Customer Marketing Catch-up

In this episode, Kirsty talks through the gap between customers who say they'd recommend a product and customers who actually do, why referral programs feel harder to launch than they are, and what separates the programs that generate consistent leads from the ones that never get off the ground.She also makes the case for why customer marketers — not growth teams, not product — are best placed to own this channel.What we cover:How Kirsty went from building Africa's largest influencer platform to launching Referral FactoryWhy most businesses leave word of mouth to chance — and how to stopHow to launch a referral program in 30 daysThe double-sided referral: why giving customers something to share beats asking them to sellWhat rewards actually work (and the B2B mistake that kills participation)How to make the business case to leadership — including the one question Kirsty uses every timeWhy referral programs don't create word of mouth. They capture it.Resources:Referral Factory: https://www.referral-factory.comReferral Factory case studies: https://www.referral-factory.com/case-studiesKirsty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstysharman

Key talking points:Keeping in the loop with your other departments, especially with product leaders.Make sure to stay in touch with your advocates - if they don't know about the feature, chances are the rest of your customer base don't know about it either.How to cross-sell and upsell to advocatesGetting involved in thought leadershipFuture of customer marketingAbout the guest:Aunalisa Arellano is currently the Head of Customer Marketing at Filevine. She has a strong practice in B2B SaaS marketing and thrives in customer-focused roles. Some exciting career accomplishments so far include:Diversity and Inclusion Board Member at Shareworks by Morgan StanleyFirst-Generation College Student Mentor (Legacy Program) at Westminster CollegeDrove the launch of an inaugural client advisory board at FilevineCreated the first-ever equity compensation by gender and race report at Shareworks by Morgan StanleyCurrently building the core customer marketing and advocacy strategy at Filevine

Key talking points: The importance of upsells for retention and growth,Mapping and managing the variety of customer experiences, Aligning all company teams with the big picture using journey mapping,How mapping helps to scale a customer marketing team.

Key talking points: What you should establish between yourself and your executive stakeholders when setting up a teamMain points to communicate the importance of supporting customer marketing and advocacy teamsHandling challenging or resistant executivesAn example of a successful executive conversation that helped solidify a new team

Key talking points: The future of customer marketingAnalysis of trending topic's longevityThe impact of cross-functional relationshipsHow customer relationships will change

Key talking points:How these events are conceptualizedWhy connecting these two parts of your company is so importantHow such events can support company growthAn example of how these events can be successfully conducted.

Key talking points: How to begin the processes of engaging a variety of customersWays to ensure your engagement strategies develop alongside your customersHow engagement changes between in-person and virtual eventsWhat strategies are most often forgotten in customer engagement