This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" explores the importance of strategy in digital marketing and its connection to ROI. Host Katya Allison interviews Corey Morris, President and CEO of Voltage, who brings nearly two decades of experience in driving growth for national and local brands. Corey shares insights into creating marketing strategies that align with business goals, the critical role of customer journey mapping, and the evolving digital marketing landscape. The conversation also touches on balancing creative work with measurable business outcomes, the importance of decision-making, and Corey’s approach to leading an agency. Learn how to build campaigns that connect with audiences and track meaningful results while navigating the fast-paced world of digital marketing.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Strategy-first marketing is essential for achieving measurable ROI and driving business growth.
• Digital marketing should focus on the entire customer journey, not just individual tactics.
• Customer acquisition requires more than just clicks—it’s about fostering connections that lead to conversions.
• Effective marketing agencies need to connect business strategy with marketing execution for long-term success.
• Quick decision-making is crucial in leadership and marketing, especially when there’s uncertainty.
• Agencies should develop comprehensive marketing strategies that align with broader business goals.
• ROI measurement is key to understanding campaign effectiveness, not just traffic and lead generation.
• Balancing creativity with data ensures that marketing campaigns are both innovative and results-driven.

https://thedmsp.com

https://voltage.digital

https://coreymorris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/

@coreydmorris

This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" dives deep into the art of content strategy and the power of storytelling in marketing. Host Katya Allison interviews Edgar Li, a serial entrepreneur and the co-founder of Presscart, a platform that simplifies content marketing and media placement. Edgar shares his journey from tech development to branding, offering valuable insights into how brands can craft authentic stories that resonate with their audiences. The conversation highlights the importance of building personal connections with your audience, using storytelling to drive engagement, and leveraging content across various marketing funnels. Edgar also shares his thoughts on the future of AI in content development and the significance of personal branding in today’s competitive market.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Effective content strategy starts with asking the right questions: Why, for whom, and what to communicate.
• Storytelling is key—brands must tell their story from the audience’s perspective, not just their own.
• Creative content can’t be rushed; it requires time, thought, and iteration to get it right.
• AI in content creation should complement human creativity, not replace it, especially for quality storytelling.
• Personal branding plays a crucial role in connecting with your audience—people gravitate toward authentic voices.
• Content for top-of-funnel awareness should focus on generating engagement and thought leadership.
• Consistency in content messaging is essential, but it’s important to find new ways to say the same thing.
• Personal stories build stronger connections—share your beliefs and values to attract like-minded people.
• Storytelling frameworks such as the "hero’s journey" can guide brands in structuring compelling narratives.
• Content quality trumps quantity—don’t just create for the sake of posting, but create with purpose.

Episode Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liedgar/

Website: https://presscart.com/

This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" delves into the role of AI in modern marketing and decision-making. Host Katya Allison interviews Garik Tate, an AI futurist, investor, and strategy consultant, about his unique perspective on integrating AI with business strategies. Garik discusses how AI is reshaping customer acquisition, personalization, and outreach, and provides insights into how businesses can use AI tools to enhance their marketing efforts. The conversation also touches on the practical applications of AI in email outreach and personalization, the importance of automation in decision-making, and how to stay ahead of trends in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• AI tools can help automate decision-making processes, especially for repetitive tasks.
• Personalized email outreach using AI enhances customer engagement and increases response rates.
• AI’s role in cold email outreach allows for more tailored, relevant communication.
• Tools like make.com allow automation of marketing tasks without needing extensive technical skills.
• Maintaining relevancy in personalization is crucial for successful marketing campaigns.
• The current slowdown in AI advancements means marketers must focus on efficient execution using existing tools.
• AI can be used to optimize cold email campaigns by analyzing LinkedIn and other public data.
• Automating processes with AI can streamline workflows and increase productivity.
• In cold email marketing, balancing personalization with relevance is key to boosting engagement.
• AI’s potential in marketing will continue to expand, but human expertise remains crucial in maximizing its impact.

Episode Links:

• Valhalla.team
• AIColdOutreach.com

Follow Garik on Social:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/garik-tate/
• https://www.youtube.com/@gariktate
• https://www.instagram.com/garik_tate
• @garik_tate

This episode of Let's Talk Marketing explores the dynamic world of digital marketing for DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands, with a particular focus on fashion and lifestyle industries. Host Katya Allison interviews Nikki Lindgren, founder of Pennock, a marketing agency that specializes in driving growth for emerging brands. Nikki shares her expertise in scaling businesses, optimizing paid media strategies, and leveraging customer data. The conversation covers the role of creators and influencers, TikTok's growing influence, and strategies for crafting compelling ad campaigns. Nikki also discusses the importance of customer surveys, creative testing, and building brand loyalty. This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to elevate their marketing strategies in the competitive DTC space.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Start with customer data to determine the right paid marketing channels for your brand.
• Use customer surveys to gain insights into social channel preferences and to fine-tune marketing strategies.
• Paid media strategies should balance between social engagement and remarketing to optimize results.
• Leverage TikTok for paid marketing as it scales faster than other platforms like Instagram, especially for fashion brands.
• Maximize content from creators—50% of a successful beauty campaign can be creator-generated content.
• Plan for seasonal fashion collections by ensuring creative assets align with the brand’s sales expectations.
• Keep testing new platforms and features like Meta's site links and TikTok's shopping capabilities for better ROAS.

Episode Links

https://www.pennock.co/contact-pennock

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilindgren/

Special Offer: Offering to cover paid ads costs for 1 quarter for brands that qualify.

This episode of Let's Talk Marketing explores the power of psychology-driven marketing and its impact on demand generation. Host Katya Allison interviews Rai Cornell, CEO and Strategic Marketing Consultant at Cornell Content Marketing, about her approach to B2B marketing, her transition from mental health to marketing, and how her framework, "The ELITE Method," is revolutionizing how businesses connect with their ideal buyers. Rai discusses the importance of empathy in marketing, how to build long-term demand generation strategies, and why understanding buyer psychology is crucial for success.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Rai's background in psychology shapes her unique approach to B2B demand generation.
• Demand generation is about building relationships, not just capturing leads.
• The ELITE Method includes examining, learning, implementing, transforming, and enhancing your marketing strategies.
• Understanding the buyer’s pain points, even peripheral ones, is key to effective content strategy.
• Thought leadership should focus on articulating a company’s unique differences, not just filling the content pipeline.
• Empathy in marketing leads to better connection and less transactional messaging.
• A feedback loop between sales and marketing ensures continuous learning and improves content quality.
• Companies should focus on long-term strategies to fill their pipeline sustainably, not just short-term lead generation.

Show Links:

https://cornellcontentmarketing.com/demandgenkit

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raicornell/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/raicornell/

This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" explores the power of word-of-mouth marketing and customer acquisition. Host Katya Allison interviews Landon Taylor, CEO of Snoball, a Word of Mouth Marketing platform. The discussion dives deep into the importance of balancing marketing strategies with customer acquisition costs (CAC) and how businesses can utilize word-of-mouth strategies for long-term success. Landon shares his experiences with customer acquisition, the importance of tracking key metrics, and why businesses must diversify their marketing efforts. He also provides valuable insights on leveraging user-generated content (UGC) and creating customer loyalty through consistent engagement.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC) is calculated by dividing total sales and marketing costs by the number of new customers acquired.
• A good CAC-to-LTV (lifetime value) ratio is essential for maintaining a profitable marketing strategy.
• Lead generation and nurturing should be treated as distinct stages in the marketing funnel.
• Diversifying marketing efforts across different channels helps mitigate risks of dependency on a single source like Google Ads.
• Experimentation is key: marketers must adapt to changing trends and continuously evaluate what works for their business.
• Word-of-mouth marketing relies on maintaining ongoing one-on-one conversations with customers to drive referrals and build brand advocacy.
• User-generated content (UGC) can be integrated with paid marketing to enhance conversion rates and improve social proof.
• Businesses should prioritize consistent communication and trust-building with customers to create a sustainable word-of-mouth flywheel.
• Marketers should always be learning and refining their skills, ensuring they stay ahead of industry changes.

Episode Links:

• https://snoball.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonstaylor/
• https://x.com/@landonstaylor

This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" explores leadership, company culture, and remote work in the modern world. Host Katya Allison interviews Chris Dyer, a recognized expert on company culture and leadership, about his experiences and insights into managing remote and hybrid teams. With a focus on creating high-performing cultures, Chris shares his strategies for fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection within teams working in a remote or hybrid environment. He also discusses his unique "seven pillars" approach to building company culture, how leaders can maintain transparency, positivity, and recognition, and the growing impact of AI on the future of work

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• Hybrid and remote work require a reinvention of traditional work models for success.
• Effective meetings in a remote setting require intentionality and clear purposes.
• Transparency, positive leadership, and recognition are key to a high-performing culture.
• Chris Dyer’s "seven pillars" framework for company culture includes uniqueness, listening, and accountability.
• Hybrid teams benefit from structure, with meetings like "cockroach meetings" focused on one specific problem.
• Leaders should prioritize deep connection and empathy in remote or hybrid team settings.
• Saying "yes" more often can open opportunities and spark innovation in business.
• Creativity in meetings can be fostered with specific naming and purpose, like "creative caterpillar" meetings.
• Company culture is not about quantity but about quality and meaningful connections within teams.
• AI could shape the future of remote and hybrid work, but human trust and interaction will remain critical.

Episode Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdyer7/

https://www.tiktok.com/@chrisdyer.com

https://www.instagram.com/chrispdyer7/

https://x.com/ChrisPDyer

https://chrisdyer.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chrispdyer7

https://youtu.be/NtgtkAoGgT4

This episode of "Let's Talk Marketing" explores the intricacies of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and its impact on marketing. Host Katya Allison interviews Jeff Greenfield, CEO and co-founder of Provolytics, a measurement company specializing in a privacy-first world. Jeff discusses the pros and cons of GA4, its comparison with Universal Analytics, and how marketers can leverage it for tracking clicks and user behavior. He emphasizes the importance of understanding data aggregation, impressions, and how to use analytics effectively for marketing strategies. The conversation also touches on balancing work and life, providing insightful advice for marketers.

Listeners will walk away with insights on:

• GA4 is useful for tracking user behavior, but it's not the ultimate measurement tool.
• Impressions are crucial for understanding marketing effectiveness but often missing in GA4.
• Marketers should look beyond clicks and consider impressions for a full view of their campaigns.
• GA4 favors Google-owned platforms like YouTube, which can distort comparative data.
• Work-life balance is essential for creativity and long-term marketing success.
• Avoid relying solely on GA4 for your marketing data; combine it with other analytics sources.
• Custom events in GA4 offer more meaningful insights, but they require effort to set up.
• Marketers should balance their focus between creative strategies and data-driven decisions.
• Being aware of time lags between impressions and conversions can help optimize marketing strategies.
• Staying updated on marketing trends and technologies is vital to staying competitive.