Martech Influencer Kelly J Waffle, currently the Head of Digital Strategy at Hinge Marketing took some time out to speak to us about upcoming B2B and Digital Marketing trends and how marketers can use them to boost ROI and conversions. What are some of the biggest challenges digital marketers face in the industry? Listen to Kelly’s thoughts in this crisp 19-minute episode!
About Kelly:
With more than 15 years of hands-on B2B and digital marketing experience, Kelly guides clients through the complex interplay of technology, processes, research/data, programs, creative and analytics. Over the years, he has built and led teams in the corporate marketing, marketing consulting, vendor and creative agency environments. He always brings an independent, 360-degree view of branding, demand generation and business growth to every engagement.
Kelly is also a well-known practitioner and thought leader in Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Recognized by Onalytica as a Top 50 Martech Global Influencer, Kelly has also won awards with Eloqua (now Oracle) and Marketo (now Adobe) for his marketing automation expertise.
About Hinge Marketing:
Hinge is the world’s leading research-based branding and marketing firm for the professional services. We take a scientific approach to marketing, answering hard questions like:

What do high-growth professional services firms do differently?
How does a firm increase its marketplace visibility?
How do a firm’s experts become industry stars?
What tools and techniques deliver the best results?

Top ten takeaways from the episode:

“I now see more of a focus on branding, a few years it was swinging from branding to demand generation and now it’s back to branding.”
“I see quite a big skills gap in digital marketing and B2B marketers are now realizing how much they need to focus on differentiating themselves.”
“I see folks using video marketing in more creative ways and part of this is because it is becoming more search-friendly.”
“I see a lot of B2B Sales people sending personalized videos as opposed to emailing and cold calling.”
“A lot of the skills gap today comes because marketing has transitioned over the last few years. Folks have the traditional skills but may not be as up-to-date with the changing trends and demands.”
“Processing data and turning it into relevant intelligence is a big miss today.”
“When it comes to ABM, I see most people being cautious about it. Personalization has a high adoption rate. They use it for email and even website visits.”
“Right now only 9% of B2B marketers have implemented hypersonalization as a strategy.”
“Its important for B2B marketers to go beyond emailing and cold calling.”
“B2B sales and marketing should tie back to prospect behavior to shorten sales cycles as much as they can.”

About the podcast
Sunny Side Up is a series of 15-minute podcasts. Leaders and innovators share what they’ve learned in the B2B tech sector on topics related to marketing, product management, sales, and leadership.