Welcome to the latest edition of Fresh Salmon, marketing mavericks, founders, solopreneurs and B2B industry leaders!

Almost a month ago, we witnessed what I consider to be the most jaw-dropping brand collaborations of 2023. 

Yes, I'm referring to Snoop Dogg and his headline-grabbing statement: "I’m giving up smoke."

This bombshell did more than create ripples; it unleashed a tsunami across the digital sphere. The man racked up an impressive 152 million impressions on Twitter alone. 

The kicker is that it was all part of Smokeless Fire Pits' brilliant marketing campaign!

What makes me, a seasoned B2B marketing professional, gush over a celebrity stunt? This is not merely marketing; it is marketing artistry at its finest. 

This is what B2B Marketing needs to learn about Brand Collaborations, especially with B2B Creators:

1. Leveraging Personal Brand:

Snoop Dogg, the epitome of cool, the king of laid-back vibes, is flipping the script on his iconic persona? This is not just clever; it is strategic genius. By leveraging his personal brand, he created a partnership that broke the internet, but redefined how audiences engage with digital content.

2. The Power of Surprise:

Snoop's move jolted a world numbed by constant advertising. The campaign was bold, unexpected, and brilliantly aligned with the product. This is the kind of surprise that turns heads and opens wallets.

3. Media Frenzy:

It wasn't just a campaign; it was a media event. There was a deafening buzz, coverage exploded, and discussions ignited. When was the last time your B2B campaign generated such buzz?

4. Beyond Followers:

B2B marketers, pay attention. Follower counts and likes don't matter. Alignment and personality are key. It was Snoop's persona that magnified the impact of this collaboration, creating a narrative that resonated far beyond his immediate fans.

So, what's the takeaway for the B2B world? 

Think bigger, bolder, and more creatively about your partnerships. It's not just about who you collaborate with; it's about crafting a story that captures imaginations, shakes up expectations, and leaves a lasting impression.

In the words of Snoop himself, sometimes you gotta "drop it like it's hot." And in this case, he dropped a marketing masterclass that we all should be studying.

B2B marketers, it is time to take note and light up the potential of your brand. Ready to create a smokeless fire of your own?

Unlock the Secret to Community Building: Start with Your Audience

There is an absolute gold-rush in the B2B marketing world right now where everyone is desperate to build their own communities. 

So many B2B founders and marketers want to build communities to help scale their growth. 

It seems Community-Led Growth is the new go-to flavor of the season.

Building a community can be done in many ways. However, not all approaches are equally effective. 

There are certainly many ways to do it wrong. 

Creating a Slack channel and marking it as your community is the most common. 

The beauty of community is that it transcends your own platforms. The essence of a community is not the technology or platform, but the sense of belonging. 

There is no doubt that the purpose of the community is to build evangelism for your brand at scale, where people can sing praises about your product or service without the presence of anyone from your organization.

Word of mouth is what drives your company's growth, and community is what drives it.

The most effective way to build a community is to build an audience, and then convert people from that audience into a part of something bigger, such as an owned community.

Remember, a community is not just a group of people. It's a movement. 

It's where your audience transforms into advocates, and your advocates become your most powerful marketing force.

Building an owned audience prior to establishing a community is a strategic advantage in securing success, compared to attempting to do so without this foundational step.

The Power of an Owned Audience

1. Established Trust and Credibility:

When you've built an audience, you've already established a level of trust and credibility with them. Your brand, your values, and what you stand for are well known to them. Trust is essential when inviting them to participate in a more engaging and intimate community setting.

2. Understanding Needs and Preferences:

Your existing audience provides valuable insight into what they need, prefer, and expect from your brand. Your community can be tailored to meet these expectations, ensuring it resonates deeply with its members.

3. Higher Engagement Levels: 

Your audience members who join your community are likely to be more engaged and active. Having a vested interest in your brand makes them more likely to participate, contribute, and evangelize.

4. Easier to Scale: 

Scaling your community becomes easier when you have an existing audience. Your word-of-mouth can attract new members more organically and effectively from a ready pool of potential members.

5. Feedback Loop: 

Building and growing your community can be easier if you have an existing audience that is engaged with your brand. Having this feedback allows us to make real-time adjustments and ensure that the community meets the needs of all members.

Challenges of Building a Community Without an Owned Audience

1. Lack of Initial Trust: 

It's difficult to convince people to join and actively participate in a new community without an existing relationship. The process of building trust from scratch is slow and often uphill.

2. Uncertainty About Member Needs:

Understanding what potential community members want or need becomes a guessing game without prior engagement. Uncertainty can lead to misaligned community objectives.

3. Lower Engagement and Participation:

The tendency is for people to be more reluctant to engage in communities with which they have no prior relationship or loyalty. Consequently, low participation rates and a lack of dynamic interaction can occur.

4. Difficulty in Building:

Community growth without an existing audience base is often slower and more resource-intensive. To attract members, significant marketing and outreach efforts are required.

5. Risk of Misalignment:

If the community's values and direction don't align with those of your eventual audience, revisions or even a complete overhaul may be required.

Key Takeaways:

In essence, having an owned audience first provides a solid foundation for building a community. 

It ensures that the community is aligned with member needs and preferences, enjoys higher engagement levels, and can grow more organically. 

Attempting to build a community without this foundation poses significant challenges in terms of engagement, growth, and alignment with audience needs.

Interesting Thing That I Read This Week

Here is an awesome example of asking customers for an online review:

Tweet That I Noticed This Week

Some Katelyn Bourgoin wisdom for you all!

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 ❤️