If you're not paying attention to this monumental shift in B2B marketing, you're basically losing money. 🤑

I'll lay it out for you: There's a huge transformation underway within B2B companies, a transformation of titanic proportions.

It is a shift from outdated lead generation mindsets to the exhilarating and innovative domain of demand creation.

It is clear that B2B Marketing is going through a metamorphosis. It's no longer just about generating leads; companies are building a loyal audience. In terms of content marketing, they have thrown out the rulebook and adopted a media-first strategy.

Why is that important?

In other words, audio and video serve as their proverbial knights in shining armor, their foremost tools for creating compelling content and creating buzz at the top of the funnel to drive awareness at scale.

In the past, if you wanted to carve out a niche for yourself, it was all about text and SEO. That is, however, a thing of the past.

In today's labyrinthine B2B landscape, short-form videos and podcasts have flourished. Among the most popular channels for distributing content, they have taken center stage.

In the end, what does all this hullabaloo amount to?

Marketing teams are leveraging this paradigm shift to build a brand within a broader brand, something they call a "media brand."

Creating a rapport with that whopping 95% of people who aren't yet ready to make a purchase isn't about chasing rapid sales; it's about nurturing relationships, building trust, and fostering relationships. It is about preparing the soil so that when they are ready to buy, they know exactly where to go.

Meanwhile, the primary brand can concentrate its efforts on closing the deal with 3% to 5% of buyers who are in the market and actively seeking a solution to their problem. It's a win-win strategy that caters to both present and future needs.

There are already a few great examples who are following this strategy, and are leading their categories:

• There's "The Flow" by HockeyStack, a venture that's been making waves and setting the pace. 🏒📊

• Then there's "LavenderLand" by the folks over at Lavender 💜, painting the town purple and proving that this approach works. 🎨

• And let's not forget "nearbound.com" by Reveal, a shining star in this new age of B2B marketing. 🌐

This is something you can take to the bank. Increasing numbers of companies are embracing this strategy, and you will witness a veritable deluge of media content at the top of the sales funnel.

If you don't get on board with this strategy, you're not just missing out big time - you're throwing away a treasure trove of opportunities. 💰💔

Every Touch Point is a Brand Touch Point

There are a lot of misconceptions about what a brand can do for a business.

To understand what a brand is, people talk about everything from the logo to the color scheme of the website.

I do, however, want to emphasize a couple of things about brand building.

1. Establishing a relationship with your target audience is key to building a brand. The stronger the relationship, the more people will stick to your brand.

Creating a positive perception of a brand can be difficult if you're not connected to it. How can a brand succeed if it cannot connect with people?

2. Every interaction with the target audience is a brand interaction. Every touchpoint, whether it's a cold email or a social media ad, is a brand touchpoint.

It is therefore the responsibility of every employee in the company to build a brand, not just the marketing department or the CEO.

I'll give you an example of what my team did when things went wrong-

Cold email outreach occasionally results in a "F**% U" response.

Then we would wait a day (the emotions are running high...), and then reply -

Hey, I am really sorry, I didn't mean to spoil your day. Can I send you a Starbucks Coffee Card to make up for it?

Not to get a meeting, but just to protect the brand.

This is how you should approach brand building as a company. Together.

Interesting Thing That I Read This Week

This morning I bumped into this very timely post from the man behind Lavenderland - Todd Clouser.

Tweet That I Noticed This Week

Today’s truth.

What Do You Think?

This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon.

I would like to hear what you thought of today's newsletter.

Also, let’s connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, or TikTok.

Cheers,

Vivek

PS. I love you ❤️