“Effective marketing isn’t just about numbers; it’s about telling the right story to the right people at the right time.”
Lauren Lang, Director of Content at UpLevel
Summary
- Communicating value effectively: Emphasizing that communication happens not just at the speaker’s mouth, but at the listener’s ear. It’s essential for marketing leaders to think about how they communicate value to executives and ensure it’s framed in a way that resonates with the listener’s perspective.
- The power of framing and narrative: Marketing leaders must frame their contributions and value in a way that highlights their impact, especially when navigating executive conversations and securing buy-in for long-term initiatives.
- Navigating layoffs: In the context of layoffs, the importance of demonstrating your value to the organization becomes even more critical. It’s not just about doing the right things, but about making sure that your efforts are clearly understood and aligned with company goals.
- Strategic value in marketing: Marketing leaders need to strategically show their worth and reinforce their contributions to the company’s success, not just through metrics but by aligning with the broader organizational goals.
- The importance of data and storytelling: Data alone is not enough; it must be used to tell a compelling story that helps executives understand how marketing contributes to business growth and aligns with long-term company goals.
Takeaways
- Effective executive communication: Lauren discusses the importance of understanding how communication happens, emphasizing the need to communicate value in a way that resonates with executives and stakeholders.
- Framing value for buy-in: The conversation explores strategies for framing the value of marketing work so it is understood and appreciated at all levels, particularly in the context of securing executive buy-in.
- Navigating layoffs and value recognition: Lauren reflects on the role of value recognition in organizational decision-making, and how marketing leaders can work to ensure their teams are seen as essential during times of uncertainty like layoffs.
- Data-driven storytelling: The importance of using data to tell a compelling narrative that aligns with business goals is discussed, including how data can be leveraged to demonstrate marketing’s impact.
- Strategic marketing leadership: The episode covers how marketing leaders can build a strong case for marketing initiatives, even in the face of challenges, by strategically aligning their motions and messaging with the business’s core objectives.
Time Chapters
- [00:06] Introduction: What to expect from today’s conversation
- [02:12] Understanding the key challenges of executive communication
- [07:25] Securing support for long-term GTM motions
- [11:18] Using data to tell a compelling narrative
- [15:04] Navigating tough conversations with senior leadership
- [20:05] How to align marketing strategy with business goals
- [25:38] Creating visibility for marketing efforts in the company
- [30:00] Wrapping up: Final thoughts and takeaways
About Lauren Lang
Lauren Lang is a B2B marketing leader who helps SaaS companies educate and empower their customers with data-driven empathy. She began her career as a college English instructor and transitioned to content marketing in 2014, leveraging her background in writing and teaching to create educational, human-centered content. Currently Director of Content at Uplevel, an engineering optimization platform, she is also the creator of Bending the Spoon, a course that helps in-house content marketers maximize their impact and prove the value of their work.
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