In B2B Marketing: Tomorrow’s Best Practices Today, we feature expert interviews about the state of B2B Marketing and what the future holds. In this post, I interview Elena Salazar, a California-based Digital Marketing Manager.

Tell us about yourself?

Hi everyone!

My name is Elena Salazar and I am a Digital Marketing Manager based in Los Angeles, California. I started my career as a data analyst in the non-profit sector, and transitioned to working in digital marketing in 2013.

I love to learn ⁠— and the industry is constantly evolving. Due to my background in analytics, I am a very data and results-driven marketing professional. I have experience working with diverse companies and have worked on the client side, at advertising agencies and as a freelancer.

I really enjoy connecting with other professionals in the space, and helping businesses improve the ROI of their online marketing efforts.

Note: Earlier this year, Elena contributed to a Leadtail post about social platforms hiding likes. Read it: “Do You Like It? Social Platforms to Hide or Remove Likes: Experts Weigh In.”

Tell us about your background in B2B marketing?

My experience in B2B marketing began around 5 years ago when I started a job as a Marketing Analyst at an advertising agency in San Francisco.

Most of our clients were in the technology and software space, and I had the opportunity to work on a variety of integrated marketing programs. After marketing medical devices, a childcare management software, conference calling hardware, and virtualization software, I took my skills in-house and am now working directly for one of my previous clients.

What’s a best practice that B2B marketers should move on from?

“People change jobs so often in this day and age that someone you reach with an ad may or may not be at the same company for long.”

Being so tightly bound to a target account list. I have seen a lot of benefit from casting a slightly wider net in my B2B marketing efforts.

Retargeting your web visitors with display ads or opening up your Facebook and LinkedIn ads to lookalike audiences are great ways to lower your advertising costs while still reaching engaged and qualified professionals.

Also, people change jobs so often in this day and age that someone you reach with an ad may or may not be at the same company for long.

Tell us a best practice of tomorrow that B2B marketers should be doing today?

Even in the B2B space, people buy from people. Consumers often trust what another person says about a brand more than what a brand says about itself. How can you empower your existing advocates to market on your behalf?

People often associate influencer marketing with B2C programs, but it can also be really effective for B2B marketing. First, look at your company executives, influential employees, and your brand’s super-users.

Reach out to them and see if they’d be willing to write a blog post, record video content, or post about your company on their own social media channels.

Another option is to connect with industry thought leaders or analysts. Invite them to one of your events or give them early access to your new product. The key is making sure that your brand aligns with their audience.

Note: Read a related post by Carter Hostelley, “5 Ways to Ignite Employee Advocacy at Your Company.”

What’s a common mistake you see in B2B marketing?

A common mistake that I see B2B marketers make is ignoring the awareness phase of the customer journey.

While contact acquisition and sales are common KPIs for B2B programs, it is still important to consider each stage of the customer journey and the resources people need along the way that will help them evaluate whether or not what you are selling is a good fit for their business.

How has your personal use of social media has affected your career or life?

While I work in social media marketing every day, I also love building out my own personal social media channels and communities.

Social media has directly led to me being invited to teach yoga at a conference as well as attend and document a SpaceX rocket launch.

I’ve made amazing friends and mentors on social media that I’ve gotten to meet and continue to build a relationship with offline. Joining Twitter chats has also been such a great way to network with, and learn from, others in my field.

Here’s a tweet from Elena about the upcoming SpaceX launch:

You tried Acroyoga for the first time. Tell us about it?

I really make an effort to frequently try new things and get out of my comfort zone.

I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be really fun! Personal growth happens when we try new things, and this is also true in business.

I am constantly piloting new and innovative tactics in my marketing programs. We can’t assume that the same strategies or tactics will continue to perform in the same way over time, and it is so important to diversify your marketing mix to stay ahead of the curve. Something may not work out as you’d hoped, but that is how we learn.

Elena shared a photo of her first Acroyoga experience:

Where can people connect with you?

On social media!

I am @elenacsalazar on Twitter and Instagram, and I’m also on LinkedIn.

I recently launched my website, www.elenacsalazar.com, where I post about digital marketing trends and personal branding. I love connecting with others in my field and would love to meet more fellow B2B marketers.

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