaign planning, and even improves customer targeting.

Actionable AI Use Cases:

• Content Ideation and Creation: Generate blog outlines, ad copy, or webinar topics within seconds to save time.
• Audience Insights: Use AI to ask specific questions about your ICP. For example, “What are the primary pain points of supply chain managers at enterprises with $500M+ revenue?”
• Ad Optimization: Use AI-generated headline variations and A/B test to see which performs best.

Pro Tip: While AI expedites workflows, always verify and refine outputs for accuracy and tone. Employ AI as a creative partner, not the final decision-maker.

Intelligent PPC Decisions

A successful PPC strategy requires precise targeting and understanding audience habits.

Steps for Choosing the Right PPC Channel:

1. Understand the Audience Journey: Are they searching for solutions directly (ideal for Google Ads), or are they browsing industry insights (better suited for LinkedIn)? Match channels to intent.
2. Start Small: Allocate small budgets to test campaigns on 2-3 platforms before scaling based on ROI.
3. Track Metrics Relentlessly: Focus on conversion rate, CTR, and cost-per-lead (CPL) rather than vanity metrics like impressions. Platforms like Meta might appear inexpensive, but if the quality isn’t suited to your audience, move budget elsewhere.

Wrapping It Up

Transforming your demand generation and ABM strategies takes effort, but the rewards in pipeline and growth make it worth it. For enterprises, leveraging tools and omnichannel strategies ensures large-scale efficiency. For SMBs, an emphasis on organic tactics and authenticity levels the playing field against bigger competitors.

Use the tactical steps outlined here as your roadmap. The only step left is to execute.

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